El Salvador is a predominantlyChristian country, with adherentsIslam being a minuscule minority. Due to thesecular nature of the country's constitution,Muslims are free toproselytize and buildmosques in the country.
There is a small Muslim community in El Salvador, largely consisting ofYemeni Arabs. However, most of thePalestinian Arab population in the country isChristian. It is estimated that there are about 1,000-1,500 Muslims in El Salvador, however, the figure can reach up to 18,000.[1][2]
There is an Islamic Cultural Association operated by theShia community, namedFatimah Az-Zahra. They published the first Islamic magazine in Central America:Revista Biblioteca Islámica. Additionally, they are credited with providing the first and only Islamic library dedicated to spreading Islamic culture in the country.[3]Ahmadiyya Muslim Community also exists in the country.[4]
The arrival of families emigrating from Arab countries (Syria,Lebanon andPalestine) primarily occurred during the early 20th century. However, the majority of these Middle Eastern immigrants were Christian - of the few Muslim families, little or nothing had been documented.
In 1994, the first center of Islamic worship was inaugurated in El Salvador, namedCentro Islámico Árabe Salvadoreño, founded in the capital city ofSan Salvador by a group of Salvadoran nationals and individuals ofPalestinian ancestry. In 2004, a second mosque was inaugurated in the capital by Shiites, they named itFátimah Az-Zahra, in honor ofFatimah, the daughter of theIslamic prophetMuhammad from his first wifeKhadija. They began diffusing Islamic literature through the Internet, inaugurating the country's first Islamic Website that includes the publication of a quarterly magazine and that currently counts more than 100 digitized Islamic books.[5] In 2007, a third mosque, called theDar-Ibrahim Mosque, was inaugurated inSan Salvador.
The Islamic Centers are generally involved in performing the Friday congregational prayers known asSalaat-al-Jummah, distributing literature, charitable activities, online propagation, and donating informative materials on Islam to various religious and cultural institutions nationwide. For example, theFátimah Az-Zahra Islamic Center provides introductory classes on Islamic doctrine and history. These classes, which are open to the general public, are not solely religious in nature: courses in foreign languages and efforts to improve adult literacy are also offered.[6]
According to "Fast base" there are 14 Mosques in El Salvador[7]:
