ISLAMIC CONVERSION OF THE VIET MUSLIMS IN TAN BUU AND THEIR INTEGRATED EFFORT WITH THE MULTI-RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN VIETNAM

Abstract

Religion has been playing a significant role in the spiritual life of Vietnamese people in the South of Vietnam, especially in Tan Buu commune, Ben Luc district, Long An province. The conversion from traditional folk religions to Islam for the Vietnamese people is a rare case among religious movements in Vietnam. This article analyzes and explains the causes leading to the religious conversion of Vietnamese people in Tan Buu commune, Ben Luc district, Long An province, as well as analyzes their integration into a multi-religious society of the South of Vietnam. From the research outcomes, we suppose that the religious conversion in Tan Buu is associated with the rules of social movement, influenced by the inter-ethnic missionary process of the Cham Muslims. In particular, the social contexts and family circumstances have contributed to changing the perception of Vietnamese families. This leads them to break with traditional folk religions and replace them with a new faith – Islam.