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Islamic world facts for kids

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OIC Member States
This map shows countries that work together in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

The Islamic World refers to all people who follow the religion of Islam. It is not just one place on a map. Instead, it is a global community of believers. When Muslims act together, they are called the "umma". This word means "community" and includes all Muslims worldwide.

The Islamic faith teaches unity and supporting fellow Muslims. Because of this, Muslim nations often work together. This cooperation can sometimes cause conflicts to spread. However, it can also help make conflicts shorter and less harmful. Sometimes, it might even prevent them from starting at all.

Where Muslims Live

Muslims live in many countries around the world. In 52 nations, Muslims make up the majority of the population. Most Muslims are Sunni. They speak about 60 different languages and come from all kinds of ethnic backgrounds.

Here are some places where many Muslims live:

In total, there are about 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide.

News and Media in the Islamic World

The Al-Jazeera satellite TV network is a popular news source for many Muslims. It broadcasts in the Arabic language.

In most Muslim countries, the government is the main source of news. This can sometimes make it hard or even risky to share opinions that are against the government.

However, there are also many other news programs and websites available in the Muslim world.

Islam's Role in Law and Ethics

Islamic law is known as shariah in Arabic. It has many different forms. Five main schools of Islamic law were created centuries ago. These are called the classical fiqh.

These five schools are very old. Many Muslims believe that new laws are needed for modern society. Islam has ways to create new laws, called al-urf and ijtihad. However, these methods have not been used for a long time. Few people are trusted enough to use them to make new laws today.

Because of this, many people in the Muslim world are very traditional. This is especially true regarding things like alcohol. Also, there are strong views about women working in certain jobs.

Muslim women often choose to dress very modestly. This means covering their bodies and sometimes their heads. In some countries, women are required to dress this way. This difference in customs can sometimes cause misunderstandings between the Western World and Muslim countries.

Islamic economics generally does not allow debt with interest. However, in most Muslim countries, Western-style banking is allowed. This is another topic that some Muslims discuss when thinking about the Western world.

Islam's Role in Politics

About one-quarter of the world's population follows Islam. For many people in Muslim countries, Islam is a political movement. This means they believe their faith should guide how their country is run.

In countries with democratic systems, there is often at least one Islamic party. These parties aim to bring Islamic values into government.

Political Islam is very influential in all countries where most people are Muslim. For example, Islamic parties have gained power in countries like Pakistan and Algeria.

Some groups in these movements call themselves Islamists. This term can also describe more militant Islamic groups. The way these groups relate to democracy can be complicated.

Some groups are called terrorists. This is because they attack ordinary people in other non-Muslim countries. They do this to make a political point or to achieve their goals.

Conflicts with Israel and the United States

Israel is often viewed negatively in the Muslim world. This is mainly because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Many Arabs also felt that the way Israel was created in 1948 was unfair.

Some Muslims see this conflict as a fight against Judaism or Jews. However, not all Muslims share this view. For example, in Morocco, some Islamic groups have invited Jews to join their political party. Also, some Jewish groups, like Neturei Karta, work with Arabs in the West Bank. This small group of Jews also believes Israel was created unfairly. But it is important to know that most Jews support Israel as a state.

A big change happened in 1979 for the Muslim world. In that year:

Many things changed because of these events. By 2001, the Soviet Union no longer existed. Jordan had also made peace with Israel. Then, on September 11, 2001, major attacks happened in the U.S. Many people believe these attacks aimed to make the United States leave the Muslim world, especially Saudi Arabia. In many ways, the events of 1979 led to the events of 2001.

The 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and 2003 invasion of Iraq were called part of a War on Terrorism by the United States. However, many Muslims saw these actions as a War on Islam. After the invasion of Iraq, Islamic parties gained more power. Polls in many Muslim nations showed support for Osama bin Laden. People said he would "do the right thing." A French scholar named Olivier Roy believes this support was not for al-Qaeda or militant Islam. Instead, he thinks it showed opposition to colonialism and what many Muslims call racism. This refers to what they see as special treatment for Jews, especially those living in West Bank settlements. Many of these settlers have American or British passports, and the United Nations says they do not have the right to live there.

This situation is very complex, and people have many different views on it.

How Muslim Nations Work Together

The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) was formed in 1969. It allows Muslim nations to work together as a group. Russia joined the OIC in 2003.

The Arab League is a smaller group that includes only Arab countries.

OPEC is another group where Muslim and non-Muslim countries discuss issues. In 1973, to protest U.S. support for Israel, there was an oil embargo. This caused the 1973 energy crisis.

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Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Mundo islámico para niños

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