By Katie DrewsChicago Religion NewsApril 25, 2011 A rising number of Latinos in the Chicago area appear to be leaving their Christian roots and finding spirituality in Islam. Alma Campos, president of Latino Muslims of Chicago, said when she first converted to Islam 11 years ago, Hispanic Muslims were few and far between. “Now we […]

By Karina VasquezBeing Latino Online MagazineJune 16, 2011 Despite the polar differences that exist between conservative Muslims and Latino Catholics, there are those in the Latino community that are willing to give up their pernil Christmas dinners and are converting to Islam. It does not seem like the smoothest transition. As a Latino Catholic converting […]

By Stephanie SiekIn America blog, CNNNovember 23, 2011 Wilfredo Amr Ruíz, is a lawyer, commentator on international politics and former U.S. military chaplain from Miami. He’s also a Muslim, one of a small and growing number of Latinos who have converted to Islam. He spent most of Monday fielding interviews and requests from radio shows […]

By Michael J. FeeneyNY Daily NewsAugust 31, 2011 Julissa Fikri grew up in East Harlem – and never thought she’d hear hateful words in her own neighborhood about converting to Islam. “As soon as I started wearing [the hijab] I got a lot of stares,” said Fikri, 27, who was raised as a Christian in […]

By Rebecca RomaniKPBS NewsSeptember 7, 2011 The Arancibia family home sits on a small hillside in rural Bonita in southern San Diego County. Laughter rings out around the house where Spanish and English comfortably co-exist in an ever-growing family of married children, grandchildren and friends. Despite appearances, the Arancibia’s are not your typical California Latino […]

By Joseph FreemanOrlando SentinelSeptember 10, 2011 On Sept. 11, 2001, Diana Marquez was living in Queens, N.Y., with her husband, who worked at the New York Stock Exchange. A Jehovah’s Witness with Hispanic heritage, she had little contact with Muslims. But the attacks that day sparked an interest in Islam for the first time, Marquez […]

By Marwan AhmadMuslim VoiceMay 2011 Since 9/11 interest in Islam has spurred. Many became interested in what is Islam and what it stands for. Some learned about the foundations of Islam and made a choice to make it their way of life. Americans from all walks of life visited local Mosques, met with local Muslims […]

By Wilfredo Amr RuizEl Diario NYAugust 31, 2011 More than 200,000 Hispanics in the United States have embraced Islam as our faith. The stories of how each of us came into contact with Islam are as diverse as the human experience, from the most profound to the simplest. Some Latinos have approached Islam out of […]

By Jameelah Xochitl MedinaLa Prensa San DiegoApril 8, 2011 Re-visiting the Past: Ancestral Memory of Islam Although many US Americans of all ethnicities are embracing Islam, I often wonder if ancestral memory plays a role in the number of Latino/as embracing the faith of Islam. Latino/as may be first or even 3rd and 4th generation […]

By Hajer NailiILLUME MagazineApril 14, 2011 Ambassador Akbar Ahmed is the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies and professor of international relations at the American University in Washington, D.C. He is the author of many books, including Journey into America: the Challenge of Islam (Brookings Press, July 2010). He spoke with Illume about Latino-Americans converting […]