Mexico, the land of rich culture filled with Mariachi, Tamales, Cathedrals, and yes even Islam. It is no lie that the fastest growing ethnic group in Islam is the Latino and Hispanic community. Many latino and hispanic reverts come from Christian backgrounds like myself and struggle immensely to adapt to Islam and the culture barriers that feel inevitable to escape. Latinos and hispanics vary widely in culture and language all throughout Central and South America from Mexico to the lowest points of Argentina. Yet, Islam in Mexico is filled with tons of beautiful hidden history that gets overlooked by Catholic and Spaniard colonialism roots. Mexico has so much to offer in terms of food, architecture, history, and rich traditions. My family is from Jalisco, Mexico and I was lucky enough to visit this past July. My favorite part about being from Mexico is the amazing people who embrace their love through their culture. Visiting Mexico has always been amazing but visiting as a new muslim and a hijabi was a unique experience.

But the big question is, how did Islam enter Mexico in the first place? And what is it like being Muslim in a non-muslim country such as Mexico?

The hidden Islamic heritage in Mexico is filled with deep history thanks to the first Muslim, a Moroccan man who arrived in Mexico with the Spanish Colonizers during the 16th century (Woodman). Then mass Spaniard and Arab settlement in the 1950s led to an increase of Islam throughout Mexico. The Spanish Murabitun community based in Grenada, Spain landed in the state of Chiapas through the missionary Muhammmad Nafia. By 1994, many indigenous Mayans converted to Islam (Marco).

Just a few hours North in Veracruz there was an arrival of Lebanese immigrants from Beirut due to the Lebanon war in 1948 that added to the growing population of Muslims, as well as Catholics and Maronites. In 2018 there were over two million Mexicans with Lebanese descent. Thanks to the Lebanese immigrants, they opened the first masjid called Mezquita Soryara located in Coahuila and it was completed in 1981 (Excelsior). This was also the first Shi'a Masjid. Now there are a total of 16 masajids throughout Mexico. 

In fact, Guadalajara (located in Jalisco, Mexico) is an Arabic term meaning Valley of the Stones, while 2,000-3,000 Spanish words are Arabic in origin. Other Spanish words of Arabic origin include jabon (soap), arroz (rice), and alcalde (mayo). The Moorish rule in Spain for nearly 800 years eventually influenced the Mexican language, religion, architecture, and food once the Spanish arrived in Mexico. As the Indigenous and Spanish Catholic roots are often celebrated, unfortunately they’re Islamic heritage often goes unnoticed and simply forgotten. 

Luckily, I was able to visit family in Guadalajara, Mexico this past July and it was an experience I'll never forget. My family and I went to several cities including: Tonala, Zapopan, and Tlaquepaque filled with beautiful colors and amazing food. Although the cities were beautiful and filled with vibrant environments, it was hard to ignore the fact that many people looked my way due to the hijab. At one point a family at a restaurant kindly asked to take a photo with me since they liked my hijab. That felt like my five seconds of fame! But I loved how many people were intrigued by my hijab since it is very foreign to them unfortunately. Inshallah my hijab is the reason someone looks into Islam. In this case, it is best to simply smile back at them and hopefully be the reason they learn about Islam :) 

I felt at home once I went to Jummah at the local masjid called Mezquita de Guadalajara Isa Ibn Maryam located in Guadalajara. The small community was extremely welcoming and informative and even gave my non-Muslim family several Spanish Qurans to take home. All the women in the masjid were Spanish speakers and most were reverts as well while others were born Muslim. They were amazed by the fact that I wore a hijab permanently and one of them remarked that it can be daunting to wear it considering the some prejudices on hijabi women in Mexico.

Being Muslim in Mexico can feel like the center of attention but also rewarding since you may be the reason someone looks into Islam by simply being one of the few muslims in the country. However, finding halal food can be hard but possible considering the fact that many dishes are made with pork. Luckily some restaurants such as Suleyma, a Lebanese restaurant, offered halal food that tasted amazing and felt like the perfect mixture of Lebanese and Mexican flavors.