The vast majority of the

Moldovan people Moldovans, sometimes referred to as Moldavians (, , ), are an ethnic group native to Moldova, who mostly speak the Romanian language, also referred to locally as Moldovan. Moldovans form significant communities in Romania, Italy, Ukraine and R ...

are Orthodox Christians, but there is a small community of

Muslims 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 ...

Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...

, numbering a few thousand. In 2005, the Spiritual Organisation of Muslims in Moldova headed by Talgat Masaev was denied registration despite the appeal of the Mission to Moldova of the

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is a regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization comprising member states in Europe, North America, and Asia. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, the p ...

. In March 2011, the Islamic League of Moldova (''Liga Islamică din Moldova''), an

NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

representing Moldova's Muslims, was registered by the Moldovan Justice Ministry as the first legally recognized Muslim association in Moldova. It had applied for registration in 2008. The

Moldovan Orthodox Church Moldovan and Moldavian refer to something of, from, or related to Moldova or Moldavia. In particular, it may refer to: *Moldovans, the main ethnic group of the Republic of Moldova *''Moldavians'', the inhabitants of the historical territory of the ...

opposed the recognition of Islam and joined protests with conservative groups. As of 2011, officially there were just 2,000 Muslims in Moldova. But the Islamic League of Moldova head Sergiu Sochirca said the number was closer to 17,000, though not all of them were registered as Muslims due to suppression of Islam in the past.

Demographics

There are 2,009 Muslims living in Moldova according to the 2014 Moldovan census, an increase from the 1,667 Muslims that lived in Moldova according to the 2004 Moldovan census. Most of the

live in

Chișinău Chișinău ( , , ; formerly known as Kishinev) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Moldova, largest city of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial centre, and is located in the middle of the coun ...

(985 people), followed by

Gagauzia Gagauzia () or Gagauz-Yeri, officially the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia (ATUG), is an Administrative divisions of Moldova, autonomous territorial unit of Moldova. Its autonomy is intended for the local Gagauz people, a Turkic languages ...

(176 people),

Bălți Bălți () is a city in Moldova. It is the second-largest city in terms of population, area and economic importance, after Chișinău. The city holds the status of municipiu. Sometimes called "the northern capital", it is a major industrial, cu ...

(76 people),

Anenii Noi Anenii Noi () is a city in east-central Moldova, the seat of Anenii Noi District. It is located SE of the capital, Chișinău. According to the 2004 census, the city administers an area inhabited by 11,463 people. This area consists of the city ...

(68 people) and

Cahul Cahul (; also known by alternative names) is a city and municipality in southern Moldova. The city is the administrative center of Cahul District; it also administers one village, Cotihana. As of 2014 census, the city has a population of 30,0 ...

(54 people).

References

External links

Briefing: Moldova’s Unofficial MuslimsMoldova: Muslims Vow To Defy "Illegal" Worship BanReport on the Implementation of the Minorities Rights in Moldova

{{Moldova-stub

Demographics

See also

References

External links