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Did you know that ARGENTINA has the LARGEST Muslim community and largest Mosque in the ENTIRE continent of South America?
In fact, the Argentinian Muslim community goes back 5 centuries ago, and some trace their origins to a 9th century Muslim Emirate!
When Muslims were prosecuted in Andalus during the 15th century Catholic inquisitions, the majority escaped to Morocco, and some escaped to the emerging Ottoman Empire. However, a group of Muslims decided to go as far as possible to the “newly discovered lands” in South America!
The Muslims were welcomed on the boats of the Spanish due to their expertise in boat-building, engineering and navigational sciences, as the Spanish themselves wouldn’t go too far in their journey without the wealth of knowledge and experience Muslims had at the time.
This helped the skilled Muslims get spared from torture and the death penalty "back home" in Andalus!
Argentina being on the Eastern-most side of the continent, made it a convenient first spot for arrival and settling 🇦🇷. The early generations of Muslims held onto their faith secretly and parts of the later generations gradually lost it and adopted Catholicism.
If you need any proof of this, the second largest city in Argentina today after the capital, is called... CORDOBA! Yes, the same Cordoba that was the administrative, cultural, and educational capital of Andalus for the majority of the 8 centuries of Muslim presence!
Later in the 19th century, 2 groups started to arrive to Argentina in mass numbers: The Italians and the Arabs.
1 - The Italians: who were having a civil war back home and wanted to escape to safety. The numbers were so large that today, 60% of Argentinians are ethnically Italian, which is unique on a continent that has a majority of Spanish, Portuguese and indigenous people!
As many of the Italians sailed from South Italy, they traced their ancestry partially to Sicilian Muslims, who lived in Sicily from 831 to 1302! (Muslims ruled Sicily for half of that period!) DNA samples today confirm the trace lineage!
2 - Arabs: who were fleeing the turbulent last days of the Ottoman Empire, from the oppressive French Republic and the British Empire, during the 19th century.
In fact, over 4 million Argentinian citizens today are ethnically Arab! (around 10%). While the majority of them are Christian Arabs, the Muslims are approximately over 1 million!
Worth noting, the most prominent Argentinian president, Carlos Menem, was born a Muslim to Syrian parents. Later in his life, he converted to Catholicism (probably to pursue his political career!).
Today, the mosque you see in the photo is the King Fahd Islamic Centre built in 1996 in the capital Buenos Aires. It has a library, 2 Islamic schools and a park. It is the largest on the continent, and the centre for Dawah for a growing community!
The treatment of the Muslim community in Argentina is way better than countries like France. Muslims in Argentina are free to work or study in Hijab, to swim in covered clothing, to have ID photos in Hijab, all of which are banned or incur fines in France!
In fact, there was a legal legislation introduced in 2011 specifically guaranteeing protection for Muslims in Argentina from discrimination, the polar opposite of what the French gov is doing! Argentinians also support Palestine more than the other side!
May Allah protect the Muslim community in Argentina (and the whole world) and allow them to continue a legacy of 5 centuries as a faithful representative of Islam in South America. Ameen!
In fact, the Argentinian Muslim community goes back 5 centuries ago, and some trace their origins to a 9th century Muslim Emirate!
When Muslims were prosecuted in Andalus during the 15th century Catholic inquisitions, the majority escaped to Morocco, and some escaped to the emerging Ottoman Empire. However, a group of Muslims decided to go as far as possible to the “newly discovered lands” in South America!
The Muslims were welcomed on the boats of the Spanish due to their expertise in boat-building, engineering and navigational sciences, as the Spanish themselves wouldn’t go too far in their journey without the wealth of knowledge and experience Muslims had at the time.
This helped the skilled Muslims get spared from torture and the death penalty "back home" in Andalus!
Argentina being on the Eastern-most side of the continent, made it a convenient first spot for arrival and settling 🇦🇷. The early generations of Muslims held onto their faith secretly and parts of the later generations gradually lost it and adopted Catholicism.
If you need any proof of this, the second largest city in Argentina today after the capital, is called... CORDOBA! Yes, the same Cordoba that was the administrative, cultural, and educational capital of Andalus for the majority of the 8 centuries of Muslim presence!
Later in the 19th century, 2 groups started to arrive to Argentina in mass numbers: The Italians and the Arabs.
1 - The Italians: who were having a civil war back home and wanted to escape to safety. The numbers were so large that today, 60% of Argentinians are ethnically Italian, which is unique on a continent that has a majority of Spanish, Portuguese and indigenous people!
As many of the Italians sailed from South Italy, they traced their ancestry partially to Sicilian Muslims, who lived in Sicily from 831 to 1302! (Muslims ruled Sicily for half of that period!) DNA samples today confirm the trace lineage!
2 - Arabs: who were fleeing the turbulent last days of the Ottoman Empire, from the oppressive French Republic and the British Empire, during the 19th century.
In fact, over 4 million Argentinian citizens today are ethnically Arab! (around 10%). While the majority of them are Christian Arabs, the Muslims are approximately over 1 million!
Worth noting, the most prominent Argentinian president, Carlos Menem, was born a Muslim to Syrian parents. Later in his life, he converted to Catholicism (probably to pursue his political career!).
Today, the mosque you see in the photo is the King Fahd Islamic Centre built in 1996 in the capital Buenos Aires. It has a library, 2 Islamic schools and a park. It is the largest on the continent, and the centre for Dawah for a growing community!
The treatment of the Muslim community in Argentina is way better than countries like France. Muslims in Argentina are free to work or study in Hijab, to swim in covered clothing, to have ID photos in Hijab, all of which are banned or incur fines in France!
In fact, there was a legal legislation introduced in 2011 specifically guaranteeing protection for Muslims in Argentina from discrimination, the polar opposite of what the French gov is doing! Argentinians also support Palestine more than the other side!
May Allah protect the Muslim community in Argentina (and the whole world) and allow them to continue a legacy of 5 centuries as a faithful representative of Islam in South America. Ameen!
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