Islam in Zimbabwe

Islam is a minority religion in Zimbabwe. The number of Muslims in Zimbabwe is according to reliable estimates at around one percent of the population, representing about 100000-120000 people, according to other estimates at 200,000.

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According to the U.S. State Department, the Islamic community consists mainly of immigrants from India and Pakistan, which came into the country during the British colonial rule. Moreover, in recent decades, among other war refugees from Mozambique have immigrated and poverty refugees from Malawi, who in turn brought their faith. The originating from Malawi immigrants belong almost exclusively to the Yao Tribe.

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Small groups within the Muslim community also provide a small number of immigrants from North Africa and the Middle East represent and locals. In the capital, Harare, there are 18 mosques in the city of Bulawayo is 8, plus a smaller mosques are in rural areas. Receives support from the Muslim community, especially Africa Muslims Agency ( AMA), which has its headquarters in Kuwait.

The AMA supports a number of humanitarian aid projects in rural regions of the country. After the expulsion of white farmers in Zimbabwe in the early 21st century, the supply situation has deteriorated rapidly in the country, the former breadbasket of Africa has turned into a poorhouse. In some rural communities are now chiefs and tribal leaders because of the aids, the Muslim Aid projects have given them, to be converted to Islam.

1996 sparked a dispute between evangelical Christians and the Muslims, as representatives of the Christian majority calling for a boycott of meat that has been slaughtered according to Muslim halal custom. This method of slaughter had been introduced for economic reasons in order to export meat also in Islamic countries can. Now the religious significance of the meat produced in this way was placed in the forefront of evangelical Christians. Behind the conflict is the fear of the Christian side, the Muslims could demand more political influence, and of the Islamic side of the accusations, Zimbabwe should be made into a Christian state.