Islam in Ecuador

The statistics for Islam in Ecuador estimate a total Muslim population of 400, representing 0.003 percent of the total population. The first Muslims settlers were primarily Arabs who immigrated from Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Egypt following the two World Wars and the destruction of the Ottoman Empire. Their settlements were concentrated in Quito and in Guayaquil with smaller communities in Manab, Los Ríos, and Esmeraldas provinces. Arab Christians and Muslims created a non-religious ethnic organizaiton called Lecla in the 1940s and The Arab Club in the 1980s. By the mid 1990s more indigenous Ecuadorians began accepting Islam, and together with the Arab community, they rented an apartment to be used for Friday prayers. Later the Egyptian Embassy provided a private apartment for the same purpose. The Centro Islamico del Ecuador, founded on October 15, 1994, was the first Muslim religious organization recognized by the Ecuadorian Government. The religious activities, as well as social, cultural and educational activities are conducted according to Sunni Islam and the center receives no financial support from any foreign country. The Islamic Center also translates and publishes literature in Spanish on a variety of Islamic topics. The Centro Islamico del Ecuador sends representatives annually to the Latin Muslims Leaders gathering that usually takes place in Argentina.