Islam in Poland

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    The Gdańsk mosque

    A continuous presence of Islam in Poland began in the 14th century. From this time it was primarily associated with the Lipka Tatars, many of whom settled in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth while continuing their traditions and religious beliefs. The first significant non-Tatar groups of Muslims arrived in Poland in the 1970s, though they are a very small minority.

    Today, less than 0.1% of the population in Poland is Muslim.

    Muslims in Poland are Sunni.[3][4]

    Beginnings

    The first

    Tatar (Lipka) settlers arrived in the 14th century. Although Muslims were involved in earlier Mongol invasions of Poland
    in the 13th century, these had a purely military character and there are no traces of settlement or conversion of any parts of the Polish population.

    On the other hand, Arab merchants including Muslims arrived in Polish lands during the time of Mieszko I, as can be seen by a large number of Arab coins found in numerous archaeological sites throughout modern Poland.[5]

    The

    Jalal ad-Din khan
    .

    16th–18th century

    In the 16th and 17th centuries, additional Tatars found refuge in the lands of the

    May Constitution granted the Tatars with a representation in the Polish Sejm
    .

    Perhaps the only moment in history when the Lipka Tatars fought against the Commonwealth was during the so-called

    The "Deluge" and the ensuing period of constant wars made the szlachta of central Poland associate the Muslim Lipkas with the invading forces of the Ottoman Empire. This, combined with the Counter-Reformation promoted by the Vasa dynasty led the Sejm to gradually limit the privileges of the Polish Muslims; among the measures taken were banning the repair of old Mosques and preventing new ones from being constructed, banning serfdom of Christians under Muslims, banning marriage of Christian females to Muslims, putting limitations on property ownership among Tatars. The Polish–Ottoman Wars fed into the discriminatory atmosphere against them and led to anti-Islamic writings and attacks.[7]

    Although King

    Polish cinema
    .

    Although by the 18th century most of the Tatars serving in the military had become

    Muslim culture
    of Central Europe, in which elements of Muslim orthodoxy mixed with religious tolerance and a relatively liberal society. For instance, the women in Lipka Tatar society traditionally had the same rights as men, were granted equal status and could attend common non-segregated schools.

    20th century

    Kruszyniany Mosque (on the left) and Bohoniki Mosque (on the right), the oldest mosques in Poland, both listed as Historic Monuments of Poland.[9]

    By the beginning of the 20th century,

    Polish Army.[12]

    Further information:
    Polish anti-religious campaign (1945–1990)

    During and after

    AB Action, while much of the civilian population was targeted by post-war expulsions. After the war the majority of Tatar settlements were annexed by the Soviet Union and only three remained in Poland (Bohoniki, Kruszyniany and Sokółka). However, a considerable number of Tatars moved across to the Polish side of the border and settled in several locations in eastern Poland (esp. in Białystok and nearby towns) as well as in western and northern Poland (esp. in Gdańsk and Gorzów Wielkopolski
    ). Nowadays no more than 400–4,000 Muslims of Tatar origin live in Poland and a much larger and active Tatar community lives in Belarus and also in Lithuania. In 1971 the Muslim Religious Association was reactivated and since 1991 the Society of Muslims in Poland is also active. The following year also the Association of Polish Tatars was restored.

    The 2002 census showed only 447 people declaring Tatar nationality.[13] According to the 2011 census, there are 1,916 Tatars in Poland (including 1,251 people who declared composite national-ethnic identity, e.g. identify as both Polish and Tatar).[14] In recent years, increasing oppressions from Alexander Lukashenko's authoritarian Government in Belarus and economic hardships prompts a larger number of Lipka Tatars to come to Poland.

    In November 2010, a monument to Poland's Islamic leader Dariusz Jagiełło was unveiled in the port city of

    Tatar
    representatives from across Poland and abroad. The monument is a symbol of the important role of Tatars in Polish history. The monument is the first of its kind to be erected in Europe.

    Tatars shed their blood in all national independence uprisings. Their blood seeped into the foundations of the reborn Polish Republic

    — President of Poland Bronisław Komorowski at the unveiling of the monument in Gdańsk.

    Recent years

    Muslim Tatar Cemetery in Warsaw

    Apart from the traditional Tatar communities, since the 1960’s Poland has also been home to a small, immigrant Muslim community.

    In the 1960’s and 1970’s Poland attracted a number of immigrants from many socialist-friendly Arabic-speaking Muslim states of the

    Tatar community), Wrocław, Lublin and Poznań. There are also praying rooms in Bydgoszcz, Kraków, Łódź, Olsztyn, Katowice and Opole.[15]

    Since the overthrow of the

    former Yugoslavia. There are also smaller groups of immigrants from Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and from other countries, as well as a refugee community coming from Chechnya
    .

    The Polish

    Friday prayer
    and major Islamic holidays.

    The exact number of Muslims living in Poland remains unknown as the last all-national census held by the

    Central Statistical Office
    in 2011 did not ask for religion.

    Tatar–Salafi relations

    There's an ongoing conflict between Polish native Sunni Muslim

    Salafi movement. The conflict divides country's Sunni Muslims and causes bureaucratic confusion, as both sides lay claim to representation of country's Sunni Muslims. The "native born" Sunni Muslims (Lipka Tatars), run Muzułmański Związek Religijny w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (Muslim Religious Union in the Polish Republic), and "foreign born" Sunni Muslims run Liga Muzułmańska w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (Muslim League in the Polish Republic). The latter is mainly based upon foreigners living in the country, such as Arabs, Bengalis, Chechens etc. Liga Muzułmańska is also a branch of a worldwide Muslim Brotherhood organization.[16]

    Islamophobia

    See also: Islamophobia in Poland

    Despite the fact that Muslims in Poland constitute less than 0.1% of the total population, stereotypes, verbal, violent, and physical displays of anti-Islam are widespread and, mostly, socially acceptable.[2][17] Vandalism and attacks on the very few existing mosques are reported,[18][19] and women (especially converts) who cover themselves are seen as "traitors" to their own culture.[citation needed]

    From January 1, 2013, Poland's Muslims and Jews were both affected by a European Union

    kosher practices incompatible with animal rights legislation, specifically the Animal Protection Law of 1997. In December 2014, the Constitutional Tribunal ruled the ban unconstitutional on the grounds that it violated freedom of religion guaranteed by the Polish laws and constitution
    . Both ways of slaughtering animals were illegal in the country between January 1, 2013 and December, 2014, almost two years, and still is a controversial topic because of the concern of animal cruelty by those practices.

    In May, 2016, shortly before the World Youth Day 2016, police in Kraków asked foreigners, mainly among the Muslim community, in the city if they “knew any terrorists".[20] The Polish Ombudsman's office released statement that such actions are offensive and unacceptable.

    Perception

    Attitudes in Poland toward Islam (2015 CBOS poll)[21]
    Statement Strongly agreed Agreed (Total agreed) Disagreed (Total disagreed) Strongly disagreed Hard to say
    Muslims are intolerant of customs and values other than their own. 26% 38% (64%) 10% (12%) 2% 24%
    Muslims living in Western European countries generally do not acquire customs and values that are characteristic for the majority of the population of that country. 25% 38% (63%) 12% (14%) 2% 23%
    Islam encourages violence more than other religions. 25% 32% (57%) 14% (19%) 5% 24%
    Muslims generally accept using violence against followers of different religions. 20% 31% (51%) 18% (24%) 6% 25%
    A majority of Muslims condemn terrorist attacks carried out by Muslim fundamentalists. 12% 38% (50%) 16% (21%) 5% 29%
    Poverty and poor education contribute more to fundamentalism and terrorism than the religious rules of Islam. 19% 30% (49%) 21% (28%) 7% 23%
    Muslims rightly feel offended and protest against the satirical presentation of their faith. 14% 30% (44%) 24% (35%) 11% 21%
    A majority of Muslims does not have a hostile attitude to followers of other religions. 7% 32% (39%) 23% (31%) 8% 30%

    Notable Muslims

    See also

    Notes

    1. ^ "Religious Composition by Country, 2010-2050". Pew Research Center. 12 April 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
    2. ^ a b "Why are Polish people so wrong about Muslims in their country?". openDemocracy. 13 January 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-04-26. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
    3. ^ Stella Brozek (Human Rights Without Frontiers): Islam in Poland (PDF) Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine
    4. ^ Meyers Großes Taschenlexikon in 24 Bänden, Band 17, Seite 5931. Mannheim 2006. (as well as Brockhaus)
    5. ^ a b "Historia Islamu w Polsce". Oficjalna strona Muzułmańskiego Związku Religijnego w RP. Archived from the original on 2005-11-05. Retrieved February 23, 2006.
    6. ^ Selim Mirza-Juszeński Chazbijewicz (1993). "Szlachta tatarska w Rzeczypospolitej". Verbum Nobile. 2 (Feb. 1993). Archived from the original on January 5, 2006.
    7. ISBN 978-3-447-03027-4
      .
    8. ^ Michał Mochocki (2005). Bunt Lipków. Swawolna Kompanija. Archived from the original on 2007-05-25. Retrieved 2006-02-23.
    9. ^ Rozporządzenie Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 22 października 2012 r. w sprawie uznania za pomnik historii "Bohoniki i Kruszyniany - meczety i mizary", Dz. U. z 2012 r. poz. 1275
    10. ^ "Religion: Ramadan". Time. November 15, 1937. Archived from the original on 2009-08-26. Retrieved 2011-04-07.
    11. ^ Piotr Borawski (1991). "Pułk Tatarski Ułanów imienia Mustafy Achmatowicza". Kraj, Dwutygodnik Polski (Auckland, NZ). 3 (August 11). Archived from the original on June 8, 2008.
    12. ^ "Imamat Wojska Polskiego". Oficjalna strona Muzułmańskiego Związku Religijnego w RP. Archived from the original on April 16, 2013. Retrieved February 23, 2006.
    13. ^ Mniejszości narodowe i etniczne w Polsce (in Polish)
    14. ^ Ludność wg rodzaju i złożoności identyfikacji narodowo-etnicznych w 2011 r. Archived 2014-07-30 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
    15. ^ "Polskie Organizacje Muzułmańskie". Archived from the original on 2007-07-02. Retrieved February 23, 2006.
    16. ^ Wiktor-Mach, Dobroslawa (2008). "Muslim Organizations in Poland". ISIM Review. 22: 34–35 – via academia.edu.
    17. ^ "SETA: European Islamophobia Report 2015" (PDF). islamophobiaeurope.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-09-21. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
    18. ^ "Vandals attack historic Polish mosque". thenews.pl. Archived from the original on 2014-12-16. Retrieved 2014-12-10.
    19. ^ "Mosque Torching Draws Kristallnacht Comparison By Polish Jews". 19 October 2013. Archived from the original on 2017-03-08. Retrieved 2018-05-30 – via Huff Post.
    20. ^ S.A., Wirtualna Polska Media. "Wiadomości z kraju i ze świata – wszystko co ważne – WP". wiadomosci.wp.pl. Archived from the original on 2016-05-23. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
    21. ^ "Postawy wobec Islamu i Muzułmanów" (PDF). Michał Feliksiak (in Polish). CBOS. March 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-07-07. Retrieved 2015-04-29.

    References

    External links

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