Islam in Poland

Islam has a global characteristic, from Middle East to the north of Africa, from Europe to the heart of black continent and from Russia to the South East Asia. Presence of Islam in many part of the world has brought about immense improvements and set forth a new era in their histories. Poland in the eastern and north hemispheres is among north and central countries of Europe. Poland with an area of 312683 sq. km is located in the east of Europe and south of Baltic Sea. This land has border lines with of Lithuania, White Russia and Ukraine. From south to Czech Republic and Slovakia, from west to Germany and from north to Baltic Sea and Danzic golf.
The first noticeable presence of Islam in Poland began in the 14th century. From this time it was primarily associated with the Tatars, many of whom settled in Polish-Lithuanian union while continuing their traditions and religious beliefs. The first significant non-Tatar groups of Muslims arrived in Poland in the 1970's.

Poland – Lithuania Union (from 14th to 18th century)
Poland had little prolonged contact with Islam until the 14th century with the advent of the first Tatar settlers. Although some of Mongolian invaders came to this country in the 13th century were Moslems, but they had a purely military character and there are no traces of settlement or conversion of any parts of the Polish population.
On the other hand, the first accounts of the Polish state of Misezko I exist were written by a Jewish merchant and diplomat of the Caliphate of Qordoba of Spain and later published in an Arabic chronicle of Al-Bakri.
Other Muslim merchants, arrived in Polish lands in the 14th century, as can be seen by a large number of Arab coins found in numerous archaeological sites throughout modern Poland.
In 14th century the first Tatar tribes settled in the lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Skilled warriors and great mercenaries, their settlement was protected by Dukes of Lithuania. In the Poland – Lithuania Federation Union wars against Germany in the 14th century and the consequent blood shedding struggle of Polish against Ottoman Empire in the 17th century, Tatars alongside of polish left good memories in the publics conscious.
Tatars, who settled in Lithuania, faced no resistance in preserving their religion as an exchange for military service. The initial settlements were mostly temporary and most of the Tatars returned to their native lands. Although in the late 14th century, the Grand Duke who was prominent protector of Moslems in the region endured to settle Tatars in the territories of Poland-Lithuania.
In 16th and 17th century additional Tatars found refuge in the lands of the Polish-Lithuanian Union. Since then until the 1980's the Islam faith in Poland was associated primarily with the Tatars. It is estimated that in 17th century there were approximately 15,000 Tatars in the Union. When the king of Polish-Lithuanian Union gained its autonomy, numerous royal privileges, as well as internal autonomy granted by the monarchs of the Polish-Lithuanian Union allowed the Tatars to preserve their religion, traditions and culture .
In the 16th century Polish Moslems set about to Mecca to observe Hadj ritual via Istanbul and requested for Ottoman's authorities to dispatch missionaries to Poland. In the 16th and 17th centuries Tatar Moslems showed resistance against catholic missionaries to preserve their religious identities.

Polish Moslems in the 20th century
After the 1st world war concurrent with establishment of Polish Republic, Moslems expanded their activities and the government too showed no resistance toward their endurance to the point that a mosque was programmed to be built in Warsaw which its construction was postponed.
The number of Moslems at the beginning of the 20th century reached 11,000, most of which lived in dingy and far flanged villages with little facilities. At the outbreak of the 2nd World war and invade of German army to Poland, Moslem activities lessened. Ending of the war did not change the situation and did not offer better situation for Moslems to expand religious activities.
Apart from traditional Tatar's communities, small but growing immigrant Moslems communities live in Poland since 1970.
In the 1970's and 1980's Poland attracted a number of students from many socialist-aligned Arabic-speaking states of the Middle East and Africa. In the late 1980s this community became more active and better organized. They have built mosques and praying houses in different cities of Poland.
Since the overthrow of Communism in 1989, other Muslim immigrants have come to Poland.
The exact number of Muslims living is Poland remains unknown as the last all-national census held by the Central Statistical Office in 2002 did not ask for religion. But some estimates place the number of Muslims in Poland at somewhere around 30,000.