Islam in Cuba

Islam in Cuba

Cuba Flag There are 9,000 Muslims in Cuba (0.1% of the Population). 1,000 are indigenous Cubans. At one point there were many Muslim students entering Cuba to study. Cuban Muslims learned Islam through embassies of Middle Eastern countries as well as through students coming to study from Muslim and African countries.   Islam started to spread among Cubans in the 1970s and '80s. Printed and audio-visual Islamic resources are almost nonexistent in Cuba.  Cuba’s Muslims usually pray in their homes since there is no Mosque in Havana and the state does not allow the construction of mosques. The only prayers performed in public are the Friday prayers conducted in the Arab House in old Havana. The Arab House belonged to a wealthy Arab immigrant who lived in Cuba in the 1940s, and it was built on Andalusian architectural designs. The House encompasses an Arabic museum, an Arabic restaurant, and is used by Muslim diplomats for Friday prayers. Cuban Muslims are not allowed to use the facilities, which are only reserved for non Cuban Muslims: tourists and diplomats. There are two Islamic groups in Cuba: the Cuban Islamic Union and the Islamic Association of Cuba, in Havana. Notable Cuban Muslims include Alí Nicolás Cossío, former foreign ministry official and Juan Carlos Gomez, professional boxer and former Cruiserweight Champion.  The town of Pilaya de Rosario is reportedly 40% Muslim.