Islam in Rwanda
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For the first time in its history in Rwanda, Islam is accorded the same rights and freedoms as Christianity. Estimates show that there are equal numbers of Muslims among the Hutus as there are among the Tutsis.[2] The estimates cannot be verified in the wake of the genocide, as the government has since banned all discussion of ethnicity in Rwanda. Following the Rwandan genocide, conversions to Islam grew due to dissatisfaction with some church officials' participation in the genocide.[3]
History
Colonial history
Compared to
During its history, many efforts were made to impede the spread of Islam in Rwanda. These efforts generally exploited
Muslims were further marginalized by the fact that most Muslims settled in urban areas, whereas 90 percent of the population was rural. As neither
Under the Belgian administration, Muslims in Rwanda were to some extent marginalized. Since Muslims had no place in the Catholic Church, which maintained great influence over the state, Muslims were often excluded from education and important jobs in the government. As a result, Muslim employment was largely confined to engaging in petty trade, and taking up jobs as drivers.[5]
After independence
In 1960, the former government minister Isidore Sebazungu ordered the burning of the Muslim quarter and the mosque in Rwamagana. Following this event, Muslims were terrified and many of them fled to neighbouring countries. It is alleged that the Catholic Church was involved in these events, which aggravated the bitterness between Muslims and Christians.[5]
Before the Rwandan genocide of 1994, Muslims were held in low regard, because they were seen as traders, in a land where farmers are highly regarded. The Muslim population before the genocide was 4%, which was unusually low compared to that of neighbouring countries. Muslims were also affected by the genocide. There were only a few incidents in which Tutsis in mosques were attacked. The most widely known example occurred at Nyamirambo Main Mosque, where hundreds of Tutsi had gathered to take refuge. The refugees in the mosque fought off Hutu militias with stones, bows and arrows, putting up stiff resistance against the soldiers and militia of the Interahamwe. Only once the soldiers attacked with machine gun fire were the Interahamwe able to enter the mosque and kill the refugees.[2]
Post-1994 conversions
The number of Rwandan Muslims increased after the 1994 genocide due to large numbers of conversions.[7] Many Muslims had sheltered refugees, both
Personal accounts relate how some Tutsi converted for safety, as they feared continuing reprisal killings by Hutu extremists, and knew that Muslims would protect them from such acts. Many Hutu converted as well, in search for "purification". Many Hutu want to leave their violent past behind them and to not have "blood on their hands". There are also a few isolated instances where Hutu have converted in the hope that they could hide within the Muslim community and thereby escape arrest.[2][11]
The rate of conversions slowed in 1997. According to the mufti of Rwanda, the Islamic community has not seen any increases in conversions in 2002/2003.[12] Christianity remains as the country's leading religion. Catholicism (which arrived in the beginning of the 20th century with the White Fathers order of the Roman Catholic Church) remains deeply embedded in the culture.[13]
Activities
Muslims in Rwanda are also actively involved in social activities, such as their jihad to "start respecting each other". Many Rwandan Muslims are engaged in efforts to heal ethnic tensions after the genocide and Islamic groups are reaching out to the disadvantaged, for example by forming women's groups that provide education on child care. Western governments have worried over the growing influence of Islam, and some government officials have express concern that some of the mosques receive funding from Saudi Arabia.[8] However, there is little evidence of militancy.[14]
The Muslim religious holiday
Rwanda used to have a religious political party, the
Population
There is a considerable range in the estimates of the Muslim population of Rwanda. No accurate census of the Muslim population has been done.[13]
Source | Population (000s) | Population (%) | Year | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Washington Post | 1,148 | 14 | 2002 | [8] |
The Washington Post | 7 | 1993 "before killings began" | [8] | |
CIA World factbook |
456 | 4.6 | 2001 | [15] |
The New York Times | 15 | 2004 | [13] | |
Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life | 350 | 5 | 1998 | [16] |
UN Population Fund survey) |
1.1 | 1996 | [17] | |
US Dept. of State (university study) | 4.6 | 2001 | [17] |
According to the 2012 census, Roman Catholic Christians represented 43.7% of the population, Protestants (excluding
See also
- Religion in Rwanda
- Roman Catholicism in Rwanda
References
- ^ RPHC4 Thematic Report: Socio-cultural Characteristics of the Population
- ^ a b c d Klusener, Rainer (May 2005). "Islam in Rwanda". United States Institute of Peace. Archived from the original on 2009-06-02. Retrieved 2008-02-26.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
- ^ Rodrique Ngowi. "Rwandan Muslims". Associated Press.
- ^ S2CID 143229200.
- JSTOR 1580806.
- ^
Wax, Emily (2002-09-23). "Islam Attracting Many Survivors of Rwanda Genocide: Jihad Is Taught as 'Struggle to Heal'". The Washington Post. p. A10. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
Since the genocide, Rwandans have converted to Islam in huge numbers. Muslims now make up 14 percent of the 8.2 million people ][...] in Africa's most Catholic nation, twice as many as before the killings began.
- ^ a b c d Wax, Emily (2002-09-23). "Islam Attracting Many Survivors of Rwanda Genocide: Jihad Is Taught as 'Struggle to Heal'". The Washington Post. p. A10. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
- ^
Wax, Emily (2002-09-23). "Islam Attracting Many Survivors of Rwanda Genocide: Jihad Is Taught as 'Struggle to Heal'". The Washington Post. p. A10. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
Human rights groups have documented several incidents in which Christian clerics allowed Tutsis to seek refuge in churches, then surrendered them to Hutu death squads, as well as instances of Hutu priests and ministers encouraging their congregations to kill Tutsis.
- ^ Wax, Emily. "Journalists Sentenced In Rwanda Genocide; Prosecutor Said 'Hate Media' Urged Killings". The Washington Post. December 4, 2003.
- ^ Walker, Robert (1 April 2004). "Rwanda's religious reflections". BBC News.
- ^ a b c Rwanda - International Religious Freedom Report 2003, 2003 Report on International Religious Freedom.
- ^ a b c Lacey, Marc (April 7, 2004). "Ten Years After Horror, Rwandans Turn to Islam". The New York Times.
- ^ Tiemessen, Alana (2005) From Genocide to Jihad: Islam and Ethnicity in Post-Genocide Rwanda Archived 2008-09-10 at the Wayback Machine. Paper presented at the Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Political Science Association, London, Ontario.
- ^ "The World Factbook". Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ^ Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 1 - Africa. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 360-361.
- ^ a b "Rwanda". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ^ National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (January 2014). "Fourth Population and Housing Census, Rwanda, 2012—Final Results: Main indicators report" (PDF). p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
- ISBN 978-1-4051-4567-1.