Islam in El Salvador

Last updated

El Salvador is a predominantly Christian country, with adherents Islam being a minuscule minority. Due to the secular nature of the country's constitution, Muslims are free to proselytize and build places of worship in the country.

Contents

There is a small Muslim community in El Salvador, largely consisting of Yemeni Arabs. However, most of the Palestinian Arab population in the country is Christian. It is estimated that there are about 1,000-1,500 Muslims in El Salvador, however, the figure can reach up to 18,000. [1]

There is an Islamic Cultural Association operated by the Shia community, named Fatimah Az-Zahra. They published the first Islamic magazine in Central America: Revista Biblioteca Islámica. Additionally, they are credited with providing the first and only Islamic library dedicated to spreading Islamic culture in the country. [2] Ahmadiyya Muslim Community also exists in the country. [3]

Background

20th-century immigration

The arrival of families emigrating from Arab countries (Syria, Lebanon and Palestine) primarily occurred during the early 20th century. However, the majority of these Middle Eastern immigrants were Christian - of the few Muslim families, little or nothing had been documented.

Centers

In 1994, the first center of Islamic worship was inaugurated in El Salvador, named Centro Islámico Árabe Salvadoreño, founded in the capital city of San Salvador by a group of Salvadoran nationals and individuals of Palestinian ancestry. In 2004, a second mosque was inaugurated in the capital by Shiites, they named it Fátimah Az-Zahra, in honor of Fatimah, the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad from his first wife Khadija. They began diffusing Islamic literature through the Internet, inaugurating the country's first Islamic Website that includes the publication of a quarterly magazine and that currently counts more than 100 digitized Islamic books. [4] In 2007, a third mosque, called the Dar-Ibrahim Mosque, was inaugurated in San Salvador.

The Islamic Centers are generally involved in performing the Friday congregational prayers known as Salaat-al-Jummah , distributing literature, charitable activities, online propagation, and donating informative materials on Islam to various religious and cultural institutions nationwide. For example, the Fátimah Az-Zahra Islamic Center provides introductory classes on Islamic doctrine and history. These classes, which are open to the general public, are not solely religious in nature: courses in foreign languages and efforts to improve adult literacy are also offered. [5]

Mosques

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Orantes, Diana (21 September 2019). ""Los árabes son una raza, musulmán es el que acepta el islam"". Elsalvador.com. El Diario de Hoy. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  2. ↑ El Sitio de Los Musulmanes Shiítas de El Salvador
  3. ↑ "Ahmadía, el ala pacífi ca del Islam, atrae a guatemaltecos". Archived from the original on June 2, 2014. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
  4. ↑ islamelsalvador.com
  5. ↑ Revista Comunica de la UCA Archived 2008-11-01 at the Wayback Machine

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al-Hakam II</span> Caliph of Córdoba from 961 to 976

Al-Hakam II, also known as Abū al-ʿĀṣ al-Mustanṣir bi-Llāh al-Hakam b. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, was the Caliph of Córdoba. He was the second Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba in Al-Andalus, and son of Abd-al-Rahman III and Murjan. He ruled from 961 to 976.

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

Guatemala is a predominantly Christian country, with Islam being a small minority religion. Due to secular nature of the Guatemala's constitution, Muslims are free to proselytize and build places of worship in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam in the Dominican Republic</span>

Islam in the Dominican Republic is a minority religion. Accurate statistics of religious affiliation are difficult to calculate and there is a wide variation concerning the actual numerical amount. Although the majority of the population is Christian, Muslim community is leaded by the Círculo Islámico de República Dominicana. Currently, the Círculo Islámico has an estimation that Muslims number in Dominican Republic is about 3,000 to 4,000, including of a good number of dominicans included.

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

Mexico is a predominantly Christian country, with adherents of Islam representing a small minority. Due to the secular nature of the state established by Mexico's constitution, Muslims are free to proselytize and build places of worship in the country. The country has a population of around 126 million as of 2020 census and according to the Pew Research Center, the Muslim population was 60,000 in 1980, 111,000 in 2010, and is predicted to be 126,000 in 2030; however, according to the 2010 National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) census, there were only 2,500 individuals who identified Islam as their religion. Most Muslims are foreign nationals and the majority are Sunni.

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

Venezuela is a predominantly Christian country, with Islam being a minority religion. There are approximately 100,000 Muslims in Venezuela which make up 0.4 percent of the nation's population. Venezuela has a small but influential Muslim population. Many of them are Arabs of Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian and Turkish descent.

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

Panama is a predominantly Christian country, with Islam being a minority religion. Due to the secular nature of Panama's constitution, Muslims are free to proselytize and build places of worship in the country.

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

Honduras is a predominantly Christian country, with Islam being a small minority religion. Due to secular nature of the country's constitution, Muslims are free to proselytize and build places of worship in the country. The statistics for Islam in Honduras estimate a total Muslim population of 11,000 representing 0.1 percent of the population.

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

Chile is a predominantly Christian country, with adherents of Islam being a minuscule minority. Due to the secular nature of Chile's constitution, Muslims are free to proselytize and build places of worship in the country. The statistics for Islam in Chile estimate a total Muslim population of approximately 5,000, representing less than 0.02% of the population. There are a number of Islamic organizations in Chile, including the Muslim Society of Chile and As-Salam Mosque in Santiago, Bilal Mosque in Iquique, the Mohammed VI Cultural Center in Coquimbo, and Islamic Foundation of Chile in Santiago.

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

Peru is a predominantly Christian country, with Muslims being a very small minority. Due to secular nature of the Peru's constitution, Muslims are free to proselytize and build places of worship in the country. The statistics for Islam in Peru estimate a total Muslim population of 5,000, largely based in the capital city Lima; this represents 0.015% out of total population of 32,555,000 inhabitants.

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

According to 2007 statistics released by the United States Department of State concerning Islam in Nicaragua, there are approximately 1,200 to 1,500 Muslims, mostly Sunnis who are resident aliens or naturalized citizens from Palestine, Libya, and Iran or natural-born Nicaraguan citizens born to both of the two groups. The Islamic Cultural Center in Managua serves as the primary salaat (prayer) center for Muslims in the city, with approximately 320 men attending on a regular basis. Muslims from Granada, Masaya, Leon, and Chinandega also travel to the Managua center for Friday prayers. Granada, Masaya, and Leon have smaller prayer centers in the homes of prominent local Muslims. In May 2007 the Sunni leader of the Managua prayer center was dismissed, due to the increase in Iranian influence in the Muslim community and was to be replaced by a Shi'a religious leader. By the end of the reporting period the Shi'a leader had not been identified.

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

Spain is a Christian majority country, with Islam being a minority religion, practised mostly by immigrants from Muslim majority countries, and their descendants.

The Islamic Organization of Latin Americaand the Caribbean, headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is considered the most active organization in promoting the affairs of Latin American Muslims and Caribbean Muslims in the region.

There is a small Shia community in El Salvador. The country has an Islamic Library operated by the Shia community, named Fatimah Az-Zahra. The library published the first Islamic magazine in Central America: Revista Biblioteca Islámica. Additionally, they are credited with providing the first and only Islamic library dedicated to spreading Islamic culture in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Umayyad state of Córdoba</span> State in Islamic Iberia (756–1031 CE)

The Emirate of Córdoba, from 929, the Caliphate of Córdoba, was an Arab Islamic state ruled by the Umayyad dynasty from 756 to 1031. Its territory comprised most of the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands, and parts of North Africa, with its capital in Córdoba. From 756 it was ruled as an emirate until Abd al-Rahman III adopted the title of caliph in 929.

The Islamic Federation of the Canary Islands is a Muslim religious organization that brings together associations and Islamic religious communities around the Canary Islands. Its headquarters is located in the town of Los Cristianos, in the municipality of Arona south of the island of Tenerife (Spain).

Abdul Karim Paz is an Argentine Shi'i sheikh, head imam of the At-Tauhid mosque in the Floresta neighbourhood. He is known for holding pro-Iran views on AMIA bombing case. Paz serves also as a representative of Organización Islámica Argentina.

The Mosque of Lima, also known as the Mosque of Magdalena del Mar, is a mosque in Lima, Peru. It is one of two mosques in the country, the other being Bab al-Islam Mosque.

References

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.