Islam in Niger
Islam in Niger began to spread around a thousand years ago. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Islam became more common than Niger's traditional religions. Since then, Sufi brotherhoods have become the most common and powerful Muslim organisations. This happened in many West African countries.
More than 90% of the people in Niger (or 9 out of every 10 people) are Muslims.[1] Most of the rest of Niger's people are Animists. However, these numbers are not exact. In Niger, many of the people who practice traditional religions have mixed some beliefs from Islam into their religions. Because of this, there are many different ways of understanding and practicing Islam in Niger. So, it is hard to say exactly how many people practice each religion.
The government of Niger is secular, or separate from any religion. At the same time, the government recognizes that Islam is the most popular religion in the country.
References
change- ↑ International Religious Freedom Report 2007: Niger. 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.