| Culture of the Comoros |
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The predominant religion in the Comoros is Islam, with a small Christian minority. Although the constitution, as revised in 2018, removed the reference to a state religion in the 2009 constitution, stating simply that Sunni Islam is the source of national identity, a 2008 law promulgated in January 2013 outlawed the practice of other forms of Islam in the country. [1] [2] Propagation of non-Islamic religions is prohibited. [3]
Islam is followed by over 98 percent of nearly 800,000 Comorians, almost all of whom belong to the Shafi'i madhhab of Sunni Islam. [4] Following a 1999 military coup, the new constitution of Comoros that was ratified in December 2001 provided for "the equality of all concerning rights and duties without distinctions based on sex, origin, race, religion or belief". [5] [3] The Article 41 of the new constitution also set up the Council of Ulemas (Islamic scholars) to assist the Government of Comoros in their decisions affecting the religious life in Comoros. [5] The Comoros' constitution states that the "Islamic nature of the state" can not be changed, and makes Islamic law binding on all citizens of Comoros. [3]
Abandoning Islam and converting to another religion is a crime, and like in Mauritania, Saudi Arabia and Iran, this can lead to capital punishment. [6] The study of Islamic scriptures is mandatory in public schools, even for children of those who are not Muslims; however, the minorities have a right to operate their own school without the use of Islamic scriptures. [3] [7]
According to local legend, Islam was brought to Comoros in the 7th century by Mtswa Mwindza, ruler of Mbude on Ngazidja, and Muhammad ibn Uthman, son of Uthman ibn Affan. [8] Their tombs are to be found in Ntsaweni, capital of Mbude. [8]
About 98% of the population in the Comoros are Sunni Muslim. [3] Islam and its institutions have helped to integrate Comorian society and provide identification with a world beyond the islands' shores. Most adherents are of Arab, African or Malagasy origin, but there are also people of Indian and European descent.
Comorians follow religious observances conscientiously and strictly adhere to religious orthodoxy. [9] During colonization, the French did not attempt to supplant Islamic practices and were careful to respect the precedents of sharia as interpreted by the Shafi'i school of thought. [9] All Muslim holidays are observed, including Id al-Adha, Muharram, Ashura, Mawlid, Laylat al-Mi'raj and Ramadan. Mawlid is marked by celebrations culminating in a feast prepared for the ulama. Comorians often consult mwalimus or fundi and marabouts for healing and protection from jinn. Mwalimus activate jinn to determine propitious days for feasts, a successful marriage, conduct healing ceremonies and prepare amulets containing Quranic ayat . [10]
In 2009, approximately 2% of the Comoros population practiced Christianity; these are generally Roman Catholics. [11] [3] In 2020, the figure was 0.5%. [12]
Proselytizing of Christianity or any other non-Islamic religion is prohibited. [3]
The Comoros, officially the Union of the Comoros, is an archipelagic country made up of three islands in Southeastern Africa, located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city is Moroni. The religion of the majority of the population, and the official state religion, is Sunni Islam. Comoros proclaimed its independence from France on 6 July 1975. A member of the Arab League, it is the only country in the Arab world which is entirely in the Southern Hemisphere. It is a member state of the African Union, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, and the Indian Ocean Commission. The country has three official languages: Shikomori, French and Arabic.
The history of the Comoros extends to about 800–1000 AD when the archipelago was first inhabited. The Comoros have been inhabited by various groups throughout this time. France colonised the islands in the 19th century, and they became independent in 1975.
The Comorians inhabiting Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Mohéli share African-Arab origins. Islam is the dominant religion, and Quranic schools for children reinforce its influence. Although Islamic culture is firmly established throughout, a small minority are Christian.
"Udzima wa ya Masiwa" is the national anthem of the Comoros. Adopted in 1978, it was written by Said Hachim Sidi Abderemane, who also composed the music with Kamildine Abdallah.
Comorian is the name given to a group of four Bantu languages spoken in the Comoro Islands, an archipelago in the southwestern Indian Ocean between Mozambique and Madagascar. It is named as one of the official languages of the Union of the Comoros in the Comorian constitution. Shimaore, one of the languages, is spoken on the disputed island of Mayotte, a French department claimed by Comoros.
The Comoro Islands or the Comoros are an archipelago of volcanic islands situated off the southeastern coast of Africa, to the east of Mozambique and northwest of Madagascar. The islands are politically divided between the Union of the Comoros, a sovereign country, and Mayotte, an Overseas Department of France.
Ahmed Abdallah Abderemane was a top Comorian politician. He was a member of the French Senate from 1959 to 1973, and President of the Comoros from 25 October 1978 until his assassination in 1989.
Mohéli, also known as Mwali, is an autonomously-governed island that forms part of the Union of the Comoros. It is the smallest of the three major islands in the country. It is located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa and it is the smallest of the four major Comoro Islands. Its capital and largest city is Fomboni.
Islam is the largest religion in the Comoros. According to the 2006 estimate by the U.S. Department of State, roughly 98% of the population in the Comoros is Muslim. Virtually all Muslims in the Comoros are Sunni belonging to Shafi'i school of jurisprudence. Most adherents are Arab-Swahili, but there are also people of Indian, largely Gujarati, descent.
Mawlid, also known as Eid-e-Milad an-Nabi, is an observance of the day when the Islamic prophet Muhammad is reported to have been born. It is commemorated in Rabi' al-Awwal, the third month in the Islamic calendar. 12th Rabi' al-awwal is the accepted date among most of the Sunni scholars, while some Shi'a scholars regard 17th Rabi' al-awwal as the accepted date.
Elections in the Comoros take place within the framework of a multi-party democracy and a presidential system. The President and the majority of the seats in the Assembly of the Union are directly elected.
Domoni is the second largest city on the Comorian island of Anjouan in the Indian Ocean and is located on the east coast of the island. It was the capital of the island in the past while the present capital of Anjouan is Mutsamudu.
The Comorian Union for Progress is a political party in the Comoros.
Christianity in the Comoros is a minority religion. In 2017, Roman Catholics in the Comoros number about 4,300 persons ; Protestants number about 1,678. Figures in 2020 show that this has gone down to 0.3% Catholic and 0.15% Protestant.
Freedom of religion in Comoros is addressed in the constitution which proclaims equality of rights and obligations for everyone.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Comoros:
Religion in Guinea-Bissau is diverse, with no particular religion comprising an absolute majority of the population. Islam is the most widely professed faith, and significant populations of Christians and adherents of traditional African religions are also present in the country.
The official languages of the Comoros are Comorian, French and Arabic, as recognized under its 2001 constitution. Although each language holds equal recognition under the constitution, language use varies across Comorian society. Unofficial minority languages such as Malagasy and Swahili are also present on the island with limited usage. According to Harriet Joseph Ottenheimer, a professor of anthropology at Kansas State university, the linguistic diversity of the Comoros is the result of its rich history as part of the Indian maritime trade routes and its periods of Malagasy and French colonial rule.
Djoumbé Fatima, also known as Djoumbé Soudi or Queen Jumbe-Souli, was the Sultana of Mohéli in Comoros from 1842 to 1865 and 1874 to her death in 1878.
Air Comores SA was the flag carrier of the Comoros that operated from 1966 to 1995. The airline was 49% owned by Air France, with the remaining 51% owned by the Comorian state.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook. CIA.
