Religion in the Middle East
For approximately a millennium, the Abrahamic religions have been predominant throughout all of the Middle East.[1][2][3] The Abrahamic tradition itself and the three best-known Abrahamic religions originate from the Middle East: Judaism and Christianity emerged in the Levant in the 6th century BCE and the 1st century CE, respectively, while Islam emerged in Arabia in the 7th century CE.
Today, Islam is the region's dominant religion, being adhered to by at least 90% of the population in every Middle Eastern country except for Jewish-majority Israel and Christian-majority Cyprus.[4] Muslims constitute 18% of the total Israeli population and 25% of the total Cypriot population, or approximately 2% if Turkish-occupied Cyprus is excluded from this figure.[5][6]
There are a number of minority religions present in the Middle East, belonging to the Abrahamic tradition or other religious categories, such as the Iranian religions. These include the Baháʼí Faith, Druzism,[7] Bábism, Yazidism, Mandaeism, Yarsanism, Samaritanism, Ishikism, Yazdânism, and Zoroastrianism. While contemporary Middle Eastern religious practices are overwhelmingly monotheistic, most of the region's ancient traditions were polytheistic, including the Semitic religions, the Egyptian religion, the Greek religion, and various Iranian religions.
Abrahamic religions
Islam
A major source of conflict in the Muslim Middle East is the divisive nature between the two main sects of Islam: Sunni and Shi'a.[
Country | Total Population | Muslim Percentage | Muslim Population |
---|---|---|---|
Bahrain | 1,505,003 | 73.7%[12] | 1,109,187 |
Cyprus | 854,800 | 18.0% | 153,864 |
Egypt | 109,546,720 | 90% | 98,592,048 |
Iran | 81,871,500 | 98% | 80,234,070 |
Iraq | 39,339,753 | 97.0%[13] | 38,159,560 |
Israel | 8,930,680 | 17.7% | 1,580,730 |
Jordan | 10,261,300 | 94.0% | 9,645,622 |
Kuwait | 4,420,110 | 74.6%[14] | 3,297,402 |
Lebanon | 6,093,509 | 55%[15] | 3,515,955 |
Oman | 4,664,844 | 85.9%[16] | 4,007,101 |
Palestine | 4,780,978 | 93.0%[17] | 4,446,309 |
Qatar | 2,561,643 | 67.7%[18] | 1,734,232 |
Saudi Arabia | 33,413,660 | 93.0% | 31,000,000 |
Syria | 18,284,407 | 87.0%[19] | 15,907,434 |
Turkey | 80,810,525 | 92%[20] | 74,196,991 |
United Arab Emirates | 9,992,083 | 76%[21] | 7,593,983 |
Yemen | 28,915,284 | 99.1% | 28,655,046 |
Middle East | 419,425,728 | 91.17% | 382,425,728 |
Sunni
The
Shia
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest
The schism between Shi'as and Sunnis happened after the death of Muhammad. Members of the 'ummah' who later on became representatives of the Shi'ita branch preferred Abu Bakr over Ali ibn Abi Talib, as the successor of the Prophet and as the rightful rulers of the Muslim community. Abu Bakr was appointed caliph by senior Muslims, while Ali ibn Abi Talib was the cousine and son-in-law of Muhammad.
Zaydi
Followers of the Zaydi
Alawites
Alawis, also rendered as Alawites, Alawīyyah or Nusạyriyya, is a
Alawites have historically kept their beliefs secret from outsiders and non-initiated Alawites.[32][33] At the core of Alawite belief is a divine triad, comprising three aspects of the one God.
Alawites have traditionally lived in the
Alevism
Alevism is a small
Some of the differences that mark Alevis from mainstream Muslims are the use of
Christianity
Christianity
Christian communities have
Christians now make up 5% of the population, down from 20% in the early 20th century.[50] The number of Middle Eastern Christians is dropping in some regions in the Middle East due to such factors as extensive emigration. Besides, political turmoil has been and continues to be a major contributor pressing indigenous Near Eastern Christians of various ethnicities towards seeking security and stability outside their homelands. Christian Palestinians face the same oppression as their Muslim compatriots.[51]
Copts
The largest Christian group in the Middle East is the originally
In Egypt, Copts have relatively higher
Maronites
Syriacs and Assyrians
Currently, the largest community of Syriac Christians in the Middle East resides in
Armenians
In the Middle Eastern states, there is a sizeable community of
Other Christian groups
In the
The ethnic
Smaller Christian groups include;
Judaism
For over 2,000 years of their history, a large portion of
Druzism
Representation ranges from 100,000 in Israel to 700,000 in Syria. Developing from
Samaritanism
Samaritanism is a closely affiliated religion with Judaism, practiced by the ethnoreligious Samaritan community. Samaritans are neither Palestinian or Israeli, however their ethnic roots are connected to the latter, but lived amongst former.[77] In the past, the group used to be present in Egypt and Syria as well, but their community had almost collapsed by the late 19th century. Their population mainly reside in the area of Mount Gerizim, near the city of Nablus. Today the Samaritan community has grown to about 850 persons from as few as 150 in the early 20th century.[78]
Samaritanism has a shared history and many shared customs with Judaism, and the main difference is the position of Mount Gerizim in their belief system. In their views not Jerusalem, but Mount Gerizim is regarded as the utmost sacred place chosen by God, where Joshua's alter was and where stones of Law emerged.[79][80] Additionally, because of the many similarities, debates emerged regarding the question of Samaritanism being a Jewish sect or an independent religion.[81]
Samaritans are mainly Arabic-speakers, however they use a separate script deriving from Hebrew-Canaanite for their biblical and historical scripts.[77][82] Their holy script is called the Samaritan Pentateuch, that is believed to be the unaltered version of the Jewish script, the Torah.
Baháʼí Faith
The Baháʼí Faith is a relatively new religion teaching the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Established by Baháʼu'lláh in the 19th century, it initially developed in Iran and parts of the Middle East, where it has faced ongoing persecution since its inception.[83]
According to the
The Baháʼí Faith has noteworthy representation in Iran, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Palestine, Israel, and Turkey. Its international headquarters are located on the northern slope of Mount Carmel at Haifa, Israel. Founded in Iran in 1863,[85] the Baháʼí Faith has an estimated 7 to 8 million followers across the world.[86]
Non-Abrahamic monotheistic faiths
Sikhism
Sikhism developed from the spiritual teachings of Guru Nanak (1469–1539), the faith's first guru, and the nine Sikh gurus who succeeded him. The tenth guru, Gobind Singh (1666–1708), named the Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib as his successor, bringing to a close the line of human gurus and establishing the scripture as the 11th and last eternally living guru, a religious spiritual/life guide for Sikhs.[87]
The core beliefs of Sikhism, articulated in the
Sikhism, the fifth-largest organized religion in the world after Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, having over 25 million Sikhs worldwide, has a small presence in the Middle East too[quantify], mainly in the U.A.E, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iran. Most of them are Punjabi-speaking Indian expatriates.[92]
Bábism
Babism or the Bab Faith originated in Iran in the middle of the 19th century.[93] The religion developed in the context of Shia Islam, where a merchant declared himself to be the prophesied 12th imam, and took the title of Bab[94] However throughout his ministry his titles and claims underwent much evolution as the Báb progressively outlined his teachings.[95] The Bab's claims led to public unrest and ultimately the execution of the Bab by the Iranian government.[93]
The Bábí movement signaled a break with Shia Islam, beginning a new religious system with its own unique laws, teachings, and practices.[citation needed] Babism is a monotheistic religion which professes that there is one incorporeal, unknown, and incomprehensible God who manifests his will in an unending series of theophanies, called Manifestation of God.
While Bábism was violently opposed by both clerical and government establishments, it led to the founding of the Baháʼí Faith, whose followers consider the religion founded by the Báb as a predecessor to their own.[citation needed]
According to one scholar there are currently no more than a few thousand adherents of the Babi Faith.[96]
Ishikism
Mandaeism
Mandaeism, sometimes also known as Sabianism (after the mysterious Sabians mentioned in the Quran, a name historically claimed by several religious groups),[97] is a Gnostic and monotheistic religion.[98]: 4 [99] There are between 60,000 and 70,000 Mandaeans worldwide[100] and in the Middle East, they are found in Iraq and Iran.[101] They revere Adam, Abel, Seth, Enos, Noah, Shem, Aram, and especially John the Baptist. Mandaeans are a closed ethnoreligious group.
Yazidism
Zoroastrianism
In the Middle East, Zoroastrianism is found in central Iran.[112] Today, there are estimated to be under 20,000 Zoroastrians in Iran.[113] It is one of the oldest monotheistic religions as it was founded 3500 years ago.[112] It was also one of the most powerful religions in the world for about 1000 years, during the Persian pre-Islamic dynasties.[112] Now, however, it is considered one of the smallest religions with only 190,000 followers worldwide.[112] There is a supreme deity called Ahura Mazda; lord of wisdom, symbolised as light of sun and fire. There is a dualistic principal of Spenta Mainyu; creative mind or goodness and Angra Mainyu; destructive mind or evil, this is known in Middle Persian as Ahriman. [114] It is ultimately up to the individual to decide which the two paths they choose to follow. Zoroastrians follow the Avesta which is their primary sacred text.[114]
Irreligion
According to a 2012 WIN-Gallup International 'Religiosity and Atheism Index', atheists are a small minority in the Middle East with only 2% of those surveyed in the Arab world identifying themselves as "committed atheists".[115] Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah, the branch of the Egyptian government that issues fatawa (religious edicts), gives lower (if less reliable) numbers, stating that there are 866 atheists in Egypt – "roughly 0.001% of the population"—325 in Morocco, and 32 in Yemen (defined as not only unbelievers, but secularists and "Muslims who convert to other religions").[116]
Some countries (Iraq, Tunisia) surveyed had 0% of respondents identifying as atheists.[117] Other countries indicated low percentages (Palestinian Territories 1% and Turkey 2%).[118] a lower percentage compared to other places like in Europe, Africa, Latin America, or South Asia.[115]
According to unbelievers in the Arab world, their numbers are growing but they suffer from persecution.[119][120] Author and historian Faisal Devji notes that although Saudi Arabia punishes unbelief with death, 5% of those surveyed identified themselves as atheists.[119] Devji states there is "a new movement of atheists in countries such as Saudi Arabia ... which takes the form of secret societies", meeting "in internet chat rooms and unnamed physical locations, like the mystics of old".[119]
In Egypt, Al Jazeera reported a clandestine atheist group of over 100 in Alexandria in 2013.[120] The group complained of mistreatment of atheists by society and government. A Pew survey found 63% of Egyptian Muslims favored the death penalty for those who leave the religion of Islam. The Egyptian penal code punishes "contempt of heavenly religions", and as of 2013 Egyptians had been arrested and/or imprisoned for activities such as setting up a Facebook page calling for atheism, writing a book entitled Where is God?, and "defamation of religion".[120]
Other religions
Buddhism
It is estimated that in the Middle East around 900,000 people, perhaps more, profess Buddhism as their religion. Buddhist adherents make up just over 0.3% of the total population of the Middle East.[citation needed]
Although Buddhism has had a presence in the Middle East for over 1000 years, it has recently[when?] experienced a revival with an estimated 900,000 people (perhaps more) who profess Buddhism as their religion. Buddhist adherents make up just over 0.3% of the total population of the Middle East. Many of these Buddhists are workers who have migrated from other parts of Asia to the Middle East in the last 20 years,[when?] many from countries and regions that have large Buddhist populations, such as China, Vietnam, Japan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan. A small number of engineers, company directors, and managers from Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea have also moved to the Middle East.[citation needed]
Hinduism
Millions of members of the Indian diaspora, of different religions, reside and work in Arab states of the Persian Gulf. Many of them are Hindu. Many came due to the migration of Indians and Nepalese expatriates and employees to the oil-rich states around the Persian Gulf.[citation needed]
Hindu temples have been built in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and Oman.[121]
Countries
Egypt
Religion in Egypt consists of Islam (mostly Sunni Muslim) 80–90%, Coptic Christians 10–20% and other Christians 1%.[122][123][57] As Egypt has modernized with new forms of media and the Egyptian press was liberalized in the 2000s, Coptic Christianity has become a main topic of religious controversy.[124] There is a degree of tension between the Muslims and Copts of Egypt as Copts argue for more representation in government and less legal and administrative discrimination. With this greater freedom of press, the Coptic issue has just begun to break into public awareness, but also due to a minority within both religious communities having extremist views, the media may also be exacerbating the sectarian tension by only publicizing examples of prejudice.[124]
Another current religious tension in Egypt is the role of the Muslim Brotherhood, founded by Hassan al-Banna in Egypt. Many countries have now developed their branches. Many are violent and most Arab governments actively try to restrain the group by arresting and killing members. Currently, as the new government of Egypt is trying to establish itself, many are concerned that a member of the Muslim Brotherhood will again step in and claim leadership. For the current candidates for the presidency, more than one is likely to be affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Brotherhood is however unpopular among the majority of Egyptians on account of its fundamentalist views, its clampdown on tourism and its desire to impose Sharia law on the nation.
Iran
Religion in Iran is made up of 98% Islam (Shi'a 89%, Sunni 9%) and 2% Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baháʼí.[122] There was much religious oppression and executions of members of the Baháʼí Faith. Religious minorities are now beginning to hold a larger presence and significance in Iran and are being acknowledged as such.
The
Iraq
Israel
This article's factual accuracy is disputed. (May 2022) |
Religion in Israel is represented by the following religious make-up: Judaism 77%, Islam 16%, Christian 2%, Druze 2% (2003).[122] As of 2013, the Israeli "Government - Christians Forum" was formed under the umbrella of the Ministry of Public Security, by Dr. Mordehcai Zaken, head of the Minorities Affairs Desk, to address and promote the concerns of Christian leaders and representative in their interactions with the State. Israel represents the religious Holy Land for Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Baha'is. All religions are present in Israel and lay personal claim to the land. Due to the significant Israeli/Palestinian conflict, tensions are high in the religious community. The majority of displaced and Palestinians are Muslim and the majority of current Israeli citizens are Jewish so establishing the state borders is highly influenced by religion.
One of the main difficulties in establishing peace between the two countries is because of Jerusalem. Each of the three main religions is incredibly attached to this city and claim it as their own. Therefore, it is difficult to determine whether Palestinian Territories or Israel will encompass this region. Maps produced within the territories represent Jerusalem differently. Palestinian maps draw Jerusalem as divided and Israeli maps show it as a part of Israeli territory.[126]
Jordan
Religion in Jordan is represented by 92% Muslim (Sunni), 6% Christian (mostly Greek Orthodox), and 2% other.[122]
Lebanon
Saudi Arabia
Religion in Saudi Arabia is allegedly 100% Muslim.[122] It is illegal to practice any other religion than Islam in Saudi Arabia. There is still tension, however, between the Sunnis and the Shias. Shiite Islamist revolution has never been a huge threat to the Saudi Arabian government, though, because it is such a small population.[128] Sunni Islamists, though, present a larger threat to the government because of their large Saudi Arabian population. These Sunni groups often dissent through violence targeted at government, Western or non-Muslims that threat the Muslim nation, Shiites, and sometimes generally directed against moral corruption.[128]
Syria
Religion in Syria is represented by 70% Islam (Sunni), 12% Alawite, 5% Druze, and other Islamic sects, 10% Christian (various sects), and there is some Jewish representation (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo).[122]
Turkey
Yemen
Religion in Yemen is represented by a majority of Islam (including Sunni and Shiite), small numbers of native Jewish communities, Baháʼí, Christian, and Hindu.[122] Followers of the Zaydi Islamic jurisprudence are called Zaydi Shi'a and make up about 35% of Muslims in Yemen.
See also
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