Islam in Belize
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The statistics for Islam in Belize estimate a total Muslim population of 2,794, representing 1 percent of the total population. The Muslim community is led by the Islamic Mission of Belize (IMB) headquartered in Belize City.
[edit] The Islamic Mission of Belize
The IMB was founded over forty years ago as the first organised group of Muslims in Belize. In 1978 the IMB was formally recognised by the government of Belize and was officially registered as a distinct religious organisation. The IMB is currently led by Imam Kaleem El-Amin as Amir or Chairman of the Managing Committee. As the only recognised Islamic organisation in Belize, the IMB's Islamic centre has a prayer hall and a primary school. The Muslim Community Primary School was recognised by the government in 1978 and offers Islamic as well as elementary level academic courses to Muslim and non-Muslim children. Since 1991, the school has expanded to grade 8 and now offers Islamic and academic courses. The present enrollment is more than 360 full-time students and the administrative staff consists of a Board of Trustees, the General Manager (the Imam), a principal and 15 teachers. The educational system of Belize is unique in that it is a partnership between the government and the religious communities whereby government is responsible for funding teachers’ salaries and approving the academic curriculum and the various religious communities are responsible for management, physical infrastructure, staffing and religious curriculum.
Through its Rural Development Project committee, the IMB is the sponsoring development of the Jannahville community in central Belize. The project aims to build an Islamic community complete with organic farming, halal meat, eco-tourism and a Muslim secondary school as well as eventually an Islamic University on some 350 acres of land leased from the government of Belize since 1987.
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