Islam in Zimbabwe

Estimates on the number Muslims in Zimbabwe vary from as low as 120,000 to as many as 1.2 million. According the United States State Department:

"The Muslim community consists primarily of South Asian immigrants (Indian and Pakistani), a small but growing number of indigenous Zimbabweans, Zimbabweans who descend from European migrants, migrants from other southern and eastern African countries (including Mozambique and Malawi), and a very small number of North African and Middle Eastern immigrants. There are mosques located in nearly all of the larger towns. There are 18 in the capital city of Harare, 8 in Bulawayo, and a number of mosques in rural areas. The Muslim community has expanded its outreach efforts with the aid of the Kuwaiti-sponsored African Muslim Agency (AMA); the Harare AMA office has had increased success proselytizing among the majority black indigenous population, in part because of its humanitarian projects in rural areas. Some chiefs and headmen in the rural areas have reportedly converted from Christianity to Islam."

The Islamic migrants are largely coming from the Yao tribe of neighboring Malawi.

External links

• Reporter Interactive at Archive.org: Zimbabwean Christians and Muslims
• Adherents.com: estimates on Muslims in Zimbabwe
• New York Times: the ban of Calls to Prayer in Zimbabwe
• US State department: religion in Zimbabwe
• [Darul Ishaat Online Islamic Store http://www.darul-ishaat.co.uk/store]

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