Tie groups with Al-Qaeda entered the country The first income were registered seven months ago; they would look for to recruit extremist futures Five groups of the fundamentalist movement Jamaat Tabligh, tie with the Al-Qaeda organization, entered Argentina in the last seven months with the possible objective to contact and to recruit Argentine citizens of the Muslim community to be trained in the outside in terrorist activities. The entrance of the groups, made up altogether of 26 people,...

Latino Muslims say it's a lot easier to convert to Islam than to convince family members it's a good idea. Some Latino Muslim converts gathered in Denver on Saturday to discuss problems they have in adjusting to their new religion, keeping up family relationships and putting up with rejection from people who fear Muslims. Misunderstandings about Islam are rampant, said the converts, many of whom were reared as Catholics. Juan Galvan of San Antonio said that after the 2001 terrorist...

DENVER (AP) - Hispanic and Islamic groups called on Rep. Tom Tancredo to resign Monday, saying he has embarrassed Colorado by suggesting bombing Islamic holy sites if terrorists launch a nuclear attack on the U.S. They also criticized the GOP congressman's staunch advocacy of tougher immigration controls. "Enough is enough. We're here to say 'Stop,"' Hispanic activist Manolo Gonzalez-Estay told a crowd of about 200 at the state Capitol. Abdur-Rahim Ali, imam of a Muslim...

Over the Fourth of July weekend, several hundred American Muslims came together in Dallas, Texas for the south-central regional conference of the Islamic Society of North America. Among them were many Spanish-speaking people who have embraced Islam. Islam is one of the fastest-growing religions in the United States and Latinos represent one of the fastest-growing minorities. Increasingly, the two trends are meeting in the form of Hispanic converts to Islam. Juan Galvan San Antonio...

Islam is on the move in Mexico and throughout Latin America, making dramatic gains in converting the native population, increasing immigration, establishing businesses and charities and attracting attention from U.S. government officials who have asked their neighbors to the south to keep an eye on foreign Muslim groups. The monitoring of foreign groups is intended to "avoid problems in Mexico that have an impact in the United States," said the head of the Attorney General Office's...

TAMPA - As a child, Amy Perez attended different Christian churches, praying at Catholic Masses and singing at Baptist revivals. But she never felt satisfied with the answers those faiths provided to her questions. At 12, Perez left Webb Middle School for the Universal Academy of Florida, a Muslim school in Tampa, because she did not like the cliques and social scene at Webb. And she wanted to learn more about Islam. Perez read about the Muslim faith and asked her classmates questions. ...

MEXICO CITY, 18 February 2005 - The colonial town of San Cristobal de las Casas in the highlands of the Mexican state of Chiapas is a much-loved tourist destination, known for its colorful Indian market. Eleven years ago it made news across the world when the indigenous Indian population in the form of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) occupied the town and declared war on the Mexican government. The bishop of San Cristobal at the time, Samuel Ruiz, became a figure on the...

Islam has joined a battle for the hearts and minds of Mexico's volatile Tzotzil Indians in Chiapas state, home of Zapatista rebels and a hotbed of sectarian strife between Christians. In an unlikely meeting of two worlds, an idealistic Muslim sect has converted some 300 Tzotzils, a Maya Indian group known for drink-fueled fiestas and religious fervor. "It was difficult to learn the prayers in Arabic at first but now I have them in my heart," said Muhammad Emin Lopez, 46, a Tzotzil...

UNION CITY, N.J. - Jasmine Pinet sits on the steps outside a mosque here, tucking in strands of her burgundy hair beneath a white head scarf, and explaining why she, a young Latina, feels that she has found greater respect as a woman by converting to Islam. "They're not gonna say, 'Hey mami, how are you?' " Ms. Pinet says of Muslim men. "Usually they say, 'Hello, sister.' And they don't look at you like a sex object." While some Latinas her age try to emulate the tight...

When Carlos Puerto was growing up in his native Colombia, he was taught to step out of bed in the morning on his right foot to ensure a good day. It's a custom, he said, that's common in many Spanish-speaking countries. So he was surprised, many years later, to find a similar practice among Muslims, who follow the example set by the prophet Muhammad. "When I embraced Islam, I was surprised by all the similar customs," said Mr. Puerto, one of a small but growing number of Hispanic...