Islam in Switzerland
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According to the Confederate census of 2001, a total number of 310,807 Muslims were living in Switzerland which made up 4.26% of the total population[1].
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[edit] Location
The largest concentration of Muslim population is in the German speaking Swiss plateau. The cantons with more than 5% Muslim population are:
- 6.72% Basel-Stadt
- 6.50% Glarus
- 6.13% St. Gallen
- 5.94% Thurgau
- 5.80% Schaffhausen
- 5.49% Aargau
- 5.39% Solothurn
- 5.33% Zürich
Geneva is the only non-German-speaking canton where the Muslim population is slightly above the average (4,35). Another remarkable demographic feature in comparison to other European countries is the relatively equal distribution throughout the country[2] (compare Islam in the United Kingdom). No administrative unit has more than 8.55% of Muslim population, and no town or village more than 16.8%. The lowest percentage of Muslims in a canton is 1.82% (the Italian-speaking Ticino).
[edit] Origin
Most (88.3% as of 2000) Muslims in Switzerland are not Swiss citizens. Of the 11.7% (36, 481 people) with Swiss citizenship (0.5% of the total population), 7.7% are naturalized and 3.9% had Swiss citizenship from birth.
Most Muslims in Switzerland are from former Yugoslavia (56.4%; especially Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia and the Sandžak region) and Turkey (20.2%)[3].
The leading figure of the so-called "Euro-Islam", Tariq Ramadan currently resides in Geneva.
[edit] History
In the 10th century, Arabs and Berbers from Mediterranean Fraxinet base for a few decades settled in the Valais[4] They occupied the Great St. Bernard Pass and even managed to reached as far as St. Gallen to the north and Raetia in the east.
[edit] References
- ^ Switzerland: CIA World Factbook[1]
- ^ Islam in Switzerland[2]
- ^ Islam & Muslims in Europe[3]
- ^ Manfred, W: "International Journal of Middle East Studies", pages 59-79, Vol. 12, No. 1. Middle East Studies Association of North America, Aug 1980.
[edit] External links
- Stastics of Muslims in Switzerland
- Link Directory Islam in Western Europe: Switzerland
- Swiss Exile: European Muslim Congress, 1935 by Martin Kramer.
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1 Has significant territory in Asia. 2 Entirely in West Asia, but considered European for cultural, political and historical reasons. 3 Only recognised by Turkey.
