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Uruguay is a Christian majority country, with Islam being a minority religion. Due to the secular nature of Uruguay's constitution, Muslims are free to proselytize and build places of worship in the country.
The statistics for Islam in Uruguay estimate a total Muslim population of 700-1,500, representing 0.02 percent of the population.[1]
A significant Muslim population lives in Chuy, near the Brazilian border, as well as Rivera, Artigas and Montevideo.
There are three Islamic centers in Montevideo:
1) Musallah Al Haazimi(mosque)
2) Egyptian Cultural Islamic Center[2]
3) Islamic Center Uruguay[3]
The majority of Muslims live in the eastern Uruguayan department of Rocha, in the city of Chuy, as well as in the cities of Rivera, Artigas, and Montevideo.[4]
Palestinian Uruguayans (السطينيو أوروغواي) are Uruguayan citizens born in Palestine and residing in Uruguay. Approximately 5,000 Palestinians live mainly in the city of Chuí, which borders Chui city, which has a mosque and Islamic community in Brazil, and the rest in the city of Rivera. The majority of Palestinian Uruguayans are Muslims, with a minority being Christians.[5]
Arab Uruguayans are mainly immigrants from the territory of present-day Lebanon (whose descendants may now number over 50,000 [6][7]). Uruguayan Arabs also include immigrants from other Arab countries, such as Egypt, Syria, Morocco, and Palestine. The majority of Uruguayan Arabs are Christian, with a minority being Muslim, and a small number being Jewish.[6] About 500 Arabs live in the cities of Chui and Rivera on the border with Brazil.[6]