Islam in Ecuador
Encyclopedia
The statistics for Islam in Ecuador estimate a total Muslim
population of about 275. The first Muslim settlers in Ecuador
were primarily Arabs who immigrated from Lebanon
, the Palestinian territories
, Syria
, and Egypt
following the two World Wars and the destruction of the Ottoman Empire
. Their settlements were concentrated in Quito
and in Guayaquil
with smaller communities in Manabí, Los Ríos, and Esmeraldas provinces. Arab Christians and Muslims created a non-religious ethnic organisation called Lecla in the 1940s and The Arab Club in the 1980s. By the mid 1990s indigenous Ecuadorians began converting to Islam
, and together with the Arab community, they rented an apartment to be used for Friday prayers. Later the Egyptian Embassy provided a private apartment for the same purpose. The Centro Islámico del Ecuador, founded on October 15, 1994, was the first Muslim religious organization recognized by the government. Its current leader is Juan 'Yahya' Suquillo, a convert and former military officer. The religious activities, as well as social, cultural and educational activities are conducted according to Sunni Islam and the centre receives no financial support from any foreign country. The Islamic Center also translates and publishes literature in Spanish on a variety of Islamic topics. The Centro Islámico del Ecuador sends representatives annually to the Latin Muslims Leaders gathering that usually takes place in Argentina
.
In 2004 the Centro Islámico Al Hijra was founded in Guayaquil -Ecuador's largest city and economic hub- and recognised by the government as a religious organisation. Its current leader is Juan 'Abdullah' Saud who is a convert to Islam.
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
population of about 275. The first Muslim settlers in Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
were primarily Arabs who immigrated from Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, the Palestinian territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
following the two World Wars and the destruction of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. Their settlements were concentrated in Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
and in Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
with smaller communities in Manabí, Los Ríos, and Esmeraldas provinces. Arab Christians and Muslims created a non-religious ethnic organisation called Lecla in the 1940s and The Arab Club in the 1980s. By the mid 1990s indigenous Ecuadorians began converting to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, and together with the Arab community, they rented an apartment to be used for Friday prayers. Later the Egyptian Embassy provided a private apartment for the same purpose. The Centro Islámico del Ecuador, founded on October 15, 1994, was the first Muslim religious organization recognized by the government. Its current leader is Juan 'Yahya' Suquillo, a convert and former military officer. The religious activities, as well as social, cultural and educational activities are conducted according to Sunni Islam and the centre receives no financial support from any foreign country. The Islamic Center also translates and publishes literature in Spanish on a variety of Islamic topics. The Centro Islámico del Ecuador sends representatives annually to the Latin Muslims Leaders gathering that usually takes place in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
In 2004 the Centro Islámico Al Hijra was founded in Guayaquil -Ecuador's largest city and economic hub- and recognised by the government as a religious organisation. Its current leader is Juan 'Abdullah' Saud who is a convert to Islam.