Religion in Qatar

Qatar is a multi-religious society like most of the Persian Gulf countries with waves of migration over the last 30 years, Muslims form 67.7% of the Qatari population, Hindus make up 13.8% and Christians make up 13.8% followed by Buddhists at 3.1% of the overall population, 0.7% follow other religions and 0.9% are unaffiliated to any religion, Qatar is also home to numerous other religions mostly from the Middle East and Asia.[3]

Religion in Qatar (2020)[1][2]

  Islam (67.7%)
  Christianity (13.8%)
  Hinduism (13.8%)
  Buddhism (3.1%)
  Other religions/Unaffiliated (1.8%)

Qatar has also hosted numerous interfaith dialogue conferences.

Islam
Main article: Islam in Qatar

The state religion in Qatar is Islam.[4] Most Qataris belong to the Sunni sect of Islam.[5][6][7] Shiites comprise around 10% of Qatar's Muslim population.[8] Religious policy is set by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Islamic instruction is compulsory for Muslims in all state-sponsored schools.[4]

The state mosque is the Mohammed Bin Abdul Wahab mosque, which is located in the Lejbailat neighbourhood and was designed by renowned Qatari architect Ibrahim Jaidah, drawing on traditional Qatari architecture.

The Abdulla Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Center is located in the Al Souq neighbourhood of Doha, adjacent to Souq Waqif. The center provides Arabic lessons to beginners and intermediate speakers.

At a tertiary level of education Islamic Studies is taught at Qatar University, and at Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) Faculty of Islamic Studies where a master's degree is offered. Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, the consort of the Father Emir and mother of current Emir, is the most notable graduate.[9]

Education City is also home to the Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics [CILE], a think tank founded in 2012 and headed by Swiss political philosopher Professor Tariq Ramadan, of Oxford University.[10]

Islam’s role in scientific discovery has also been an area of interest for the Qatar Foundation, and recently, the Society for Muslim Scientists was established with prominent members. In 2010, the joint venture between Bloomsbury Publishing and Qatar Foundation began, which saw them publish the book, ‘Science in Islam’.[11]

Political Islam is not a feature of the Qatari system, with an absence of local Muslim Brotherhood societies.

Christianity
Main article: Christianity in Qatar

The Christian community in Qatar is a diverse mix of European, North and South American, Asian, Middle Eastern and African expatriates. They form around 15.8% of the total population (2010).[1] No foreign missionary groups operate openly in the country. In May 2005, the Qatari Government leased a piece of property on the outskirts of Doha to the representatives of Christian churches in the country for the construction of Church buildings.[12] A 2015 study estimates some 200 believers in Christ from a Muslim background, though not all of those are necessarily citizens.[13]

Hinduism

People of this beliefs are mainly from Nepal, India and Southeast Asia mostly practice Hinduism. 13.8% of Qatar's population is Hindu.

Buddhism

Buddhism is represented by 3.1% of the population of Qatar, mainly comprising migrant workers from South-East Asia.

See also

References
  1. Global Religious Landscape. Pew Forum.
  2. "Population By Religion, Gender And Municipality March 2020". Qatar Statistics Authority.
  3. "Religious Composition by Country" (PDF). Global Religious Landscape. Pew Forum. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  4. "Qatar". State. 2006-06-29. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
  5. "Tiny Qatar's growing global clout". BBC. 30 April 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  6. "Qatar's modern future rubs up against conservative traditions". Reuters. 27 September 2012.
  7. "Rising power Qatar stirs unease among some Mideast neighbors". Reuters. 12 February 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  8. "Mapping the Global Muslim Population" (PDF). Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. October 2009. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  9. "Class of 2015 graduates honoured". Gulf Times. 6 May 2015.
  10. "CILE Center – about us". CILE. 2012.
  11. "Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation publishing and delfina foundation announce winner of Arab writing residency programme". Al Bawaba. 5 March 2015.
  12. "International Religious Freedom Report 2006". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  13. Johnstone, Patrick; Miller, Duane Alexander (2015). "Believers in Christ from a Muslim Background: A Global Census". Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion. 11: 17. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.