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Three hundred years of Portuguese rule saw the concept of organised religion spread quickly throughout the small island although it worked somewhat hand in hand with the traditional beliefs. This all changed in the mid-1970s when Portugal relinquished sovereignty of Timor to Indonesia.
The beliefs of the East Timorese people didn’ t sit well with the rulers of Indonesia who decreed that everyone must prescribe to a religion that supports just one God. The constitution of 1945 suggested that regardless of religion, there must only be one recognised God. Almost immediately the East Timorese people began converting to Christianity. Within ten years over ninety-five percent of the population identified as Catholic, up from twenty percent prior to invasion.
Of course, other monastic religions became established, Protestant church and Islamic mosques, can still be seen throughout the nation however, most went into decline prior to Timor-Leste becoming a nation in its own right in the early years of the twenty-first century, highlighting the strong influence the Catholic Church had on local politics.
Timor-Leste had a significant Muslim population during Indonesian and Arabic rule, composed mostly of ethnic Malay immigrants from Indonesian islands. There were also a few ethnic East Timorese converts to Islam, as well as a small number descended from Arab Muslims living in the country while it was under Portuguese authority. The latter group was well integrated into society, but ethnic Malay Muslims at times were not.
Religious politics is still largely at play within Timor-Leste, perhaps suggesting that the figure of over ninety-seven percent of inhabitants identifying as Catholic might not be so great, many feeling it is the safest option. Having said that, Timor-
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