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Religion in Tunisia

April 23, 2023

Of the religions in Tunisia, Islam is the most prevalent. It is estimated that approximately 99%[1] of Tunisia's inhabitants identify themselves as Muslims.[2][3]

Religion in Tunisia (2015)[1]

  Sunni Islam (99%)
  Other (1%)

The country also includes Christian, Jewish, and Baháʼí communities. While the Tunisian constitution declares Islam the state religion, it also provides for religious freedom,[4] but the law places restrictions on that freedom.[5]

Tunisia has a reputation for tolerance and openness to other cultures that have made the country's identity.[6][7]

Faiths

Islam

Main article: Islam in Tunisia

The majority of Tunisians consider themselves to be Muslim,[8] who according to the Pew Research Center[2] 58% identify themselves as Sunni Muslims, while 40% say they are only Muslims without affiliation to any sect.

The government controls and subsidizes mosques and pays the salaries of prayer leaders. The President appoints the Grand Mufti of the Republic. The 1988 Law on Mosques provides that only personnel appointed by the Government may lead activities in mosques and stipulates that mosques must remain closed except during prayer times and other authorized religious ceremonies, such as marriages or funerals. Some people may be interrogated just for associating or being seen in the street with practicing Muslims. New mosques may be built in accordance with national urban planning regulations; however, upon completion, they become the property of the Government. The Government also partially subsidizes the Jewish community.[citation needed]

There is a small indigenous Sufi Muslim community; however, there are no statistics regarding its size. Reliable sources[who?] report that many Sufis left the country shortly after independence when their religious buildings and land reverted to the government (as did those of Orthodox Islamic foundations). Although the Sufi community is small, its tradition of mysticism permeates the practice of Islam throughout the country. There is a small indigenous "Maraboutic" Muslim community that belongs to spiritual brotherhoods known as "turuq".[8] The Muslim holidays of Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Fitr, and Mawlid are considered national holidays in Tunisia.

Christianity

Further information: Christianity in Africa § History; and History of Tunisia § Christianity, its Donatist schism

The International Religious Freedom Report of 2007 reported that the Christian community numbered 25,000 people, 20,000 of whom were Catholics, and was composed of indigenous Berber residents, Tunisians of Italian and French descent, and a large group of native-born citizens of Arab descent, dispersed throughout the country.[8] In the Annuario Pontificio of 2018, the number of Catholics is estimated to have risen to 30,700.[9][10]

Christianity came in Tunisia during Roman rule. However, after the arrival of Islam, the population of Christians decreased in the country.[11]

From the late 19th century to after World War II, Tunisia was home to large populations of Christian French, Italian and Maltese descent (255,000 Europeans in 1956).[12]

The Roman Catholic Church in Tunisia, which forms the Archdiocese of Tunis, operates 12 churches, 9 schools, several libraries, and 2 clinics.[8] In addition to holding religious services, the Catholic Church opened a monastery, freely organized cultural activities, and performed charitable work throughout the country.[8] According to church leaders, there are 2,000 practising Protestant Christians. The International Religious Freedom Report for 2007 estimates thousands of Tunisian Muslims have converted to Christianity.[8] The Russian Orthodox Church has approximately 100 practising members and operates a church in Tunis and another in Bizerte.[8] The Reformed Church of France maintains a church in Tunis, with a congregation of 140 primarily foreign members.[8] The Anglican Church has a church in Tunis with several hundred predominantly foreign members.[8] There are 50 Seventh-day Adventists.[8] The 30-member Greek Orthodox Church maintained 3 churches (in Tunis, Sousse, and Djerba).[8] Occasionally, Catholic and Protestant groups held services in private residences or other locations.[8] Scattered among the various churches, though mostly evangelical, are also a number of Christian believers from Muslim backgrounds. A 2015 study estimates some 500 such individuals in Tunisia.[13]

Judaism

Main article: History of the Jews in Tunisia
 
El Ghriba synagogue in Djerba is an important site for Jewish pilgrimage.

Judaism is the country's fourth largest religion with 1,500 members.[8] One-third of the Jewish population lives in and around the capital, and is descended partially from Israelite and Sephardi immigrants.[8] The remainder lives on the island of Djerba, where the Jewish community dates back 2,600 years.[14]

The government grants Jews freedom of worship and pays the salary of the chief rabbi. It partially subsidizes the restoration and maintenance of some synagogues. It also authorizes the Jewish community to run private religious schools and allows Jewish children on the island of Djerba to share their study day between secular public schools and private religious schools.[15]

Baha'i faith

The Bahá'í Faith in Tunisia begins circa 1910[16] when the first Bahá'í arrived, possibly from Egypt.[17][18] In 1963 a survey of the community counted 1 assembly and 18 organized groups (between 1 and 9 adults) of Bahá'ís in Tunisia.[19] US State Department in 2001 estimated the size of the Bahá'í community to be about 150 persons,[20] but the corresponding report from 2018 stated there was no reliable information on the size of the community.[4] However Association of Religion Data Archives and several other sources have pointed to over 1,000 Bahá'ís in the country.[21][17][22]

Religiosity

The percentage of Tunisians identifying themselves as non-religious increased from around 12% in 2013 to around 33% in 2018, which makes Tunisia the least religious country in the Arab world according to the survey.[23] In the survey, nearly a half of the young Tunisians described themselves as non-religious.[24]

According to the Arab Barometer Survey, in 2018, 99.4% of Tunisians Identified as Muslims, while 0.3% responded with no religion and 0.3% responded with other.[25]

The Arab Barometer found that about 46% of the Tunisian youth said they are not religious.[24]

However, as of July 2022, new surveys by the Arab Barometer say otherwise, particularly BBC's programme, The Newsroom journalists highlighting that the previously noted wave of those saying they were not religious has been, in fact, "reversed".[26]

Freedom of religion

 
Christians celebrating Our Lady of Trapani procession in Tunis in 2017.

The Constitution of Tunisia provides for freedom of religion, belief and the freedom to practice the rites of one's religion unless they disturb the public order; however, the government imposes some restrictions on this right. The Constitution declares the country's determination to adhere to the teachings of Islam and stipulates that Islam is the official state religion and that the president must be Muslim. The government does not permit the establishment of political parties on the basis of religion and prohibits efforts to proselytize. Although changing religions is legal, there is great societal pressure against Muslims who decide to leave Islam.[4]

In 2017, a handful of men were arrested for eating in public during Ramadan, they were convicted of committing “a provocative act of public indecency” and sentenced to month-long jail sentences. The state in Tunisia has a role as a "guardian of religion" which was used to justify the arrests.[27]

The government allows a small number of foreign religious charitable nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to operate and provide social services.

Notes

References

  1. ^ a b "Tunisia". 16 May 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation". The World’s Muslims: Unity and Diversity. Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. August 9, 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  3. ^ The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050 "Religion In Tunisia". Data can be also accessed using "The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections". Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  4. ^ a b c "Tunisia 2018 International Religious Freedom Report" (PDF). United States Department of State - Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. 2018.
  5. ^ Bocchi, Alessandra (29 August 2017). "How religiously free is the Arab world's most democratic country?". alaraby.
  6. ^ "La Ghriba : la Tunisie a donné l'exemple en matière de tolérance et de respect de la liberté de religion". Espace Manager (in French). Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  7. ^ "La Tunisie demeurera "une terre de tolérance, d'ouverture et de coexistence"". Agence Anadolu. 3 May 2018.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n International Religious Freedom Report 2007: Tunisia. United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (September 14, 2007). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  9. ^ "Tunis (Latin (or Roman) Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
  10. ^ "Christians in Tunisia: Cause for Concern - Qantara.de". Qantara.de - Dialogue with the Islamic World. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
  11. ^ "Carthage, Tunisia: In the footsteps of St Augustine". The Tablet. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  12. ^ Angus Maddison (20 September 2007). Contours of the World Economy 1–2030 AD:Essays in Macro-Economic History: Essays in Macro-Economic History. OUP Oxford. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-19-922721-1. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  13. ^ Johnstone, Patrick; Miller, Duane Alexander (2015). "Believers in Christ from a Muslim Background: A Global Census". Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion. 11: 15. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  14. ^ "Pilgrims flock to Tunisia's Djerba Jewish festival | Lamine Ghanmi". AW. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  15. ^ "2010 Report on International Religious Freedom". 2009-2017.state.gov. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  16. ^ Temple, Bernard (May 27, 1910). "Persia and the Regenerations of Islam". Journal of the Royal Society of Arts. 58 (2001): 652–665. Retrieved 2013-08-03.
  17. ^ a b Khlifi, Roua (26 February 2013). . Tunis is Alive. Archived from the original on 6 March 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-03.
  18. ^ Hassall, Graham (c. 2000). "Egypt: Baha'i history". Asia Pacific Bahá'í Studies: Bahá'í Communities by country. Bahá'í Online Library. Retrieved 2013-08-03.
  19. ^ Compiled by Hands of the Cause Residing in the Holy Land. "The Bahá'í Faith: 1844–1963: Information Statistical and Comparative, Including the Achievements of the Ten Year International Bahá'í Teaching & Consolidation Plan 1953–1963". pp. 118–119.
  20. ^ U.S. State Department (September 14, 2001). "International Religious Freedom Report 2001: Tunisia". The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affair. Retrieved 2013-08-03.
  21. ^ "Most Bahá'í Countries". International > Regions > Northern Africa. The Association of Religion Data Archives. 2010. Retrieved 2013-08-03.
  22. ^ "Tunisia: Treatment of Bahai's (or Baha'is) by non-Bahai's and Tunisian authorities; whether they have been targets of threats and/or violence; police attitude towards Bahai's, police response to complaints lodged by Bahai's and police protection available". Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. 17 April 2003. TUN41362.E. Retrieved 2013-08-03.
  23. ^ "The Arab world in seven charts: Are Arabs turning their backs on religion?". BBC News. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  24. ^ a b "Young Arabs are Changing their Beliefs and Perceptions: New Survey". Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  25. ^ "Data Analysis Tool – Arab Barometer".
  26. ^ "The Newsroom: The Arab World Survey 2021-2022 – Arab Barometer". Retrieved 2023-02-05.
  27. ^ "The country where people are forced to observe Ramadan". The Independent. 2017-06-13. Retrieved 2017-08-08.

April 23, 2023
religion, tunisia, religions, tunisia, islam, most, prevalent, estimated, that, approximately, tunisia, inhabitants, identify, themselves, muslims, 2015, sunni, islam, other, country, also, includes, christian, jewish, baháʼí, communities, while, tunisian, con. Of the religions in Tunisia Islam is the most prevalent It is estimated that approximately 99 1 of Tunisia s inhabitants identify themselves as Muslims 2 3 Religion in Tunisia 2015 1 Sunni Islam 99 Other 1 The country also includes Christian Jewish and Bahaʼi communities While the Tunisian constitution declares Islam the state religion it also provides for religious freedom 4 but the law places restrictions on that freedom 5 Tunisia has a reputation for tolerance and openness to other cultures that have made the country s identity 6 7 Contents 1 Faiths 1 1 Islam 1 2 Christianity 1 3 Judaism 1 4 Baha i faith 2 Religiosity 3 Freedom of religion 4 Notes 5 ReferencesFaiths EditIslam Edit Main article Islam in Tunisia The Great Mosque of Monastir The majority of Tunisians consider themselves to be Muslim 8 who according to the Pew Research Center 2 58 identify themselves as Sunni Muslims while 40 say they are only Muslims without affiliation to any sect The government controls and subsidizes mosques and pays the salaries of prayer leaders The President appoints the Grand Mufti of the Republic The 1988 Law on Mosques provides that only personnel appointed by the Government may lead activities in mosques and stipulates that mosques must remain closed except during prayer times and other authorized religious ceremonies such as marriages or funerals Some people may be interrogated just for associating or being seen in the street with practicing Muslims New mosques may be built in accordance with national urban planning regulations however upon completion they become the property of the Government The Government also partially subsidizes the Jewish community citation needed There is a small indigenous Sufi Muslim community however there are no statistics regarding its size Reliable sources who report that many Sufis left the country shortly after independence when their religious buildings and land reverted to the government as did those of Orthodox Islamic foundations Although the Sufi community is small its tradition of mysticism permeates the practice of Islam throughout the country There is a small indigenous Maraboutic Muslim community that belongs to spiritual brotherhoods known as turuq 8 The Muslim holidays of Eid al Adha Eid al Fitr and Mawlid are considered national holidays in Tunisia Christianity Edit Further information Christianity in Africa History and History of Tunisia Christianity its Donatist schism Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul Tunis The International Religious Freedom Report of 2007 reported that the Christian community numbered 25 000 people 20 000 of whom were Catholics and was composed of indigenous Berber residents Tunisians of Italian and French descent and a large group of native born citizens of Arab descent dispersed throughout the country 8 In the Annuario Pontificio of 2018 the number of Catholics is estimated to have risen to 30 700 9 10 Christianity came in Tunisia during Roman rule However after the arrival of Islam the population of Christians decreased in the country 11 From the late 19th century to after World War II Tunisia was home to large populations of Christian French Italian and Maltese descent 255 000 Europeans in 1956 12 The Roman Catholic Church in Tunisia which forms the Archdiocese of Tunis operates 12 churches 9 schools several libraries and 2 clinics 8 In addition to holding religious services the Catholic Church opened a monastery freely organized cultural activities and performed charitable work throughout the country 8 According to church leaders there are 2 000 practising Protestant Christians The International Religious Freedom Report for 2007 estimates thousands of Tunisian Muslims have converted to Christianity 8 The Russian Orthodox Church has approximately 100 practising members and operates a church in Tunis and another in Bizerte 8 The Reformed Church of France maintains a church in Tunis with a congregation of 140 primarily foreign members 8 The Anglican Church has a church in Tunis with several hundred predominantly foreign members 8 There are 50 Seventh day Adventists 8 The 30 member Greek Orthodox Church maintained 3 churches in Tunis Sousse and Djerba 8 Occasionally Catholic and Protestant groups held services in private residences or other locations 8 Scattered among the various churches though mostly evangelical are also a number of Christian believers from Muslim backgrounds A 2015 study estimates some 500 such individuals in Tunisia 13 Judaism Edit Main article History of the Jews in Tunisia El Ghriba synagogue in Djerba is an important site for Jewish pilgrimage Judaism is the country s fourth largest religion with 1 500 members 8 One third of the Jewish population lives in and around the capital and is descended partially from Israelite and Sephardi immigrants 8 The remainder lives on the island of Djerba where the Jewish community dates back 2 600 years 14 The government grants Jews freedom of worship and pays the salary of the chief rabbi It partially subsidizes the restoration and maintenance of some synagogues It also authorizes the Jewish community to run private religious schools and allows Jewish children on the island of Djerba to share their study day between secular public schools and private religious schools 15 Baha i faith Edit The Baha i Faith in Tunisia begins circa 1910 16 when the first Baha i arrived possibly from Egypt 17 18 In 1963 a survey of the community counted 1 assembly and 18 organized groups between 1 and 9 adults of Baha is in Tunisia 19 US State Department in 2001 estimated the size of the Baha i community to be about 150 persons 20 but the corresponding report from 2018 stated there was no reliable information on the size of the community 4 However Association of Religion Data Archives and several other sources have pointed to over 1 000 Baha is in the country 21 17 22 Religiosity EditThe percentage of Tunisians identifying themselves as non religious increased from around 12 in 2013 to around 33 in 2018 which makes Tunisia the least religious country in the Arab world according to the survey 23 In the survey nearly a half of the young Tunisians described themselves as non religious 24 According to the Arab Barometer Survey in 2018 99 4 of Tunisians Identified as Muslims while 0 3 responded with no religion and 0 3 responded with other 25 The Arab Barometer found that about 46 of the Tunisian youth said they are not religious 24 However as of July 2022 new surveys by the Arab Barometer say otherwise particularly BBC s programme The Newsroom journalists highlighting that the previously noted wave of those saying they were not religious has been in fact reversed 26 Freedom of religion Edit Christians celebrating Our Lady of Trapani procession in Tunis in 2017 The Constitution of Tunisia provides for freedom of religion belief and the freedom to practice the rites of one s religion unless they disturb the public order however the government imposes some restrictions on this right The Constitution declares the country s determination to adhere to the teachings of Islam and stipulates that Islam is the official state religion and that the president must be Muslim The government does not permit the establishment of political parties on the basis of religion and prohibits efforts to proselytize Although changing religions is legal there is great societal pressure against Muslims who decide to leave Islam 4 In 2017 a handful of men were arrested for eating in public during Ramadan they were convicted of committing a provocative act of public indecency and sentenced to month long jail sentences The state in Tunisia has a role as a guardian of religion which was used to justify the arrests 27 The government allows a small number of foreign religious charitable nongovernmental organizations NGOs to operate and provide social services Notes EditReferences Edit a b Tunisia 16 May 2022 a b Chapter 1 Religious Affiliation The World s Muslims Unity and Diversity Pew Research Center s Religion amp Public Life Project August 9 2012 Retrieved 4 September 2013 The Future of World Religions Population Growth Projections 2010 2050 Religion In Tunisia Data can be also accessed using The Future of World Religions Population Growth Projections Retrieved 2019 10 10 a b c Tunisia 2018 International Religious Freedom Report PDF United States Department of State Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor 2018 Bocchi Alessandra 29 August 2017 How religiously free is the Arab world s most democratic country alaraby La Ghriba la Tunisie a donne l exemple en matiere de tolerance et de respect de la liberte de religion Espace Manager in French Retrieved 2020 08 06 La Tunisie demeurera une terre de tolerance d ouverture et de coexistence Agence Anadolu 3 May 2018 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n International Religious Freedom Report 2007 Tunisia United States Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor September 14 2007 This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Tunis Latin or Roman Archdiocese Catholic Hierarchy www catholic hierarchy org Retrieved 2019 06 08 Christians in Tunisia Cause for Concern Qantara de Qantara de Dialogue with the Islamic World Retrieved 2020 12 02 Carthage Tunisia In the footsteps of St Augustine The Tablet Retrieved 2020 08 25 Angus Maddison 20 September 2007 Contours of the World Economy 1 2030 AD Essays in Macro Economic History Essays in Macro Economic History OUP Oxford p 214 ISBN 978 0 19 922721 1 Retrieved 26 January 2013 Johnstone Patrick Miller Duane Alexander 2015 Believers in Christ from a Muslim Background A Global Census Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion 11 15 Retrieved 20 October 2015 Pilgrims flock to Tunisia s Djerba Jewish festival Lamine Ghanmi AW Retrieved 2020 03 17 2010 Report on International Religious Freedom 2009 2017 state gov Retrieved 2020 08 06 Temple Bernard May 27 1910 Persia and the Regenerations of Islam Journal of the Royal Society of Arts 58 2001 652 665 Retrieved 2013 08 03 a b Khlifi Roua 26 February 2013 Tunisia s Spiritual Pluralism The Baha i Faith Tunis is Alive Archived from the original on 6 March 2013 Retrieved 2013 08 03 Hassall Graham c 2000 Egypt Baha i history Asia Pacific Baha i Studies Baha i Communities by country Baha i Online Library Retrieved 2013 08 03 Compiled by Hands of the Cause Residing in the Holy Land The Baha i Faith 1844 1963 Information Statistical and Comparative Including the Achievements of the Ten Year International Baha i Teaching amp Consolidation Plan 1953 1963 pp 118 119 U S State Department September 14 2001 International Religious Freedom Report 2001 Tunisia The Office of Electronic Information Bureau of Public Affair Retrieved 2013 08 03 Most Baha i Countries International gt Regions gt Northern Africa The Association of Religion Data Archives 2010 Retrieved 2013 08 03 Tunisia Treatment of Bahai s or Baha is by non Bahai s and Tunisian authorities whether they have been targets of threats and or violence police attitude towards Bahai s police response to complaints lodged by Bahai s and police protection available Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada 17 April 2003 TUN41362 E Retrieved 2013 08 03 The Arab world in seven charts Are Arabs turning their backs on religion BBC News Retrieved 2019 05 24 a b Young Arabs are Changing their Beliefs and Perceptions New Survey Retrieved 16 October 2020 Data Analysis Tool Arab Barometer The Newsroom The Arab World Survey 2021 2022 Arab Barometer Retrieved 2023 02 05 The country where people are forced to observe Ramadan The Independent 2017 06 13 Retrieved 2017 08 08 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Religion in Tunisia amp oldid 1148630059, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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