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 Some
Latinos convert to Islam |
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Mukhtaran
Mai pushes for Islamic education |
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Some Latinos convert to Islam
 OCT
31:
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 of faith led by an imam that is
essential to the conversion process.
In the end, Ahmed's decision to become a Muslim and to
take a name that belonged to the Prophet Muhammad's
wife, she said, was borne of years of questioning her
Catholic upbringing and discovering that, for her, the
answers were with Islam.
"I have lived a humble and peaceful life since I
converted. Everything is so clear," said Ahmed, 45, of
Tarrytown. "I didn't see in Catholicism the unity and
compassion I found in Islam. I saw more kindness and
willingness to give."
Ahmed's change of faith is not unique among her ethnic
group today. In recent years, thousands of Hispanics
nationwide have been converting to Islam, particularly
since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, when interest in
the religion seemed to gain momentum.
Though precise statistics do not exist, the Council on
American-Islamic Relations estimates there are more than
36,000 Hispanic Muslims in the nation today. Other
estimates raise the total to 75,000. A study the group
conducted also showed that 6 percent of the 20,000
annual converts to Islam are Hispanic.
Though the numbers are a small fraction of the estimated
6 million Muslims in the country, it is fast becoming
evident that the conversion rate among this minority
group is taking root and that its influence is being
asserted through the formation of Hispanic Muslim
organizations — "dawah," or outreach efforts targeted at
Hispanics — and the distribution of literature and the
Quran in Spanish.
"There hasn't been real scientific gauging," said
Mohamed Nimer, research director for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations. "But Muslim leaders are
saying they are seeing more and more Latino Muslims,
especially in New York, California and Florida."
Melvin Reveron converted to Islam last year, following a
period of depression and internal doubts about
Catholicism, he said.
"I called myself a Catholic, but I wasn't practicing as
an adult," said Reveron, 41, a Puerto Rican who lives in
New York City. "I realized the futility of confession. I
felt alienated from God and unworthy of God's graces. If
I was going to reintroduce God into my life, I thought
this was the best way."
Reveron had read the Quran after Sept. 11 because he
wanted to gain more knowledge about a religion that was
being blamed for the attacks, he said. Culture and
religion often can be mistaken, he said.
"People say that Islam is a religion that teaches people
to kill, that it creates suicide bombers," said Reveron,
41, a supervisor for the Department of Social Services
in New York City. "I reject that notion. Just because a
criminal does something, the religion isn't wrong.
There's something wrong with that person."
The Quran, he said, resonates with Catholics because it
mentions Adam, Moses, Jesus and the Virgin Mary. Jesus
is revered as a prophet — not as the son of God — within
the Islamic religion.
"I looked at is as an intellectual continuation of what
I had been taught," he said.
Like Reveron, many Hispanic converts say they have grown
disenchanted with Catholicism and have difficulty
accepting the church hierarchy, original sin,
confession, the Holy Trinity and the saints. Others say
they are "reverting" to a religion that is part of their
ancestral history — Islam ruled Spain for several
centuries.
Either way, following the five pillars of Islam, the
foundation of Muslim life, is a more truthful existence,
many agree. Islam's tenets include professing faith in
Allah and the prophet Muhammad, praying daily, charity
work, fasting during Ramadan and a pilgrimage to Mecca.
"I was very confident it was the correct way of living
life," said Fatima Britos, 25, a John Jay College
student of Argentine descent. "It is the straight path."
Britos recently attended a Columbia University student
event titled "Latinos in Islam: Rediscovering our Roots"
that saw a diverse group of people in attendance. The
affair included a Mexican feast and a discussion led by
Hernan Guadalupe on why Hispanics are converting to
Islam today. The Ecuadorean-American outlined the
Muslims' reign in Spain from 711 to 1492. Between 10
percent and 30 percent of Spanish words come from
Arabic, he said. Guadalupe spoke of the cultural
similarities and family values inherent to Hispanics and
Muslims. Typically, Hispanic households are tightknit
and devout, and children are reared in a strict
environment — traits that mirror Muslim households,
Guadalupe said.
"There are 780 years of Islamic influence that can't be
ignored," said Guadalupe, 24, a mechanical engineer from
South Brunswick, N.J. "If you understand that, as a
Latino, you have Spanish blood in you, then you would
understand ... that you have Islam in you."
Not coincidentally, Guadalupe converted to Islam on
Sept, 11, 2001 — or "the day the towers fell," as he
said — after years of studying different religions and
cultures. He started the Latino Muslim Outreach Program
this year, traveling to schools in the tri-state area to
educate — not convert — people on Islam, he said.
Other organizations have formed in recent years,
including Piedad, an Internet group with nearly 300
members whose mission is to teach non-Muslims and give
leadership training to women, particularly Hispanic
females.
"On a daily basis, I hear Latinos coming into the fold
of Islam," said Piedad founder Khadijah Rivera. "It is
so close to our culture that, once they understand, it
is like second nature to belong to Islam."
But Catholic leaders do not consider the conversion rate
a sign of the faithful growing disillusioned with the
church, said Alejandro Aguilar-Titus, associate director
of the Secretariat for Hispanic Affairs of the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops. Of the 45 million
Hispanics in this country, 32 million are Catholic, he
said. Conversely, there are more than 6 million Muslims
in Latin America, and it has been reported that Islamic
ideologies are spreading among indigenous groups.
"As far as we can see, Catholics becoming Muslim is more
of an individual choice that comes through marriage,
friendships or relationships," said Aguilar-Titus. He
later added, "It saddens the church, but at the same
time, there is respect for that person's choice."
Aguilar-Titus reflected on Islamic Spain and said the
influence brought several practices and symbols similar
to Catholicism.
"These elements could be very powerful and attractive to
someone," he said. "I think that's more significant than
being disenchanted with Catholicism."
In 1997, the Latino American Dawah Organization — LADO —
was formed by a handful of converts. It serves to
educate and promote the legacy of Islam in Spain and
Latin America. One of its organizers, Juan Galvan, a
Mexican-American who lives in San Antonio, said he has
been in contact with more than 20,000 Hispanic Muslims
in recent years, co-authored a report, "Latino Muslims:
The Changing Face of Islam in America," and is
co-writing a book on conversion stories. LADO's Web site
features dozens of accounts.
The need for support networks is imperative because
often Hispanics may feel isolated from others who are
born Muslim or because of a language barrier, he said.
Galvan converted in the summer of 2001 after having
grown up active in the Catholic Church, serving as an
altar boy and Eucharistic minister.
"It's a very clear and simple belief," said Galvan, 30.
"But it's not enough to say I disagree with the Catholic
faith and then become a Muslim. There's more to it."
Indeed, converting to Islam means a lifestyle change
that to some can be difficult. Fasting, praying five
times a day and giving up alcohol and pork — a staple in
the Hispanic diet — can present challenges. Women must
wear a hijab, but the misperception, many women argue,
is that the veil is debasing. Though there are no
definitive statistics, reports indicate there are more
women than men converting to Islam.
"A head scarf does not symbolize oppression. It
represents freedom," said Ecuadorean Sonia Lasso, while
speaking at the third annual Hispanic Muslim Day at a
mosque in Union City, N.J. "Because it is not our
physical but our intellectual selves that are seen."
Perhaps the biggest obstacle converts face is with their
families, who take great pride in their Catholic rearing
and have little understanding of Islam.
Reveron said he has yet to tell his family, fearing
irreversible repercussions.
"I haven't found the right way to tell them," he said.
"You hear stories about families ridiculing and (the
Muslim converts) being ostracized."
For Ahmed, her family was more accepting of her
decision, so much so that her brother is now Muslim, and
her mother has accepted Islam, she said. Her life is
much more devout since her conversion. She works as a
representative to the James House at Phelps Memorial
Hospital Center in Sleepy Hollow. She volunteers
extensively in Westchester and the Bronx, a move she
credits to her faith. She worships at the Thornwood
masjid, as well as in the Bronx, and is proudest of
helping to establish a mosque in Suffern with her former
husband.
While the horror of Sept. 11 moved many Hispanics toward
Islam, Ahmed admits that the attacks on the World Trade
Center gave her pause about her adopted religion. But it
was Islam that prevailed, she said.
"I saw a tragic situation and at the same time had to
understand that I am a Muslim," she said. "My faith was
tested, but I stayed on track because I'm not going to
let a group of fanatics change my faith. I became
stronger. Once you believe, you can't go back."
(Source: The Journal News) |
|
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Mai pushes for Islamic
education
 OCT
31: Mukhtar Mai, a victim
of gang rape in her village of Meerwala,
spoke on the importance of education in
improving the status of women in Pakistan at
the University of Wisconsin's Red Gymnasium Friday.“Islam doesn’t
say to treat your women like this,” she said
through translation by Amna Buttar,
President and Founder of the Asian-American
Network Against Abuse of Human Rights. “I’m
trying to convey that and I’m not alone.”
During her speech, Mai
denounced the common
misconception linking the
incidents of oppression and
abuse of women in the Middle
East with the Islamic faith.
After the rape was brought
to light,Mai was
financially reimbursed with
the American equivalent of
$8,000 for her physical and
emotional pain.
Mai used
the money she received to
build both a boys’ and
girls’ elementary school for
her village.
“I thought, ‘yes, that’s
a lot of money, but it would
only support my family for
two years,’” she said. “The
school would really help
people … boys and girls who
go to the school would
[learn] what our rights are
and how to treat other
people.”
According to Mai, there
is now one boys’ school and
one girls’ school in the
Meerwala village, which
enroll about 200 girls and
150 boys. The school also
includes students from three
surrounding villages and
five teachers — some of whom
walk for up to two hours to
get to school.
Mai expressed the
positive outlook she has for
her safety as an advocate of
women’s rights in Pakistan
as well as the hopeful
future of her elementary
schools after her time.
“Life and death is in
God’s hands,” she said.
“Nothing ever stops because
of a loss of one person.”
Mai knows the removal of
sexual oppression in
Pakistan will take time, but
declared “the change [will]
come,” adding, “I think
changes come slowly.”
Since Mai took action
against her rapists and the
Meerwala village leader, she
has inspired other women who
fall victim to sexual
oppression to speak out.
“In our region and even
regions around us, there
have been such cases where
women have taken their
rapists to the [local]
court,” she said.
Buttar, a key figure in
the organization of Mai’s
visit to Madison, said Mai
“has really become an
activist, a human rights
defender and a hero.”
Mai, has been named one
of Glamour Magazine’s 12
“Women of the Year,”. She
will receive an award of
20,000 from Brook Shields at
a ceremony in New York on
November 2. |
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