Death threats made against Muslim school in Cambodia

By Lauren Crothers

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia

Cambodian police have been ordered to stand guard at a Cham Muslim school in the wake of a month-long wave of attacks on the site, which have included death threats and feces being left in the facility’s potable water tanks.

The Cambodia Daily reported Thursday that the school, which was founded by an imam in Tbong Khmum province called Muhammad Abdulrahman, teaches “Cham language, cultural history and religious practices.”

In November, the Phnom Penh Post reported that 24 of the school’s students fainted and were hospitalized after claiming that poisonous gas was allegedly released into the house where they were staying.

Local police official Ouk Pov has told the Daily that the latest attacks have continued, unabated, since late December.

“[R]ocks and bags of feces” have been tossed into the compound, but on Monday night, one of the rocks was wrapped in a piece of paper inscribed with death threats and describing Abdulrahman and other staff as ‘dogs’,” the Daily said.

Abdulrahman told the paper he believes the attacks have been motivated by jealousy and that because he comes from Phnom Penh, he is seen as an outsider.

He said the suspects had put feces inside the water tanks, as well as throwing firecrackers against the school walls.

Police have so far made no arrests, and say there is no clear motive as yet.