Religion
Djibouti's population is predominantly Muslim. Islam is observed by 94% of Djibouti's population (about 740,000) (2010 estimate), while the remaining six percent follow Christianity.
| Religion in Djibouti | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| religion | percent | |||
| Islam | 94% | |||
| Christianity | 6% | |||
Every town and village in Djibouti has a mosque where people go to worship. Tombs of former religious leaders and those considered holy are known as sacred spaces. The most famous sacred space for Islam in Djibouti is the tomb of Sheikh Abu Yazid, which is found in the Goda Mountains. In addition to the Islamic calendar, Muslims in Djibouti recognize New Year's Day (January 1) and Labor Day (May 1) as holidays.
The Republic of Djibouti names Islam as the sole state religion. The Constitution of 1992 provides for the equality of citizens of all faiths (Article 1) as well as the freedom to practise any religion (Article 11). Djibouti's Family Code (Code de la Famille) of 2002 prohibits Muslim women from marrying non-Muslim men, unless the men convert to Islam. According to the International Religious Freedom Report 2008, while Muslim Djiboutians have the legal right to convert to another faith or marry outside of Islam, "converts may face negative societal, tribal, and familial attitudes towards their decision" and often face pressure to revert to Islam.
Between 7,000 and 8,000 Catholics live in Djibouti, of which some 300 are local Djiboutians, the rest being foreigners. The Christian population largely consists of foreign-born or expatriate residents. Djibouti has a Catholic diocese, four Catholic priests all of whom are foreigners, and about 40 Catholic missionaries.
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