Islam in Estonia
Estonia has one of the smallest Muslim communities in Europe. According to the census of 2011, the number of people who profess Islam was 1,508 in Estonia, or 0.14% of the total population. The number of practicing Muslims is small and, in the absence of a mosque, the Estonian Islamic Center serves as a center of worship. Demography. According to estimates from 2000 and 2001, there are approximately 10,000 Muslims living in Estonia. The largest Muslim groups in Estonia consist of Tatars (of Mishar origin) and Azeris. There are also smaller amounts of Muslims belonging to various  regional and ethnic backgrounds (including converts to Islam). Majority of the Muslims in Estonia are Sunni except for the Azeris, who are Shia. History. The earliest documented presence of Muslims in Estonia occurred when Muslim soldiers from the Russian Empire arrived in Estonia during the Livonian War in the 16th century. The first Muslims to settle in Estonia were mostly Sunni Tatars who had been released from the military service in the Russian Army after Estonia and Livonia had been conquered by the Russian Empire in 1721. Since 1860, the Tatar community started showing activity, the centre being in the  city of Narva although some also settled in Tallinn and Tartu. The Tatar community opened shops and engaged in trade. A Muslim congregation (Narva Muhamedi Kogudus) was registered there under the independent Republic of Estonia in 1928 and a second one (Tallinna Muhamedi Usuühing) in Tallinn in 1939. A house built for funds received as donations was converted into a mosque in Narva. In 1940, the Soviet authorities banned both congregations, and the buildings of the congregations were destroyed during World War II (in 1944). The overwhelming majority of Muslims immigrated to Estonia during the Soviet occupation of Estonia between  1940 and 1991. The Muslim community in Estonia is considered tolerant and politically moderate. Unusually in the global context, the Sunnis and Shias worship jointly.