SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) — Yasser Asgari, Latin America expert at Al-Mustafa International University explained on the issues of Muslims in the continent noting the first presence of Islam in the region dates back to centuries before Columbus discovered America.
He said many slaves who were kidnapped from Western and Northern Africa had been Muslims and that became the beginning point for presence and spread of Islam in Latin America.
This Muslim expert referred to the history of Islam in Latin American countries and counted political suffocation, economic motivations and civil war as the main reasons for later immigration of Muslims from across the world.
The researcher at Al Mustafa University said the number of Muslims is roughly estimated around four million who unfortunately do not have enough solidarity among themselves.
According to Yasser Asgari, due to the negative propaganda of the media and oppressive governments were the leverages to force Muslims to convert to other religions.
He criticized western capitalist and Zionist-backed media for misrepresenting Islam and Muslims when the same Islamophobic move stirred the curiosity of some others to convert to Islam.
Based on the researcher, a problem for the Muslims in Latin America is lack of mass media for a better education of Islamic sciences and Arabic language to the emigrants.
He also counted inviting Muslim leaders and preachers for international conferences, participating in interfaith dialogues and also an active presence in the media and universities as opportunities to present true Islam and foiling anti-Islamic moves in Latin America. —www.shafaqna.com/english
Source: Abna
