Islam in Djibouti

Last updated

Islam in Djibouti (Pew) [1]

   Sunnism (77%)
   Non-denominational Muslims (8%)
  Other Muslim (Quranist, Sufism, Ibadism, Cultural etc.) (13%)
   Shiaism (2%)

Islam in Djibouti has a long history, first appearing in the Horn of Africa during the lifetime of Muhammad. Today, 98% of Djibouti's 490,000 inhabitants are Muslims. According to Pew, 77% follow the denomination of Sunnism (primarily adhering to the Shafi'i legal tradition), whilst 8% are non-denominational Muslim, and the remaining 13% follow other sects such as Quranism, Shia, Ibadism etc.. After independence, the nascent republic constructed a legal system based in part on Islamic law.

Contents

History

The Al Sada Mosque in Djibouti City in the 1940s OlderDjibouticity.jpg
The Al Sada Mosque in Djibouti City in the 1940s

Islam was introduced to the Horn region early on from the Arabian Peninsula, shortly after the hijra. Zeila, in adjacent Somalia's two-mihrab Masjid al-Qiblatayn, dates to the 7th century and is the oldest mosque in the city. [2] In the late 9th century, Al-Yaqubi wrote that Muslims were living along the northern Somali seaboard. [3] He also mentioned that the Adal kingdom had its capital in the city, [3] [4] suggesting that the Adal Sultanate (with Zeila as its headquarters) dates back to at least the 9th or 10th century. According to I.M. Lewis, the polity was governed by local dynasties who also ruled over the similarly-established Sultanate of Mogadishu in the Benadir region to the south. Adal's history from this founding period forth would be characterized by a succession of battles with neighbouring Abyssinia. [4]

Contemporary Islam

Many diverse forms of Islam are practised in Djibouti. Muslim self-identification.jpg
Many diverse forms of Islam are practised in Djibouti.

Djibouti's population is predominantly Sunni Muslim. Islam is observed by 94% of the nation's population, while the remaining 6% of residents are spread between Roman Catholics, Protestants, Ethiopian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Jehovah's Witnesses, Hindus, Jews, Bahá’ís, and atheists. The non-Muslim population consists generally of foreign-born citizens and mostly live in Djibouti City. [5] [6]

Politics

Djibouti mostly colored dark-blue (Shafi'i Sunni) Self-reported muslim affinity in africa.png
Djibouti mostly colored dark-blue (Shafi'i Sunni)

Article 1 of the Constitution of Djibouti names Islam as the sole state religion, and Article 11 provides for the equality of citizens of all faiths and freedom of religious practice. [7] [8] Although Islam is the state religion, the constitution does not allow for religious based political parties. [5]

Most local Muslims adhere to the Sunni denomination, following the Shafi'i school. The non-denominational Muslims largely belong to Sufi orders of varying schools. [9] According to the International Religious Freedom Report 2014, while Muslim Djiboutians have the legal right to convert to or marry someone from another faith, converts may encounter negative reactions from their family and clan or from society at large, and they often face pressure to revert to Islam. [10]

In 2012, a law was passed that grants the Ministry of Religious Affairs increased oversight of Djibouti’s mosques, including of messages disseminated during Friday prayers. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs reportedly used the new law that regulated mosques to replace imams and temporarily close some mosques. Some imams reported being questioned by security services following sermons with strong political and social justice themes. There were also reports of plainclothes officers monitoring the content of Friday sermons and the activities of people attending mosque services. [11]

In 2014, the government issued a decree executing a law on state control of mosques which converted the status of imams into civil service employees under the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and transferred ownership of mosque properties and other assets to the government. The Secretary General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs stated the decree aims to eliminate political activity from mosques and provide greater government oversight of mosque assets and activities. Government officials also indicated the law was designed to counter perceived foreign influence in mosques. [5]

According to article 23 of the Family Code, a non-Muslim man may marry a Muslim woman only after converting to Islam. [12] Non-Islamic marriages are not legally recognized by the government, which only recognizes marriages performed in accordance with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs or the Ministry of the Interior. [5]

There are approximately 40 private Islamic schools nationwide, which are managed by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and the Ministry of Education. The public schools remain secular, although the Ministry of Islamic Affairs instituted a program in which religious leaders visit the secular schools for an hour to answer religious questions in non-mandatory events. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

The 2019 transitional constitution of Sudan guarantees freedom of religion and omits reference to sharia as a source of law, unlike the 2005 constitution of Sudan's deposed president Omar al-Bashir whose government had criminalized apostasy and blasphemy against Islam. Bashir's government had also targeted Shia Muslims and those engaging in proselytization to faiths other than Islam. Christians had also faced restrictions in matters of religious freedom.

Freedom of religion in Mauritania is limited by the Government. The constitution establishes the country as an Islamic republic and decrees that Islam is the religion of its citizens and the State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam in Somalia</span>

Practitioners of Islam first entered Somalia in the northwestern city of Zeila during prophet Muhammad's lifetime whereupon they built the Masjid al-Qiblatayn; as such, Islam has been a part of Somali society since the 7th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam in the United Arab Emirates</span>

Islam is the official religion of the United Arab Emirates. Of the total population, 76.9% are Muslims as of a 2010 estimate by the Pew Research Center. Although no official statistics are available for the breakdown between Sunni and Shia Muslims among noncitizen residents, media estimates suggest less than 20 percent of the noncitizen Muslim population are Shia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam in Tunisia</span>

Islam is the official state religion in Tunisia. According to the United States CIA, 99.1% of its adherents are Sunni Muslims. The constitution of Tunisia states that the country's “religion is Islam”, the government is the “guardian of religion”, and requires that the president be Muslim. The predominant madhhab in the country is the Maliki school. The Tunisian island of Djerba is home to a population of Ibadi Muslims.

Freedom of religion in Algeria is regulated by the Algerian Constitution, which declares Islam to be the state religion but also declares that "freedom of creed and opinion is inviolable" ; it prohibits discrimination, Article 29 states "All citizens are equal before the law. No discrimination shall prevail because of birth, race, sex, opinion or any other personal or social condition or circumstance". In practice, the government generally respects this, with some limited exceptions.

The Walashma dynasty was a medieval Muslim dynasty of the Horn of Africa founded in Ifat. Founded in the 13th century, it governed the Ifat and Adal Sultanates in what are present-day, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea and eastern Ethiopia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dir (clan)</span> Somali clan family

The Dir is one of the largest and most prominent Somali clans in the Horn of Africa. They are also considered to be the oldest Somali stock to have inhabited the region. Its members inhabit Djibouti, Somalia, Ethiopia, and northeastern Kenya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam in Africa</span>

Islam in Africa is the continent's second most widely professed faith behind Christianity. Africa was the first continent into which Islam spread from the Middle East, during the early 7th century CE. Almost one-third of the world's Muslim population resides in Africa. Muslims crossed current Djibouti and Somaliland to seek refuge in present-day Eritrea and Ethiopia during the Hijrah ("Migration") to the Christian Kingdom of Aksum. Like the vast majority (90%) of Muslims in the world, most Muslims in Africa are also Sunni Muslims; the complexity of Islam in Africa is revealed in the various schools of thought, traditions, and voices in many African countries. Many African ethnicities, mostly in the northern half of the continent, consider Islam as their traditional religion. The practice of Islam on the continent is not static and is constantly being reshaped by prevalent social, economic, and political conditions. Generally Islam in Africa often adapted to African cultural contexts and belief systems forming Africa's own orthodoxies.

Freedom of religion in Comoros is addressed in the constitution which proclaims equality of rights and obligations for everyone.

The constitution of Brunei states that while the official religion is the Shafi'i school of Sunni Islam, all other religions may be practiced "in peace and harmony." Apostasy and blasphemy are legally punishable by corporal and capital punishment, including stoning to death, amputation of hands or feet, or caning. Only caning has been used since 1957.

The Constitution provides for the freedom to practice the rights of one's religion and faith in accordance with the customs that are observed in the kingdom, unless they violate public order or morality. The state religion is Islam. The Government prohibits conversion from Islam and proselytization of Muslims.

The Constitution of Kuwait provides for religious freedom. The constitution of Kuwait provides for absolute freedom of belief and for freedom of religious practice. The constitution stated that Islam is the state religion and that Sharia is a source of legislation. In general, citizens were open and tolerant of other religious groups. Regional events contributed to increased sectarian tensions between Sunnis and Shia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Djibouti</span> Country in the Horn of Africa

Djibouti, officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the east. The country has an area of 23,200 km2 (8,958 sq mi).

Islam is the majority and official religion in the United Arab Emirates, professed by 74.5% of the population as of 2020. 63.3% are Sunni, 6.7% are Shia, while 4.4% follow another branch of Islam. The Al Nahyan and Al Maktoum ruling families adhere to the Maliki school of jurisprudence. Many followers of the Hanbali school are found in Sharjah, Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Ajman. Their followers include the Al Qasimi ruling family. The other main religions present in the country include Christianity (12.9%), Hinduism (6.2%), and Buddhism (3.2%). Zoroastrians, Druze, Baha'i, Judaism, and Sikhism are also practiced by some non-nationals. 1.3% of the population is agnostic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in Somalia</span>

The predominant religion in Somalia is Islam, with tiny minorities of Christians, traditional African religions and others.

The Harla, also known as Harala, Haralla are an ethnic group that once inhabited Ethiopia, Somalia, and Djibouti. They spoke the now-extinct Harla language, which belonged to either the Cushitic or Semitic branches of the Afroasiatic family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freedom of religion in Somalia</span> Overview of religious freedom in Somalia

Freedom of religion in Somalia refers to the extent to which people in Somalia are freely able to practice their religious beliefs, taking into account government policies, non-state actors, and societal attitudes toward religious groups. Due to the Somali Civil War, the enforcement of laws pertaining to religion by the various autonomous governments in the region is inconsistent.

The status of religious freedom in Africa varies from country to country. States can differ based on whether or not they guarantee equal treatment under law for followers of different religions, whether they establish a state religion, the extent to which religious organizations operating within the country are policed, and the extent to which religious law is used as a basis for the country's legal code.

The status of religious freedom in Asia varies from country to country. States can differ based on whether or not they guarantee equal treatment under law for followers of different religions, whether they establish a state religion, the extent to which religious organizations operating within the country are policed, and the extent to which religious law is used as a basis for the country's legal code.

References

  1. ↑ "Religious Identity Among Muslims | Pew Research Center". 9 August 2012.
  2. ↑ Briggs, Phillip (2012). Somaliland. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 7. ISBN   978-1841623719.
  3. 1 2 Encyclopedia Americana, Volume 25. Americana Corporation. 1965. p. 255.
  4. 1 2 Lewis, I.M. (1955). Peoples of the Horn of Africa: Somali, Afar and Saho. International African Institute. p. 140.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "DJIBOUTI 2015 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT" (PDF). U.S. Department of State. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Djibouti". The World Factbook. CIA. October 7, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Djibouti's Constitution of 1992 with Amendments through 2010" (PDF). Constitute Project. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "Constitution de la République de Djibouti" (in French). Agence Djiboutienne d'Information. Archived from the original on 25 November 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
  9. ↑ Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation retrieved 4 September 2013
  10. ↑ United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (5 August 2009). ""Djibouti: Situation and treatment of Christians, including instances of discrimination or violence; effectiveness of recourse available in cases of mistreatment; problems that a Muslim can face if he or she converts to Christianity or marries a Christian (2000–2009)"". Unhcr.org. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
  11. ↑ "Djibouti". US State Department Religious Freedom Report 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  12. ↑ "Djibouti". US State Department Report on Religious Freedom. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.