Muslims are a tiny fraction of the 129 million Catholic dominated Mexico, the fifth largest country of the Americas. Although as per the 2010 census, the Muslims are only 2,500 of the total population, the local Muslim community boasts of a 12,000 strong community.
The number of Muslims in Mexico has been growing exponentially over the last decade as more Mexicans embrace the religion and its message of peace and coexistence. At least 5,500 native Mexicans have converted to Islam since 1989 in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. It is cause for tremendous excitement at a time when Islamophobia is on the rise and Muslims are exposed to falsely associated with terror groups. Muslim immigrants from Lebanon, Syria and even Spanish Sufi Muslims has contributed to spreading the message of Islam throughout Mexico, according to The Muslim Vibe.
The Centro Cultural Islámico de México (CCIM), a Sunni organization headed by Omar Weston, a British born Mexican convert to Islam, has been active in several big cities in northern and central Mexico. In the state of Morelos, the CCIM built a prayer hall and centre for recreation, learning and conferences, called Dar as Salaam, which also operates Hotel Oasis, a hotel that offers halal holidays for Muslim travelers and accommodation for non-Muslims sympathetic to Islam.
Muslims fell the brunt of terrorist attacks around the world portraying Muslims behind. But they brave out such taunts and continue their peaceful reproach and are thus well mixed within the overall Mexican culture. However, students and others dependent on remittances from home are subjected to many questions as to what "purpose" money is being received.
One of the most unique Muslim urban centers was established in a village of southern Chiapas, the heartland of the indigenous Mayan people who identify as Roman Catholic. A growing number of indigenous Mexicans have converted to Islam in this village located around San Cristobal de las Casas, which identify as indigenous Tzotzil community. Muslims there have been blending their indigenous ways of life with the customs required by Islam, including the traditional Mayan scarf for women and prayer caps or kufis for men. ‘’I want to speak my language, I want to put on the indigenous dress, but I also want to believe in Allah’’ a Muslim member told the The Muslim Vibe. [4]
Muslims do celebrate their religious festivals specially the fasting during month of Ramadan and the Eids, but Eid ul Fitr and Eid al Adha.
Watch a video of the Mexican Muslims celebrating Eid:
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