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 […]
Category: Misc
Some S. Florida Latinas Converting to Islam for Emphasis on Family, Women’s Roles
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 […]
Many Hispanics Finding Faith in Islam
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 […]
Panel Highlights Plight of Many Latino Muslims
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 […]
Reshaping One Nation Under God
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 […]
Two Cultures Meet
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 […]
While War has Numbed Many, Others Undergo an Awakening
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 […]
Growing Number of Hispanics Converting to Islam
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,” […]
Islam is Religion of Diversity, Speaker Says
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 […]
A Clash of Culture, Faith
By Sudarsan RaghavanWashington PostJune 5, 2006 Latinas Balance Catholic Upbringing, Adoption of Islam Every morning, Jackie Avelar wakes up to a predicament. On one side of her bed is a clock that sounds the Islamic call to prayer five times a day. On the other side is a statue of Mary. As a Muslim, she […]