Religion in Tunisia
Encyclopedia
Islam
is by far the dominant religion in Tunisia
; 99% of Tunisians are Muslim. Minority religions include Christianity
(25,000 adherents), Judaism
(1,500 adherents), and the Bahá'í Faith
(200 adherents). The Constitution of Tunisia
provides for freedom of religion unless it disturbs the public order.
. Most of them are Sunni belonging to the Maliki
te madhhab, but a small number of Ibadhi Muslim
s (Kharijites
) still exist among the Berber
-speakers of Jerba Island.
The government
controls and subsidizes mosque
s and pays the salaries of prayer leaders. The President appoints the Grand Mufti
of the Republic. The 1988 Law on Mosques provides that only personnel appointed by the Government may lead activities in mosques and stipulates that mosques must remain closed except during prayer times and other authorized religious ceremonies, such as marriages or funerals. Some people may be interrogated just for associating or being seen in the street with practising Muslims. New mosques may be built in accordance with national urban planning regulations; however, upon completion, they become the property of the Government. The Government also partially subsidizes the Jewish community.
There is a small indigenous Sufi Muslim community; however, there are no statistics regarding its size. Reliable sources report that many Sufis left the country shortly after independence when their religious buildings and land reverted to the government (as did those of Orthodox Islamic foundations). Although the Sufi community is small, its tradition of mysticism permeates the practice of Islam
throughout the country. There is a small indigenous "Maraboutic" Muslim community that belongs to spiritual brotherhoods known as "turuq." The Muslim holidays of Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Fitr, and Mawlid
are considered national holidays in Tunisia.
The Christian
community, composed of foreign residents and a small group of native-born citizens of European or Arab descent, numbers 25,000 and is dispersed throughout the country. There are an estimated 22,000 Catholics
. The Roman Catholic Church in Tunisia, which forms the Archdiocese of Tunis, operates 12 churches, 9 schools, several libraries, and 2 clinics. In addition to holding religious services, the Catholic Church opened a monastery
, freely organized cultural activities, and performed charitable work throughout the country. According to church leaders, there are 2,000 Protestant practising Christians, including a few hundred citizens who have converted to Christianity. The Russian Orthodox Church
has approximately 100 practising members and operates a church in Tunis
and another in Bizerte
. The Reformed Church of France
maintains a church in Tunis, with a congregation of 140 primarily foreign members. The Anglican Church has a church in Tunis with several hundred predominantly foreign members. There are 50 Seventh-day Adventists. The 30-member Greek Orthodox Church
maintained 3 churches (in Tunis, Sousse
, and Djerba
). There are also 50 Jehovah's Witnesses
, of whom half are foreign residents and half are native-born citizens. Occasionally, Catholic and Protestant religious groups held services in private residences or other locations.
is the country's third largest religion with 1,500 members. One-third of the Jewish population lives in and around the capital, and is descended predominantly from Italian and Spanish immigrants. The remainder lives on the island of Djerba, where the Jewish community dates back 2,500 years.
There are 200 Bahá'ís in the country, and their presence dates back a century.
provides for freedom of religion
and the freedom to practice the rites of one's religion unless they disturb the public order; however, the government imposes some restrictions on this right. The Constitution declares the country's determination to adhere to the teachings of Islam and stipulates that Islam is the official state religion and that the president must be Muslim. The government does not permit the establishment of political parties on the basis of religion and prohibits efforts to proselytize Muslims. It restricts the wearing of Islamic headscarves (hijab
) in government offices, and discourages women from wearing the hijab on public streets and at certain public gatherings. Although changing religions
is legal, there is great societal pressure against conversion of Muslims to other religions
.
The government allows a small number of foreign religious charitable nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to operate and provide social services.
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
is by far the dominant religion in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
; 99% of Tunisians are Muslim. Minority religions include Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
(25,000 adherents), Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
(1,500 adherents), and the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
(200 adherents). The Constitution of Tunisia
Constitution of Tunisia
The Constitution of Tunisia is the supreme law of the Tunisian Republic. The Constitution is the framework for the organization of the Tunisian government and for the relationship of the federal government with the governates, citizens, and all people within Tunisia...
provides for freedom of religion unless it disturbs the public order.
Islam
Ninety-nine percent of Tunisians are MuslimIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Most of them are Sunni belonging to the Maliki
Maliki
The ' madhhab is one of the schools of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam. It is the second-largest of the four schools, followed by approximately 25% of Muslims, mostly in North Africa, West Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and in some parts of Saudi Arabia...
te madhhab, but a small number of Ibadhi Muslim
Ibadi
The Ibāḍī movement, Ibadism or Ibāḍiyya is a form of Islam distinct from the Sunni and Shia denominations. It is the dominant form of Islam in Oman and Zanzibar...
s (Kharijites
Kharijites
Kharijites is a general term embracing various Muslims who, while initially supporting the authority of the final Rashidun Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib, the son-in-law and cousin of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, then later rejected his leadership...
) still exist among the Berber
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
-speakers of Jerba Island.
The government
Politics of Tunisia
The politics of Tunisia function within a framework of a republic organized under a constitution, with a President serving as head of state, Prime Minister as head of government, a bicameral legislature and a court system influenced by French civil law...
controls and subsidizes mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s and pays the salaries of prayer leaders. The President appoints the Grand Mufti
Grand Mufti
The title of Grand Mufti refers to the highest official of religious law in a Sunni or Ibadi Muslim country. The Grand Mufti issues legal opinions and edicts, fatwā, on interpretations of Islamic law for private clients or to assist judges in deciding cases...
of the Republic. The 1988 Law on Mosques provides that only personnel appointed by the Government may lead activities in mosques and stipulates that mosques must remain closed except during prayer times and other authorized religious ceremonies, such as marriages or funerals. Some people may be interrogated just for associating or being seen in the street with practising Muslims. New mosques may be built in accordance with national urban planning regulations; however, upon completion, they become the property of the Government. The Government also partially subsidizes the Jewish community.
There is a small indigenous Sufi Muslim community; however, there are no statistics regarding its size. Reliable sources report that many Sufis left the country shortly after independence when their religious buildings and land reverted to the government (as did those of Orthodox Islamic foundations). Although the Sufi community is small, its tradition of mysticism permeates the practice of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
throughout the country. There is a small indigenous "Maraboutic" Muslim community that belongs to spiritual brotherhoods known as "turuq." The Muslim holidays of Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Fitr, and Mawlid
Mawlid
Mawlid or sometimes ميلاد , mīlād is a term used to refer to the observance of the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad which occurs in Rabi' al-awwal,...
are considered national holidays in Tunisia.
Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
community, composed of foreign residents and a small group of native-born citizens of European or Arab descent, numbers 25,000 and is dispersed throughout the country. There are an estimated 22,000 Catholics
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. The Roman Catholic Church in Tunisia, which forms the Archdiocese of Tunis, operates 12 churches, 9 schools, several libraries, and 2 clinics. In addition to holding religious services, the Catholic Church opened a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, freely organized cultural activities, and performed charitable work throughout the country. According to church leaders, there are 2,000 Protestant practising Christians, including a few hundred citizens who have converted to Christianity. The Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
has approximately 100 practising members and operates a church in Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
and another in Bizerte
Bizerte
Bizerte or Benzert , is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. It has a population of 230,879 .-History:...
. The Reformed Church of France
Reformed Church of France
The Reformed Church of France is a denomination in France with Calvinist origins. It is the original and largest Protestant denomination in France....
maintains a church in Tunis, with a congregation of 140 primarily foreign members. The Anglican Church has a church in Tunis with several hundred predominantly foreign members. There are 50 Seventh-day Adventists. The 30-member Greek Orthodox Church
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
maintained 3 churches (in Tunis, Sousse
Sousse
Sousse is a city in Tunisia. Located 140 km south of the capital Tunis, the city has 173,047 inhabitants . Sousse is in the central-east of the country, on the Gulf of Hammamet, which is a part of the Mediterranean Sea. The name may be of Berber origin: similar names are found in Libya and in...
, and Djerba
Djerba
Djerba , also transliterated as Jerba or Jarbah, is, at 514 km², the largest island of North Africa, located in the Gulf of Gabes, off the coast of Tunisia.-Description:...
). There are also 50 Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
, of whom half are foreign residents and half are native-born citizens. Occasionally, Catholic and Protestant religious groups held services in private residences or other locations.
Other religions
JudaismJudaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
is the country's third largest religion with 1,500 members. One-third of the Jewish population lives in and around the capital, and is descended predominantly from Italian and Spanish immigrants. The remainder lives on the island of Djerba, where the Jewish community dates back 2,500 years.
There are 200 Bahá'ís in the country, and their presence dates back a century.
Freedom of religion
The Constitution of TunisiaConstitution of Tunisia
The Constitution of Tunisia is the supreme law of the Tunisian Republic. The Constitution is the framework for the organization of the Tunisian government and for the relationship of the federal government with the governates, citizens, and all people within Tunisia...
provides for freedom of religion
Freedom of religion
Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...
and the freedom to practice the rites of one's religion unless they disturb the public order; however, the government imposes some restrictions on this right. The Constitution declares the country's determination to adhere to the teachings of Islam and stipulates that Islam is the official state religion and that the president must be Muslim. The government does not permit the establishment of political parties on the basis of religion and prohibits efforts to proselytize Muslims. It restricts the wearing of Islamic headscarves (hijab
Hijab
The word "hijab" or "'" refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and modest Muslim styles of dress in general....
) in government offices, and discourages women from wearing the hijab on public streets and at certain public gatherings. Although changing religions
Religious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
is legal, there is great societal pressure against conversion of Muslims to other religions
Apostasy in Islam
Apostasy in Islam is commonly defined in Islam as the rejection in word or deed of one's former religion by a person who was previously a follower of Islam...
.
The government allows a small number of foreign religious charitable nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to operate and provide social services.