Islam in Nicaragua
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According to 2007 statistics released by the U.S. Department of State concerning Islam in Nicaragua, there are approximately 1,200 to 1,500 Muslims, mostly Sunnis who are resident aliens or naturalized citizens from Palestine, Libya, and Iran or natural-born Nicaraguan citizens born to both of the two groups. The Islamic Cultural Center in Managua serves as the primary salaat (prayer) center for Muslims in the city, with approximately 320 men attending on a regular basis. Muslims from Granada, Masaya, Leon, and Chinandega also travel to the Managua center for Friday prayers. Granada, Masaya, and Leon have smaller prayer centers in the homes of prominent local Muslims. In May 2007 the Sunni leader of the Managua prayer center was dismissed, due to the increase in Iranian influence in the Muslim community and was to be replaced by a Shi'a religious leader. By the end of the reporting period (May 2007) the Shi'a leader had not been identified.[1]
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[edit] Background
[edit] Early Immigration
Muslim immigration occurred in large numbers in Nicaragua in the late 1800's. The majority hailed from the Palestinian territories and constituted one of the biggest waves of immigration to Central America. Although the exact number of Palestinians is not available, Guzmán writes "it is possible that from the end of the nineteenth century until 1917, when the Ottoman Empire entered its final decline, during World War I, 40 Palestinian families arrived in Nicaragua".[2]
This early wave of immigrants quickly lost their Islamic roots and blended into the local population, often by adopting a Christian heritage due to intermarrying and government pressure. At different points during the 1890s to the 1940s Nicaragua, and many other Latin American countries, established laws or issued ordinances that restricted the entry of Arabs, forbade the stay of Arabs already present in the country and curtailed the expansion of their commercial activities.[3]
[edit] Immigration: 1960s through 2000
The second group of immigrants in the 1960s was better educated, but not any more oriented towards Islam than the first. This group was affected by two major events in Nicaragua: the 1972 Nicaragua earthquake, and the Communist Nicaraguan Revolution in 1979. At that time, many of the former Palestinians immigrated to North America or returned to Palestine. Those that stayed suffered greatly and their families were further assimilated into Christianity. The latest and smallest group of émigrés was in the early 1990's. Many of these were immigrants returning to Nicaragua who had since become more aware of their Muslim heritage from exposure in North America or Palestine. These immigrants also possessed a stronger Islamic identity than previous groups, enabling an Islamic reawakening by the community.[4]
By 2000 it was estimated that there were 500 families of Palestine Arabs and Palestinian descendants in Nicaragua. The Palestinians that arrived in Nicaragua were mostly Christians and a small number of Muslims, the majority of which came from rural villages near Ramallah, Jerusalem, Beit Jala and Bethlehem. The total population of Palestinians in Nicaragua ranks as the largest Arab community in Central America.
[edit] Recent Developments
According to Fahmi Hassan, President of the Asociación Cultural Nicaragüense-Islámica, the Muslim population consists primarily of Arabs who immigrated from Palestinian territories and Lebanon, in addition to a growing number of indigenous converts.[5] In 1999, the first masjid (mosque) was constructed in the country on a parcel of land measuring three thousand meters in the San Juan district (Cuidad Jardin) with a capacity for nearly one thousand people. The masjid provides introductory courses on Islamic doctrine, as well as a place for performance of the congregational Friday prayer (Salaat al-Jummah) and Ramadan activities. Although the small Muslim community initially lacked finances, they were assisted by contributions from a delegation of Panamanian Muslims. Besides its characteristic minar, the liturgical office has a library, prayer room, administrative office, children’s area, and a school. Religious seminars are offered for both men and women; Spanish language pamphlets are also distributed.[6] Additionally, another new Islamic Center was recently inaugurated, called the Centro Cultural Islamico Nicaraguense. It is operated by a group of Shiite Muslims and their main goal is the propagation of Islamic teachings.
[edit] Islam and International Relations
On December 18, 2007, the San Antonio Express-News reported that Nicaragua, with backing of its Venezuelan ally, has been forging a new partnership with Iran. Part of that relationship comes in the form of a $350 million deep-water port at Monkey Point on Nicaragua's Atlantic coast that is to extend across the continent to the Pacific Ocean. Iran also recently opened an embassy in Managua. Despite U.S. warnings, Latin American countries, such as Nicaragua and Venezuela have recently been cultivating ties with Iran. President Ortega met with Tehran officials several times seeking help with on major infrastructure projects. Some state department officials are concerned that Iran's presence in Nicaragua would allow Tehran to stage strikes on American interests by deploying the terrorist group Hezbollah and Revolutionary Guard operatives already in Latin America.[7] While there have yet to be any confirmed reports, some anti-terrorism experts say extremist cells tied to Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and the al-Qaida network are operating in Argentina, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Uruguay.[8] This development, along with the growing increase in conversions to Islam among Hispanic gang members are causing many to be concerned.[9][10]
During January of 2007, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited the only mosque in Nicaragua. Ahmadinejad was on a Latin American tour to round up anti-American allies: he promised closer ties with Nicaragua, led by a one-time anti-US foe, President Daniel Ortega.[11] On June 10, 2007, President Ortega met Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iran where both leaders criticized American "imperialism" and shared the opinion that the United States government is "hated" and "isolated". Ortega had said that he was going to travel to Iran on a jet lent to him by the Islamic socialist Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi. Khamenei and Ortega seemed very much in tune in terms of their opposition to the United States coupled with the belief in the necessity of cultivating the relations of anti-American nations to create "a fair international political system"—as Khamenei put it—and establish a new world order to supplant "capitalism and imperialism"—as Ortega couched it. Prior to visiting Imam Khamenei, Daniel Ortega met with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad whereat they concurred with regard to the antithetical position of Iran and Nicaragua towards the US. Ortega's visit to Iran came as a surprise to Washington. This is in light to the Islamic Republic's staunch opposition to socialism and Marxism. However, Ortega said he did not have to seek permission to court the Islamic Republic.[12] Because of Iranian-Nicaraguan relations and Ahmadinejad's visit in Iran, a considerable number of Iranian families settled the nation and they are helped by Centro Cultural Islamico Nicaraguense. Aside from Arabic as a main language for Muslims, Persian and/or other languages of Iran is used, and Iranian Nicaraguan families fluently speak Spanish, Arabic, and Persian and/or any language of Iran.
[edit] Notes
- ^ International Religious Freedom 2007 (Released October 2007, covers period of June 2006 to May 2007)
- ^ Marín Guzmán, Roberto (2000). A Century of Palestinian Immigration Into Central America: A Study of Their Economic and Cultural Contributions. Editorial Universidad de C.R.. pp. 49–59. ISBN 9977675872.
- ^ Civantos, Christina (2005). Between Argentines and Arabs: Argentine orientalism, Arab immigrants, and the writing of identity. SUNY Press. p. 224. ISBN 0791466019.
- ^ The Islamic Bulletin, Islam in Nicaragua
- ^ Edwin Sánchez, Primer Imán de Nicaragua. El Nuevo Diario. Domingo 14 de Marzo de 2004
- ^ Elhamalawy, SalmaCelebrating Ramadan from Chile to China. October 2003
- ^ Iran Is Making a Greater Push Into Nicaragua, December 17, 2007
- ^ Farah, Joseph (2005). Islam on march south of the border: Mexico agrees to monitor foreign groups as Muslim recruitment rate skyrockets
- ^ Barzegar, Abbas (2003). The Emerging Latino Muslim Community in America, Department of Religious Studies, University of Colorado at Boulder
- ^ Zambelis, Chris (2005). Radical Islam in Latin America
- ^ From Here, There and Everywhere. Dawn Magazine. January 21, 2007
- ^ Reuters, Nicaragua leader in Iran, calls for new world order. June 10, 2007
[edit] References
- Latino Dawah
- El Nuevo Diario (in Spanish)
- Farah, Joseph. (2005). Islam on march south of the border: Mexico agrees to monitor foreign groups as Muslim recruitment rate skyrockets
- Valeria Imhof (2003). Urcuyo calma a los árabes. El Nuevo Diario
- Edwin Sánchez (2006). El respeto al profeta ajeno es la paz. El Nuevo Diario
- Elhamalawy, Salma (2003), Celebrating Ramadan from Chile to China.
- Mauricio Pineda Cruz, Carlos (July 2005). Al-Qaeda's Unlikely Allies in Central America. Terrorism Monitor Vol. 3, Issue 1
- Marín-Guzmán, Roberto (2000). A Century of Palestinian Immigration into Central America: A study of their economic and cultural contributions. San Jose, CR: Universidad de Costa Rica.
- International Religious Freedom Report 2005, U.S. Department of State
- International Religious Freedom Report 2001, U.S. Department of State
- The Islamic Bulletin, Islam in Nicaragua
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