Islam na wyznaniowej mapie Republiki Południowej Afryki

In contemporary Republic of South Africa (RSA) religion plays very important role for citizens. Christianity is predominantly religion (about 75-80 per cent) but Islam is regarded as the fastest and the most expanding religion. The official figures of about 650.000 Muslims are neglected and it is estimated that Muslim community is estimated for two million. The number of converts especially among Africans are growing rapidly. Most of contemporary Muslims in the RSA are descendents of Malays and Asians. The socio-political and economic transition since 1994 seriously impacted the community in negative sense (unemployment, high crime rate, homeless, poverty etc.) but also gave incentive to "turning to the core" of Islam. Muslim organizations protested against abortion, prostitution and pornography and developed their own institutions. Contemporary Muslim community in the RSA is very well organized. They posses a network of hundreds of religion, social and political institutions. With foreign aid new mosques are built or old churches and synagogues are adopted to new faith. They have their own schools, theological institutes, mass media (press, radio, television, Internet), insurance companies and banks. The community is becoming an intellectual center of Muslim world. In political sphere, the Muslim community is not so active. Some Muslim political parties contested in the election on parliamentary, provincial and local levels but with no significant results (except participation of Africa Muslim Party in an election to the Cape Metropolitan Council). Since 1994 in every South African government persons from Muslim community, sometimes without link to faith, participated. Muslims are members of the Parliament and provincial and local governments. In the 90's particular activity showed radical Muslim organizations, some of them even denied the democratic elected authority or called for armed Islamic Revolution and carried out bomb attacks (e.g. PAGAD Fundamentalists did not gain support from the Muslim community). Unquestionable majority of Muslims in the RSA respect highly the values of democracy which gave them possibility to develop religion life of the community.