Islam in New Caledonia

Islam in New Caledonia is a minority faith, consisting of 2.6% of population or 6,357 people. The community is largely ethnic Javanese,^[1] and primarily speaks French, and Arabic or Indonesian, causing a linguistic gap between them and neighbouring Anglophone Muslim communities in Australia and Fiji.^[2] There is an Islamic centre in Nouméa, and another in Bourail catering to Algerian-Caledonians.^[3]

History

Among the first Muslims in New Caledonia were Algerian prisoners sent there in 1872,^[4] followed by Indonesian, Somali, and Arab labourers.^[1]^[5]

The Association des Musulmans de Nouvelle Caledonie (New Caledonia Muslim Association) was founded in 1975, superseding an earlier organisation.^[6]^[7]^[8]

References

^ ^a ^b R. G. Crocombe (2007). Asia in the Pacific Islands: Replacing the West. editorips@usp.ac.fj. pp. 375–. ISBN 978-982-02-0388-4. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
^ Emiliana Afeaki; R. G. Crocombe; John McClaren (1983). Religious cooperation in the Pacific Islands. University of the South Pacific. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
^ Globalization and the re-shaping of Christianity in the Pacific Islands. Pacific Theological College. 2006. ISBN 978-982-348-020-6. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
^ M. Alī Kettani (1986). Muslim minorities in the world today. Mansell. ISBN 978-0-7201-1802-5. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
^ "New Caledonia", Encyclopedia of Global Religion, 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks California 91320 United States: SAGE Publications, Inc., p. 890, 2012, doi:10.4135/9781412997898.n511, ISBN 978-0-7619-2729-7, retrieved 2025-08-17{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
^ Farzana Shaikh (1992). Islam and Islamic groups: a worldwide reference guide. Longman Group UK. ISBN 978-0-582-09146-7. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
^ Tous Frères (2018-06-04). Rencontre avec les musulmans de la mosquée de Bourail en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Retrieved 2025-08-18 – via YouTube.
^ "Nessadiou Arab cemetery - Bourail". New Caledonia Tourism: The official website for tourism in New Caledonia. Retrieved 2025-08-18.

[Crocombe2007-1] R. G. Crocombe (2007). Asia in the Pacific Islands: Replacing the West. editorips@usp.ac.fj. pp. 375–. ISBN 978-982-02-0388-4. Retrieved 24 August 2012.

[AfeakiCrocombe1983-2] Emiliana Afeaki; R. G. Crocombe; John McClaren (1983). Religious cooperation in the Pacific Islands. University of the South Pacific. Retrieved 24 August 2012.

[Globalization_and_the_re-shaping_of_Christianity_in_the_Pacific_Islands-3] Globalization and the re-shaping of Christianity in the Pacific Islands. Pacific Theological College. 2006. ISBN 978-982-348-020-6. Retrieved 24 August 2012.

[Kettani1986-4] M. Alī Kettani (1986). Muslim minorities in the world today. Mansell. ISBN 978-0-7201-1802-5. Retrieved 24 August 2012.

[5] "New Caledonia", Encyclopedia of Global Religion, 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks California 91320 United States: SAGE Publications, Inc., p. 890, 2012, doi:10.4135/9781412997898.n511, ISBN 978-0-7619-2729-7, retrieved 2025-08-17{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location (link)

[Shaikh1992-6] Farzana Shaikh (1992). Islam and Islamic groups: a worldwide reference guide. Longman Group UK. ISBN 978-0-582-09146-7. Retrieved 24 August 2012.

[7] Tous Frères (2018-06-04). Rencontre avec les musulmans de la mosquée de Bourail en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Retrieved 2025-08-18 – via YouTube.

[8] "Nessadiou Arab cemetery - Bourail". New Caledonia Tourism: The official website for tourism in New Caledonia. Retrieved 2025-08-18.

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Islam in Oceania
Sovereign states	Australia Federated States of Micronesia Fiji Indonesia Kiribati Marshall Islands Nauru New Zealand Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Timor-Leste Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu
Associated states of New Zealand	Cook Islands Niue
Dependencies and other territories	American Samoa Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Easter Island French Polynesia Guam Hawaii Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Pitcairn Islands Tokelau Wallis and Futuna