Islam is a minority religion in the
Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Intern ...
. All Muslims in the country belong to the minority
Ahmadiyya
Ahmadiyya (, ), officially the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community or the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at (AMJ, ar, الجماعة الإسلامية الأحمدية, al-Jamāʿah al-Islāmīyah al-Aḥmadīyah; ur, , translit=Jamā'at Aḥmadiyyah Musl ...
sect.
[International Religious Freedom Report 2009: Marshall Islands](_blank)
United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Affairs (DRL) is a bureau within the United States Department of State. The bureau is under the purview of the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights.
DRL's resp ...
(September 14, 2007). The Ahmadiyya mosque in
Uliga
Uliga ( Marshallese: , ) is an island district in the Marshall Islands, located in the eastern portion of Majuro Atoll. Along with Delap and Djarrit, it forms a town known as "Delap-Uliga-Djarrit
Delap-Uliga-Djarrit (DUD, mh, Teļap-Wūlik ...
, first constructed in 2012 in the Marshall Islands is the only mosque in
Oceania
Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million ...
's subregion of
Micronesia
Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: the Philippines to the west, Polynesia to the east, and ...
. According to a 2009 report there were about 10 Muslims in the Marshall Islands,
although more recent reports indicate about 150 believers in the country.
History
Islam entered the country in the 1990s when
Fijian missionaries were sent to the country by the Ahmadiyya movement. In 2001, the religion was officially recognized by the country and in 2012, the community built Marshall Islands first mosque, named
Baet-Ul-Ahad Mosque, in the town of
Uliga
Uliga ( Marshallese: , ) is an island district in the Marshall Islands, located in the eastern portion of Majuro Atoll. Along with Delap and Djarrit, it forms a town known as "Delap-Uliga-Djarrit
Delap-Uliga-Djarrit (DUD, mh, Teļap-Wūlik ...
, in the east coast of the
Majuro atoll
Majuro (; Marshallese: ' ) is the capital and largest city of the Marshall Islands. It is also a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean. It forms a legislative district of the Ratak (Sunrise) Chain of the Marshall Islands. The ato ...
.
While Majuro has the only mosque in the Marshall Islands, Ahmadi Muslim communities exist in atolls around the country.
Modern community
Ahmadi Muslims have had a growing presence in the Marshall Islands for a number of years. However, it was not until 2012, when the Muslim community decided to construct Marshall Islands' only mosque, that it began to draw attention from religious and political figures. In light of unfavourable public opinion about
Islam in general, the Muslim community's right to exist in an overwhelmingly Christian Marshall Islands, was questioned in a number of live broadcast sessions in the
Marshallese parliament. This was despite Marshall Islands' constitution that guarantees religious freedom.
The Ahmadi Muslims play an active role in the life of local Marshallese, by working with local youth groups, the Ministry of Health and through the international charitable trust,
Humanity First.
Mosques
*
Baet-Ul-Ahad Mosque
See also
*
Islam in Oceania
Islam in Oceania refers to Islam and Muslims in Oceania. By current estimates, there are 620,156 total Muslims in Oceania: 476,600 in Australia, 48,151 in New Zealand, 52,520 in Fiji, 6,352 in New Caledonia, 2,200 in Papua New Guinea, 360 in Solo ...
*
Religion in the Marshall Islands
Religion in the Marshall Islands has been primarily Christian ever since the religion was introduced by Western missionaries around 1857. The government generally supports the free practice of religion, although the minority Ahmadiyya Muslim comm ...
References
External links
Interview with Imam Matiullah Joyia
{{Oceania topic, Ahmadiyya in, state=collapsed
Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Intern ...