Islam in Suriname
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 13,9% of the total population in 2012 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Commewijne · Nickerie · Wanica · Saramacca | |
| Religions | |
| Sunni Islam · Ahmadiya (including the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement) · Other Muslim | |
| Languages | |
| Arabic (liturgical language) Surinamese Dutch · Surinamese-Javanese · Sarnami Hindustani | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Dutch Muslims · Guyanese Muslims · Trinidadian and Tobagonian Muslims · Jamaican Muslims · Antillian Muslims |
| Islam by country |
|---|
| Islam portal |
Islam is the third-largest religion in Suriname, representing 13.9% of the country's total population as of 2012, which is the highest percentage of Muslims in the Americas. The majority of Surinamese Muslims belong to the Sunni branch of Islam.
Some speculate that Muslims first came to Suriname as slaves from West Africa and then were converted to Christianity over time, even though there is little proof for these speculations. The ancestors of the actual Muslim population came to the country as indentured laborers from the British Raj and Dutch East Indies, from whom today most Muslims in Suriname are descended.
The forms of Islam in Suriname are strongly influenced by the culture of the regions of origin: South Asia (India, Pakistan and Afghanistan) and Indonesia (Java). Apart from descent, most Surinamese Muslims also share the same culture and speak the same languages.