America's ever-growing Latino-Muslim population has yet to be estimated statistically. However, it is indisputable that with exponential growth Latino-Muslims find increasing presence and voice in the American Muslim public square.
Latino paths to Islam are as diverse as Hispanic countries of origin and roots: from the Caribbean, Central and South America or even Spain. The conduits to their new spiritual journeys derive from a variety of life experiences that range from the sublime appeal of accidentally listening to Quranic recitation or from a close encounter with a Muslim performing one of his five daily prayers. Many Latinos, men and women, embraced Islam vicariously through their fiancées' faith before marriage; and we find many who decided to adopt their spouse's faith after years of marriage. For others, the pathway to Islam was forged while trying to fill a spiritual void or satisfy some inquisitiveness after initiating formal academic research or an informal Google search on news related to Islam, the Muslim World, Islamist movements, terrorism, ongoing military conflicts or the Arab Spring.
Some Latino Muslim Americans are completely blended into heterogeneous communities, while others claim distinction within their communities of worship. Take, for example, the Latinos of the North Hudson Islamic Educational Center in Union City, N.J., who recently celebrated their ninth annual "Hispanic Muslim Day" at a well-attended ceremony that concluded with various guests embracing Islam.
Another Muslim American phenomenon is the surge in Muslim organizations founded and operated by Latino Muslims, or in which Latinos play a significant role. Part and parcel of the growing Latino movement to embrace Islam is the burgeoning need to cater to this community in Spanish, its native tongue. This explains the advent of various Latino Islamic organizations such as "Islam in Spanish," whose managing coordinator, Abdullah Danny Hernandez, is a Puerto Rican who studied at Al Azhar University in Egypt. Another active organization is the Latin American Da'wah Organization (LADO) whose director, Mexican-American Juan Galván, leads its educational efforts. Various established organizations now included Latino Muslims in their staff. Such is the case of Nahela Alexandra Morales, a Mexican who works in the Islamic Council of North America's "Why Islam?" project, where she assists in the national and international assemblage and distribution of educational materials in Spanish. In past years, other existing organizations have gradually grown to provide significant space for Latino Muslims. Such is the case of the American Muslim Association of North America (AMANA), which has distributed more than 20,000 Spanish translations of the Quran and opened a Spanish educational materials distribution branch in Puerto Rico. Also, the Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) South Florida Chapter's "CAIR en Español" project aims to provide advocacy services for Latino Muslims in pursuit of their civil liberties.
When it comes to Latino Muslim acceptance in the American landscape, they are not exempt from experiencing challenges and struggles confronted by the broader American Muslim community. They too fall victim to Islamophobic discourse carried out by known bigots like Pamela Geller, Joe Kaufman and Robert Spencer, who devote full-time efforts to demeaning Islam and belittling the American Muslim community. They also suffer continuous affronts coming from certain politicians who have adopted a negative approach to Muslims in America, like presidential hopeful Herman Cain and Congressmen Allen West and Peter King. Their unconstructive discourses vilify Muslims, such as when Cain openly revealed his reluctance to appoint Muslims to his cabinet if elected, or when Peter King conducted congressional investigations specifically targeting the American Muslim community. Another elected politician, Rep. Allen West from Florida, is known for his hateful rhetoric slandering Islam and the American Muslim community.
Latino Muslims are predisposed to exemplify tolerance as their historical circumstances render them champions of interreligious dialogue and acceptance. Often, their beloved parents, brothers and sisters practice Christianity and their families are living examples of interfaith love. What is unquestionable is that Latino Muslims are here in the "hood." Their voice and presence in all socio-political spheres is increasingly palpable and growing stronger. They are here to stay and contribute in many positive aspects. Above all, their presence adds to our national value of spirituality in peace and harmony with others.
Follow Wilfredo Amr Ruiz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AnalistaInter
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Islam seems to rot a not so insignificant number of minds it comes into contact with.Not surprising. They have caught a Hispanic guy in Manhattan yesterday who was planning to "serving" Islam in America by blowing up Americans.
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/11/jose-pimentel-a-indeed.html
I don't think the FBI should be commended for thwarting their own terrorist attack. I stop myself from doing stuff all the time, but it doesn't make headlines.
Only an arabized hispanic mind would think that the ideology under which Spain was invaded and colonized by foreigners would be a perfect fit for Hispanics.
If you would have read carefully you would have seen that I didn't say Islam is a perfect fit, but a natural fit.
Furthermore I recommend that you read The Ornament of the World by Rosa María Menocal of Yale University. This is a book that tells a history of Al Andalus and how peace reigned for centuries there between Muslims, Christians and Jews and how this peace ended because of intolerant Muslims AND Christians.
Intolerant Christians... sound familiar?
Look at the crystallization of cultures in the architecture and in flamenco music. That is part of us, our heritage. So we are more than just Latin Americans, if you choose to embrace history.
The evidence is there. There are historical and cultural ties.
I'm not telling people to worship any deity. You're interpretation of what I wrote is off.
Voltaire
3LW
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These are all un-Qur`anic, and therefore, un-Islamic, actions.
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"The fact that hundreds of millions are trying to get out of Islamic countries into secular West is ample proof which cannot be refuted by some idle speculations."
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They are trying to get out of repression, poverty, instability, and other existential problems, which are a direct result of Muslims' "fall" and colonization by the West, which destroying most of their social and economic and political structures, and the West's support and sustenance of the tyrants.
Having said that, I am not interested in discussing politics. I am interested in discussion religion as I understand and adhere to it, but preferrably with those who want to engage in civil discussion and not endless arguments.
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Our knowledge comes directly from God who has revealed to us that human beings began their journey at the highest levels of consciousness and awareness of the Reality.
The Prototypical Man, Adam, was fully aware of God as the Reality and God taught him all the names, meaning knowledge of the Reality.
Archeology does not penetrate the human skulls to figure out man's levels of consciousness.
Through direct revelation from God, we also know about the "Fall" of man into this lower plane of reality and existence.
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Q: I wonder if you could begin by giving us the definition of the words Islam and Muslim, for those of us who do not know the meaning of these words?
The Arabic language is one of those unusual languages that can communicate things which are not easily communicable.
It is not unlike Aramaic or Sanskrit and the root of most terms are made up of three letter clusters, and whoever takes up Arabic for spiritual awakening or enlightenment or for the unfathomable in the Qur`an, will find an incredible delight in its discovery.
The word Islam usually is thought to have originated from the three letters: "sin, lam, mim", from "salama"; which means to be at peace, to be saved, to be wholesome, to be in a state of tranquil submission, acceptable submissiveness.
It is the path of ease and of integration; it is the path of submission to reality because we are part of that reality, we are not separate from it. It is the way from time immemorial; it is not something that occurred some 1400 years ago.
For more, please see http://archives.nuradeen.com/Reflections/LightLovePeaceOfIslam1.htm
And no amount of verbal gymnastics going change that fact.
Least of all talking points about your " acceptable submissiveness." which seem only by accident ( I am sure) apply to disproportionately to women.
-- "Submission" does not refer to women submitting to men. Submission refers to the orientation of the self to the soul/spirit ("ruh" in Arabic), which is a Divine Spark containing all the Attributes of the Divine, and shines as much light onto the self as it is oriented (submitted) towards the soul/spirit.
This allows the individual self to reflect the Divine Light and all the positive qualities that come with it.
In other words, submission means the self's annihilation into the Divine, which results in eternal joy and peace.
You wrote: "The word Islam ... means ... to be saved ... to be in a state of ... acceptable submissiveness."
To be saved from what? From a "reality" that states in His Book, uncountably many times, that the penalty for not submitting is eternity in hellfire. From a "reality" that calls itself "the most merciful and compassionate," and evidently enjoys watching people tortured.
You asked someone to explain the meaning of the two Words. The answer is they mean the "surrender" of one's critical faculties, and be in a state of mendacity that you are in.
Which is most of it.
It is clear that your community has great potentials to positively influence its surrounding and contribute to American multiculturalism, tolerance, humanism, acceptance of the other. And all this will reflect positively on the image of America tatnished by war lords, money lords and media manipulators..
I gotta google this before I go to bed.
Damn, now I'll have to take 2 sleeping pills.
.... and Jamaica had a bobsled team.
Just look at the different interpretations of the sects to be found in both religions....at the least there are heated debates, at the worst, there is violence.
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Comments like this don't help start a civil discussion or move it along. They are negative and based on ignorance of someone's beliefs and religious path.
A more positive approach would have been to ask the Muslims about their religious doctrine and how it fits into today's society and contemporary thought.
Awakening to the Reality that encompasses all other realities is available to today's human beings as it was available to those who lived 1400+ years and even before.
The Qur`an makes it very clear that man's journey began with the highest levels of consciousness and that the "Fall" began thereafter.
Pontific Man has known the Absolute, and it's the Promethean Man who has lost that knowledge.
Man recognizes the difference between truth and falsehood; selflessness and selfishness; generosity, compassion, courage, justice, humility and their opposite qualities, whether he lived 5000 years ago or today or will live 5000 years from now.
This is a somewhat distorted interpretation of Adam and Eve myth with no bearing on reality. There's zero record of this archeological or paleontological or historical. There was no "Fall." This s an Ancient Mesopotamian myth adopted by Ancient Hebrews and subsequently copied by developers of Islam.
The fact that hundreds of millions are trying to get out of Islamic countries into secular West is ample proof which cannot be refuted by some idle speculations.
And you failed to mention that many of these new American "latino muslims" found their new calling during their stays at St. Attica our our Lady of Leavenworth.