Language of the Moors is Major Contributor to Vocabulary If you speak either Spanish or English, you probably speak more Arabic than you think you do. It’s not “real” Arabic you’re speaking, but rather words that come Arabic. After Latin and English, Arabic is probably the biggest contributor of words to the Spanish language, and a large portion of English-Spanish cognates (words that the two language share) that don’t come from Latin come from Arabic. The English words you’re most likely to think of as Arabic origin are those that start with “al-,” words such as “algebra,” “Allah,” “alkali” and
Read MoreBy Saraji Umm Zaid New York City is home to the first masjid specifically for Spanish speaking people, the Alianza Islamica, originally located in el Barrio (E Harlem) of Manhattan, but now in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx. However, September 11 has proven to us that Muslims, especially those of Latino descent, can not rest on this accomplishment and expect the Alianza to take up the business of telling the Latino community about Islam. Hundreds of the victims of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center were Latinos, many of them working in the service industry
Read MoreBy Juan Galvan Assalaam alaiykum,Juan Alvarado and I were supposed to do an interviewtogether on a Columbian radio morning show. I chickenedout at the last minute. I began to worry that I’d makea fool out of myself. My Spanish isn’t the greatest. Ialso don’t like interviews very much. Juan did a great job. I listened on the other lineduring the interview. The top three questions Juan wasasked were: 3. Do you think John Walker is a traitor?2. Do you pray at the mosque three to five times a day?1. Would your wife let you have four wives? I couldn’t believe
Read MoreBy Juan Galvan As I fly home to Austin, Texas, I remember the days before my conversion to Islam. I am reminded of Armando, a Latino Muslim. He helped introduce me to Islam. While pointing to the East and then the West, Armando said, “Look what God has given us. He created everything. God is All-Powerful.” He had just finished praying magrib. The beauty of the sunset is still present in my mind. “Truly, in remembering Allah do hearts find rest,” Allah states in the Qur’an 13:28. Looking outside this window, I cannot help grinning as I look to my
Read MoreBy Juan Galvan In high school, I received a jolt to my long-held belief when a Christian friend told me that the Holy Trinity was not true and that Jesus was not God. “He was wrong” I told myself. Jesus had to be God. God and humanity were disconnected by the sin committed by Adam and Eve. God sent his only ‘begotten’ son to die because He loved us so much. Because only God forgives, Jesus had to be God. I even had the Bible quotes to prove it! Indeed, being a devout Roman Catholic Christian, I have read almost
Read MoreBy Kenny Yusuf Rodriguez As a nineteen-year-old Dominican Muslim who recently accepted Islam a couple of years ago, I personally know how difficult it is to be a Muslim in this country (nonetheless a Latino Muslim at that). Everyday, not only do we face numerous conflicts living in Western society, but we oftentimes also find ourselves having to defend our beliefs in our own households! Tell me if any of this sounds familiar: “Islam? That’s a religion for Arabs!”“Muslim? What are you, a terrorist now?”“Allah? What’s that? Don’t you believe in Jesus anymore? These are just some of the things
Read MoreBy Khadijah Rivera Piedad, Florida Throughout our illustrious Islamic history, various messengers were sent to different lands to spread the teachings of Al Islam. The beginning of a convert’s Islamic duty is to spread the message in their own land! As Hispanic Americans, we believe we should utilize our gift of a second language to teach our brethren right here in the USA, our adopted homeland. Hispanic Muslims are generally pious people who have taken religion seriously throughout history. Our ancestors have always sought a deeper commitment to a higher truth. The horrendous tragedy of September 11th brought out the
Read MoreBy Linnet Caban I wrote this poem after I was harassed by nonMuslim brothers on my way to work. My Deen“You should be ashamed” Is what they tell me.“Why do you worship Allah? He is not God.”You will not believe what I believe.Nor will I believe what you believe.Allah is my Creator. No one can tell me different.“Why do you cover your head, your body -it’s not normal.”I humble my self, what I have is not for display. What is the norm?Nakedness, display everything, nothing kept sacred, nothing special?Am I to give in to the work of Shaitan and let
Read More“Say: O People of the Book! Do you disapprove of us for no other reason than that we believe in Allah, and the revelation that has come to us and that which came before (us), and (perhaps) that most of you are rebellious and disobedient?” – Qur’an 5:59. “When it is said to them: ‘Make not mischief on the earth,’ they say: ‘Why, we only want to make peace!’ Of a surety, they are the ones who make mischief, but they realize (it) not.” – Qur’an 2:11-12. “Not equal are things that are bad and things that are good, even
Read MoreBy Khadijah Rivera During the first days of the September 11 catastrophe, Muslims were targeted in many different ways. I was spat upon and insulted at work and while traveling to and from work. For a week or two I felt like a victim of 9-11 and could not justify their treatment of sisters around the USA. I was also disappointed in the way a Fatwa was given by Qaradawi and Warith deen Mohammed to take off the veil. Many sisters did and the brothers shaved off their beards. Fortunately, some of us fought back the media by playing them
Read MoreAssalaam alaiykum, Muslims from various backgrounds must work together to spread Islam among Latinos. There’s always dawah work to be done. LADO recognizes the need to specifically target Latinos and thus seeks to assist in dawah efforts among Latinos. Some of our most active supporters are not Latino at all. Latinos cannot and should not isolate themselves from the general Muslim population. LADO’s motto is: “¡Puro Latino! ¡Puro Islam! ¡A su LADO!” Here is a list of things you can do… Greater interaction among Muslims and Latinos is needed. Participate in Latino forums, seminars, and volunteer work. Invite Latinos to
Read MoreBy Michelle Leroux December 2001 I saw the “Cristina Show” called ‘Beneath the Veil.’ It was gut wrenching to say the least. I am not the type to really get mad anymore at these types of shows because it happens all the day all the time its like you become desensitized to it. If I would get mad at all the things I hear and see I think I would have an ulcer by now. Anyway, my grandmother had called me up the day of the show and told me to tune in to Christina’s show at 10 pm. She
Read Morehttp://www.verdeislam.com/vi%5F03/VI%5F307.htm A principios de este siglo, don Julián Ribera, que por entonces investigaba los orígenes de la literatura castellana, dio a conocer un sorprendente hallazgo que venía a contradecir la teoría admitida según la cual el origen de dicha literatura había que buscarlo en la poesía trovadoresca galaico-provenzal. Ribera había encontrado uno de esos eslabones perdidos sin los que la historia de la lengua y de la cultura española habrían mantenido una seria e importante laguna. Por el testimonio de dos escritores árabes del siglo XII supo que un poeta de Cabra, Muqaddem Ibn Muafa, llamado “el ciego”, que vivió
Read MoreBy Sidra Khan http://www.thetruereligion.org/womanmission.htm The Guardian (London)Thursday 8th May 1997Sidra Khan reports on Aisha Bhutta’s bid to convert the world to Islam Aisha Bhutta, nee Debbie Rogers, is serene. She sits on the sofa in big front room of her tenement flat in Cowcaddens, Glasgow. The walls are hung with quotations from the Koran, a special clock to remind the family of prayer times and posters of the Holy City of Mecca. Aisha’s piercing blue eyes sparkle with evangelical zeal, she smiles with a radiance only true believers possess. Her face is that of a strong Scots lass – no
Read MoreBy Tazin AbdullahMedia StudentMacquarie University, Australia This is a satire written to mimic articles, reports and stories generally written about Muslim women by women from Western non-Muslim backgrounds. It is, to some extent, an attempt to convey to the readers how it feels to be ‘othered’ and to be judged superficially in accordance with only one’s own perceptions. I hope you take it for what it is – a satire. (Note: Words referencing to Australia and Sydney have been replaced with America and Miami. Written by a Muslimah student attending a university in Australia.) I do not clearly remember the
Read More