Disturbing report by the ISN on the growth of Islam south of the border. I would be more frightened by it if I did not know that there is a much larger threat of home-grown Islamists here in the United States, than in Mexico. But still, the threat is real. The ISN report tends to whitewash the rise of Islam in Mexico, citing lack of evidence of Muslim groups their to violent jihad. However, as we have said for a long time now, the threat is not just from jihadis committed to violence but to...

The ongoing controversy surrounding the debate over illegal immigration and border security issues in the United States, specifically as it applies to the porous U.S.-Mexico frontier and the status of millions of undocumented workers and other migrants that enter the country each year from Mexico, continues to dominate headlines. Although the overwhelming majority of those entering the United States from Mexico each day are in search of opportunity, many observers worry that it is only a...

When Endy Galindo, 12, takes snapshots of her life, she photographs parked Cadillacs in her neighborhood and her younger siblings. Her new friend, 11-year-old Mariyah Saiduddin, takes photos of herself wearing a hijab, traditional Muslim attire, and glasses. Galindo, a Mexican-American, and Saiduddin, a Pakistani-American, lead different lives, but they recently learned that they have common interests. "It's cool because you get to learn that everyone has a different culture and that they...

Mexico may be well on its way to a monotheistic revolution. This new trend is emerging from recent developments, and reflects a similar change evident in other South American nations - people are embracing Islam by the thousands, jettisoning the Catholicism imposed upon their ancestors in Spain. The prayer congregation has tripled since Mexico City's Centro Cultural Islamico de Mexico (CCIM) first opened its doors 6 years ago. The numbers could be even higher. However, most Mexicans still...

Last year, Gaby Gonzalez wore black nail polish and black eye shadow. She had a messy room, standoffs with mom and occasional drinks. Today, the Honduran-born 20-year-old is known as Sister Gaby. She proudly wears her jade-green hijab, which forms a nearly perfect frame around her delicate features and large brown eyes. She prays several times a day and does not wear makeup, eat pork or even utter the phrase "happy hour" - that is all haram, she said, or prohibited in Arabic. ...

While Latinos and Islam may first appear to be unrelated subjects, yesterday’s panel titled “Hispanos Musulmanes: Latinos embracing Islam” highlighted the unique population of Muslims residing in Latin American nations and the Caribbean. The three-person panel, comprised of members from the organization “Members of Latino Muslims of the Bay Area,” came to the El Centro Chicano community center to address students, with MeCHA and the Muslim Students Association...

When 37-year-old Wilfredo Ruiz, a lawyer in Puerto Rico, made the decision to change his life, it was a relatively easy one. There were no bouts of self-discovery, no ideological struggles and little hesitation. Ruiz remembers the day vividly. Moreover, he remembers how he told his wife. Brenda Ruiz, also a Puerto Rico-native, had just walked into their San Juan home after a tiring day of errands. Ruiz, charming as always, proudly greeted his wife with a kiss on the cheek. Then, before Brenda...

The works of men such as Ivan van Vertima, Barry Fell and Alexandervon Wuthenue represent 20th century scholarship which has stated directly or indirectly that there has been a significant Muslim presence in the early Americas. While it is true that there have been a number of Muslim writers such as Clyde-Ahmad Winters who have sought to enlighten folks to that fact, it is perhaps more significant that "non-Muslims" have conceded such evidence of pre- and post-Columbian Muslims on...

In the wake of the September 11 attacks, the possibility of al-Qaeda infiltrating Latin America became a priority for U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials. However, the most publicized incidents of radical Islamist activity in Latin America have not been linked to al-Qaeda but instead to the Lebanese Shi’ite Hezbollah, which is ideologically and politically close to Iran. These include the March 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina and the July 1994...

Ask Melissa Matos why she converted to Islam, and you'll likely get an answer that spans 13 centuries. She may refer to seventh century Arabia, where Muslims believe the Prophet Mohammed received the Koran from the angel Gabriel. Or she might describe Islam's golden age in medieval Spain. Or she'll recall Sept. 11, 2001, when fear and curiosity drove her to read about Islam on the Internet. Matos, who comes from a family of Seventh-day Adventists from the Dominican Republic, has answered the...