Islam in Zanzibar

Islam is the most prominent religion on the semi-autonomous Zanzibar archipelago and could be considered the Islamic center in the United Republic of Tanzania. Around 99% of the population in the islands are Muslim, with two-thirds being Sunni Muslim and a minority Ibadi, Ismaili and Twelver Shia.^[1]^[2] Islam has a long presence on the islands, with archeological findings dating back to the 10th century, and has been an intrinsic part in shaping mercantile and maritime Swahili culture in Zanzibar as well as along the East African coast.^[3]

^ Bakari, M.A. "Religion, Secularism, and Political Discourse in Tanzania: Competing Perspectives by Religious Organizations". Interdiciplinary Journal of Research on Religion. 8 (1): 1–34, 7. Religious demographics always state an overwhelming Muslim majority in Zanzibar even though no official census of religious belonging has been made in Zanzibar since the early 1960s.
^ "Tanzania". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2022-08-30.
^ Bang, Anne K. (2017-10-16). "Islam in the Swahili world". The Swahili World. Routledge. pp. 557–565. doi:10.4324/9781315691459-48. ISBN 978-1-315-69145-9.

[1] Bakari, M.A. "Religion, Secularism, and Political Discourse in Tanzania: Competing Perspectives by Religious Organizations". Interdiciplinary Journal of Research on Religion. 8 (1): 1–34, 7. Religious demographics always state an overwhelming Muslim majority in Zanzibar even though no official census of religious belonging has been made in Zanzibar since the early 1960s.

[2] "Tanzania". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2022-08-30.

[3] Bang, Anne K. (2017-10-16). "Islam in the Swahili world". The Swahili World. Routledge. pp. 557–565. doi:10.4324/9781315691459-48. ISBN 978-1-315-69145-9.

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