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Islam
is seen by Latinos as a trustworthy religion that focuses on
nurturing and community
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By
Melysha Abd El Hai, IOL Illinois correspondent
CHICAGO,
November 10 (IslamOnline) – “I was reading Christopher Columbus’
documentation of Mexico from his journal,” Rosa* says. “He wrote
about people calling the prayer five times a day from minarets. He said
these were the same people called Mohammedans. I thought, how come
there’s records of Islam in Mexico and nobody told me about it?”
Instead,
Rosa learned about Islam by meeting a young, Iraqi, Muslim woman, who
ran an arts program for young people of various racial backgrounds. Rosa
says, “It was the first time I felt part of a community. Everything in
this country is about race but she treated us equally. I learned
that’s a part of Islam.”
Rosa
eventually was connected to Chicago’s southwest side, which hosts one
of the largest Palestinian, Muslim communities within North America. She
said, “The people were so caring. They’d invite me for dinner after
just meeting me. That’s why I wanted to learn about Islam, I saw
Muslims as trustworthy.”
Rosa
is not alone. Many Latinos love the feeling of community among Muslims.
“The sense of sisterhood I felt with others who wore hijab was
something I had never experienced,” said one woman.
Marco
was interviewed by a researcher who was investigating gangs and
neighborhood violence. He talks about his misconceptions, “She
wore hijab and I was shocked to see how smart she was.
“To
be honest, I thought Muslim women were passive and unintelligent. She
ended up being the strongest, smartest woman any of us had ever known.
She was good to us and she didn’t judge us although we knew she
didn’t approve of our previous lifestyle.”
Ahmad,
a Puerto Rican convert agreed. He added, “She didn’t just
interview us and leave; she helped us when we were in a very difficult
situation, when most did not. One time she invited a group of us to her
family’s house for dinner. That was one of the first home cooked meals
many of us had in a long time.
“The
whole room eventually converted because we realized the kindness of
Muslims. Once we learned about the religion itself, if appealed to
us because of its logic, Islam is a religion for thinkers.”
Lorena
exemplifies another common experience that leads to conversion,
potential marriage. She met her husband-to-be at college; he introduced
her to various Muslims, and after a few months, Lorena converted and
wore hijab. They were married soon afterwards.
Unfortunately,
not all interactions occur according to the Shariah. Sonia, a
Puerto Rican convert, said she learned of Islam while dating a Muslim
man; simply because he was Muslim, she decided to research Islam.
After
her conversion, her boyfriend offered to marry her. She refused. She said, “I wasn’t Muslim, I didn’t know what I was doing was
haram, he did. I thought, what kind of Muslim is he? When he’s with
non-Muslims, he acts like them, and when he’s with Muslims, he acts
like a Muslim? I had my marriage arranged to another brother who
practiced Islam and could teach me the straight path, inshallah.”
Estimates
note there are over 25,000 Latino converts within the United States,
many of which are from Central and South America, according to the
American Muslim Council. Most of these converts are from California,
Chicago, and New York, all of which host significant Muslim and Latino
communities.
In
Washington and among the western states, most converts are originally
from Mexico and Central America, whereas in eastern cities, many are
from Puerto Rico and Cuba.
The
far majority converted because of a breech in their Catholic faith.
Islam offered them a direct relationship with God versus religious
hierarchies.
One
Chilean American convert stated she felt Catholicism did not provide her
with the close-knit community she was looking for. She became acquainted
with Islam after she immigrated to America.
She
discovered the religion had a warmth and direction that appealed to her,
especially the concept of prayer. Her mother converted as well, after
witnessing her daughter’s spiritual transformation.
“I
think what many [Latinos] are finding in Islam is a community that is
more nurturing,” said Nicole Ballivian, a documentary filmmaker who is
completing a movie about Latino Muslims called “Luces Sobre Islam”
(“Islam in Focus”).
Ballivan
has traveled throughout South America and the Caribbean to visit many
Latino Muslim communities. She said that many of the converts she has
talked with say the Catholic Church is large and impersonal.
One
woman converted when she was a university student. She is the eldest
child in a strict Catholic household. She says Islam was foreign to her
until she began talking with Muslim students on campus.
Like
many Latinos who converted, she felt a distance from the Catholic
Church. She stated that Islam was so straightforward and she felt a
strong sense of belonging.
Juan,
a Mexican convert, stated his local priest objected when he began
discussions with Muslims. After the priest discovered Juan’s
conversion, he stated this is why he discouraged the interactions
because Muslims make you “think too much.” Juan laughed and stated,
“That’s exactly what I wanted.”
One
convert stated that most Latinos yearn for a daily element of
spirituality in their lives. He said what appealed to him about Islam is
that God is part of his everyday existence versus the secularism of
North America.
Participants
noted that Latinos have misconceptions about Islam, and after learning
about the faith, there may be an even greater surge of conversions.
All
agree on one point, it was through healthy interactions with Muslims,
which initially lead them to inquire about Islam; knowledgeable Muslims,
who express themselves in positive, compassionate ways, are a bridge for
many more conversions.
*Names
have been changed in this feature for various reasons.
