Qatar is an Islamic state with multi-religious minorities like most of the Persian Gulf countries with waves of migration over the last 30 years. The official state religion is Sunni Islam. The community is made up of Sunni and Shi’aMuslims, Christians, Hindus, and small groups of Buddhists and Baha’is.[3]Muslims form 65.5% of the Qatari population, followed by Christians at 15.4%, Hindus at 14.2%, Buddhists at 3.3% and the rest 1.9% of the population follow other religions or are unaffiliated. Qatar is also home to numerous other religions mostly from the Middle East and Asia.[4]
The country has also hosted numerous interfaith dialogue conferences.
The state religion in Qatar is Islam.[5] Most Qataris belong to the Sunni sect of Islam.[6][7][8]Shiites comprise around 10% of Qatar's Muslim population.[9] Religious policy is set by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Islamic instruction is compulsory for Muslims in all state-sponsored schools.[5]
The state mosque is the Mohammed Bin Abdul Wahab mosque, which is located in the Lejbailat neighbourhood and was designed by renowned Qatari architect Ibrahim Jaidah, drawing on traditional Qatari architecture.
At the tertiary level, Islamic Studies is taught at Qatar University, and at Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) Faculty of Islamic Studies where a master's degree is offered. Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, the consort of the Father Emir and mother of current Emir, is the most notable graduate.[10]
Islam’s role in scientific discovery has also been an area of interest for the Qatar Foundation, and recently, the Society for Muslim Scientists was established with prominent members. In 2010, the joint venture between Bloomsbury Publishing and the Qatar Foundation began, publishing the book ‘Science in Islam’.[12]
The Christian community in Qatar is a diverse mix of European, North and South American, Asian, Middle Eastern and African expatriates. In 2023, they form around 15.1% of the total population, being mainly made up of foreign workers from the Philippines, Europe, and India.[5][2]
No foreign missionary groups operate openly in the country. In May 2005, the Qatari Government leased a piece of property on the outskirts of Doha to the representatives of Christian churches in the country for the construction of Church buildings.[15] A 2015 study estimates some 200 believers in Christ from a Muslim background, though not all of those are necessarily citizens.[16]
Buddhism
In 2020, Buddhism was represented by between 1.8-3.8% of the population of Qatar,[5][17] mainly comprising migrant workers from South-East Asia and East Asia especially from China, South Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.
Freedom of religion
In 2023, the country was scored 2 out of 4 for religious freedom by Freedom House.[18]
