Islam and Life of Muslims in Non Muslims Countries: Luxembourg

Luxembourg though a secular European country and Muslims form a sizable minority of the total population dominated by orthodox and Protestant Christians. Since 2015, Islam is one of the officially recognized religions in the country. The presence of Muslims in Luxembourg is not very old and in mid 70s there were just a few hundred Muslims in the country. However since then, the size of Muslim community has swelled at a rapid rate and as per many estimates, there are 10,000 to 20,000 Muslims in the country.     

The Muslim population increase is mainly attributed to the asylum seekers from former Yugoslavia, mostly Bosniaks. The Muslim population also witnessed as a surge as workers migrated after the labour agreement between Luxembourg and Yugoslavia. Presently, the Muslims in Luxembourg are mainly Bosniaks, Moroccans, Albanians, Turks, Tunisians, Algerians, and Iranians. Since it is illegal for the government to collect statistics on religious beliefs and practices, it is unclear how many are citizens of the Grand-Duchy. A study (European Values ​​Study) reports a strong progression of the Muslim religion, from 0.7 to 2% of the population between 1999 and 2008. It is now presented as the second religion of the country.

Six mosques currently exist in the country. And a lot of Muslims get together there for the Friday prayers. These mosques, which in fact are Muslim cultural centres and do not resemble typical mosques, are also the venue for special Ramadan prayers  and Eid congregations beside holding of religious festivals.

Shop were one can find Halal Foods [Photo]

In a survey carried  out by Islamophobia Observatory, a non-profit founded in 2016 to promote intercultural dialogue in Luxembourg, reveal that whilst Muslim residents of Luxembourg broadly feel well-integrated in Luxembourg, 60% of respondents to an inquiry maintain that Islamophobia exists in Luxembourg. 

Lahcen Abarri, the head of the research and psychological unit, explained that Islamophobia is most prevalent in the workplace, in the media, and in public spaces. Nevertheless, Islamophobia has also been observed in the realm of politics. The Observatory has noted that some MPs have attempted to stigmatise the presence of Islam in Luxembourg with targeted parliamentary questions concerning Muslims. [3]

Please watch below a video of pilgrims from Luxembourg proceeding on Umra to Saudi Arabia in 2017 (The commentary in not in English):

I could not find more information on the way of life of Muslims in Luxembourg. May it is for the reason that Muslims “remain a little-studied and little-known community today,” notes the researcher. If readers can add anything, they are most welcome to do so in our comment box.

Disclaimer: The data for this post has been collected from the references as given below. If any one differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

To know more about life of Muslims in other non Muslim countries, please visit our page: Islam and Life of Muslims in Non Muslim Countries

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

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Posted in: Islam,Life of Muslims,Non Muslim Countries