Islam in Mozambique

Islam appeared in Mozambique along with Arab merchants around the VIII century ^[2] . Islam spread to trading cities on the coast of East Africa . Since the founding of the Kilwa Sultanate in the X century , Islam has become the main religion of the coastal strip of Mozambique. By the 15th century, the sultanate had reached the zenith of its power, extending its power deep into the continent right up to the territory of Monomotapa . In 1505, a Portuguese detachment under the command of Francisco de Almeida captured Kilva . In 1505 they built a fort in Sofala , in 1508 a fortress on the island of Mozambique , in the 1530s, the forts of Seine and Tete on the banks of the Zambezi River . In 1558, Fort San Sebastian was founded, where ships going to India stopped. Until 1572, the territory of Portuguese East Africa was governed by the Governor of Goa . In the middle of the XVII century, Omani Arabs began to oust the Portuguese from the western Indian Ocean . During the reign of the Omani dynasty Al Said in the Zanzibar Sultanate, the northern part of the coast of Mozambique was annexed to the possessions of the Sultan. Coastal cities have become strongholds of Arab slave traders in their raids into the interior of Africa. The Muslims of Mozambique initially adhered to Sufism , however, after the advent of the Omani dynasty, they were more strongly influenced by the Ibadites . Around 1600, a civil war broke out in Monomotap, during which all Muslim merchants were expelled from Torva. In 1752, Portuguese possessions in East Africa were officially declared a colony of Mozambique. Catholicism became the dominant religion in Mozambique during the colonial era. The colonialists brought discord among religious groups to prevent an alliance between Muslims and dissidents from the liberation movement ^[3] . After the military coup in Portugal, known as the Carnation Revolution , Mozambique gained independence on June 25, 1975 . After the country gained independence, the left-wing political organization FRELIMO became the only political force in the country. Marxists FRELIMO were hostile to religion in general. They dissolved religious schools and began promoting atheism . After the end of the socialist period in 1989 , Muslims were given the opportunity to freely practice their faith and build new mosques . Representatives of the Muslim community were also elected to parliament. Members of Kuwait- funded African Muslim Agency are active in Mozambique. Mozambique is an active member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

• History of Mozambique in the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Analyse de l'islam au Mozambique depuis l'indépendance du pays
• Analyse de l'évolution de l'islam dans la ville de Pemba
• Islam in Mozambique