The Islamic Federation of the Canary Islands (in
Spanish: ''Federación Islámica de Canarias'') is a
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
religious organization that brings together associations and Islamic religious communities around the
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...
. Its headquarters is located in the town of
Los Cristianos
Los Cristianos is a town in Spain with a population of 21,235 (2017), situated on the south coast of the Canary Island of Tenerife. Located in the municipality of Arona, Tenerife, Arona between the cone of the mountain Chayofita and the greater mou ...
, in the municipality of
Arona south of the island of
Tenerife (
Spain).
History
The Islamic Federation of the Canary Islands was established in 2015 in analogous manner to those in other regions of Spain. To this end they worked different associations and Muslim communities around the archipelago and the municipalities of
Adeje and
Arona. Being at this time Tijani Mimoun El Bouji president of the Federation and the spokesman Abdssamad Mohamed.
This organization was created with the primary objective of providing advice to the Canary Islamic communities and facilitate their integration. The Islamic Federation of the Canary Islands is a member for registration via the
Islamic Commission of Spain and
Union of Islamic Communities of Spain.
At present, there are in the Canary Islands a figure of approximately 70,000 Muslims and 40 mosques and places of worship throughout the archipelago.
Presidents of the Federation
* Tijani Mimoun Bouji (2015-2021)
* Hamed Allal Hamed (2021-current)
Controversial
* In 2017, during the controversy unleashed at the Carnival of
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria due to the performance of the
Drag Queen ''Sethlas'', disguised as
Virgin Mary and with a scene that presented the
Crucifixion of Christ and that was the winner of the contest, the President of the Islamic Federation of the Canary Islands, Tijani Mimoun El Bouji, spoke out against the show, which he considered "blasphemous".
* The same year, some media in the archipelago linked the Islamic Federation of the Canary Islands with the
Moroccan Salafist movement
Al Adl Wa Al Ihssane
Al Adl wal Ihsane ( : Justice and kindness or ''Justice and Spirituality'') is a Moroccan Islamist association, founded by Cheikh Abdesslam Yassine (not to be confused with Ahmed Yassin, the former head of Palestinian Hamas). This association ...
,
[El presidente de la Federación Islámica canaria se desvincula de Justicia y Caridad]
/ref> alluding that the latter was trying to influence the Muslim community of the archipelago through the Islamic Federation of Canary Islands. However, Tijani El Bouji, president of the Federation, denied this link.[
* In 2021, the president of the Islamic Federation, Tijani El Bouji, was tried for a crime of incitement to hatred for uploading numerous publications against Israel and the Jewish people to a social network, and would eventually be acquitted.Absuelto el exlíder de la Federación Islámica por mensajes de odio a Israel]
/ref>
See also
* Islamic Commission of Spain
* Islam in Spain
References
{{Reflist, 30em
External links
Official Website
Islamic organisations based in Spain
Religion in the Canary Islands
Organizations established in 2015
Islam in Spain
Religious organisations based in Spain