Written for The Argo by Iman Ahmed.

On November 4, 2024, the Muslim Student Association collaborated with Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority on an informative event to discuss the influence of Islam in Latin America. 

This event encompassed an interactive presentation, speakers, translators, vendors, and more. Speakers included guests, Salik al Khidr and James Brown, and students, Khadjia Vasquez, Jade Rojas, and Ahnjeles Maldonado. The presentation was translated by Abdus Samad and the food was catered by Maharaja Indian Restaurant, which provided halal tacos. For dessert, everyone was welcome to tres leches cake.

The event began with vendors who tabled alongside the D/F plaza. Vendors included the following: Chi Upsilon Sigma, Omega Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc., the Honduran Student Association, Helping Hand for Relief and Development, and Nadia’s Creative Art. Free Qurans were gifted from the guest speakers, Salik al Khidr and James Brown. After Maghrib prayer in the Meditation Room, F-012, everyone was welcomed to the Multicultural Center where the speakers began their presentations.

Jade Rojas and Naada Moustafa spoke about the similarities between the linguistics in both Arabic and Spanish. Their topic ended with an activity of matching words in Arabic to Spanish, where attendees sitting in a chair with a card with a word in Arabic had to find the person who had that word in Spanish. This interactive activity allowed everyone to have multiple examples of similar root words that can allow an Arabic-speaking person to have a casual conversation with a Spanish-speaking person.

The presentation continues with Salik Al-Khidr who briefly explains what Islam is to members of the audience who may not be educated on the religion. He speaks about the Ahl al-Kitab, or the People of the Book. This includes not only Muslims, but the Jewish and Christian communities as well. He informed the audience, “This shared foundation highlights that Islam, while distinct in its practices and theology, is deeply connected to the Abrahamic traditions, making it a continuation rather than a breakaway faith.”

Speaker James Brown explained the Inventions and Innovations created throughout the submergence of the culture. Architecture, agriculture, and medicine were heavily influenced. The impact of language is one of the most important parts of the connection between both cultures. The need to communicate inspired interactions that intersected with the cultures. Referring to the first part of the presentation, Brown speaks about the similarities in both languages. 

Student speaker Khadija Vasquez, a Latina Muslim, spoke about modern-time Latino Muslims. She explained reasons as to why Latinos would want to revert to Islam. Some reasons include wanting to reconnect with their Moorish heritage, spiritual reasons, and more exposure to Islam. She gives statistics in which 560 Hispanic Muslims were asked about their reasoning for embracing Islam. 95% answered the aspect of Islamic Belief in Monotheism and 94% answered that they wanted to embrace Islam due to their desire to have a direct personal experience of God.

Ahnjeles Maldonado, a member of Lambda Theta Alpha, speaks on the Statistics of Islam in the Medieval days. This included the access to Islamic education in Spain. Islamic education was not easily accessed and Maldonado shares a recent story of a family in 2022 who asked for Islamic education. Despite having the right to Islamic education, the school denied it. 

The presentation concluded with Khadija Vasquez who shared her feelings on the importance of the Islamic influence on the Hispanic world. She shared a powerful message: “As a community, we must come together, break down barriers, and support one another. For my fellow Hispanics, Muslims are not the evil you might have been led to believe. Get to know your neighbor–we stand together in a world that already has too much division and hate.”

Zikra Naz, President of the Muslim Student Association, then shared her goals when it comes to creating these informative events. Naz said, “In working with Hispanic Muslim students, many have shared that this is a reality they face, and it’s something we want to address. Our goal is to bridge this gap by educating people, shedding light on the Muslim perspective, and creating a space that not only brings awareness but also challenges and broadens the Hispanic community’s understanding of Islam and Muslims.”

Salik Al Khidr, a guest speaker, also explained what this event meant to him: “The event was exactly what I envisioned when Allah said in Surah al-Hujurat: ‘O humanity! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may get to know one another.” It was an amazing opportunity to bridge the gaps between us culturally,  and bring us closer together as the Ummah of Sayyidina Muhammad ‏ ﷺ.”

Khadija Vaquez, a Latina Muslim and student speaker, showed her passion for this topic and the importance of gaining knowledge and opening doors for Muslims of different cultures. Vasquez said, “This event was a powerful moment for the Hispanic and Muslim community. As a Hispanic Muslim, I felt my voice truly heard and my heart filled with passion. It made me realize how much our community needs people like us to support new Hispanic converts on their faith journey.”

The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim.”  Sunan Ibn Mājah 224