Interview with the President of the Supreme Council of Imams and Islamic Affairs in Latin America
The "Islamophobia" trend is weak, and the Islamic presence is strong
The first missionary envoy was behind the establishment of the first mosque in Brazil
The invitation is presented to Muslims and non-Muslims in five languages
Some Islamic minorities in many countries around the world suffer from persecution that reaches the level of genocide in certain areas, while others enjoy religious freedom, which has helped them introduce the tolerance of Islam and its call for peaceful coexistence with non-Muslims.
"Al-Mujtama" raises several issues concerning the situation of Muslims in Latin American countries with Dr. Abdulhamid Metwally, President of the Supreme Council of Imams and Islamic Affairs in Latin America and the Caribbean, and President of the Global Center for Tolerance and Peace in Brazil.
At the outset, we would like to understand the concept of a minority, considering you are one of the leaders of the Muslim minority on the Latin American continent.
– From a linguistic definition, it is derived from the term "few," in contrast to "many." The minority is the collective of individuals who are fewer in number than others. Typically, members of a minority are united by religion, language, ethnicity, color, or any other bond that distinguishes them from others, and their hopes and pains are often similar or closely related. They tend to have closer relationships with each other in terms of social, religious, political, and economic interactions. Despite legal and international protections for minority rights, many minorities face violations of their civil, political, economic, social, or cultural rights, with these violations ranging from discrimination and racism to exclusion.
As for the Muslim minorities, they are groups of Muslims living as subjects in a particular country, representing a numerical minority compared to a majority of the state's population who are non-Muslims, regardless of their faith, whether it is divine, secular, or even non-religious.
How do you see the reality for Muslim minorities around the world?
– It is incorrect to generalize negatively or positively. There are certain countries that are practicing a genocide against them, while others restrict their ability to practice their religion. Some countries do not recognize their religious and cultural identity, and others do not recognize them at all, subjecting them to all forms of persecution. Interestingly, some of these countries are signatories to international agreements that protect minorities. Such countries often suffer from unrest and turmoil, as minority members resist the injustices and marginalization inflicted upon them by the oppressive majority. On the other hand, we find other countries that respect the rights of Muslim minorities through a culture of peace and tolerance, incorporating these rights into their laws and constitutions.
What about the reality of the Muslim minority in this region?
- It is well known that this is one of the continents of the New World, and therefore the Islamic presence here is not as old as it is in the continents of the Old World: Asia, Africa, and Europe. Although there are traces of early Muslims in Brazil, where European colonization brought a large number of Africans to work as slaves in the development of the new lands, many among them were Muslims who were forcibly converted to Christianity. However, many of them kept their Islam a secret and left traces indicating their presence, notably in the village of Bahia, which still has a church that contains Qur'anic verses because it used to be an old mosque.
The wave of Islamic presence has revived again through the migration of some Arabs, especially from the Levant, who settled and succeeded in their businesses, forming minorities that have spread across various countries in Latin America and the Caribbean for about two hundred years. The largest Muslim minority exists in Brazil, and the High Council for Imams and Islamic Affairs in Latin America and the Caribbean was established to unify the efforts of those working in Islamic outreach there. Thank God, the message is being conveyed to Muslims and non-Muslims in five languages: Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish, English, and French, as well as some local languages that each missionary speaks in the country where they reside.
Thank God, the Islamic presence is progressing steadily, thanks to the efforts of the preachers on one hand, and the relatively weak current of "Islamophobia" compared to the European continent, for there is no historical antagonistic legacy between the peoples of this continent and Islam, which makes it fertile ground for the spread of Islam. However, it is required from Arab and Islamic countries and institutions to exert more effort to achieve better and faster results.
As the president of the Global Center for Tolerance and Peace in Brazil, how is the image of Islam presented?
- The Brazilian constitution guarantees religious freedom for individuals of different faiths, and this freedom, protected by the state, leads to the increasing spread of Islam day by day. Perhaps this is what helped the first Egyptian missionary sent to Brazil, Dr. Abdullah Abdul-Shakur, may he rest in peace, who officially founded the first mosque in Latin America in Brazil, as well as establishing the first Islamic school and cemetery in Brazil. Thank God, there are now centers, mosques, and Islamic schools not just in Brazil, but in all countries of the continent.
Dr. Helmi Nasr taught Arabic at the Brazilian OSPB University and established the Arabic language department there, translating the meanings of the Qur'an into Portuguese. There are also joint activities with tolerant Christian institutions in charitable work, environmental service, and more. During these meetings, the message of Islam advocating for tolerance and peace is introduced both practically and verbally, based on the words of Allah: (Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way and He is most knowing of the rightly guided) (An-Nahl: 125).
What is your response to the allegations claiming that non-Muslims are coerced into converting to Islam?
- The decisive point in this matter is the religious texts that protect minorities of non-Muslims in Islamic countries. Allah Almighty said: (There is no compulsion in religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong.) (Al-Baqarah: 256). In fact, Allah has commanded us to be kind and cooperate in good with peaceful non-Muslims, as He said: (Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes— from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.) (Al-Mumtahanah: 8). Perhaps the practical application of this was carried out by the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, through the Constitution of Medina, which is the first civil constitution that embodies true citizenship in Islam. It included the rights and duties of the residents of Medina, both Muslims and non-Muslims, particularly the Jews.
What do you say to those who describe Islam as a religion that rejects the other?
- To these people, we say: Look at the name of our religion, Islam; it is derived from peace, which is the ultimate goal of every rational human being. In fact, peace is one of the names of God’s Most Beautiful Names, and the term "peace" appears in various forms in 140 places, of which 112 are in the form of a noun, and 28 times in the form of a verb. The word "peace" also appears in the Holy Quran with seven meanings: one of the names of God, Islam, the well-known greeting, safety from evil, commendation, goodness, and purity of a thing from any blemish.
And to those who describe our religion as bloody and savage: do not look at what is done by the ignorant extremists who are rejected by religion and from whose actions religion is innocent. Islam is the proof against them, and they are not the proof against the religion. We call upon them to return to the religious texts in the Holy Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah. Rather, they should reflect on the ethics of war in Islam compared to what occurs in contemporary human massacres in wars.
