Despite its long and ancient history, Indonesia is young nation having gained independence in 1948 from centuries of colonialisation. Recent economic development has brought profound changes to Indonesian society.
In Cambodia, there are several different Islamic groups. The Chang Veng group of villages tends to mix more Malay. The Cham people are an important ethnic minority in Cambodia. They are mainly rice farmers but also grow cotton, maize, tobacco, castor-oil plants, manioc, peanuts, ferns, beans, and vegetables.
The Kyrgyz, a proud people whose name means "indestructible", were once referred to as "uncivilized barbarians" by the Chinese. Most Kyrgyz in China are nomadic pastoralists and live in felt tents called ‘yurts’. More recently numbers of Kyrgyz have moved into the cities. Approx. 1,500 live in the cities of Urumchi, Artush and Kashgar.
Fijian Muslims were originally Indian immigrant laborers for the sugar cane industry, brought to the islands between 1879 and 1920. Many Muslim families eventually farmed small plantations of sugar cane. Indian Hindu groups invested in building schools and pursuing Western education. Muslims, however, put an emphasis on traditional Islamic schooling to protect and promote their identity and therefore have been under-represented in institutions, civil service, and the professions.
In Laos there are approx. 118 ethnic groups including one of Asia’s smallest Muslim communities of about 500 Muslims who live in the capital, Vientiane. The oldest and best known mosque is the Jama Mosque, or Congregational Mosque. The Imam is Haji Moulavi Kamarudeen Noori, who comes from Madras, India.
Shahid, like many rural Malays came to the capital Kuala Lumpur (KL) looking for a job and some big city excitement. He stays with five other young men in a three room apartment near the electronics factory where they work.
In the time of the Myanmar monarchy they gained some influence economically and politically. During the British colonial time the influx of Muslims from neighboring India increased dramatically. Usually women are not veiled, but depending on their ethnic origin some wear a scarf or a kind of embroidered cap. Downtown Yangoon, Mandalay and Mawlamyine you can see several large old mosques, most of them still dating from British occupation.
The Kazakh culture differs in several ways from the Mongol culture. Traditionally the Mongolian Kazakhs are Sunni Muslims whereas the rest of the population are associated with Tibetan Buddhism. In daily life, Islam actually only plays a minor part. Many miracles have been happening in Mongolia.
In 1949, some 20,000 Muslims, mostly soldiers and civil servants, fled mainland China with the Kuomintang (non-communist government) to Taiwan. Two mosques were built in the cities of Taipei and Kaohsiung to meet the needs of the Muslim community. Taiwan's two major international airports have adapted to provide prayer rooms for Muslims in their terminals.
In Singapore, there are two major groups of Muslim peoples - those of Malay origin and those of Indian origin. The law doesn't prohibit proclaiming the gospel to the Muslim peoples but it does discourage it.
