Islam in China Population 200,000 (approx.) 95% Muslim The Turkic nomadic tribes of Central Asia began settling in China during the 14th century. The third largest of these groups are called the Kyrgyz. The Kyrgyz live in the high mountain ranges and grassy plateau regions of the Xinjiang province of North West China. The Kyrgyz, a proud people whose name means "indestructible", were once referred... [Read more]

Muslims in Singapore Singapore consists of 62 small islands and one large island (699 km2) just south of mainland Malaysia and north of Indonesia. While about 23% of Singapore's land area consists of forest and nature reserves it is also the world's second most densely populated independent country. Singapore has one of the world’s busiest ports and is a commercial, financial and technical hub for... [Read more]

Once called the Spice Islands, Indonesia, the fourth largest nation in the world, is a nation in which it is impossible to make generalisations. Spanning the equator, it is an archipelago of over 13,500 islands divided into 27 provinces. The people of Indonesia represent hundreds of languages and cultures and religions. Traveling from one area of Indonesia to another one will experience a diverse range... [Read more]

The Cham Muslims of Cambodia There are 308,000 Cham people living in Cambodia; 127,000 in Vietnam; 15,000 in Laos; and some in other countries. In Cambodia, the Cham people live in about 378 villages, most of which are just north of Phnom Penh. The Cham language is related to the languages of Western Indonesia and Malaysia. The Cham people were originally people of an ancient kingdom, a wealthy maritime... [Read more]

Muslims in ... Laos is South-East Asia's only landlocked nation and is distinguished by a very mountainous area in the north and small area of lowland in the south. More than half of the country is covered in thick rainforests and wild animals are plentiful, including the elephant, panther, leopard, and tiger. The mighty Mekong River flows through most of the country following along the Thai border. ... [Read more]

Malaysia, a country of contrasts....beautiful tropical beaches, mountain jungles, modern cities, a world class airport and Formula One Grand Prix car racing. With the rapid changes of the last 30 - 50 years, traditional values are under pressure. Western materialism and immorality is duelling with more traditional family and Islamic values. There is a vibrant church among the Chinese and Indian minorities;... [Read more]

"This is Burma, and it will be quite unlike any land you know." This quote from Rudyard Kipling is still true today, 100 years after he first wrote it. Today Burma is known as Myanmar and is indeed an extraordinary, charming and interesting country. It is the largest country on mainland Southeast Asia with an area of 676,000 square kilometers in a highly strategic location between India and China at... [Read more]

The Muslim Kazakhs of Western Mongolia Majestically the eagles circle while sometimes powerfully beating their wings high above the gathered crowd. At the signal of the falconer an eagle suddenly swoops down, glides over the heads of the spectators and lands with a loud shriek on the thick padded gloves of its master. The "Festival of the Golden Eagle" in Bayan-Olgii in the western most province of... [Read more]

Muslim foreign workers in Taiwan Taiwan's Foreign Workforce: 336,985 Indonesian: 79,650 (23.6%) Filipino: 91,995 (27.3%) Thai: 93,673 (27.8%) Vietnamese: 71,618 (21.2%) Islam first reached Taiwan in the 17th century when Muslim families from the southern Chinese coastal province of Fujian accompanied Koxinga on his invasion to oust the Dutch from Taiwan. But their descendants became assimilated into... [Read more]

Brunei - last time we were there In Southeast Asia, facing the South China Sea, the nation of Negara Brunei Darussalam – better known as Brunei, is wedged between the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah. Brunei was a British protectorate for almost one hundred years until independence in 1984. Brunei became a Muslim nation in the 15th Century after the conversion of Sultan Awang Alak Betatar (Sultan... [Read more]