Islam in Namibia

The history of Islam in Namibia dates back to the late 19th century, when a small community of Indian traders and merchants settled in the port city of Luderitz. These early Muslims built the first mosque in Namibia, which still stands today and serves as a hub of the Muslim community in Luderitz. ==Number of Muslims==

Islam has a small but growing presence in Namibia, with an estimated 70,000 Muslims in the country, Islam along with Judaism, Buddhism, and the Baháʼí Faith, which make up the largest minority religions in Namibia, but combined account for less than 1% of the population of Namibia. ==Growth of Namibia's Muslim community==

Most of Namibia's Muslim community are members of the Nama ethnic group. It is believed that this is mostly as a result of the efforts of a prominent politician among the Nama, Jacobs Salmaan Dhameer, who converted to Islam in 1980 The Namibia Islamic Judicial Council is based in Windhoek in the Khomas Region. NIHA (Namibia Islamic Halaal Association) is Namibia's oldest and most well known Halaal Certifying body, recognised by the Halaal Certification body in South Africa and in many Islamic states. NIHA was established in 2001 and before known as the Namibia Halaal Slaughterers Association. It certifies food outlets in the country. == See also ==