Convert Maria Moreira
examines the history
and current state of
the Muslim community
in Latin America's
largest country.
Brazil is
the largest
country in
Latin
America.
Although
there are no
official
statistics,
the Muslim
population
in Brazil is
estimated to
be
approximately
1 million
people, with
a total
population
of more than
170 million.
This number
includes
converts to
Islam, Arab
immigrants
and their
descendants.
Brazilian
converts
make up for
no more than
1% of this
number,
about 10,000
people.
Therefore,
within a
population
of over 170
million, the
small number
that make up
Brazilian
converts to
Islam have
very little
power.
Islam is the
fastest
growing
religion in
the world.
However, in
Latin
America, and
specifically
in Brazil,
this is not
the case.
Why?
One could
argue that
this is due
to the
strong
influence of
the Catholic
Church.
Brazil is
considered
to be the
largest
Catholic
country in
the world.
However, a
closer look
proves that
this is not
true.
Despite its
strong
presence,
Catholicism
has been
losing
followers in
Brazil to
other
religions.
The argument has
also been made that
it is due to the
Latin culture, which
encourages
Brazilians to always
be playing, dancing
and engaging in
activities that are
not lawful in Islam.
As such, it is
assumed that
Brazilians simply
aren't fit to be
Muslims. This is
generally the excuse
used by those
responsible for
Dawah work in Brazil
for their failure.
It is, of course,
not true. Brazilians
are, by nature, very
religious and have
in the past been an
easy prey to all
sorts of innovative
religious movements.
So, what is really
happening?
Through the
statement of sheikh
Khalil Saifi,
coordinator of the
Center of
Divulgation of Islam
to Latin America, we
can easily identify
the real problem.
The Center is
located in Sao
Bernardo do Campo,
in the most
important state of
Brazil: Sao Paulo.
Its president is Mr.
Mohammed Saifi, a
Lebanese immigrant
who came to Brazil
several years ago.
Mainly his relatives
and close friends
compose the Center's
staff. In an
interview with "Isto�"
magazine, one of the
most important
magazines in the
country, sheikh
Khalil Saifi said:
"Our main concern is
to attend to the
Muslims who
descended from Arabs
to help them
preserve their link
to their language
and culture." And,
continuing in his
statement: "The
Brazilians who come
to us come through
the contact with
Muslims out there."
Based on such
statements, we are
lead to conclude
that a group of
persons, who are
supposed to make "Dawah,"
have decided who has
the right to be
Muslim or not.
When a Brazilian
decides to go
against their
"plans," he or she
is treated as an
intruder in the
Arab-Muslim
community. All
his/her misbehaviors
concerning religious
teachings are
highlighted and
pointed out, even if
the same mistake is
occurring among the
Arab-Muslims. Normal
mistakes due to lack
of experience in the
religion are
presented as "proof"
of an "incapacity"
to practice and
understand the
religion. Little
attention is given
to the fact that the
right teachings are
not easily available
to converts.
The new converts
then have to fight
alone against the
criticism of his/her
family, friends, the
Brazilian society
and worst: fight
against the
criticism of their
own fellow Muslim
brothers and
sisters. The feeling
of isolation leads
some to abandon
Islam after a while.
Others keep
insisting and all
these difficulties
just increase their
faith and search for
knowledge.
For those who
persevere, they face
another problem -
the lack of good
books about Islam
available in the
Portuguese language.
The other Latin
people are Spanish
speakers and can
depend on good works
translated to
Spanish. However,
Brazilians are the
only Portuguese
speakers among
Latinos and this
fact increases their
difficulties. The
Center of
Divulgation of Islam
to Latin America
provides the few
books available. The
books that have been
chosen for
translation are
often of poor
content quality.
When a good book
choice is made, a
bad translation
often destroys the
work of its author.
And even these few
and badly translated
books are difficult
to find.
The lack of interest
in spreading Islam
is quite clear when
one observes that
the institution
which is responsible
for "Dawah" not only
in Brazil but in all
Latin America,
doesn't maintain a
website about Islam.
When such a resource
is available nearly
for free to everyone
and day-by-day more
and more Muslim
individuals and
institutions are
using the Internet
to inform about the
Islamic teachings,
this attitude is
undoubtedly proof
that the Center
fails to fulfill its
most vital function.
Brazil: A Muslim
History?
Next April, Brazil
will celebrate 500
years of its
discovery, and a
major controversy is
surrounding the
event. In
traditional
Brazilian history,
the discovery of the
country is
attributed to a
Portuguese navigator
named Pedro Alvarez
Cabral. New
historical sources
however, seem to
offer another fact:
that the discoverer
might have been a
Spanish navigator.
More and more
historians, both
Muslim and
non-Muslim, are
becoming aware of
the strong Muslim
presence in the
early Americas. Many
evidences of the
Muslim presence in
Brazil, including
inscriptions with
the name of Allah,
have being found. In
the language of the
Native Americans,
words of Arabic
origin have been
identified, and even
the names of some
Brazilian cities
which were supposed
to be related with
the native American
language, seems to
have Arabic origins.
If all this
information is
confirmed and
introduced
officially as part
of Brazilian
history, it means
that faithful
Muslims were the
first ones to
discover Brazil more
than 500 years ago.
Also, through the
Muslim slaves
brought from Africa,
we can easily
identify the
influence of the
Islamic culture,
although greatly
distorted nowadays.
This is especially
evident in the
northeast region of
the country.
All of this proves
that Islam is not an
alien to the
Brazilian culture.
It's indeed an
important part of
it. Presenting Islam
to the Brazilian
people in a
comprehensive manner
is important not
just to preach one
religion; it is also
to help them to
restore their
original culture,
carefully erased due
to political and
religious interests
in the past.
Unfortunately,
political and
personal interests
in the present
coming this time
from Muslims
themselves seem to
be preventing or at
least delaying such
tasks. Let us hope
and pray to Allah
that faithful
Muslims of the
present could
"rediscover" Brazil
and give to its
people the chance to
know the beauty and
wisdom of Islam
