Harold Morales - Mayan Muslims, Zapatistas, and the Pizzeria in Chiapas: A Media Analysis of the Sources
Tuesday, April 5, 2016 3:00 PM EDT
Johnson Center, A
Though individual Latinos have been embracing Islam in the U.S. since the 1920's, the first Latino Muslim community did not emerge until fifty years later in the 1970's. Today, several Latino Muslims from the U.S. circulate information on a Muslim community that has emerged in Chiapas, Mexico and some have even visited the community there. Unlike the U.S. case, the Tzotzil Mayan Muslims developed a community almost immediately after their first contact with Muslims. Members from the Murabitun Sufi order in Spain migrated to the area when they learned about the Zapatista rebellion from news media. Though a connection was never made with the Zapatistas, the Muslim group did establish a school, pizzeria, and several other businesses that attracted several families to the emerging community. News reports estimate that there are now 300-500 Muslims in Chiapas. This talk seeks to provide an organized presentation of the media sources on the Mayan Muslims in Chiapas and to critically engage these mediations.
Dr. Harold Morales is Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Morgan State University.
