Religion+in+Djibouti+and+Iraq

__Beginning of Islam in Djibouti and Iraq__

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 * __Djibouti:__**Islam came to the East Africa area very early on in the history of the religion. Even though the religion travelled to East Africa early, it stayed confined to the coast for quite some time and Sudan and modern day Somalia were the only Islamic countries. Eventually, Islam spread to other parts of the continent due to North African traders. These areas included many of the major trading stations such as Mali and Timbuctu in Eastern Africa, and Harar in Western Africa. Now Islam is a major religion in Northern, Eastern, and Western Africa. Djibouti itself became a Muslim country early on as it is on the Eastern Coast of Africa, and has had plenty of time to develop as an Islamic community.

=__Modern Islam in Djibouti and Iraq__=
 * __Iraq:__** Islam spread to Iraq quickly because of how close the country is to the Arabian Peninsula where the religion began. As Muhammed began to preach about the newly made religion, traders and travelers started to spread word to surrounding areas. Soon the majority of the population in the Middle East was Muslim, and Iraq became a mostly Shiite Muslim country. This made Iraq unique because the majority of the Muslim community in the Middle East was Sunni, and Iraq was the only country with concentrated Shiite population.

but it also stated freedom of religion. Since Islam is the main religion now, mosques have been made in every town to allow the Muslims in the country to pray.
 * __Djibouti:__** Djibouti is a country on the Eastern Coast of Africa. Presently, 95% of the population in Djibouti is Muslim, and most of the Muslim population is Sunni. Even though Islam is the most popular religion in Djibouti, there is now law against the practice of other religions. The Constitution of Djibouti just recently stated that the main religion of the country is Islam

__**Iraq:**__ Unfortunately, most of the modern history of Islam in Iraq involves a power struggle between the Sunnis and Shiites. Since the 1980's, the Sunnis have been the leading group out of the two, even though they are a minority. The ruler of Iraq at the time, Saddam Hussein was a Sunni that was incredibly cruel to the Shiites in the country, and was hated for the crimes he committed against the majority of the population. Recently, Hussein was killed, but Sunni-Shiite battles continue to go on.

=__Holidays__=


 * __Djibouti:__** In Djibouti, Muslims celebrate all of the most important days in Islam. Ramadan, Eid-al-Fitr (Ending of Ramadan), the Islamic New Year, Eid-al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice), and Ascension of the Prophet. Although there are not many Muslim holidays celebrated in Djibouti, the ones that are are the most important and traditional.

=__Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq__=
 * __Iraq:__** In Iraq all of the main holidays in Islam are celebrated also: Ramadan, Eid-al-Fitr, Birth of Muhammed, etc., but there are also smaller, more recent holidays having to do with the wars in Iraq. These holidays include Army Day (a day where Iraqi troops perform in a parade), Baghdad Liberation Day (April 9th, the day Iraq was freed from the rule of Saddam Hussein), Ceasefire Day (August 8th, marks the day the Iran-Iraq war ended), and Iraqi Independence Day (October 3rd, marks the day that Iraq gained their independence from the UK).

Since the U.S. Army has withdrawn from Iraq, there have been sudden outbreaks of violence between the Sunnis and Shiites. Sunnis have been gathering stores of cash and weapons leftover from the tyranny of Saddam Hussein, along with support from Al Qaeda, and other terrorism networks. It also appears that many Sunni tribal leaders are joining the insurgency (an armed rebellion against a constituted authority). Along with the Sunni Insurgency, the Shiite opposition, led by a man named Muqtada al-Sadr, has been gathering ammunition and weapons to prepare for a possible rebellion. Sadr received this Shiite rebellion network mainly through his father, and it is sponsored by mosques and charities in southern Iraq. Sunni and Shiite uprisings have occured in many places throughout Iraq and the rivalry is becoming more and more of a concern.

Sadr's first speech after returning from Iran shows a possible change in Iraq: []



= = =__Cited Works__=

[|Muslims, Islam, and Iraq] [|Islam in Djibouti] [|World of Islam] [|IRAQ: Sunni and Shiite Unrest] [|Iraq Public Holidays] [|A Global World]