Original report from Kandal province
08 October 2009
Classes are underway at the Cambodian Islamic Center in Kandal province, and at the nearby Al Rahmani mosque, a group of female students waited for their instructor on a recent day.
It is not by chance that the classroom was empty of men. Here, young women and girls are separated from their male classmates, in a bid to help them study, officials say.
“It is common that female and male students have love relationships, and this makes it difficult for us to control,” said Pich Solin, director of the Islamic Center’s secular studies.
Segregation helps earn the trust of parents and helps students concentrate on their studies, he said.
Cambodia has around 500,000 Muslims, many of whom are descendants of a lost kingdom in today’s Vietnam. Over the decades, they have lived side-by-side with their Khmer neighbors, but Muslim leaders maintain traditions in schools like the Islamic Center, underscoring the difference in cultures.
The Islamic Center has strict rules regarding relationships between its students.
“They don’t allow us to sit in the same class [with boys], as we may woo each other,” a shy, 15-year-old girl named You Sali said. This is for the best, she said.
The center has around 200 female students, who leave their homes across the country to study here, 20 kilometers outside Phnom Penh. Nearby, on the main grounds of the Islamic Center, 500 male students undertake secular and religious courses.
Kimri Safert, 18, said he wanted to study in a classroom with female students.
“I want to, but how can I if the tradition won’t allow it?” he asked with a sigh.
Nos Sles, an undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Education, said the separation of students does not affect quality of education.
“They just put female students in one place and male students in another, but the curriculum is the same,” he said.
Still, some students look forward to a day when they can mingle in a classroom.
Kimri Safert, a male student at the center, said he must wait three more years to graduate the school. “Then I will go to university with mixed sexes.”
It is not by chance that the classroom was empty of men. Here, young women and girls are separated from their male classmates, in a bid to help them study, officials say.
“It is common that female and male students have love relationships, and this makes it difficult for us to control,” said Pich Solin, director of the Islamic Center’s secular studies.
Segregation helps earn the trust of parents and helps students concentrate on their studies, he said.
Cambodia has around 500,000 Muslims, many of whom are descendants of a lost kingdom in today’s Vietnam. Over the decades, they have lived side-by-side with their Khmer neighbors, but Muslim leaders maintain traditions in schools like the Islamic Center, underscoring the difference in cultures.
The Islamic Center has strict rules regarding relationships between its students.
“They don’t allow us to sit in the same class [with boys], as we may woo each other,” a shy, 15-year-old girl named You Sali said. This is for the best, she said.
The center has around 200 female students, who leave their homes across the country to study here, 20 kilometers outside Phnom Penh. Nearby, on the main grounds of the Islamic Center, 500 male students undertake secular and religious courses.
Kimri Safert, 18, said he wanted to study in a classroom with female students.
“I want to, but how can I if the tradition won’t allow it?” he asked with a sigh.
Nos Sles, an undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Education, said the separation of students does not affect quality of education.
“They just put female students in one place and male students in another, but the curriculum is the same,” he said.
Still, some students look forward to a day when they can mingle in a classroom.
Kimri Safert, a male student at the center, said he must wait three more years to graduate the school. “Then I will go to university with mixed sexes.”
10 comments:
Dear all,
I would like to know, are these students learn Khmer as well in this Islamic Center? I hope so, this is Khmer Kingdom and they should master the language. I don't care what religion are they into, but Khmer language should be the first thing they learn.
Another point, please do not differentiate among Khmers. Once you are born in Cambodia, you are Khmer! There is no Cham, Viet, Chinese in Cambodia. We are Khmers period!
Take care Khmers,
KhmerUSA
I respect the Chams, their religion and tradition. But they must understand that they are Khmers or Cambodians.They are not Arabs.
For me It's not acceptable that the Chams behave like Untra conservators or Fundamuntalist or like The Talibans or Al Queda.
There is must not be separation of female and male students at School nor the port of veil.
THE Segregation and the veil at Scool is UNACCEPTABLE!
A PP resident
If you love Fundamentalism, you would support the segregation and praise the director of the Islamic Center, who may turn Cambodia into partial extremism. Question: Is it wrong for females and males to study together and love each other? Does their being in the same class make them weak humans? I think the director should move the center into Taliban's area. KhOpen,
8:17 you are an American Idiot. Are you Cham -- can you speak for Chams? Yet you demand they learn your language. Listen to the Chams themselves -- they call themselves KHMAI ISLAM. Not just plain Khmai.
And why you force your khmai language on KALSOMPHOAN? The Chams learn Cham because they're Cham and Arabic because they're Muslim. And they already speak Khmai to you in the marketplace. So they speak more languages than just English like you (I have the feeling you don't speak good khmai because you're American Idiot)
12:12 PM Great job!
Khmer kids those born abroad don't even know their own script (ka, kor, ko, kho) and etc. not even one word. I lived in the state for over 30 years folk. They only knew mostly BLACK and some WHITE people not KHMER.
Khmer562
Let's me explain you, guy. Cham is one of minority group in Cambodia. Cham has her own language, culture, and tradition. Whereas, Arab and Malay have their own languages, cultures, and traditions. Arab speaks Arabic language. Malay speaks malayu language, and Cham speaks chamese language. But Cham people, Arab people, and Malay people embrace Islam religion. So, we call them that, Arab muslim, Malay muslim, and Cham muslim. In Cambodia, we call Cham Muslim that "Khmer Islam". As we know that Khmer Islam is Khmer nation although she embraces Islam. So, She is Khmer nation, but her religion is Islam. Do not worry, Cham people learn both Khmer and islam religion at Islamic Center. Do not worry guy. She wants to keep her beloved culture, custom, and religion. Like you guy, you live in USA, you are called Khmer American. I do not know whether u keep khmer culture, custom, and buddist or not.Oh, you never go to Khmer temple, but you love go to church. You are also minority group in USA, but you do not strongly embrace Buddist because you are American idiot.
Sveng Rokapeth
I am impressed with our Khmers who are Muslims. They are very discipline and well behaved. Unlike our Khmer muslim brothers and siters, our Buddhist sisters and brothers are mostly thugs and liars. Every day and night our Buddhist brothers and sisters are cursing and insulting and killing each others after they are chanting sama samputho...
10:19pm! what was your mother ?
As someone who has spent time teaching in Cambodian classrooms, I can see why some schools might choose to divide students into boys and girls. This is not unique to Cambodia and certainly not unique to Islamic education. Many highly regarded schools worldwide have single sex classes. It is felt that students can concentrate better if they are not being disturbed by the opposite sex and to an extent I think this would be true for Cambodian public schools. Girls would no longer have to suffer the idiot boys at the back of the classroom.
I'd also like to point out that Buddha came from India. As a result, are all Cambodian buddhists not Cambodian but Indian? No. Do we have to follow a religion that only comes from our country? No. Is religion even based on national identity or do politicians tie religion to politics?
Ultimately, what difference does it make? These children are receiving an education that is suitable for their cultural background in a country where most Cambodians don't receive any education and if they are lucky to attend school then they're confronted with one of the worst education systems I've ever seen. Why can't we celebrate diversity as being intrinsically Cambodian? Look at our history and the influences that have made it great and in some cases terrible. Why are we so keen to make everything and everyone the same? Why do things seen as not 'khmer' scare people so much? Is 'khmer' culture that weak that it must be protected? Should we not ask ourselves is our culture threatened and if so why? Do young people not value their culture? Why?
At the end of the day, being 'khmer' hasn't exactly benefited the country in the last 30 years. Maybe it's time for a change in attitude.
12:52 AM.
Why do you have to drag any body's mother in the conversation?
Tell me if you disagree or agree with me. I think if we practice Buddhism correctly we don't have a drunken monk in the Temple.
I prefer to be an atheist from now on.
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