Ahmadiyya by country

Ahmadiyya is an Islamic religious movement founded in India near the end of the 19th century by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who claimed to have fulfilled the prophecies of the world's reformer during the end times, who was to herald the Eschaton as predicted in the traditions of various world religions and bring about the final triumph of Islam according to Islamic prophecy.

As of 2014 the community has been established in 206 countries and territories of the world.[1][n 1] with concentrations in South Asia, West Africa, East Africa and Indonesia. The community is a minority Muslim sect in almost every country of the world. On the other hand, it has spread to most countries of the world. In some countries, it is practically illegal to be an Ahmadi Muslim. For instance, in Pakistan, following the Ordinance XX, Ahmadis cannot call themselves Muslims, profess the Islamic creed publicly or call their places of worship mosques. Together, these factors make it difficult to estimate the Ahmadiyya population for both the community itself and as well as independent organizations. For this reason, the community gives a figure of "tens of millions";[2] however, most independent sources variously estimate the population to be at least 10 to 20 million[3] worldwide, thereby representing around 1% of the world's Muslim population.[n 2]

According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, the Ahmadiyya movement is the fastest growing sect within Islam as of the early 21st century.[n 3] The country with the largest Ahmadiyya population is Pakistan, with an estimated 4 million Ahmadi Muslims. Excluding small nations, the country with the largest proportion of Ahmadis to Muslims is Ghana, standing at 16%. The country with the highest percentage is Sierra Leone standing at over 8%.

The population is almost entirely contained in the single, organized and united movement, commonly referred to as the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (AMC), headed by the Khalifa. The other is the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement, which represents less than 0.2% of the total Ahmadiyya population.[n 4]

Countries

Baitul Huda mosque, Sydney, Australia.
Baitul Islam mosque, Greater Toronto Area, Canada.
Ahmadiyya Central mosque, Tamale, Ghana.
Mahmood mosque, Haifa, Israel, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
Al Mahdi Mosque, Old Harbour, Jamaica.
Baitul Nasr Mosque, Oslo, Norway.

The following figures display estimates of number of Ahmadi Muslims and their percentages by country. However, it does not list all the countries with the Ahmadiyya presence. In particular, it does not list a number of countries which have a large presence of Ahmadis. This includes Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinea, The Gambia and a number of Arab States.

Table

Country/Region Ahmadiyya population Percentage (%) of Muslims Percentage (%) of
population		 Notes/
Sources
 Argentina 15,500 2.0 < 0.1 Estimate[4]
 Australia 3,000 0.8 < 0.1 Estimate[5]
 Austria 300 0.1 < 0.1 Estimate[6]
 Bangladesh 100,000 0.1 0.1 Estimate[7][n 5]
 Belarus 30 0.2 < 0.1 Estimate[8]
 Belgium 1,250 0.2 < 0.1 Estimate[9]
 Belize 50 1.8 < 0.1 Estimate[10]
 Bulgaria 400 < 0.1 < 0.1 Estimate[11]
 Cameroon 430,000 12.0 2.2 PRC[12]
 Canada 25,000 2.5 0.1 Estimate[13]
 Chad 260,000 4.0 2.0 PRC[12]
Democratic Republic of the Congo Congo 60,000 6.0 0.1 PRC[12]
 Denmark 600 0.3 < 0.1 Estimate[14]
 Egypt 50,000 0.1 < 0.1 Estimate[15]
 Fiji 2,000 3.6 0.3 1996 Census[n 6]
 France 1,000 < 0.1 < 0.1
 Germany 50,000 1.2 < 0.1 Estimate[16]
 Ghana 635,000 16.0 2.5 PRC[12][n 7]
 Guatemala 100 8.3 < 0.1 Estimate[17]
 Guinea Bissau 14,000 2.0 0.8 PRC[12]
 India 1,000,000 0.6 < 0.1 Estimate[18]
 Indonesia 400,000 0.2 0.2 ARDA[19][20]
 Ireland 500 1.2 < 0.1 Estimate[21]
 Israel 2,200 0.2 < 0.1 Estimate[22]
 Italy 100 < 0.1 < 0.1 Estimte[23]
 Japan 100 0.1 < 0.1
 Kenya 115,000 4.0 0.3 PRC[12]
 Kyrgyzstan 1,000 < 0.1 < 0.1 Estimate[24]
 Lesotho 350 35.0 < 0.1 AMC[25]
 Liberia 52,000 10.0 1.2 PRC[12]
 Malaysia 2,000 < 0.1 < 0.1 Estimate[26]
 Mali 245,000 2.0 1.6 PRC[12]
 Marshall Islands 10 100.0 < 0.1 U.S. Bureau of Democracy[27]
 Mauritius 5,000 2.3 0.4
 Mexico 100 2.7 < 0.1 Esitimate[28]
 Netherlands 1,500 0.2 < 0.1 Estimate[29]
 New Zealand 400 1.0 < 0.1 Estimate[30]
 Niger 940,000 6.0 5.5 PRC[12]
 Nigeria 2,270,000 3.0 1.3 PRC[12]
 Norway 1,500 1.0 < 0.1 Estimate[31]
 Pakistan 4,000,000 2.2 2.2 Estimate[n 8]
 Senegal 123,000 1.0 0.9 PRC[12]
 Sierra Leone 500,000 12.0 8.1 AMC
 Singapore 200 < 0.1 < 0.1 1970s Estimate[32]
 Solomon Islands 1,000 50.0 0.2 Estimate[n 9]
 Spain 600 0.1 < 0.1
 Suriname 10,000 11.9 1.9
 Swaziland 250 12.5 < 0.1 AMC[33]
 Sweden 800 0.2 < 0.1
  Switzerland 800 0.2 < 0.1 Estimate[34]
 Tanzania 2,020,000 15.0 4.5 PRC[12]
 Tuvalu 50 100.0 0.5 2005 Estimate[35]
 Uganda 162,000 4.0 0.5 PRC[12]
 United Kingdom 30,000 1.0 < 0.1 Estimate[36]
 United States 15,000 0.6 < 0.1 Estimate[37]
 Zambia 500 0.8 < 0.1 Estimate[38]

Notes

  1. ↑ Depending on the definition, there are 195 or 196 countries in the world, of which 193 are member states of the United Nations. Under the constitutive theory of statehood there are 206 sovereign states. There are dozens of territories and colonies that are sometimes erroneously called "countries". See:
  2. ↑ A figure of 10 to 20 million represents 0.62% to 1.25% of the worlds Muslim population.
  3. ↑ The Ahmadiyya Movement has been the fastest growing sect according the World Christian Encyclopedia for a number of decades. For this, see earlier editions. The 2001 edition places the growth rate at 3.25%, which is the highest of all Islamic sects and schools of thought. See:
    • David B. Barrett, George Thomas Kurian,Todd M. Johnson, ed. (February 15, 2001). World Christian Encyclopedia. Oxford University Press USA. ISBN 0195079639.
  4. ↑ The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement has unofficially stated its total population to be up to 30,000, of which 5,000 to 10,000 live in Pakistan. On this basis, the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement represents approximately 0.2% of the total Ahmadiyya population.See:
  5. ↑ There is also an upper estimate of 200,000 Ahmadi Muslims in Bangladesh.
  6. ↑ The actual figure as stated in the 1996 census is 1,976.
  7. ↑ Ghana's Muslims have previously raised concern over the census figures which states that 17% of Ghanaians belong to the Muslim faith. It is claimed that Muslims represent somewhere between 30 and 45% of Ghana. Under this, the Ahmadiyya population would number almost 2 million. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community itself gives an estimate of over 2 million Ahmadis in Ghana. See:
  8. ↑ The 1998 Pakistani census states that there are 291,000 (0.22%) Ahmadis in Pakistan. However, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has boycotted the census since 1974 which renders official Pakistani figures to be inaccurate. Independent groups have estimated the Pakistani Ahmadiyya population to be somewhere between 2 million and 5 million Ahmadis. However, the 4 million figure is the most quoted figure. See:
  9. ↑ It is estimated that there are 1,000 Ahmadis in the country. However, Sunni Muslims claim to have more followers in the country. Taking a lower bound, it can be stipulated that Ahmadis represent 50% of the country's Muslims. See
    • "Muslims in Melanesia: putting security issues in perspective". Australian Journal of International Affairs (Taylor & Francis) 62 (3): 408-429. September 2008.

References

  1. ↑ "Argyll’s Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow to receive Muslim peace prize". Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  2. ↑ "An Overview". Al Islam. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  3. ↑ See:
    • Breach of Faith. Human Rights Watch. June 2005. p. 8. Retrieved March 29, 2014. Estimates of around 20 million would be appropriate
    • Larry DeVries, Don Baker, and Dan Overmyer. Asian Religions in British Columbia. University of Columbia Press. ISBN 978-0-7748-1662-5. Retrieved March 29, 2014. The community currently numbers around 15 million spread around the world
    • Juan Eduardo Campo. Encyclopedia of Islam. p. 24. ISBN 0-8160-5454-1. Retrieved March 29, 2014. The total size of the Ahmadiyya community in 2001 was estimated to be more than 10 million
    • "Ahmadiyya Muslims". pbs.org. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  4. ↑ "El Islam en Argentina". September 15, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  5. ↑ "A good Muslim's better life cut short by extremists". Sydney Morning Herald. March 11, 2012. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
  6. ↑ Jørgen Nielsen, Samim Akgönül, Ahmet Alibašić, Egdunas Raciu. Yearbook of Muslims in Europe, Volume 5. p. 55. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Bangladesh bans Islam sect books". BBC News. January 9, 2004. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Ahmadiyya Muslims among Banned Religious Organisations". UNHCR. November 4, 2003. Retrieved May 2, 2014.
  9. ↑ Khalid Saifullah. "Social and Economic Influence of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Flanders-Belgium". Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Spreading The Message Of Islam in Belize". Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Bulgaria: Ahmadis barred "because it is against the religions that people follow here"". Retrieved May 31, 2014.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 12.8 12.9 12.10 12.11 12.12 "The World's Muslims: Unity and Diversity". Pew Forum on Religious & Public life. August 9, 2012. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
  13. ↑ Don Baker, Daniel L. Overmyer, Larry DeVries (August 9, 2012). Asian Religions in British Columbia. UCB Press. p. 73. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
  14. ↑ Mikkel Rytter. Family Upheaval: Generation, Mobility and Relatedness among Pakistani. Berghahn Books. p. 14. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  15. ↑ Mohammad Hassan Khalil. Between Heaven and Hell: Islam, Salvation, and the Fate of Others. Oxford University Press. p. 297. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  16. ↑ Gerhard Robbers. Religion and Law in Germany. Kluwer Law International. p. 33. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Ahmadía, el ala pacífi ca del Islam, atrae a guatemaltecos". Retrieved June 2, 2014.
  18. ↑ Susan Snow Wadley. South Asia in the World: An Introduction. M.E. Sharpe Inc. p. 88.
  19. ↑ "Indonesia". The Association of Religious Data. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
  20. ↑ Bruce Vaughn. Indonesia: Domestic Politics, Strategic Dynamics, and American Interests. Diane Publishing Co. p. 20. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
  21. ↑ Lorna Siggins (September 20, 2014). "Persecuted Muslims build first Irish mosque in Galway". Irish Times. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  22. ↑ Estimate:
    • Kababir only (2,200):"Kababir". Israel and You. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
    • 1990s Estimate (1,000):Ori Stendel. The Arabs in Israel. Sussex Academic Press. p. 45. ISBN 1898723249. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  23. ↑ "Gli Ahmadi". Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Kyrgyz Officials Reject Muslim Sect". RFE/RL. January 6, 2012. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  25. ↑ Ahmadiyya Muslim Mosques Around the World, pg. 76
  26. ↑ "Malaysia’s Ahmadis living dangerously". November 8, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  27. ↑ International Religious Freedom Report 2009: Marshall Islands. United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (September 14, 2007).
  28. ↑ "Islam Comes to Merida". Yucatan Living. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  29. ↑ "Poort krijgt nieuwe moskee". December 13, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
  30. ↑ "Prayers for Opening". stuff.co.nz. October 31, 2013. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  31. ↑ "Omstridt moské åpnes på Furuset". aftenbladet.no. September 29, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  32. ↑ James L. Peacock. Muslim Puritans: Reformist Psychology in Southeast Asian Islam. p. 147. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  33. ↑ Ahmadiyya Muslim Mosques Around the World, pg. 107
  34. ↑ Matthias Kortmann, Kerstin Rosenow-Williams. Islamic Organizations in Europe and the USA: A Multidisciplinary Perspective. p. 102. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  35. ↑ Gary D. Bouma, Rodney Ling, Douglas Pratt (2010). Religious Diversity in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. p. 198.
  36. ↑ "Ahmadiyya Muslim Community celebrates 100 years since first missionary came to UK". This is Local London. June 3, 2013. Retrieved May 2, 2014.
  37. ↑ "Muslim group to get own caucus on Capitol Hill". Washington Times. February 27, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  38. ↑ Some basics of religious education in Zambia. Retrieved March 30, 2014.