Namibia is a predominantly Christian country and is home to a small Muslim community. Islam is a minority religion in Namibia, with a small but longstanding presence in the country. Islam first took root during the late 1800s in Namibia in the port city of Luderitz where a small community of Indian traders and merchants settled in the late 1800s. These early Muslims built the first mosque in Namibia, which still stands today and serves as a hub of the Muslim community in Luderitz. Islam spread to other parts of Namibia, particularly the capital city of

Windhoek Windhoek (, , ) is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level, almost exactly at the country's geographical centre. The population of Windhoek in 202 ...

, where there are several mosques and Islamic organizations. There is also a significant number of Muslims in the northern part of the country, particularly in the regions of Oshana and Ohangwena. The Namibian Muslim community is diverse, with followers from various ethnicities and nationalities,including Indians, Pakistanis, Arabs, and Africans and is largely concentrated in urban areas. Islam in Namibia is practiced in a relatively liberal manner, with the majority of Muslims following the Hanafi school of thought. There has said to been an increase in interest in Islam among Namibians of non-Muslim backgrounds, with some converts citing the religion's emphasis on social justice and its prohibition of alcohol as attractive features.Islam in Namibia is a minority religion, with a small but longstanding presence in the country.

History

The history of Islam in Namibia dates back to the late 19th century, when a small community of Indian traders and merchants settled in the port city of Luderitz. These early Muslims built the first mosque in Namibia, which still stands today and serves as a hub of the Muslim community in Luderitz.

Number of Muslims

Islam has a small but growing presence in Namibia, with an estimated 70,000 Muslims in the country, many of whom are Nama. The religion has gained a significant following among the Nama tribe, with many citing the clarity of Islamic texts, the beauty of the content and the style of writing, and the unity and brotherhood of Muslims as attractive features of the religion. Islam along with

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in t ...

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

, and the

Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Established by Baháʼu'lláh in the 19th century, it initially developed in Iran and parts of the ...

, which make up the largest minority religions in

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

, but combined account for less than 1% of the population of Namibia.

Growth of Namibia's Muslim community

Most of Namibia's Muslim community are members of the Namaqua ethnic group.IslamOnline.net- News
/ref> It is believed that this is mostly as a result of the efforts of a prominent politician among the Nama, Jacobs Salmaan Dhameer, who converted to Islam in 1980 The first

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

in the country, the ''Soweto Islamic Centre'', was established 1986 and is located in

Katutura Katutura (Otjiherero for ''The place where people do not want to live'') is a township of Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia. Katutura was created in 1961 following the forced removal of Windhoek's black population from the Old Location, which a ...

. As of May 2009, there were twelve mosques in the country, six in

, two in

Katima Mulilo Katima Mulilo or simply Katima is the capital of the Zambezi Region in Namibia. It is located in the Caprivi Strip. It had 28,362 inhabitants in 2010, and comprises two electoral constituencies, Katima Mulilo Rural and Katima Mulilo Urban. I ...

, one in

Walvis Bay Walvis Bay ( en, lit. Whale Bay; af, Walvisbaai; ger, Walfischbucht or Walfischbai) is a city in Namibia and the name of the bay on which it lies. It is the second largest city in Namibia and the largest coastal city in the country. The ci ...

, and three in the north of the country in the former Ovamboland.Nathalie Rosa Bucher (12 May 2009)
Finding Sanctuary in Islam
'' Inter Press Service News Agency'' The ''Namibia Islamic Judicial Council'' is based on Ondobe in the

Ohangwena Region Ohangwena is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia, its capital is Eenhana. Major settlements in the region are the towns Eenhana and Helao Nafidi aa well as the self-governed village of Okongo. , Ohangwena had 150,724 registered voters. Ohang ...

. NIHA (Namibia Islamic Halaal Association) is Namibia's oldest and most well known Halaal Certifying body, recognised by the Halaal Certification body in South Africa and in many Islamic states. NIHA was established in 2001 and before known as the ''Namibia Halaal Slaughterers Association''. It certifies food outlets in the country.

References

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