Is bukele a muslim?

1. Family background: Palestinian roots and an imam father

Bukele’s family history includes Palestinian ancestry and a father who became a prominent Muslim religious leader in El Salvador — Armando Bukele Kattán converted to Islam, founded mosques, and served as an imam, which is widely reported ^{[4] [5]}. That family religious connection is the factual basis for many of the online claims that Bukele himself is Muslim ^{[4] [2]}.

2. Bukele’s stated personal beliefs: “no specific religion” and belief in Jesus

In public remarks and interviews Bukele has said he does not adhere to a specific denomination and has framed his faith as belief in God and in Jesus, not active participation in religious liturgy; U.S. State Department reporting and contemporaneous profiles summarize that he “reiterated he did not have a specific religion” while expressing belief in Jesus ^{[1] [3] [2]}.

3. Political weaponization: accusations labeled a smear in multiple accounts

During the 2018–19 campaign and afterward, opponents circulated tweets and leaflets asserting Bukele was Muslim to undermine him with religious voters; analysts and local reporting described these efforts as attempts to “turn public opinion against him” or as a smear campaign, and noted photos of him praying with family in a mosque were used out of context ^{[1] [2]}. The State Department summary explicitly documents that opposition accounts and tweets pushed the narrative “Nayib Bukele is a Muslim” ^[1].

4. How different outlets describe his faith — competing portrayals

Some outlets and blogs describe Bukele as Christian, evangelical, or Catholic and note his closeness with evangelical leaders — these portrayals often cite his public references to Jesus and appearances at Christian events ^{[6] [7] [5]}. Other summaries emphasize his secular posture — “not very religious” or “not a practicing religious person” — stressing his distance from formal religious institutions despite invoking faith rhetorically ^{[3] [8]}. Both strands coexist in reporting and reflect different editorial framings ^{[3] [8]}.

5. What the authoritative sources say and what they do not say

The U.S. State Department report documents the rumor campaign and quotes Bukele saying he has no specific religion; it does not assert Bukele is Muslim ^[1]. Local analysts similarly report smear attempts and that Bukele portrays himself as a believer in Jesus but not formally affiliated with a denomination ^[2]. Available sources do not mention public evidence that Nayib Bukele formally converted to Islam or currently practices Islam as his declared faith — instead they document his family’s Muslim practice and his own statements of non-affiliation ^{[1] [2]}.

6. Why the question matters politically in El Salvador

El Salvador is a majority-Christian country where religion can shape voter perceptions; opponents used the Muslim label as an electoral attack because of potential political costs, and Bukele’s mixed heritage made such attacks possible to stage ^[2]. Meanwhile, Bukele’s appeals to evangelical leaders and public invocations of God and Jesus have been part of his broader rhetorical strategy, complicating a simple label ^{[6] [8]}.

7. Conclusion and practical takeaways for readers

Based on the documents reviewed, the strongest, sourced statements are: Bukele’s father and some brothers practice Islam, Bukele has said he does not belong to a specific religion and has publicly expressed belief in Jesus, and accusations that he is Muslim have been circulated by political opponents and characterized as smear attempts ^{[4] [1] [2] [3]}. If you encounter claims that “Bukele is Muslim,” check whether the source cites Bukele’s own declaration — the documented public record in these sources supports non-affiliation rather than a Muslim identity ^{[1] [2]}.