According to rahyafte (the missionaries and converts website): Islam is minority religion in Brazil,first brought by African slaves and then by lebanese and syrian immgrants. It’s not independently included in charts and graphics representing religion in Brazil.Being grouped in other religions which generally represent about 1% of country’s pupulation.
The number of muslim in Brazil according to 2010 Brazilan census was 35,207. Muslim association in Brazil how ever gave higher number of adherents from 400,000 estimates encompass a range 1%_%75% of the Brazilian according to the Brazilian census of 2010 to 2015 there were 35,167 Muslims living in the country, primarily concentrated in the states of sao paulo and parana comparedc to 22,450 muslims in 1990 ,27,239 s in smaller communities in parana state in coastal region and curitiba and Foz do lguacu in the
Argentina_Brazil_paraguay triborder area.
The communty is over whelmingly sunni.The sunnis are almost completely assimilated in to boarder society .The recent shi’ite immigrants gravitate in to small in sular communities in sao paulo,curitiba and Foz lguacu. A recent trend has been the increase in conversions to Islam among non _Arab citizens(17).A recent Muslim source estimated that there are close to 10,000 Muslim converts living in Brazil (13)during the past 30 years, Islam has become increasingly noticeable in Brazilian society by building not only Mosques but also libbraries d, art centres and schools and also by funding news papers.
The growth of Islam within Brazil is demonstrated in fact that 2 of 3 existing Portuguese translations of the Quran were created by Muslim translators in sao paulo. Islamic centre of campinas As has been the case in many of larger metropolitan Mosques in south America foreign assistance and indiviual effort have played major roles in sustainability of the Mosques in the greater sao paulo area for example the Imam of the AV. Do Estado Mosque is from the middle East and often Imams are chosen jointly by the Mosques management committees and Arab governments that pay for the Imam ‘s services .
Ismail Hatia a South African who came to Brazil in 1956 built a mosque in campinas many years ago. Hatia who also runs a language school felt that approximately 50 Muslim families in campinas were in dire need of some community organization to help provide cohesion and direction for the Muslims. The campinas Mosque holds now regular Friday juma at prayers.
