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Islam is a minority religion in Rwanda, practiced by 2% of the total population according to the 2022 census.[1] Virtually all Muslims in Rwanda are Sunni Muslim. Islam was first introduced into Rwanda by Muslim traders from the East Coast of Africa in the 20th century. Since its introduction, Muslims have been a minority in the territory, while Christianity, was introduced to Rwandans during the colonial period in the beginning of the 20th century, and is now the largest religion in the country.
Muslims in Rwanda have only been accorded the same rights and freedoms as Christians since 2003, with the signing of the Rwanda Constitution, protecting freedom of religion and prohibiting religious discrimination.[2] Estimates show that there are equal numbers of Muslims among the Hutus as there are among the Tutsis.[3] 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.[4]
- ^ "Rwanda". United States Department of State. 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
- ^ "Religion". www.rlp-ruanda.de. January 2015. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
- ^ Klusener, Rainer (May 2005). "Islam in Rwanda". United States Institute of Peace. Archived from the original on 2009-06-02. Retrieved 2008-02-26.
- ^ Lacey, Marc (2004-04-07). "Since '94 Horror, Rwandans Turn Toward Islam". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-04-04.