Islam in Croatia

There are only a few countries where Muslims freely observe their religion and religious rituals and Croatia is one of these countries. Islam that entered in areas that now include Croatia and surrounding areas during the Ottoman Empire from 15-16th centuries. In fact the advancing Ottoman forces halted at Croatia for it was a strong Christian stronghold. Croatia is the second European country to recognize Islam as an official religion and that was done only four years after Austria which recognised Islam in 1912

The total number of Muslims in Croatia differs according to various estimates, but the largely accepted figure comes from the 2011 census according to which Muslims are 1.47% of the country's population, which makes Islam as the second largest religious entity after Christianity. As of 2011, 62,977 Muslims live in Croatia. Most of them declare themselves as Bosniaks (31,479) while others declare themselves as: Albanians (9,594), Roma (5,039), Turks (343), Macedonians (217), Montenegrins (159) and other (2,420).

The Islamic Community of Croatia (Mešihat Islamske Zajednice u Hrvatskoj) is the main organization of Muslims in Croatia that is officially recognized by the state. Muslim communities operate freely in Croatia and with little formal influence or restrictions (Country Reports 2003 25 Feb. 2004; Freedom House 2003). Furthermore, the Ministry of Education recognizes the diploma conferred by the Muslim community's secondary school in Zagreb (International Religious Freedom Report 2003 18 Dec. 2003) and Muslims are granted paid holidays for Ramadan Bairam and Kurban Bairam (ibid.; Croatia 2002).

The first modern mosque in Croatia was built in Gunja in 1969. Today there are 4 mosques and 2 Islamic centers in Croatia (in Zagreb and Rijeka). The Mosque of Rijeka, completed in 2013 is the largest mosque in Croatia, and is unique in its architecture. Some 20,000 Muslims from Croatia and abroad attended the opening ceremony of the Islamic Centre in the western Croatian town of Rijeka on May 4, 2013. 

Zagreb Mosque in Croatia is simply Out of This World  [Photo: ilmfeed]

The Rijeka Islamic Center is located in Croatia’s coastal city, Rijeka. It was designed by prominent Croatian sculptor, Dušan Džamonja (1928 – 2009) who created a miniature model of the Mosque reflecting his abstract sculptures. Later, the architects Darko VlahoviÊ and Branko VuËinoviÊ used the concept to design what we see today.

In Croatia, academics and imams are putting the finishing touches on a new encyclopedia documenting the country's Muslim community. The Islamic Community in Croatia has been promoting for years the idea that it can serve as a model for resolving the Muslim issue in Europe and also the issue of Christian minorities in the Islamic world. With this aim in view, an international conference on Muslim communities in Europe and their duties and responsibilities was held in Zagreb in 2019. The conference was organized by the leadership of the Islamic Community in Croatia and the World Council of Muslim Communities. [4]

Halal food may prove to be difficult to come by in Croatia. Halal tourism is still relatively new in most cities like Zagreb. Well, there are some halal-certified restaurants in these Croatian cities but it’s usually rare and expensive due to its rarity. Muslim travelers can expect 100KN (~S$20) for a simple kebab and 20KN (~S$4) for a small glass of apple juice. [7]

Please watch a video on how do Muslims celebrate Ramadan in Rijeka, Croatia:

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.

Croatia Flag | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |

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Resurgence of Islamophobia - Time Sanity Prevails

Islamophobia is nota new term anymore for now it has been used excessively over the years to show "growing concern" about Islam and the threat it makes to the Christian world for Islam has now become one of the fastest growing religion in the world. More and more non Muslims are embracing Islam for the ultimately come to the conclusion that word of Qur'an is more closer to the Divine Truth that what is being preached in the churches and synagogues.

Thus it makes Islam an easy target for the hard core follows of other faiths to target Islam on one pretext or the other to debase Islam and Muslims, specially those living in the non Muslim countries and make their living difficult under tougher anti Islam environment. They know that Muslims get intimidated and provoked easily when the very personality of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is targeted.  And in this regard, France is in the forefronts which by taking its Freedom of Speech law more often than not debase Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, by using social and print media.

Years ago, the publication of caricatures of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) by Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical weekly magazine, left a very bad taste of France about Muslims living in France. And obviously this hurts Muslims not only in France but the world over to see demeaning caricatures of their beloved Prophet and get provoked. 

When this happened, at that time while much of the (Christian) world  rallied in solidarity with the publication, its irreverent cartoonists and their right to free speech, there were some saner rejections too. Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, a U.S. organization that "defends the rights of Catholics," issued a statement titled "Muslims are right to be angry." In it, Donohue criticized the publication's history of offending the world's religiously devout, including non-Muslims. In fact his statement ended with a quote from U.S. founding father James Madison: "Liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty, as well as by the abuses of power." In other words, we may be free to speak, but we have to appreciate the value of that right.

And when they express their anger, the French government takes sides of its writers and cartoonists and support them for they cannot be prosecuted under the Freedom of Speech law. In fact they have never shown concerns of such publications which are in fact the main cause of Muslims' sharp reaction and protests.

The hate for Islam in France is not a new thing. Back in 1890, a play screened in Paris also targeted Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). And as reported in the history, the then Sultan of Abdul Hamid II of the Ottoman Empire took a very serious note of the insults being hurled on to Prophet of Allah and summoned the French ambassador to his court and showed his discontent in very blunt tone:

Read details at Facebook

The publication of caricatures, burning of copies of Qur'an and hates speeches are now gearing up in many countries across Europe, specially Fence, Norway and Denmark. The very recent issue of a French teacher showing the caricatures of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has further added fuel to fire, which ended up in sad event of murdering of the teacher by an 18 years old Chechen, who was instantly killed by police. While the Muslims condemned the act of the teacher, they also condemned the act of the young Chechen, for Islam does not allow killing people for difference of opinion. But at the same time, the people of France would understand the sentiments of Muslims and should not support those hurting their religion by pen or by tongue.

This time the reaction of the Muslim world is much sharper and instant than before and many a Muslim countries have banned French imports and taken of French made commodities off the the shelves. Turkey's president and prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, have severely criticized the French president who vowed to continue allowing caricatures and drawings and supporting French journalists and writers to continue with their anti Islam drive for he doesn't want to challenge the freedom of speech law of his country. Even the French non Muslims have started to tell Muslims to leave their country if they cannot respect their laws. But the point is why cannot the French people respect the sentiments of Muslims, which the largest single minority in France? Does it mean France is at war with its Muslim citizens?

Where this terrible state of affairs of intimidating and provoking Muslims will lead to? Cannot the non Muslims learn to respect the religious sentiments of Muslims rather than defending their right to freedom of speech. Instead of moving to the path of tolerance and religious harmony, I think the world is drifting apart more rapidly than before and the present wave of resurgence of Islamophobia will really hurt both Muslims and Non Muslims alike.

After the incident, the French president went public and severely attacked Islam over the death of a French teacher, for showing cartoons of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) during a class on free speech. Not only this, just last month, he had refused to denounce the infamous magazine Charlie Hebdo after it decided to republish Prophet (PBUH) sketches, provoking French Muslims to react. When asked about his opinion on the matter, the French President said that he was in no position to deny the magazine its right of ‘free speech.’

Responding to the French president response, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan lambasted French President Macron for attacking Islam. 

Khan said that Macron deliberately hurt the sentiments of millions of Muslims around the world. PM Khan said that a real leader unites human beings rather than dividing them. This is a time when President Macron could have put healing touch & denied space to extremists rather than creating further polarization & marginalization that inevitably leads to radicalization. Instead, he encouraged Islamophobia by attacking Islam ‘rather than the terrorists who carry out violence, be it Muslims, White Supremacists or Nazi ideologists.’

Imran Khan also wrote to Mr. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook asking for Facebook to place a similar ban on Islamophobia and hate against Islam that has been put in place for the Holocaust.  

Here I may again refer to a quote from U.S. founding father James Madison: "Liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty, as well as by the abuses of power."  So let not French people, or any other non Muslim people and governments around the world misuse the liberty and freedom of expression for it may be endangered by the abuse of liberty and freedom laws. Let sanity prevail and let us not hurt feelings and sentiments, specially the religious sentiments, of others.

Meantime, the Turkish president too has expressed his dismay over the French president's response to the incident and has asked for sweeping boycott of French goods:

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.

You may also read our earlier posts on Islamophobia:

• Islamophobia and how to counter it
• How should Muslims react to instigative emotional excesses?
• Muslims in Non Muslim Countries - France

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Islam in Denmark

Islam is the fastest growing minority religion in Denmark. Islam entered Denmark in the 1880s but real growth of Islam came in the 1970s when students and workers from Turkey, Pakistan, Morocco and the former Yugoslavia. Mostly these were single male who later stayed back on account of better job prospects. Later these were allowed to bring in their families to settle down permanently. A second wave of Muslims came in the form asylum's seekers and refugees from Iran, Iraq, Somalia and Bosnia.

The Muslim population has considerably increased from 3.7% of the total Dane population in 2009 to about 5.4% in 2020. Presently there are some 313,713 Muslims living in Denmark. In addition, some ethnic Danes have converted to Islam; an estimated 2,800 Danes have converted and about seventy Danes convert every year. Authorities do not register individual religious beliefs. Muslims citizens enjoy full civil and political rights in the Danish democracy. Several Muslims are members of parliament and hold seats in municipal councils.

AS per a rough estimate, the origin of Denmark’s Muslims varies. Research suggests that 24.7 % are of Turkish origin, 12 % are of Iraqi origin, 10,8% Lebanese, 8,2% of Pakistani origin  and 7.6 % of Somali origin. Most of the Muslims are Sunni Muslims with a a sizeable Shia minority. The Danish 

Although Denmark has a Lutheran state church financed via taxes, but there is freedom of religion in Denmark and Everyone can manifest his or her religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching - yet things are all not that well when it comes to racism and Islamophobia. Recently there have been anti Islam demonstrations and a growing numbers of Danish Muslims say they have faced verbal abuse, exclusion and hate crimes since mainstream political parties began adopting anti-immigrant policies previously the preserve of the far right. Almost eight out of ten Muslims living in Denmark want to make criticism of Islam illegal, according to a report from Denmark’s Ministry of Justice released called "Freedom of Speech in Denmark".

The Muslim women wearing traditional Muslim veils are often mistreated, abused and sometimes attempts are made to forcefully take off their veils. They also face restrictions at work place because of their Islamic attire. The ban on wearing garments hiding the face, including some traditional Islamic headwear such as the niqab and burqa in 2018 ignited controversy in the country and online, with some defending women's right to wear what they want and others saying that immigrants should obey the laws of their host countries. A petition to ban circumcision in the country received the 50,000 signatures required for a vote in parliament.

Manilla Ghafuri, 26, who came to Denmark from Afghanistan in 2001 as a refugee, fears that anti-Muslim attitudes could harden further in days to come. She says she has more than once been told to go back to her “own country” and has been kicked out of a supermarket while shopping with her family. While she was working at a bakery a male customer refused to be served by her. “I asked if I could help him, but he didn’t look at me at all. He just stood and waited for another girl who is an ethnic Danish girl,” said Ghafuri, who also works as a teacher and has a degree in Danish.[6]

The Grand Mosque of Copenhagen in Copenhagen is one of the largest mosques in Denmark.        [Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Author: Morten Haagensen] 

Muslims have to brave out the negativities of the hostile Danish right parties and population. Denmark’s immigration minister in 2018  had suggested that Muslims fasting for Ramadan should stay home from work “to avoid negative consequences for the rest of Danish society,” and called Fasting Muslims ‘a Danger’ in Ramadan. [7] A survey i 2016 concluded that one in three Danes believe that the country is at war with Islam and its adherents. Thirty three percent of Danes responded that Denmark is at war with Islam, while 56 percent disagreed with that view. Eleven percent of the 1,045 respondents answered that they did not know. [8]

Despite all odds, Muslims continue to play a role in shaping its social and religious landscape. There are 22 approved Islamic communities in Denmark. Members of approved religious communities may obtain the right to deduct their financial contributions to a religious community from their taxable income. An estimated 20%-25% of Muslims in Denmark (roughly 44,400-55,400 persons) are affiliated with a mosque association. According to a study conducted in 2006, there are around 115 mosques in Denmark.

Halal slaughter is permitted in Denmark. Halal food is widely available and Denmark is a major exporter of Halal meat to the Arab world. Sections within fifteen existing municipal cemeteries (all Christian consecrated) have been reserved for Muslim use since 1975. Religious groups also have the right to acquire land for the purpose of establishing a burial site. In 2006 a Muslim cemetery owned by the Danish Islamic Burial Fund was established near Copenhagen.

Religious education in public primary and secondary schools in Denmark is focused on ‘Christian studies’ with the addition of elements about other religions including Islam. Islamic studies are offered as part of Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies programmes and at the departments of religious studies at the universities of Aarhus, Copenhagen and Southern Denmark. 

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.

Flag | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 |  4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |

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Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Islam in Benin

The Republic of Benin, the erstwhile Republic of Dahomey,  is a country in West Africa with a population of almost 100 million (2013 estimates). The country is predominately a Christian country but has a sizable Muslim minority of almost 27-30% of the total population. It is not unusual for members of the same family to practice Christianity, Islam, African Traditional Religion, or a combination of all of these.

Islam was brought to Benin from the north by Hausa, and Songhai-Dendi traders. Nearly all Muslims adhere to the Sunni Maliki branch of Islam. A few Shi'a Muslims are primarily Middle Eastern expatriates.

There is no legal restriction on Muslim worship in Benin. A liberal environment in accordance with the diversity of religions in the country is provided by the constitution and other legislation. In virtually all parts of the country, salah can be performed without disturbance. As part of its commitment to secularism, the state of Benin provides funding for the building of mosques and for other relevant services. Mosques in the country have been built with the support of wealthy Muslim merchants or support from Kuwait. Mosque expenses are covered by their congregations. Islamic occasions such as Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) are official holidays. [2]

Due to the French government’s intervention on religious publications during the colonial period, and due as well to interaction resulting from the multicultural composition of the country, it can be observed that ignorance and confusion reign in society. It has become commonplace that Islamic and Vodun rituals are practiced together in the Beninese Islamic community, where such fundamental concepts of Islam as trade ethics and jihad do not find complete acceptance. A culture has emerged in the country where Vodun traditions are perpetuated by both Muslims and Christians. [2]

The biggest mosque in Porto Novo Benin [Photo credit: ISHMALOO ;)) / Flickr ]

Muslims are generally educated at Quranic schools called da’ara. In addition to learning how to read the Quran, at the da’ara students receive the basics of Islamic catechism. However, as there is no public school or education center offering secondary education in many areas populated by Muslims, young Beninese Muslims cannot receive education of this kind. In the madrasahs founded by Sufi orders, religious education of a more advanced nature, such as fiqh and hadith, is provided. Such institutions are continuing to increase in number across the country. There is, in addition, an elite group who receive education in Islamic sciences in Saudi Arabian or Egyptian universities.

Ketou's largest mosque [Photo credit: Trek Earth]

In relation to how "political and religious powers" are exercised within the Islamic community, it is the imam, who is described as the spiritual guide for the community and is the highest religious authority; his duties include officiating at the mosque and celebrating marriages. In his absence, his vicar/advisor known as the naimi takes his place. Aside from his official duties, the imam also settles disputes within the community and is a member of the electoral council for the traditional chief, and sometimes becomes its marabout. [3]

Although Muslims follow their Islamic beliefs, they are also influenced by the marabouts and many people (Muslim or not) believe that a marabout has powers of divination, and that he can act as an intercessor between God and humans. In Beninese society, it is common for some people to consult the marabout in the hope that their desires will be fulfilled or their problems resolved. However, the marabout can use his knowledge of the Koran, and can even threaten his clients with curses (death, poverty, accidents, etc.) if they do not follow his instructions. The marabout, however, does not carry out his threats personally-he prays to Allah (God) for his threats to be fulfilled. It is a matter of beliefs. [3]

I could not get any information about lifestyle, culture, traditions of Muslims of Benin. However, they do celebrate Muslim festivals, keep fasts during month of Ramadan and celebrate Eids. The video below shows Muslims celebrating Eid ul Fitr:

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 | 

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Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Islam in Georgia

Georgia, a predominantly Orthodox Christian country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia, ha s significant Muslim population ranging between 9-11% according to different sources, that is every one in ten Georgians is a Muslim. However, despite the sizable Muslim population, Islam is seen by many as a hostile religion.

Adjara’s Muslims occupy a peculiar position in the popular mind. They are not real Georgians, because they are not Christians. But neither are they enemies, because they share the same language.[2]

Islam came to Eastern Georgia in 654 by the armies sent by Uthman ibn Affan, the third caliph of Islam and established their foothold in Tbilsi, the capital of present day Georgia. The Autonomous Republic of Adjara on the Black Sea coast in western Georgia is home to a large and much overlooked Muslim community. Islam first arrived in Adjara in the 16th century. A former region of the Ottoman Empire, Adjara was ceded to Russia – and joined to other Georgian territories. Under the Soviet Union rule, the state sponsored drive to proclaim atheism, the Muslim rights were forcible usurped. Even after independence of Georgia, during the rise of religious and ethnic nationalism in the 1990s, Georgia ensured that Islam never regained its pre-Soviet influence, and slowly ceded its positions in Adjara to the Georgian Orthodox Church.
.
The affairs of Muslims of Georgia and mosques are managed by the Georgian Muslim Department, established in May 2011. The same year in July, Parliament of Georgia passed new law allowing religious minority groups with “historic ties to Georgia” to register. The draft of the law specifically mentions Islam and four other religious communities.

Turkey is in the forefronts in helping out the Muslims of Georgia and signed an agreement with the Georgian government in 2010 to provide funding and expertise to rehabilitate three mosques and to rebuild a fourth one in Georgia. The Georgia-Turkey agreement allows the reconstruction of the historical Azize mosque in Batumi, Ajaria burned down in 1940.

There are two major Muslim groups in Georgia. The ethnic Georgian Muslims are Sunni Hanafi and are concentrated in the Autonomous Republic of Adjara of Georgia bordering Turkey. The ethnic Azerbaijani Muslims, predominantly Shia Ithna Ashariyah, concentrated along the border with Azerbaijan and Armenia. The Chechens Muslims of the Naqshbandi order are living in Pankisi Gorge.

There are also smaller numbers of Muslims in Georgia belonging to other ethnic groups of the South Caucasus, such as Ossetians, Armenians, and Pontic Greeks (divided between Caucasus Greeks and Turkish speaking Urums). These are mainly descended from Ottoman-era Christian Orthodox converts to Turkish Islam. 

Central Mosque in Tbilisi [Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons / author: Henri Bergius from Finland / Source]

Tbilisi's Jumah mosque is shared by Sunnis and Shia because Soviets destroyed the Shia's house of worship decades ago - it was never rebuilt. Batumi's Orta Jami is not big enough to accommodate the Friday congregation; some worshipers offer prayers outside in the rain and snow, according to Nakaidze. Although an open plot was obtained in 2015 for building a larger masjid, the formal approval for construction has never been approved, probably the local government doesn't want to offend the majority Orthodox Christians.

The makeshift new mosque opened without a building [Courtesy of Tariel Nakaidze / Al Jazeera]

Life in Georgia for Muslims is really tough, specially for the women as the biggest challenge is wearing the hijab in public. While many Muslim women do not cover their hair  in an attempt to blend into Christian society, but those who do and choose to wear the traditional Muslim attire walk the streets while their fellow citizens whisper 'Iranian', 'Turk', and 'Go back to your own country' behind their backs. Many Muslim women recount that they were refused a job simply because they were wearing the hijab to a job interview. Sometimes, they said, mentioning that they were Muslim was enough to bring the interview to an end.

"Generally, if you are not visually recognizable as a Muslim, people are fine with you because they don't necessarily ask about your religion. But if you are wearing a hijab and express your religious identity, you get a different reaction," said Hurie Abashidze, a 25-year-old postgraduate psychology student.[4]

The views of Muslim tourists visiting Georgia are true reflection of life of Muslims in Georgia: [3]

I have just returned from Georgia today and as a hijab-wearing Arab woman I found the majority of Georgians exceptionally rude/giving me the cold shoulder - some people even refused to help when I asked for simple things such as directions etc. I have experienced subtle racism before but I felt in Georgia the hostility towards Muslims is very direct/in your face.

From personal experience, having visited Tblisi with family (women and children), whatever words you wish to use or whatever you like to call it, we were never served in a public restaurant. We would go and sit for about 15~20 minutes but nobody would come to take our order. They just went about with other guests or stood by the counter as if we didn't exist. 

How is the life of Muslims in Georgia, read excerpts from a research: [5]

In Georgia Islam have very extraordinary features. For example, in the rituals and religious practices of the Muslim Georgians of Adjara one may observe some influence of Christianity. Furthermore, over the recent period of time conversion of the Muslim Adjarians to Christianity is getting more and more frequent. Islam of the Chechens (the Kists, according to the Georgian tradition) living in the Pankisi Gorge is well mixed with both the Christian and local pagan beliefs. A very interesting situation has been formed among the Azeri community: as a result of mutual influence of the Shiites and the Sunites, living side by side, the difference between the rituals of these two major streams of Islam has faded (the Shiites perform the Sunite rituals and vice versa).

In the context of the overall religious revival in the world, the rise in the level of religious identity of the Muslim citizens of Georgia (first of all of those who are not ethnic Georgians) is noticeable. New mosques have been constructed and, sometimes, even young people have been sent to the religious educational institutions of the Islamic countries for getting higher Islamic education. All these processes have been funded by foreign Islamic organizations or individuals. In this context the spread of Wahabism among the Muslim communities of Georgia (especially the Kists of Pankisi Gorge) is the matter of much concern, especially as there is a strong discord between the Wahabits and the adherents of the traditional Islam. 

I could not find more material on life of Muslims in Georgia. May be Georgian Muslims read this post leave their impressions in the comment box below.

You may now listen to a first hand account of a Muslim in Georgia and the life therein:

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 | 5 | 

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

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Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Islam and Life of Muslims in Non Muslim Countries: Panama

Panama is a transcontinental country in Central America and South America. Muslims constitute less than one percent of Panama’s approximately four million people, yet they enjoy peace and acceptance in one of the world’s most tolerant countries. A group of about 500 is said to have arrived on the Atlantic coast of Panama in 1552, escaped from a sinking ship. And this small group multiplied, build mosques in the areas now known as Darién Province, Bay of San Miguel, San Blas Islands and the area along the Bayano River, named after Bayano. But this group perished in history and no more is known about them.

The present day Muslims are Muslim immigrants from Indian sub continent that came in the early 20th century. In 1929 another group came from Bombay, India who went on to form the Sunni Indo-Pakistani Muslim Society. From 1929-1948 this organization (renamed Panama Muslim Mission) initiated construction on a mosque in Panama City. The location was half completed and was used for Eid prayers and classes for new Muslims, who numbered about twenty-five blacks of West Indian descent. 

In 1932 there was a group of Muslim in San Miguel, Calidonia in Panama City who resided in Short Street where they held meetings and prayers. The Muslims in Panama City of Indo-Pakistan origins had no family structure until 1951 when the first families arrived. In 1963, they purchased a plot in the local cemetery called Jardin de Paz; in 1991, property was purchased in an area called Arraijan, which is now used solely as a Muslim cemetery.

The Indo-Pakistani Muslims began teaching their children at home in 1965 until 1973, when a small teaching program began in a room above Bazar Hindustan on Central Avenue, Panama City. In 1978, they began to use a place in the area of Perejil, Panama City, where prayers and meetings took place until the completion of the El Centro Cultural Islámico de Colón on January 15, 1982. This masjid was built jointly by the Islamic Call Society (based in Libya) and Salomon Bhikhu a local merchant from India. Since its inauguration, classes have been held in the evenings and Sundays for new Muslims and people interested in Islam. As of March 1997, there were four mosques Panama.

El Centro Cultural Islamico de Colón [Photo: Wikimedia Commons | Author: Sir192 (talk) (Uploads)]

Today, The diverse Muslim community in Panama comprises Muslims from different origins and cultures. The thriving community started recently to draw native followers besides the Muslim immigrants who are mainly from Lebanon, Palestine, India and Pakistan. Most Muslims in Panama live in the major cities of Panama City and Colón, with smaller numbers in other provincial cities. The number of Muslim reverts in the Central American republic of Panama has been growing rapidly over the past years.

The Jama Masjid (above) is Panama's first mosque. It was founded in 1981 and that makes it, as far as we are aware, the first mosque in Central America. The masjid was built by in Avenida Balboa by Imam Bhattay’s grandfather with the help of the Libyan Embassy covering half of the expenses.

Al Haqq mosque, is yet another hallmark mosque built by two Panamanian Muslims, Josefina Bell-Munajj and Khadijah Jackson. Today, more than 500 Muslims attend the Friday prayer at Jama Mosque, besides two or three new converts attending the mosque every week. The Number of Panamanians joining Islam is rapidly growing, according to Ahmad Bhattay, a leader at Panama City’s Jama Mosque. 

The Panamanian Muslims have two distinct dialects: Urdu and Arabic, for most of the Muslims either belong to Indo-Pakistan subcontinent or the Lebanon and Palestine. However, all communities join hands together to form a comprehensively strong Muslim community and auger well with the life of Panama.

Watch a video below about Ramadan in Panama:

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 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

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Islam and Life of Muslims in Non Muslim Countries: Puerto Rico

Muslims in Puerto Rico, located in Caribbean island and unincorporated U.S. territory, constitute a very tiny presence: a mere 5,000 heads (2007 estimate). Islam found its way to this part of the world as early as 1493 and was carried across the Mediterranean and the Atlantic by Spaniards, who were forced to take on the Christian faith yet remained Muslim in their own right, and by Africans, who were forced to come to the Americas yet maintained their faith and sense of identity.  Many “Moriscos,” or Iberian Muslims, came to the Caribbean bypassing several Spanish laws that prohibited them from coming to the Americas and served as merchants and explorers. Some were taken as slaves. However, despite this early presence, the growth of Muslims in Puerto Rico has been very negligible, though their presence brought the second monotheist religion to the island.

As per Wikipedia, the present Muslim community largely consists of immigrants from Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt and Syria, with some descendants who arrived between 1958 and 1962. At the time, the vast majority of Puerto Rico's Muslims lives in Caguas – a city in the island's central region located south of San Juan – where they operate restaurants, jewelry stores and clothing outlets.

Islam is not very well known in the Caribbean. Although Puerto Rico currently holds a Palestinian, Pakistani, and Egyptian community, a new Latin Caribbean community is growing and is in the spot light. This provides Dawah, invitation to Islam, to their own people from all over the island. Thanks to social media, Islam has already been accepted by so many Latinos. Social media has gradually informed the natives about Islam, creating more education and attacking the idea of Islamophobia caused by the media and a lack of education. 

Despite the small Muslim population, there are nine mosques (masjids) in Puerto Rico. Initially,  a storefront mosque on Calle Padre Colón in the Río Piedras district of San Juan served the entire religious community on the island during earlier years, however, today there are mosques and Islamic centers in Aguadilla, Arecibo, Hatillo, Ponce, Vega Alta, and San Juan.

Puerto Rico Islamic Center at Ponce in Barrio Cuarto, Ponce [Photo]

In recent years some Puerto Ricons have been reverting to the religion of their ancestors: Islam. In each of Puerto Rico’s nine mosques, researchers have found an increasing number of recent local converts. There is no accurate measure, but anecdotal evidence suggests rising numbers. 

For Juan, a reverted Muslim, Catholicism, the religion adopted by his ancestors when they converted, was too confusing. The doctrine of “tawhid” in Islam – the oneness of God – was, as he saw it, simpler than what he believed to be the complex theology of the Trinity. Furthermore, he felt that Islam called for a higher morality and sense of self-discipline. And so, he “reverted” – that is, returned to the faith of his birth and the heritage of his Iberian forebears in al-Andalus, in what is modern-day Spain.

Most Muslims keep two elements of identity: One that of Puerto Ricon national and other as a Muslim. As  per a report, Muslims in Puerto Rico have a deep history and a rich narrative that expands the understanding of what it means to be Muslim on the one hand, and, on the other, Puerto Ricon. 

An iconic representative of Islam in the island has been Khaled Alkhatib, born in Caguas and raised by Muslim parents, he has dedicated his life to spread his word.

Although the Muslim community is merely 0.1% of he total population of the Island, in December 2015, Destiny Vélez, the newly crowned Miss Puerto Rico was suspended by the Miss Puerto Rico organization after an anti-Muslim rant on Twitter, as a result of strong Muslim protest.

I could not find much material about Muslims in Puerto Rico, but herein under is a video showing various mosques across the island:

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 | 5 |

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Islam and Life of Muslims in Non Muslim Countries: South Africa

South Africa, the southern most African country of the Africa is house to a minority Islam viz a viz its total population. in fact a mere 1.5 to 2% of South Africa is Muslims. Although Muslims have been trickling down in bits and pieces from countries as far away as Indonesia (when the Dutch controlled and East Indies and the Cape an Muslims were were brought Dutch East Indies - present day Indonesia) later from British India in the 19th and 20th centuries, the overall Muslim population has not grown significantly. 

the majority of Muslims are Sunni with a smaller number of Shia sect of Muslims. The small number of Muslims is considered mainly due to the apartheid regime and its strict policies of conversions to any other religion than Islam, there has been a growing number of Muslim migrants from South Asia and North Africa; however, their numbers are fairly low after the end of the apartheid and country becoming a democracy in 1994. According to Michael Mumisa, a researcher and writer on African Islam, there has been an increase in the number of black South Africans converting to Islam particularly among the women and the youth.

Mosque in Cape Town [Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Author: Dolores Coullie]

Jamiat ul-Ulama of the Transvaal (est. 1923), The Muslim Judicial Council (est. 1945) and Muslim Youth Movement of South Africa are some of the leading Muslim organizations looking after the interest of their respective communities. Most of the Indian community follow the Hanafi jurisprudence, while the Malay, Kokni Indian & East African Communities usually follow the Sha'afi jurisprudence, which predominates in the Western Cape.

Although Islam is one of the smallest minorities in South Africa, is an integral and visible part of the society. This is especially true in the urban areas in the Western Cape, Natal and Transvaal. Among many prominent Muslim missionaries, Ahmed Hoosen Deedat (July 1, 1918 – August 8, 2005). Mr Deedat who held numerous inter-religious public debates with evangelical Christians, as well as video lectures on Islam, Christianity, and the Bible. Deedat established the IPCI, an international Islamic missionary organisation, and wrote several widely distributed booklets on Islam and Christianity. He was awarded the King Faisal International Prize in 1986 for his fifty years of missionary work.

Ahmed Hoosen Deedat [Photo]

Bo Kaap is home to the oldest mosque in South Africa and once housed slaves, political exiles and convicts sent from countries including Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia as far back as the 17th century. During apartheid, Bo Kaap was declared a Muslim-only area with a number of now-residents uprooted and forced to move there from other parts of the city. Many recall tales of forced evictions and houses being seized with little compensation.

Halal food can be found for Muslims in the Cape Town. In fact The entire kitchen at Hilton Cape Town City Centre is all halal. They don't serve wine.

Muslims observe their religious festivals with traditional Muslim zeal and fervour. The Friday (Jumu'ah) congregations and observance of Ramadan, followed by the Eid ul Fitr are usual Muslim holy months and feats that bind the small Muslim community together. Watch below the South African Muslims celebrating the month of Ramadan:

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 | 5 | 6 |

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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