Islam in Honduras
Encyclopedia
The statistics for Islam in Honduras estimate a total Muslim
population of 11,000 representing 0.1 percent of the population. Although there are no official statistics, it is estimated that between 100,000 and 200,000 of the country's seven million inhabitants are of Arab descent, and of these, the great majority are Palestinian Arabs. However, the vast majority of these Arabs are of Orthodox and Catholic Christian decent. No other country in the Western Hemisphere has a higher proportion of Arab immigrants and, in absolute numbers, Honduras ranks fourth after the United States, Canada and Chile
. There are two known Islamic organizations in Honduras
, including the Centro Islámico de Honduras in San Pedro Sula
led by Yusuf Amdani, and the Comunidad Islámica de Honduras in Cortés.
, the country's second-largest city. They immigrated due to the Ottoman control of Palestine, where Arabs fled with Ottoman passports gaining their commonly known nickname, Turkish (Turcos). Immigration picked up again after World War II
and the Arab-Israeli war of 1948. In 1984, an Islamic charitable organization was founded, with the main object of taking care of the interests of the Arabs and Muslims in the country, and they have since built a mosque, where they meet and discuss their social and religious affairs, including the education of their children, the most important of which is teaching them the Qur’an and the Arabic language.
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 11,000 representing 0.1 percent of the population. Although there are no official statistics, it is estimated that between 100,000 and 200,000 of the country's seven million inhabitants are of Arab descent, and of these, the great majority are Palestinian Arabs. However, the vast majority of these Arabs are of Orthodox and Catholic Christian decent. No other country in the Western Hemisphere has a higher proportion of Arab immigrants and, in absolute numbers, Honduras ranks fourth after the United States, Canada and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. There are two known Islamic organizations in Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, including the Centro Islámico de Honduras in San Pedro Sula
San Pedro Sula
San Pedro Sula is a city in Honduras. It is located in the northwest corner of the country, in the Valle de Sula , about 60 km south of Puerto Cortés on the Caribbean. With an estimated population of 638,259 people in the main municipality, and 802,598 in its metro area , it is the second...
led by Yusuf Amdani, and the Comunidad Islámica de Honduras in Cortés.
Background
Honduras received its first Arab immigrant in 1896, and by 1918, according to a local survey, Arab immigrants were largely Palestinian Christians in San Pedro SulaSan Pedro Sula
San Pedro Sula is a city in Honduras. It is located in the northwest corner of the country, in the Valle de Sula , about 60 km south of Puerto Cortés on the Caribbean. With an estimated population of 638,259 people in the main municipality, and 802,598 in its metro area , it is the second...
, the country's second-largest city. They immigrated due to the Ottoman control of Palestine, where Arabs fled with Ottoman passports gaining their commonly known nickname, Turkish (Turcos). Immigration picked up again after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Arab-Israeli war of 1948. In 1984, an Islamic charitable organization was founded, with the main object of taking care of the interests of the Arabs and Muslims in the country, and they have since built a mosque, where they meet and discuss their social and religious affairs, including the education of their children, the most important of which is teaching them the Qur’an and the Arabic language.