Guyana
It is assumed that Islam first entered Guyana with Muslims brought from Africa as slaves during the colonial period. However, the Muslim Africans who arrived in the region at that time eventually converted to Christianity. From the 1830s until World War I, hundreds of thousands of Indian laborers were brought to the region from South Asia, some of whom were Muslim Indians. Indian Muslims built the first mosque and the first Islamic school in Guyana in 1856.
Following independence, Islam was officially recognized in Guyana. Today, it is estimated that 10% of the country's population is Muslim, which means that around 80,000 Muslims live in the country; some estimations are even higher. Even if these percentages are taken into account, Guyana has the second largest Muslim community in South America, after Suriname. The majority of Muslims in Guyana are Sunni; there are approximately 130 mosques open for worship in the country. In Guyana, which became a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in 1998, Muslims can also participate in political representation and hold positions at the ministerial level. Ramadan and Eid al-Adha are official holidays in the country.
United Sadr Islamic Anjuman, founded in 1935, today has more than 120 branches. Other prominent Islamic organizations are The General Congress of Islamic Brotherhood, which has been serving since 1973, the Guyana Islamic Trust, which was founded in 1978 and serves in education, and The Central Islamic Organization of Guyana, which was founded in 1979 and stands out with its charitable activities.
