For children, - Muslims in Sri Lanka – some impressions

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Sri Lanka, until 1972 known as Ceylon, currently has a population of about 21 million people. With approximately 10 % of these being Muslims, Islam constitutes the third most dominant religion in the country. Muslims are mostly found in the Eastern Province, at the western coast, and in the urban centres such as Colombo and Galle.
Moors, Malays, Memons
The Muslim community in Sri Lanka includes three main ethnic groups: i) the Moors, ii) Malays, and iii) Memons.
About 95 % of the Muslims in Sri Lanka are Moors (Hussein 2011: 1-649). The term seems to derive from the Portugese “Mauro” meaning being of Arab or Moroccan origin. Prakrit texts from the 5th century refer to the Arab traders as Yonas (from Sanskrit Yavana, lit. Greeks). In Sinhala Moors are referred to asmarakkala minisun, lit. ship-people. The Sri Lanka Moors are Shafiites and not Malikites as the Moroccans. It is important to note that the Arab traders were in Sri Lanka before Islam became a religion.The early Moors dominated the maritime trade, later established pearl fisheries and the gem trade in Sri Lanka.
About 4 % of the Muslims in Sri Lanka are Malays. “Sri Lanka’s Malays are largely descended from political exiles including nobles and chiefs, soldiers, convicts, and freed slaves from the Indonesian archipelago who were brought over to the island during the period of the Dutch occupation which lasted from 1658-1796.” (Hussein 2011: 650). Malay Muslims hence are mostly found today at the Southern coast (particular in Hambantota District) and in Colombo, in particular in Slave Island (Colombo 2).

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