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Ukraine is located in Eastern Europe. Its eastern and northern borders are shared with Russia, the second-largest nation in Europe. Pre-war Ukraine had a land area of roughly 600,000 square kilometers and a population of about 41 million, making it the sixth most populous nation in Europe.
Islam in Ukraine
The majority of Muslims in
Ukraine are Crimean Tatars, who practice Sunni Islam of the Hanafi school of
thought, making it the largest non-Christian religion in the country. Other
Turkic native Ukrainians, mostly in the south and southeast of the country,
follow different branches of Islam.
Since 1991, there have
been other significant changes affecting Ukrainian Muslims. In 1991, the
Mejlis, a representative body representing Crimean Tatars, was established.
Furthermore, Crimean Tatar language schools were established to overcome the
consequences of the Soviet Union's restriction on language study.
What percent of Ukraine is Muslim?
As of 2022, there are
estimated 1.1% of the country’s population identified as Muslims, making Islam
a minority religion in Ukraine. According to the Muslim Clerical Board of
Ukraine, there are 2 million Muslims residing there.
Ukraine had an estimated
150,000 Muslims, including 300,000 Crimean Tatars, as of 2012. The Religious
Administration of Ukrainian Muslims' (RAUM) Mufti, Dr. Sheikh Ahmad Tamim,
estimated that there were roughly 500,000 Muslims in Ukraine in February 2016.
According to Islamyat.org,
In Ukraine, there are 445 Muslim communities, 433 ministers, 160 mosques, and
many more that are now under construction.
Russian-Ukraine for Muslim
A total of 400,000
Muslims, most of whom are Crimean Tatar, now face uncertainty as a result
of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. One estimate places the
number of Muslims in Ukraine at 100,000, with additional populations in Kherson
and other locations.
Along with Crimean Tatars,
other Muslim ethnic groups in Ukraine include Volga Tatars, Azeris, North
Caucasians, and Uzbeks. The fate of Ukrainian Muslims is uncertain in the wake
of the Russian invasion and heavily rests on the ongoing diplomatic efforts of
world leaders to temper the rising tensions.
While Saudi
Arabia and the Arab League also denounce Russia, Turkish President Erdogan
has blasted the Russian invasion and Iran attacks the West for being to blame
for the "crisis" in Ukraine. The other Muslim nations have also responded
to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and have offered no words of encouragement
to the Muslims who are leaving there.
Challenges of Muslims in Ukraine
According to the mufti of
the Muslim Religious Administration of Ukraine, there are no
sufficient mosques for Muslims in that Ukraine.
The absence of houses of worship was particularly
apparent outside of major cities, according to Muslim scholar Said Ismagilov,
who said that it was very difficult to acquire property for mosque
construction.
Muslims in smaller cities with fewer Muslim
populations have more difficulties since they lack access to halal food and
even places of prayer.
Islam was prohibited in
Ukraine during the [Soviet Union] era, so when Ukraine gained independence,
Muslims began to educate themselves about their faith from the very beginning.
References
Wikipedia
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/muslims-in-ukraine-keep-faith-despite-challenges/1165401
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