By Cloe CabreraTampa TribuneMarch 30, 2005 TAMPA – As a child, Amy Perez attended different Christian churches, praying at Catholic Masses and singing at Baptist revivals. But she never felt satisfied with the answers those faiths provided to her questions. At 12, Perez left Webb Middle School for the Universal Academy of Florida, a Muslim […]

By Lisa BolivarSouth Florida Sun-SentinelSeptember 30 2005 Ramadan rite expands with new trend in Florida This year’s Ramadan celebration will be extra special for members of a Margate mosque who will observe the holiday in a brand new building instead of inside the cramped storefront they used to call home. Masjid Jamaat Al-Mumineen’s spacious new […]

By Marcela RojasThe Journal NewsOctober 30, 2005 Aisha Ahmed’s decision to convert to Islam and give up Catholicism and her Puerto Rican birth name, Maritza Rondon, did not come impulsively or under duress. She spent five years studying the Quran and hired a teacher to learn Arabic before she was ready for shahadah, a declaration […]

By Lauren MelnickColumbia SpectatorOctober 12, 2005 After Ramadan Dinner, Students Discuss Growing Role of Islam in Latino Culture Students came together to break their Ramadan fast over an iftar dinner and stayed for halal tex-mex in Lerner. The mix of the two unlikely meals represented the blend of cultures at Tuesday night’s “Latinos in Islam: […]

By Greg FlakusVOANewsJuly 13, 2005 Dallas, Texas Over the Fourth of July weekend, several hundred American Muslims came together in Dallas, Texas for the south-central regional conference of the Islamic Society of North America. Among them were many Spanish-speaking people who have embraced Islam. Islam is one of the fastest-growing religions in the United States […]

By Mustafa AydinToday’s ZamanJuly 01, 2005 She is Colombian, however, she has been in Turkey for 12 years. She lives in Istanbul with her husband Ahmet Ayhan Cokokumus, their daughters Merve, Hilal, Elif Deniz, and her mother. She has a unique life story, as well as a story of finding the right path, first through […]

By Virginia CulverDenver PostJuly 31, 2005 Converts gather in Denver to share their stories of adjusting to loved ones who misunderstand the religion. Latino Muslims say it’s a lot easier to convert to Islam than to convince family members it’s a good idea. Some Latino Muslim converts gathered in Denver on Saturday to discuss problems […]

By M. Elizabeth RomanWorcester Telegram & GazetteJune 6, 2005 WORCESTER – On the door outside Juan Perez’s home, a hand-written sign asks visitors to respect the Islamic custom of removing shoes before entering. The sign is one of the only indicators that this young Latino father, his wife and four small children tend an Islamic […]

By Alexandra AlterMiami HeraldOctober 5, 2005 Ask Melissa Matos why she converted to Islam, and you’ll likely get an answer that spans 13 centuries. She may refer to seventh century Arabia, where Muslims believe the Prophet Mohammed received the Koran from the angel Gabriel. Or she might describe Islam’s golden age in medieval Spain. Or […]

By H.G. RezaLos Angeles TimesOctober 29, 2005 Many Latino Muslims, some raised Catholic, struggle with views of their new faith on the part of the public — and their families. As a college student in Mexico, Marta Khadija Ramirez was so influenced by Marxist and existentialist writers that she stopped believing in God. That changed […]