What is it like to be Vietnamese-Muslim in Ho Chi Minh City ?

Compared to neighbouring countries with longer Islamic traditions, Vietnam has much smaller Muslim population. The 1999 national census showed 63,146 Muslims, with recent estimations go up to less than 100,000, making up to 0.1% of the national population. In which, only 7,000 people live in Ho Chi Minh City. read more

In which, only 7,000 people live in Ho Chi Minh City. The majority of Vietnamese Muslims are Cham people. Most of them live in small communities in the metropolitan area, often as enclaves comprising dozens of family living close to a mosque (masjid) as well as prayer rooms (surao). read more

Mou-sa says Ho Chi Minh City has more than a dozen imams, all trained in Vietnam. Foreign imams also visit, especially from Malaysia, and the Koran has been translated into Vietnamese. A slight man in a collarless shirt, sarong, and metal-rimmed glasses, he has lived in District 8 since the 1960s, when Chams first began moving to the area. read more