Islam as a part of the Lithuanian cultural heritage

Egdūnas RačiusVytautas Magnus UniversityKaunas, Lithuania

Lithuanian Muslims in figuresAs of 2012:

cultural/ nominal Muslims: not more than 7,000

of them, some:- 3,000 Lithuanian Tatars (of whom only

1,600 identified themselves with Islam in 2001 Census);

- 1,500 “Soviet Muslims” (overwhelmingly secular);

- 2,000 recent immigrants (Chechens, Turks, Arabs);

- 500 converts to Islam (‘revivalist’/ ‘neo-fundamentalist’).

700 hundred years of Islam in Lithuania

History of Islam in Lithuania dates back to the middle of the 14th century when

the first migrants (recently Islamized Tatars) from the Golden Horde came

to the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL).

The process of immigration of Muslims of Turkic origin to the GDL lasted until

the very end of the 16th century.

Grand Duchy of Lithuania, 15th c.

Settlement, rights, duties

Those granted nobility ranks were given tracts of land for cultivation later to be

converted into property.

Majority, however, were peasants working on estates of the nobility.

Freedom of religion guaranteed: Muslims immediately proceeded with

building mosques in their villages and soon cemeteries formed around them.

Keturiasdešimties totorių village mosque (1815)

Raižiai mosque (1889)

Nemėžis mosque (1909)

Kaunas mosque (1932)

Tatar cemeteries

State’s treatment of Tatars

Sunni Hanafi Islam (traditional faith of the Lithuanian Tatars) is recognized by law (adopted in 1995) as one of the nine traditional faiths.

The state promotes the fact of the Tatar Muslim community’s long-time residence in Lithuania as a an example of a tolerant and multicultural country.

Social perspective

Lithuanian Tatars have well integrated (have been successfully acculturated, yet not assimilated) into the local social environment and outwardly do not differ significantly from the non-Muslim majority;

Lithuanian society is in general positively predisposed toward Tatars and perceives them as an integral part of both the Lithuanian cultural heritage and society.

Overall assessment

Lithuanian Tatars (Muslims) have successfully integrated into the Lithuanian society on all,

the political, economic, and cultural levels because of

the goodwill of the state authorities, accommodating attitudes of the

mainstream (Catholic) society,the loyalist nature of the Tatar (Muslim)

communities AND

the nature of the Tatar practiced Islam

.

Placing Lithuania in the European context I

Right to practice religion:- organization (registration),- mosques, cemeteries, - religious education, - marriage, - halal slaughtering, - attire.

Placing Lithuania in the European context II

Visibility of Islam,Internal composition of Muslim

communities,Ideological and theological diversity

in Muslim communities,Social reception (Islamophobia and

discrimination)

Placing Lithuania in the European context III

On the one hand:Lithuania could be advertised as being one of

the best places in Europe to practice Islam.On the other hand:As the Muslim community is tiny and the

general society is culturally ignorant of Islam, any significant change in the balance could potentially trigger many upsets and undesired consequences.