Namibia is a predominantly

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

country and is home to a small

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

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, which ...

, 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 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.

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 Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

along with

Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

, and the

Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...

, which make up the largest minority religions in

Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...

, 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 Nama 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

in 1980 The first

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

in the country, the ''Soweto Islamic Centre'', was established 1986 and is located in Katutura. As of May 2009, there were twelve mosques in the country, six in

, two in Katima Mulilo, one in

Walvis Bay Walvis Bay (; ; ) is a city in Namibia and the name of the bay on which it lies. It is the List of cities in Namibia, second largest city in Namibia and the largest coastal city in the country. The city covers an area of of land. The bay is a ...

, and three in the north of the country in the former

Ovamboland Ovamboland, also referred to as Owamboland, was a Bantustan and later a non-geographic ethnic-based second-tier authority, the Representative Authority of the Ovambos, in South West Africa (present-day Namibia). The apartheid government stat ...

.Nathalie Rosa Bucher (12 May 2009)
Finding Sanctuary in Islam
''

Inter Press Service News Agency Inter Press Service (IPS) is a global news agency headquartered in Rome, Italy. Its main focus is news and analysis about social, political, civil, and economic subjects as they relate to the Global South, civil society, and globalization. His ...

'' The ''Namibia Islamic Judicial Council'' is based in

in the

Khomas Region Khomas is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia. Its name refers to the Khomas Highland, a high plateau landscape that dominates this administrative subdivision. Khomas is centered on the capital city Windhoek and provides for this reason superio ...

. 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.

Also See

* Religion in Namibia

References

{{Africa in topic, Islam in