60939    The Cham had expanded their influence to Cambodia and China from their base in central Vietnam, but after the 15th century they were pushed south by the Vietnamese.

60940    Islam began to take root with the Cham as they traveled up the Mekong River and settled in Cambodia, where they have maintained their Islamic faith in the Buddhist country.

60941    The Cham suffered under the reign of Pol Pot.

60942    Half of them died from the out-and-out oppression.

60943    Their religion was outlawed and the younger generations have lost their unique culture.

60944    The Cham are now pouring their energy into reviving their Islamic faith.

60945    These activities began in earnest when the United Nations-supervised interim government of Cambodia was in power.

60946    Aid from other Islamic countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia suddenly increased, and graduates of Phnom Penh's Islamic teacher's school took up teaching positions around the country last year.

60947    I am seventy kilometers east of Kampong Cham.

60948    At a ceremony to celebrate the completion of an Islamic school in the village of Sura, the women wore the hijab and the men wore white skullcaps.

60949    The school was built with 6,000 dollars in foreign aid.

60950    "For the revival of Islamic culture."

60951    Vice Minister of Religion and Cultural Affairs Usman gave a speech in front of 150 students aged eight to 20, and 50 villages in the province are in the process of building or rebuilding Islamic schools.

60952    Due to Cambodia's long war, the Mekong lagged behind in development and also remained isolated from such things as river pollution.

60953    Little garbage is found on the river's surface, which teems with the shadows of fish.