By Mrinalini ReddyNews21, Faces of Faith in AmericaAugust 23, 2007 SAN JOSE, Cal.–As a devout young Roman Catholic, Anisa Abeytia sat in the front pew of every Mass, so dedicated in her belief that she dreamed of someday becoming a priest. As a woman, she soon found out she would not be able to achieve […]

By Rui FerreiraEl Nuevo HeraldApril 18, 2006 A small number of Cubans have embraced Islam,gathering for prayers and attending religious eventsmostly sponsored by Iranian diplomats in Havana, oneof the converts says. Some Havana residents place the total number ofconverts at 300; others, at 3,000. What’s certain isthat about 70 usually attend the gatherings hosted bythe […]

By Tal AbbadySouth Florida Sun-SentinelJanuary 3, 2006 Melissa Matos slips into an easy communion with her newest circle of friends. At regular meetings, they invoke their families’ native towns in Cuba or the Dominican Republic, or recipes for arroz con pollo. English is interspersed with Spanish. And, posing no incongruity to the women, hijabs, or […]

By Elizabeth LlorenteBergen RecordFebruary 26, 2006 Last year, Gaby Gonzalez wore black nail polish and black eye shadow. She had a messy room, standoffs with mom and occasional drinks. Today, the Honduran-born 20-year-old is known as Sister Gaby. She proudly wears her jade-green hijab, which forms a nearly perfect frame around her delicate features and […]

By Mima MohammedStanford DailyFebruary 24, 2006 While Latinos and Islam may first appear to be unrelated subjects, yesterday’s panel titled “Hispanos Musulmanes: Latinos embracing Islam” highlighted the unique population of Muslims residing in Latin American nations and the Caribbean. The three-person panel, comprised of members from the organization “Members of Latino Muslims of the Bay […]

By Kenneth ButlerBrownstone MagazineWashington Square NewsFebruary 14, 2006 Latinos and Muslims: a new union between two fast-growing populations When 37-year-old Wilfredo Ruiz, a lawyer in Puerto Rico, made the decision to change his life, it was a relatively easy one. There were no bouts of self-discovery, no ideological struggles and little hesitation. Ruiz remembers the […]

By Erin UyThe Orange County RegisterMay 19, 2006 Latino, Muslim youths share their heritage via human relations program. When Endy Galindo, 12, takes snapshots of her life, she photographs parked Cadillacs in her neighborhood and her younger siblings. Her new friend, 11-year-old Mariyah Saiduddin, takes photos of herself wearing a hijab, traditional Muslim attire, and […]

By Michael RileyDenver PostMarch 19, 2006 Skip Edwards drives around Telluride these days with 2,300 wooden crosses in the back of an old pickup. Khalid Rosa, a theology student, has changed his name, dropped plans to become an Episcopal priest and converted to Sunni Islam. As the war in Iraq began three years ago this […]

By Lola AlapoKnoxville News SentinelMarch 9, 2006 His Puerto Rican parents named him Antonio Alicea. To his Muslim brothers and sisters, he is Abdullah. His new name signifies his renewed life: “Slave to Allah.” “Ever since I embraced Islam, there is a difference about how I was on the streets and how I am now,” […]

By Chris MeehanKalamazoo GazetteApril 1, 2006 Juan Galvan told the crowd at Western Michigan University that his own ethnic background reflects the changing profile of modern Muslims. As he opened his presentation to members of WMU’s Muslim Student Association, Galvan said that Islam is a religion of many faces, races and nationalities. “The most ironic […]