Islam in Madagascar

Followers constitute approximately 2 to 7 percent of the population as of 2021. The majority of the Muslims of Madagascar live in the northwestern regions of the country. Conversions There is a growing number of ethnic Malagasy converts to Islam in Madagascar. It is hypothesized that several hundred thousand Malagasy convert to Islam each year. ==History==

Settlement of Arabs Beginning in the 10th and 11th centuries, Arab sailors worked their way down the east coast of Africa in their dhows and established settlements and trading posts on the west coast of Madagascar. Muslim geographer Al-Idrīsī gave a detailed description of Madagascar in his works. Colonization and Independence mosque Upon independence from France in 1960, Madagascar began developing close ties with staunchly secular Soviet Union. This stifled the development of all religion in Madagascar including Islam. However, in the 1980s, Madagascar drifted away from the Soviet Union and back towards France. The practice of Islam has seen a resurgence in modern times. == Issues ==

Even after the passage of the nationality law in 2017, Muslims born in the country reported that members of the community have been unable to obtain Malagasy nationality despite generations of residence. Some Malagasy Muslims have also reported difficulty in obtaining official or governmental documents at public administration offices due to their non-Malagasy sounding names. Some Muslims have also reportedly faced ridicule and harassment for being perceived as foreigners despite possessing national identity cards. == See also ==