Islam in Guyana is the third largest religion in the country after Christianity and Hinduism, respectively. According to the 2002 census, 7.3% of the country is Muslim. However, a Pew Research survey from 2010 estimates that 6.4% of the country is Muslim. Islam was first introduced to Guyana via slaves from West Africa, but was suppressed on plantations until Muslims of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan were brought to the country as indentured labor. The Islamic holidays of Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Fitr and Mawlid are nationally recognized in Guyana. History As with most South American countries, Islam spread to Guyana through the transatlantic slave trade. Mandingo and Fulani Muslims were brought from West Africa to work as slaves in Guyana's sugar plantations. However, the oppressive conditions of slavery in the colony led the practice of Islam to essentially disappear until 1838 when 240,000 South Asians were brought from modern-day India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Records from the time show that while overwhelming majority of these servants were Hindu, a significant minority were Muslim. Muslim Indo-Guyanese maintained their religious identity in spite of separation from their homeland by establishing mosques, Islamic organizations, and after World War 2, seeking international support aimed at creating "a political space for colonial Muslims". By 1890, there were 29 mosques in Guyana, and 50 by 1920. Some of the earliest organizations include Queenstown Jama Masjid (founded 1895), the Young Men's Muslim Literary Society (1926) and the United Sad’r Islamic Anjuman (1949). After Guyana's independence from the British in 1966, Guyana established diplomatic relations with Arab countries such as Egypt, Iraq and Libya who opened embassies in the capital of Georgetown. Some Muslim youths went to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Libya to study Islamic theology and the Arabic language. In 1996, President Cheddi Jagan of Guyana toured Syria, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon and appointed a Middle Eastern envoy. In the same year, Guyana officially became a permanent observer in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). In 1998, Guyana became the 56th full member state of the OIC. In August 2020, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali became president of Guyana and first practicing Muslim head of state in South America. Demographics According to the 2012 census, approximately 6.8 percent of the population is Muslim (a total of 50,572 people). Almost all Muslims are of Indian descent. The Muslim population is declining due to emigration. Geographical distribution