By Michele SalcedoSun-SentinelSeptember 1, 2003 PORLAMAR, MARGARITA ISLAND, Venezuela — Margariteños cannot figure out how their picturesque island off the coast of Venezuela became a battleground in the war on terrorism. No bomb ever exploded here, no shot fired. But the Bush administration has the island, and other parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, […]

By Salma ElhamalawyIslamOnlineSeptember 29, 2003 The origins of Islam in Chile are not very clear. It is known that in 1854 two “Turks” resided in the country, a situation that was repeated in the censuses of 1865 and 1875. Their country of origin is not known, just that they were natives of some territory of […]

RABAT, September 16, 2003 (Islamonline.net) – The heads of the Islamic associations and cultural centers in Latin American countries are meeting in Curaçao Island in the Netherlands Antilles (the Caribbean Islands) on September 16-18 under the auspices of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The three-day meeting is part of relentless efforts to implementing […]

Susana HaywardKnight RidderThe Mercury NewsJune 27, 2003 SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico – Outside this city of colonial churches and cobblestone streets built by Maya and Spaniards, Juan Gomez finds shade from a blinding afternoon sun inside his small wooden hut. A beatific smile radiates from the young Tzotzil Maya as he haltingly reads […]

By Craig S. SmithThe New York TimesOctober 21, 2003 GRANADA, Spain — Muslims are back in this ancient Moorish stronghold, the last bastion of Islam in Spain before the 15th-century emir Boabdil kissed King Ferdinand’s hand and relinquished the city with a legendary sigh. But the row of men kneeling in prayer at the city’s […]

By Sofia QuinteroSummer 2003MiGente.com Salwa (née Silvia) Del Carmen has been asked a lot of silly questions since becoming a Muslim at the age of 15, but she insists that there are few contradiction between Latino culture and Islamic beliefs, and those that exist are minor. “No more arroz con salchichón,” she jokes. “We change […]

By A. Mario CastilloDemocratic UndergroundJune 11, 2003 On June 5, Attorney General John Ashcroft testified before the House Judiciary Committee. He defended the Justice Department’s detention of illegal immigrants after the September 11 terrorist attacks. And, he asked for expansion of The USA Patriot Act powers to pursue terrorists operating in this country. His testimony […]

By Cristina ElíasEl Sentinel OrlandoJanuary 25, 2003 Cuando en duda, Rasheed Cordero, un joven venezolano de Orlando, usa un compás de mano que carga en su bolsillo para localizar con exactitud la posición del noreste. Y es que Rasheed debe colocarse con la vista hacia , la ciudad central del Islam, antes de hacer cada […]

By Salmy HashimA Special ReportBernamaJune 30, 2003 WASHINGTON, June 30 (Bernama) — Juan Jose Galvan, an American Latino, is one of the growing numbers of Muslim converts in America. Before he became a Muslim, Juan was a devout Catholic who went to church and conducted bible study groups. One day, he saw a Latino man […]

By Ira J. HadnotThe Dallas Morning NewsOctober 25, 2003 DALLAS – The Espinoza family was eagerly awaiting its first observance of Ramadan, the month-long Muslim period of fasting that began Sunday. Anticipation swelled into a smile on Ericka Espinoza’s face. Raised a Catholic, the 27-year-old Hispanic mother of two said she is ready to rise […]