Many religions in Malaysia have followers. There are no restrictions on the choice of religion in the country, since the constitution enshrines the right of every citizen to his freedom. Religion in Malaysia, faiths and their characteristics can be found in this essay.
Religion
The state religion in Malaysia is Islam, that is, it is the most common religion. According to the latest data, the majority of people in the country are Muslims, slightly fewer Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, and a very small part of the population professes Taoism, Confucianism, and other Chinese traditional trends. A small proportion of the population adheres to Sikhism and animism.
The majority of Malay Indians are Hindus, some of them Christians and Muslims. A small part of the Indians are Janaists and Sikhs. Most Chinese in Malaysia are Buddhists, the rest profess Taoism. It should be noted that there are small groups (communities) of Chinese Muslims.
Bumiputra are the indigenous inhabitants of Malaysia, they adhere to the Muslim faith, and a very small part of them are animists.
Islam
As noted above, the main religion of Malaysia is Islam, it is practiced by almost 65% of the country's population. He appeared on this territory in the 13th century. Islam came here with merchants from India. Gradually, he began to occupy a dominant position among other religions.
Continuing to consider what religion is the main religion in Malaysia, the following should be mentioned. In the country's constitution, according to article 160, all ethnic Malays, being born, are recognized only by Muslims. This religion is central to the culture of Malaysia and to everyday life. It manifests itself in all spheres of activity of citizens. The famous Uraza – Bayram festival is called Hari Raya here and is the most important for all Malay Muslims.
Usually, women practicing Islam in Malaysia cover their heads with a headscarf - a hijab called tudung here. However, a feature of this country is that wearing a headscarf is optional. It is difficult to imagine, for example, in the Arab countries. Here, the absence of a tudung from a Muslim woman is not condemned in any way, and even more so not punished. However, there are places where wearing a headscarf is mandatory - this is primarily a mosque, as well as the International University of Islam. This religion in Malaysia, although it is the main and very important, is somewhat different from the Islam that is adhered to in the countries of the Middle East.
Buddhism
By the number of believers, Buddhism is the second religion of the country. Mostly, his followers are the Chinese population of Malaysia. Buddhism appeared on the peninsula of Malacca in the distant II century BC. e. It was also brought here by traders from India. Before Islam came to Malaysia, Buddhism was the main religion and occupied an important place in the life of local residents. This religion has left its mark in the culture of the country, as many architectural features have developed in the country precisely because of it.
Today, despite the fact that Buddhism is not the main religion of Malaysia, it has a large number of followers. A paradoxical fact, but Malaysia is considered a Buddhist country by most Europeans.
Christianity
Believers in Christ make up about 10% of the country's population. Most of them live in eastern Malaysia. It is assumed that Christianity appeared here even before the Portuguese in the XVI century began to conquer the peninsula. However, it should be noted that most of those professing this religion formed closer to the XIX century.
Christianity is very common among the native inhabitants of the country, in addition there are many Christian immigrants from other Asian countries, for example, Indians. In Malaysia, many temples of this religion were built, mostly Catholic, but there are Protestant as well as Orthodox.
Hinduism
Almost 7% of the population of Malaysia are adherents of Hinduism. Most of them are ethnic Tamils, immigrants from southern India. In the territory of modern Malaysia, they appeared in the late XIX-early XX centuries as workers on plantations. Subsequently, many remained to live in the country.
In 2006 and 2007, by decision of the government, several Hindu temples were demolished in order to implement new developments in the country. This led to a large outbreak of discontent, rallies and protests. The government explained this by the fact that the temples were located on state land, and there was no religious context in their demolition. After much debate, the conflict was settled. Currently, Hindu temples are not demolished, but new ones are being built.
As can be seen from the above, Malaysia, in addition to the richness and beauty of its landscapes, culture and customs, is also very diverse in matters of religion.