95–100% | |
90–95% | |
50–70% | |
30–35% | |
10–20% | |
5–10% | |
4–5% | |
2–4% | |
1–2% | |
< 1% |
A continuous presence ofIslam in Poland began in the 14th century. From this time it was primarily associated with theLipka Tatars, many of whom settled in thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth while continuing their traditions and religious beliefs. The first significant non-Tatar groups of Muslims arrived in Poland in the 1970s, though they are a very small minority.
Today, less than 0.02% of the population in Poland is Muslim.[2] The majority ofMuslims in Poland areSunni.
The firstTatar (Lipka) settlers arrived in the 14th century. Although Muslims were involved in earlierMongol invasions of Poland in the 13th century, these had a purely military character and there are no traces of settlement or conversion of any parts of the Polish population.
On the other hand, Arab merchants including Muslims arrived in Polish lands during the time ofMieszko I, as can be seen by a large number of Arab coins found in numerous archaeological sites throughout modern Poland.[3]
TheTatar tribes arriving in the 14th century settled in the lands of theGrand Duchy of Lithuania. Skilled warriors and great mercenaries, their settlement was promoted by the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, among themGediminas,Algirdas andKęstutis. The Tatars who settled in Lithuania, Ruthenia and modern-day eastern Poland were allowed to preserve theirIslam religion in exchange for military service. The initial settlements were mostly temporary and most of the Tatars returned to their native lands after their service expired. However, in the late 14th century Grand DukeVytautas (named by the TatarsWattad, that isdefender of Muslims) and his brother KingWładysław Jagiełło started to settle Tatars in the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic borderlands. TheLipka Tatars, as they are known, migrated from the lands of theGolden Horde and in large part served in the Polish–Lithuanian military. The largest of such groups to arrive to the area was a tribe ofTokhtamysh, who in 1397 rebelled against his former protectorTamerlane and sought asylum in the Grand Duchy. The Tatars under his command were all grantedszlachta (nobility) status, a tradition that was preserved until theend of the Commonwealth in the late 18th century.[4] Light Tatar cavalry, used both as skirmishers and reconnaissance troops took part in many of the battles against the foreign armies in the 15th century and afterwards, including thebattle of Grunwald in which the Tatars fought commanded by their leader,Jalal ad-Din khan.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, additional Tatars found refuge in the lands of thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, mostly ofNogay andCrimean origin. After then until the 1980s, the Muslim faith in Poland was associated primarily with the Tatars. It is estimated that in the 17th century there were approximately 15,000 Tatars in the Commonwealth[3] of a total population of 8 million. Numerous royal privileges, as well as internal autonomy granted by the monarchs of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, allowed the Tatars to preserve their religion, traditions and culture throughout the ages. The most notable military clans were granted withCoats of Arms andszlachta status, while many other families melted into the rural and burgher society. The first Tatar settlements were founded near the major towns of the Commonwealth in order to allow for fast mobilization of troops. Apart from religious freedom, the Tatars were allowed to marry Polish and Ruthenian women ofCatholic orOrthodox faith, uncommon in Europe of that time. Finally, theMay Constitution granted the Tatars with a representation in the PolishSejm.
Perhaps the only moment in history when the Lipka Tatars fought against the Commonwealth was during the so-calledLipka Rebellion of 1672.The "Deluge" and the ensuing period of constant wars made theszlachta of central Poland associate the Muslim Lipkas with the invading forces of theOttoman Empire. This, combined with theCounter-Reformation promoted by theVasa dynasty led theSejm to gradually limit the privileges of the Polish Muslims; among the measures taken were banning the repair of old Mosques and preventing new ones from being constructed, banning serfdom of Christians under Muslims, banning marriage of Christian females to Muslims, putting limitations on property ownership among Tatars. ThePolish–Ottoman Wars fed into the discriminatory atmosphere against them and led to anti-Islamic writings and attacks.[5]
Although KingJohn Casimir of Poland tried to limit the restrictions on their religious freedoms and the erosion of their ancient rights and privileges, thegentry opposed. Finally, in 1672, during thewar with the Ottomans, the Lipka Tatar regiments (numbering up to 3,000 men) stationed in thePodolia region of south-east Poland abandoned the Commonwealth at the start of the Polish-Turkish wars that were to last to end of the 17th century with thePeace of Karłowice in 1699. Although the Lipkas initially fought for the victorious Turks, soon their camp was divided onto the supporters of the Turks and a large part of Tatars dissatisfied with the Ottoman rule. Although after thetreaty of Buczacz the Tatars were granted lands around the fortresses ofBar andKamieniec Podolski, the liberties enjoyed by their community within the Ottoman Empire were much less than those within the Commonwealth. Finally, in 1674, after the Polish victory atChocim, the Lipka Tatars who held the Podolia for Turkey from the stronghold of Bar were besieged by the armies ofJan Sobieski, and a deal was struck that the Lipkas would return to the Polish side subject to their ancient rights and privileges being restored. All the Tatars were pardoned by Sobieski and most of them took part in his campaign against Turkey resulting in the brilliant victory in thebattle of Vienna.[6] The Lipka Rebellion forms the background to the novelFire in the Steppe (Pan Wołodyjowski), the final volume of theNobel Prize-winning historicalTrylogia ofHenryk Sienkiewicz. The 1969 film adaptationColonel Wolodyjowski, directed byJerzy Hoffman and starringDaniel Olbrychski as Azja Tuhaj-bejowicz, was one of the largest box-office success in the history ofPolish cinema.
Although by the 18th century most of the Tatars serving in the military had becomepolonized, while the lower classes of the Muslim community gradually adopted theRuthenian language (the predecessor of the modernBelarusian language), traditions were preserved. This led to formation of a distinctiveMuslim culture of Central Europe, in which elements of Muslim orthodoxy mixed with religious tolerance and a relatively liberal society. For instance, the women in Lipka Tatar society traditionally had the same rights as men, were granted equal status and could attend common non-segregated schools.
By the beginning of the 20th century,Lipka Tatars had become so integrated intoPolish society that they joined theirRoman Catholic brethren in themass migrations for theUnited States that gave rise toAmerican Polonia, even founding their ownmosque inBrooklyn, New York, which is still in use today.[8] In 1919, at the outbreak of thePolish–Soviet War, two of the Tatar officers serving with thePolish ArmyCol. Maciej Bajraszewski andCapt. Dawid Janowicz-Czaiński started forming a Tatar cavalry regiment fighting alongside thePolish Army. This unit transformed into a squadron after the war, continued the traditions of Tatar military formations of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and became one of the most notable achievements of the Polish Tatar community in the 20th century.[9] With the restoration of Polish independence, the Tatar community of Poland numbered around 6,000 people (according to the 1931 national census), mostly inhabiting the regions ofWilno,Nowogródek andBiałystok Voivodeships. A large community of the Lipka Tatars remained outside of Polish borders, mostly inLithuania and Belarus (especially in Minsk, the capital of theBelarusian SSR). Although small, the Tatar community formed one of the most vibrant national minorities of Poland. TheMuslim Religious Association [pl] (est. 1917) focused on preserving the Muslim faith and religious beliefs. At the same time the Cultural and Educational Association of Polish Tatars worked on the preservation and strengthening of Tatar culture and traditions. In 1929 a Tatar National Museum was created inWilno and in 1931 a Tatar National Archive was formed. All the Muslim people drafted into the army were sent to the Tatar Cavalry Squadron of the 13th Cavalry Regiment, which was allowed to use its own uniforms and banners. TheArmy Oath for Muslim soldiers was different from the one taken from soldiers of other denominations and was sworn in presence ofAli Ismail Woronowicz, the ChiefImam of thePolish Army.[10]
Apart from the traditional Tatar communities, since the 1960s Poland has also been home to a small immigrant Muslim community.
In the 1960’s and 1970’s Poland attracted a number of immigrants from many socialist-friendly Arabic-speaking Muslim states of theMiddle East andNorth Africa. Some of them decided to stay in Poland. In the late 1980s this community became more active and better organized. They have built mosques and praying houses inWarsaw,Białystok,Gdańsk (built by theTatar community),Wrocław,Lublin andPoznań. There are also praying rooms inBydgoszcz,Kraków,Łódź,Olsztyn,Katowice andOpole.[11]
Since the overthrow of the communistPolish People’s Republic in 1989, other Muslim immigrants have come to Poland. Relatively prominent groups areTurks and fellow ethnic-Slavic Muslims from theformer Yugoslavia. There are also smaller groups of immigrants fromBangladesh,Afghanistan, and from other countries, as well as a refugee community coming fromChechnya.[citation needed]
The PolishShia minority includes foreign students, migrants, and embassy staff, mainly from countries such asIraq,Iran,Bahrain,Lebanon, along with native converts to Islam. Currently, Shi'ites in the country do not have their own freestanding mosque, but they do meet for weeklyFriday prayer and major Islamic holidays.[citation needed]
The 2002 census showed only 447 people declaring Tatar nationality.[12] According to the 2011 census, there are 1,916 Tatars in Poland (including 1,251 people who declared composite national-ethnic identity, e.g. identify as both Polish and Tatar).[13] In recent years, increasing oppression fromAlexander Lukashenko's authoritarian Government inBelarus and economic hardships has prompted a larger number of Lipka Tatars to come to Poland.
In November 2010, a monument to Poland's Islamic leader Dariusz Jagiełło was unveiled in the port city ofGdańsk at a ceremony attended by PresidentBronislaw Komorowski, as well asTatar representatives from across Poland and abroad. The monument is a symbol of the important role of Tatars in Polish history. The monument is the first of its kind to be erected in Europe.
Tatars shed their blood in all national independence uprisings. Their blood seeped into the foundations of the reborn Polish Republic
— President of Poland Bronisław Komorowski at the unveiling of the monument in Gdańsk.
The exact number of Muslims living in Poland remains unknown as the last all-national census held by theCentral Statistical Office in 2011 did not ask for religion.
There's an ongoing conflict between Polish native Sunni MuslimLipka Tatars, who have aunique approach towards Islam and have been living in Poland for 600 years, and an increasingly vocal group of mainly foreign-born and foreign-sponsored, but also native-born convert, group of Sunni Muslims who adhere to theSalafi movement. The conflict divides country's Sunni Muslims and causes bureaucratic confusion, as both sides lay claim to representation of country's Sunni Muslims. The "native born" Sunni Muslims (Lipka Tatars), run Muzułmański Związek Religijny w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (Muslim Religious Union in the Polish Republic), and "foreign born" Sunni Muslims run Liga Muzułmańska w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (Muslim League in the Polish Republic). The latter is mainly based upon foreigners living in the country, such as Arabs, Bengalis, Chechens etc. Liga Muzułmańska is also a branch of a worldwideMuslim Brotherhood organization.[14]
Despite the fact that Muslims in Poland constitute less than 0.1% of the total population,stereotypes, verbal, violent, and physical displays of anti-Islam are widespread and, mostly, socially acceptable.[2][15] Vandalism and attacks on the mosques are reported,[16][17] and women (especially converts) who cover themselves are seen as "traitors" to their own culture.[citation needed]
From January 1, 2013, Poland's Muslims and Jews were both affected by a European Unionban onritual slaughter after lawmakers deemedhalal andkosher practices incompatible withanimal rights legislation, specifically the Animal Protection Law of 1997. In December 2014, theConstitutional Tribunal ruled the ban unconstitutional on the grounds that it violatedfreedom of religion guaranteed by the Polish laws andconstitution. Both ways of slaughtering animals were illegal in the country between January 1, 2013 and December, 2014, almost two years, and still is a controversial topic because of the concern of animal cruelty by those practices.
In May, 2016, shortly before theWorld Youth Day 2016, police inKraków asked foreigners, mainly among the Muslim community, in the city if they “knew any terrorists".[18] ThePolish Ombudsman's office released statement that such actions are offensive and unacceptable.
| Statement | Strongly agreed | Agreed (Total agreed) | Disagreed (Total disagreed) | Strongly disagreed | Hard to say |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muslims are intolerant of customs and values other than their own. | 26% | 38% (64%) | 10% (12%) | 2% | 24% |
| Muslims living in Western European countries generally do not acquire customs and values that are characteristic for the majority of the population of that country. | 25% | 38% (63%) | 12% (14%) | 2% | 23% |
| Islam encourages violence more than other religions. | 25% | 32% (57%) | 14% (19%) | 5% | 24% |
| Muslims generally accept using violence against followers of different religions. | 20% | 31% (51%) | 18% (24%) | 6% | 25% |
| A majority of Muslims condemn terrorist attacks carried out by Muslim fundamentalists. | 12% | 38% (50%) | 16% (21%) | 5% | 29% |
| Poverty and poor education contribute more to fundamentalism and terrorism than the religious rules of Islam. | 19% | 30% (49%) | 21% (28%) | 7% | 23% |
| Muslims rightly feel offended and protest against the satirical presentation of their faith. | 14% | 30% (44%) | 24% (35%) | 11% | 21% |
| A majority of Muslims does not have a hostile attitude to followers of other religions. | 7% | 32% (39%) | 23% (31%) | 8% | 30% |
