Islam was first introduced into Rwanda by Muslim traders from the East Coast of Africa in the 18th century. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The Republic of Rwanda (ruːˈændə or /rəˈwɑːndə/ in English ɾwanda or in Kinyarwanda is a small Landlocked country in the The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system Since its introduction, Muslims have been a minority in the territory, while the Roman Catholic Church, introduced to Rwandans during the Belgian Invasion, occupation and colonisation by French missionaries in the late 19th century has considerably more adherents. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those An invasion is a military offensive consisting of all or large parts of the Armed forces of one geopolitical entity aggressively entering territory Belligerent military occupation occurs when the control and authority over a territory passes to a hostile army. Colonisation (also known as Colonization) occurs whenever any one or more species populates a new area This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar

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 amongst the Hutus as there are amongst the Tutsis. The The Tutsi are one of three native Peoples of the nations of Rwanda and Burundi in central Africa, the other two being the Twa ^[1] The estimates can't be verified since in the wake of the genocide, the government has banned all discussion of ethnicity in Rwanda.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Rwandan genocide 1.2 Post-genocide 2 Activities 3 Population 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

History

Compared to east African countries like Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda, the history of Islam in Rwanda is relatively modern. East Africa is the Easternmost Region of the African Continent. Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the northeast Tanzania to the south The Republic of Uganda is a Landlocked country in East Africa. While a few written sources are available regarding its origins, it is claimed that Islam came through Arab merchants who first entered the country in 1901. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Others say that Islam came when Europeans brought in Muslim clerks, administrative assistants, and merchants, from the Swahili-speaking coast of Tanzania. Merchants function as professionals who deal with Trade, dealing in commodities that they do not produce themselves in order to produce Profit. Swahili (called Kiswahili in the language itself is the First language of the Swahili people (Waswahili who inhabit several large stretches Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya Islam was also bolstered by Muslim merchants from India, who married local Rwandans. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Rwandans built their first mosque in 1913. A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger ^[1] This mosque is known as the al-Fatah mosque. ^[2]

During its history, many efforts were made to impede the spread of Islam in Rwanda. These efforts generally exploited anti-Arab sentiment, and presented Muslims as foreigners. Catholic missionaries often went to great lengths to counter what they perceived influence of rival religions, such as Islam and Protestantism. A missionary is a member of a Religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith someone who proselytizes. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. ^[3]

Muslims were further marginalized by the fact that most Muslims settled in urban areas, whereas 90 percent of the population was rural. Rural areas can be large and isolated (also referred to as "the country" and/or "the countryside over the course of time As neither Arab nor Indian merchants ever attempted to further their faith, there was little spirit of preaching amongst Muslims. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding A missionary is a member of a Religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith someone who proselytizes. Only a few conversions took place, mostly amongst the marginalized urban population: women who had married foreigners, illegitimate children and orphans. In Common law, legitimacy is the status of a Child that is born to parents who are legally married to one another or that is born shortly after the An orphan (from the Greek ὀρφανός) is a child whose natural parents are absent or dead and who are not there to bring him up Even these conversion were sometimes superficial, motivated by desire for social and economic security that Muslims provided, than for religious conviction in the Islamic faith. ^[4]

Under the Belgian administration, Muslims in Rwanda were to some extent marginalized. This article discusses the History of Rwanda. Early history See also Origins of Tutsi and Hutu The earliest inhabitants of the region 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. This article discusses the History of Rwanda. Early history See also Origins of Tutsi and Hutu The earliest inhabitants of the region As a result Muslim employment was largely confined to engaging in petty trade, and taking up jobs as drivers. ^[3]

In 1960, the former government minister Sebazungu ordered the burning of the Muslim quarter and the mosque in Rwamagana. Rwamagana is a city and capital of both Rwamagana district and the East Province of Rwanda Description Rwamagana lies approximately 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. ^[3]

Before the 1994 Genocide, Muslims were held in low regard, because they were seen as traders, in a land where farmers are highly regarded. The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass killing of hundreds of thousands of Rwanda 's minority Tutsis and the moderates of its Hutu majority The Muslim population before the genocide was 4% which was unusually low compared to that of neighbouring countries.

Rwandan genocide

Main article: Rwandan genocide

During the Rwandan genocide, Muslims were not the main target of the genocide and they were also able to shield some non-Muslim Tutsis. The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass killing of hundreds of thousands of Rwanda 's minority Tutsis and the moderates of its Hutu majority The Tutsi are one of three native Peoples of the nations of Rwanda and Burundi in central Africa, the other two being the Twa According to Marc Lacey of The New York Times, the safest place during the genocide was a Muslim neighborhood. In Kigali, many of Rwanda's Muslims crowded together in the Biryogo neighborhood. Kigali, population 851024 (2005 is the Capital and largest city of Rwanda. When Hutu militias surrounded the place, Hutu Muslims did not cooperate with the Hutu killers. The The Hutu Muslims say that they felt far more connected through religion than through ethnicity, and Muslim Tutsi were spared. ^[5] While some Hutu Muslims saved most Muslim Tutsis, they also saved the lives of thousands of Christian Tutsis as well. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Most Imams spoke out publicly against the killings, urging their congregations to not partake in the massacres. An imam (إمام plural ائمة A'immah, امام is an Islamic leader often the leader of a Mosque and/or community ^[1] Nevertheless, there are allegations against one Muslim, Hassan Ngeze, that he incited Hutus to violence against Tutsis. Hassan Ngeze (born 1962 is a Rwandan Journalist, best known for publishing the " Hutu Ten Commandments " which fomented anti- Tutsi feeling ^[3]

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 militiamen of the Interahamwe. The Interahamwe ( Kinyarwanda meaning "those who stand together" or "those who work together" or "those who fight together" or "those who attack Only once the soldiers attacked with machine gun fire were the Interahamwe able to enter the mosque and kill the refugees. For other uses of the phrase see Machine Gun (disambiguation. ^[1]

In some cases Hutus were afraid of searching Muslim quarters for Tutsis. The widely believed myths that both Muslims and their mosques were protected by the power of highly efficacious Islamic magic, and the fear of the jinn (creatures of fire mentioned in the Qur'an), turned out to have saved the lives of Tutsis who sought refuge with Muslims. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran In one case, a mosque was set ablaze in Cyangugu, but the arsonists ran away instead of destroying the mosque and its inhabitants because they believed jinn were inside the mosque. Cyangugu is a city and capital of the Rusizi district of West Province, Rwanda. In some cases when a Muslim was inclined towards killing, one Tutsi testifies : "If a Hutu Muslim tried to kill someone hidden in our neighbourhoods, he would first be asked to take the Qur'an and tear it apart to renounce his faith. No Muslim dared to violate the Holy Book and that saved a lot of us. "^[3]

Post-genocide

See also Aftermath of the Rwandan genocide

It is sometimes reported in the Western media and on Muslim websites that the number of Rwandan Muslims increased after the 1994 Genocide. The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass killing of hundreds of thousands of Rwanda 's minority Tutsis and the moderates of its Hutu majority The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass killing of hundreds of thousands of Rwanda 's minority Tutsis and the moderates of its Hutu majority This shift is attributed to the sheltering of refugees - both Hutu and Tutsi - in Muslim villages and suburbs, as compared to the alleged flight of Catholic priests from their parishes (abandoning their parishioners in the process), and, it is alleged, in many cases actively partaking in the genocide by Christian clergy. The The Tutsi are one of three native Peoples of the nations of Rwanda and Burundi in central Africa, the other two being the Twa Genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction in whole or in part of an ethnic racial religious or national group A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion. ^[6] According to the Washington Post, "since the genocide, Rwandans have converted to Islam in huge numbers. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D Muslims now make up 14 percent of the 8. 2 million people here in Africa's most Catholic nation, twice as many as before the killings began. "^[6]

The newspaper also states that Muslims now constitute 16% of the Rwandan population, and are generally held in higher regard by most Rwandans for their life-saving actions during the violence of 1994. Adherents.com^[7], the CIA World Factbook^[8], and the U.S. Department of State^[9], however, make clear that there has been no large scale conversion to Islam and hence these claims cannot be true. Adherentscom is a website that aims to collect and present information about Religion including "churches denominations religious bodies Faith groups The World Factbook ( ISSN; also known as the CIA World Factbook) is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the The story of mass conversion appears to be an urban legend that is most popular on websites with an interest in converting people to Islam. An urban legend or urban myth is a form of modern Folklore consisting of stories thought to be factual by those circulating them

Officially, the percentage of Muslims remains at below 5 percent of the Rwandan population and has only grown relatively slowly since 1994. ^[10] However, it is also claimed that some of those who fear being accused of being involved in the genocide have turned to Islam after the Rwandan genocide as it was seen by some as the safest option. ^[11] So far only four priests and two nuns, out of the entire Catholic Church in Rwanda, have been charged with crimes resulting out of the genocide. Given the large number of Catholics in Rwanda this is evidence of no widespread involvement by the Catholic Church in the genocide. Nor is there any evidence that large numbers of priests fled their posts.

Activities

Muslims in Rwanda are also actively involved in jihad activities, such as their jihad to "start respecting each other", and their "struggle to heal". Jihad (جهاد ʤɪhæːd an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. While there is little sign of militancy, some government officials have express concern that some of the mosques receive funding from Saudi Arabia, whose religious sect they consider as militant. Muslims have reached out to the Rwandans in many ways, including forming women's groups that provide education on child care and being a mother. ^[12]

The Muslim religious holiday Eid al-Fitr is observed by the government as one of the four religious official holiday (alongside Christmas, All Saints' Day, and Assumption). Eid ul-Fitr or Id-ul-Fitr (عيد الفطر ‘Īdu l-Fiṭr) often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim Holiday that marks the end of For the British girl group see All Saints (band. All Saints' Day (also called All Hallows or Hallowmas) often Muslims also operate private Islamic schools. In 2003, the US Embassy oversaw the renovations of an Islamic secondary school in Kigali. Benjamin Franklin established the first overseas mission of the United States in Paris in 1779 Embassy leaders also met with Muslim leaders, alongside members of Catholic and Anglican Churches, Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, to hold interfaith talks. See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated " Adventist " Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination ^[13]

Rwanda used to have a religious democratic party, the Democratic Islamic Party (PDI), with non-Muslim members. The Islamic Democratic Party (Parti Démocratique Islamique is a Political party in Rwanda. However, it changed its name to Ideal Democratic Party, after the constitution mandated no party may be formed on the basis of religion. ^[13]

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. ^[5]

Source	Population (000s)	Population (%)	Year	Ref
The Washington Post	1,148	14	2002	[12]
The Washington Post		7	1993 "before killings began"	[12]
CIA World factbook	456	4. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D The World Factbook ( ISSN; also known as the CIA World Factbook) is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the 6	2007	[14]
The New York Times		15	2004	[5]
Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life	350	5	1998	[15]

See also

• Rwandan Genocide and the Roman Catholic Church
• Islam

References

External links

• "Ten Years After Horror, Rwandans Turn to Islam" by Marc Lacey, The New York Times, April 7, 2004
• "Rwanda's Religious Reflections" by Robert Walker, BBC, April 1, 2004
• "Conversions to Islam in Genocide-Stricken Rwanda Increasing", IslamOnline
• "Rwandans rejecting Catholicism for Islam", The Age

IslamOnlinenet describes its mission as to create a unique global Islamic Website on the Internet that provides services to Muslims and The Age is a Broadsheet daily Newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854

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