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Islam’s global diversity

Report highlights Islam’s global diversity

Source: The Washington Post

By Chris Lisee| Religion News Service, Updated: Monday, August 13, 3:02 PM

WASHINGTON — Nearly all Muslims can agree on the basic beliefs of Islam: There is one God, Muhammad is God’s prophet, Muslims should fast during the holy month of Ramadan and give alms to the poor.Yet beyond these central pillars of the faith, Muslims worldwide vastly differ as religious convictions are shaped by cultural and social contexts, according to a new report by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
“The World’s Muslims: Unity and Diversity” draws on 38,000 face-to-face interviews in 39 countries, and finds that Muslims differ sharply over questions of faith like who counts as a Muslim and what spiritual practices are acceptable.With 1.6 billion adherents, Islam is the world’s second-largest religion, behind Christianity, and accounts for one-quarter of the world’s population.“There isn’t one single Muslim world. There are many Muslims around the world that share beliefs, but there are differences as well,” said James Bell, director of international survey research at the Pew Forum.Though broad, the report is not comprehensive. “Political sensitivities” and “security concerns” kept researchers out of some countries with significant Muslim populations, including China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Syria.Muslims are united by the “shahada,” the declaration of faith that there is only one God and Muhammad is his messenger, as well as specific religious practices and belief in angels, Judgment Day, and fate.  Read more in in the Washigton Post.
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Categories: Belief, Church, Culture and Traditions, Faith, Islam, Islamic Unity

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