Islam in Rwanda

Islam In Rwanda

Islam was first introduced into Rwanda by Muslim traders from the East Coast of Africa in the 18th century. Since its introduction, Muslims have been a minority in the territory, while the Roman Catholic Church, introduced to Rwandans during the colonial period in the late 19th century is the largest religion in the country.

For the first time in its history in Rwanda, Islam is accorded the same rights and freedoms as Christianity. Estimates show that there are equal numbers of Muslims amongst the Hutus as there are amongst the Tutsis. The estimates cannot be verified since in the wake of the genocide, the government has banned all discussion of ethnicity in Rwanda.

According to the 2002 census, the Muslim population constitutes 1.82% of the total population of Rwanda.