The Muslim Village Unheard of in Mexico

Let’s explore a village approximately 12,000 km away: San Cristobal (Ahmadiyya) in the Chiapas state of Mexico, where the majority of residents have been Muslims since 1994. The locals later named this village ‘Ahmadiyya.’ The person who introduced them to Islam is Muhammad Nafia, a Spanish-Muslim. Nafia and his friends, who arrived in the region after the Zapatista uprisings, stayed here for many years, continuing their missionary activities. Over time, the efforts bore fruit, and the indigenous people of the Tzotzil (Maya ethnic group) village, following the path opened by Nafia, continue their journey with a growing number of Muslims each day.

Nafia not only preached but also developed economic activities in three different sectors for the newly converted Muslims: food, carpentry, and textiles. This way, a nearly self-sufficient economy was created, allowing Muslim men the freedom to leave work and perform their prayers during working hours. Muslim women, especially in the textile sector, earned independent income and contributed to the development of the local economy.

Despite the initial reluctance of the locals towards Islam, it is observed that they have warmed up to this religion, which does not suppress their culture but affirms what they value.

Amin, a 55-year-old, explains the main reason for choosing Islam:

I love cleanliness and changing my clothes. Islam is a clean religion, and that’s what attracted me to Islam.

Distance makes it challenging to perform religious rituals. Chiapas is one of the country’s poor regions, and finding “halal” meat prepared according to Islamic methods is quite difficult. On the day of Eid al-Adha, the community sacrifices two cows, and the meat from these sacrifices meets this need. Additionally, they share some of this meat with their Christian neighbors in the region.

The Muslims here are making efforts to bring Islamic teachings to the Maya community. Once taught to them, they are now passing on the religious knowledge themselves.

Mexican Muslims are also active on social media, announcing events and activities. They provide a variety of content for those interested in learning about Islam on their websites. With just a click, you can stay informed about their work.