Islam in Mexico and Central America

The twenty-first century is witnessing interesting demographic changes in the religious make up of Mexico and Central America. The gradual transformation of the religious composition of the states, together with an increase in the elasticity to religious identity, has resulted in a dynamic culture in which religious identity has become more malleable and individuals have found new forms of expression for their faith. The increasing presence of Islam in the region is a marker of, and contributor towards, this changing environment.

The earliest record of a presumed Muslim presence in Central America dates back to the arrival of Africans from the Mandinka, or Malinke, tribe into Panama in 1552 (Westerlund, Svanberg 1999). The five centuries in the interim period lead us to the contemporary situation where Latin Americans are choosing to adopt Islam as their religion in the present day. A feel for how these transformations have come about can be gained by looking at Mexico as a detailed case study. This reveals how Latin America has benefited from immigration and how Islam has enabled people to explore their spirituality, with marginalized peoples finding a voice within the religion.