Dominican Republic
It is estimated that the first encounter of Islam with the territory of what is now the Dominican Republic was through Muslim slaves brought from Africa by the Spaniards who occupied the island of Hispaniola from the early 16th century onwards. Some studies, which are not yet conclusive, suggest that West African Muslims arrived in the region in the pre-Columbian period, that is, in the late 15th century, before the Spanish. Although African Muslims, especially from Senegal and Gambia, were brought to this region, records from that period have not been preserved. It is known that the uprisings against colonial rule in the region were instigated by Muslims.
In the 20th century, there were also migrations from the Middle East and South Asia. Muslims among the immigrants were from Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria in the Middle East, and from Pakistan and India in South Asia. These elements comprise a significant portion of the country's Muslims. Today, it is not possible to estimate the number of Muslims in the Dominican Republic, as there is no religious census in the country. About 70% of the population is estimated to be Christian, while the majority of the remaining 30% are non-religious. Within this picture, realistic estimates of the number of Muslims are around 5,000 Muslims living in the country.
The Circulo Islamico de Republica Dominicana, based in the capital city of Santo Domingo, and the Islamic Center of the Dominican Republic, based in Santiago De Los Caballeros, are the organizations serving Muslims in the country.
