1. Islam in Namibia Making an Impact
[By Rodrick Mukumbira, Islamonline(IOL) Correspondent]
This is no traditional mosque with its white bearded imam, but the other side of predominantly Christian Namibia.

The Adhan (call to prayer) is now the common call in most neighbors in this country of about 1.8 million people.

"We are like apples hanging in a tree crowded with pears," youthful Imam Ali tells IslamOnline.net.

"But Islam has made a major impact here and our numbers are growing."

Government statistics put the number of Muslims in the country at around 70,000, but Ali disagrees.

"Islam is quite new here, but the figure might be around 20,000."

2. Allah in Namibia (The Big Issue Namibia)  
[By  Arjen de Boer  published in www.street-papers.org, January 9, 2006]
This is not a story about terrorism. Neither is it a tale of fundamentalism. Car bombs and jihad, the holy Muslim war, belong to a different theatre in the world thousands of kilometers from Windhoek and other Namibian towns. Here is a story of the attraction some Namibians experience when it comes to Islam, a religion taking hold in a basically overwhelmingly Christian country.

The number of Muslims could be seen like an apple hanging in a tree crowded with pears. According to estimates there are approximately close to seventy thousand Muslims in Namibia since the religion set foot on this country's dry grounds many decades ago. But according to 22-year-old Muslim Azi Kazombiaze the figure should be much, much lower. "Maybe a few hundred, maybe a thousand." A fellow Muslim overhearing the conversation disagrees: "There are probably thousands of Muslims. There are mosques in Windhoek, Oshakati, Katima Mulio, Walvis Bay." Azi then remembers a survey which mentioned the number five thousand. Both are sure of one thing though, the amount of Muslims is 'steadily but surely' growing.

The Brandberg Massif

3. Interesting Variety Amidst Dry Environment  
[By Maggi Barnard, IslamOnline(IOL)]

Despite being the driest country in southern Africa, Namibia’s biodiversity is very interesting. The dry environment means that many species are adapted to dry conditions which creates interesting species and sub-species, according to Phoebe Barnard, National Co-ordinator of the Namibian National Biodiversity Programme.

Namibia is also special because of the many different habitats in the country. It ranges from the tropical swamps of the Caprivi region in the north-east, to the thorn savannahs and rocky hills of the interior, to the dramatic Namib desert along the west coast. These varied and scenic natural environments are an important national asset as they not only support and ensure the existence of the people and wildlife, but they act as draw cards to tourists who visit Namibia, contributing money to communities and the country in general. 

4.Islam in Namibia [By Maggi Barnard, IslamOnline(IOL)]

Number of Muslims

The national government puts the number of Muslims in Namibia at about 70,000 or about 3% of the national population. Adherents.com estimates that Muslims are 5% of the population of Namibia, though with a disclaimer that the statistical methodology used is unreliable.

Growth of Namibia's Muslim Community

Most of Namibia's Muslim community are members of the Namaqua ethnic group. It is believed that this is mostly as a result of the efforts of a prominent politician among the Nama, Jacobs Salmaan Dhameer, the country’s incumbent Electoral Commissioner, who converted to Islam in 1980. The first mosque in the country was built in Katutura. Today, there are seven mosques in the country. Twenty-four Namibians are currently studying in Saudi Arabia while have been sent for long term Islamic training in institutions in South Africa.