By Leonard MartinezEl Paso TimesMarch 5, 2004 Becoming a Muslim is not always easy. Eastsider Lucy Velazquez recalls how her family was fractured when she and other relatives converted to Islam years ago. “The first person in my family who converted to Islam was one of my brothers,” Velazquez said. “Everybody in my family was […]

By Mansur MirovalevAccess MagazineApril 2, 2004 Santiago Robledo radiates self-confidence: His handshake is firm, and his English is exact. The only thing that makes Robledo look unusual is the untrimmed, and slightly messy beard that he started growing several months ago. To him his beard symbolizes his religion. Robledo is Muslim. He stays away from […]

El Puente Del CincoNovember 15,2004 RICHARDSON, Texas — One-fifth of the world’s population practices Islam, including more and more Latinos in north Texas. Prayer and passionately studying the Quran are a way of life in the Islamic religion. It’s a strange concept for many Latinos, because most practice Catholicism. Colombian-born Abu Abudurahman shocked his parents […]

By Megan SeeryThe Independent Florida AlligatorFebruary 3, 2004 She identifies herself as a Muslim, a Latina and a woman — in that order. For Cynthia Yanez, an English senior and member of Islam on Campus, religion is a part of her identity she would like outsiders to better understand. Yanez was one of more than […]

By Christine ArmarioThe Christian Science MonitorDecember 27, 2004 It surprises many of their friends and family, but some young US Latinas say Islam offers women more respect. UNION CITY, N.J. – Jasmine Pinet sits on the steps outside a mosque here, tucking in strands of her burgundy hair beneath a white head scarf, and explaining […]

Our Stories: A Leap of Faith By Damarys OcanaLatina MagazineNovember 2004. pp 122-128. Being Muslim in America isn’t easy these days. So why would a Catholic Latina convert to Islam? Three Women’s true stories of struggle and devotion. Wearing a loose robe and veil that cover all but her face, Nylka Vargas glides into the […]

By Christopher Patrick NelsonSilicon Valley DeBugAugust 19th, 2004 On Friday August 19th, 2004, the Muslim Community Association mosque held an event showcasing Latino Muslims. For those who don’t know, a mosque is a house of prayer similar to a Catholic cathedral, Christian church, or Jewish synagogue. Muslims worship the same God as Catholics, Christians, and […]

Deep in the New Mexico desert lies Dar al Islam, a Muslim oasis of cultural immersion and religious study By Kathy PintoStar-TelegramOctober 25, 2003 The mosque at Dar al Islam is open year-round to Muslims and non-Muslims. ABIQUIU – For centuries the high desert of northern New Mexico has drawn diverse people and cultures — […]

By Geneive AbdoThe Boston GlobeMay 26, 2003 BALTIMORE — For Muzzaffar Sheikh, a technology consultant who was born in Pakistan, the mosque used to be a place he visited on occasion as he went about building his life as a new immigrant. But since the hostility toward Muslims began escalating nearly two years ago, the […]

By Amber Bollman, 16,Andrea Cowden, 13,Lisa Schubert, 16Y-Press, May 2003 This story originally ran in The Indianapolis Star on February 25, 1996. What do you think of when you think of Muslims? For a lot of people, the Islamic religion brings to mind terrorists and fundamentalist maniacs. In truth, though, American Muslims are regular people. […]