Islam in Mali

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Islam is very important to traditional Malian culture. Muslims currently make up approximately 95 percent of the population of Mali. The majority of Muslims in Mali are Malikite Sunni, influenced with Sufism.^[1] Ahmadiyya and Shia branches are also present.^[2]

Islam has been present in West Africa for over a millennium, and Mali has been the center of various Islamic empires, such as the Ghana Empire and the Songhai Empire. Mali was a French colony and now follows the secular French model in which the government does not intervene in religious matters.^[3]

Islam as practiced in the country until recently was reported to be relatively tolerant and adapted to local conditions. Women participated in economic and political activity, engaged in social interaction, and generally did not wear veils. Islam in Mali has absorbed mystical elements, ancestor veneration and the African Traditional Religion that still thrive. Many aspects of Malian traditional society encourage norms consistent with democratic citizenship, including tolerance, trust, pluralism, the separation of powers and the accountability of the leader to the governed.

There has been a surge in conservative interpretations of Islam in recent decades, particularly in Northern Mali where extremist groups have targeted religious minorities with violence. Despite this surge, many Muslim leaders have argued against the imposition of Sharia law. Christian missionaries have not observed any discrimination against Christians or other minorities in areas under government control, and have reported that the government has continued to adhere to the constitutional requirement to treat all religions equally.^[4]