OK !
Posted on 01/23/2005 3:12:28 AM PST by Calpernia
Mexico may be well on its way to a monotheistic revolution. This new trend is emerging from recent developments, and reflects a similar change evident in other South American nations - people are embracing Islam by the thousands, jettisoning the Catholicism imposed upon their ancestors in Spain.
The prayer congregation has tripled since Mexico City's Centro Cultural Islamico de Mexico (CCIM) first opened its doors 6 years ago. The numbers could be even higher. However, most Mexicans still have almost no knowledge of Islam. CCIM is spreading the Oneness of Allah at all levels of society and translating Islamic publications into Spanish. It also has several native-born active Da'wah graduates from Saudi Arabian universities who speak fluent Arabic. The Center's Islamic public radio program had to be suspended because of financial constraints.
In the last 3 years, CCIM built two new mosques in two cities close to the capital. Its ultimate goal is to establish full-time mosques in every major Mexican city.
Early History
Mexico has a rich history. The people of pre-Columbian Mexico, the Mayans, led a life similar to Native American Indians and were pantheists who relied upon high priests to mediate with their nature gods. Locked in wars and short of food, they gradually were wiped out and replaced by the Aztecs. These people believed in a polytheistic religion based on the world's constant creation and destruction. Their religion taught them that disasters could be averted only through warfarre and human sacrifice. By the sixteenth century, the Aztecs ruled a large part of Mexico.
In the early 1500's, Spanish conquistadors from Cuba and Spain came to pillage Mexico's natural resources - namely gold - and find glory. Cortez, the most infamous conquistador, posed as an Aztec god to mystify and trick people into joining forces with him. He conquered the Aztecs in less than 3 years, and set up "New Spain."
In 1535, the first royal court was established to grant Spanish colonists control over native labor and produce. The Roman Catholic Church allied to the Spanish monarchy, worked for creating a land free of religious dissent and to convert the people. During the 300 years of Spanish rule in Mexico, the colonists controlled all wealth and political power, and the natives had no other choice but to bey orders or to face death.
By the seventeenth century, New Spain had nearly collapsed, and Mexican Indians were dying by the millions from the imported diseases and the hard labor imposed by their oppressors. Out of nearly 11 million people in the 1520's, only less than 1 million remained by the 1550's. The cattle and sheep herds brought by the Spaniards ruined farmlands and depleted water resources, making it almost impossible for the natives to grow food. After enduring plunder and subjugation for centuries, Mexicans revolted and regained control over Mexico in the early 1900's.
Mexico Today
Today, Mexico has over 90 million people, most of whom follow the Catholicism imposed by the conquering Spaniards. However, the foodgates of religious thought have opened, and people are examing other religions - especially Islam.
There is very little knowledge about the origins of Islam in Mexico. Some sources say Syrian immigrants brought it; others say it came with Turkish immigrants.
Today, most Mexican Islamic organizations focus on grassroots Da'wah. These small organizations are most effective at the community level, going from village to village and speaking directly to the people. As a result of such hard work, Mexicans are eager to learn about Islam, and many are declaring their Shahadah - profession of faith in Islam.
Uniting Christians for Evangelism and Revival
The Mission America Coalition (MAC) is helping mobilize Christian leaders and individual Christians to collaborate together to reach America with the love and grace of Jesus Christ.
Our mission statement is "The whole Church taking the whole Gospel to the whole Nation - and to the World."
Through encouraging Christians to pray for, care for and share Jesus Christ with every person, the Coalition emphasizes spiritual unity, evangelism and revival.
You and your ilk on FR are so damn transparent, IMO, with your hysterics and ulterior motives.
It's stifle, and who made you the aribiter of all debates?
Fox questions why British military were in Mexico
(CNN) -- Mexican President Vicente Fox said Wednesday he wants to know why members of the British military were in his country for a cave expedition, but never notified his government.
Six members of a British cave exploration team, including four members of the British military, have been trapped in a cave for a week after flash-flooding prevented their exit.
All are in good health and their lives are not believed to be in jeopardy.
Fox said the British team entered Mexico as tourists and didn't notify the government that some of them were members of the British military and that they were going on an expedition.
"I have instructed the foreign relations minister to file a formal protest immediately and to request a clarification from the British government what were they doing here," Fox said.
The stranded divers are part of an expedition working for the Royal Geographical Society of Great Britain.
Steve Whitlock, who is leading the expedition of 12 people, has said they are attempting to map out the Mexican caves because they believe the cave structure might be among the longest in the world.
"It's original exploration, and at the end of the day it is quite good to find passage where nobody has been before," he said.
Half the team left last Tuesday on what was supposed to be a two-day trip, but heavy rains triggered flash-flooding, cutting off the exit.
When they realized what had happened, the six went to an underground camp stocked with food, sleeping bags, a first aid kit and a cave radio.
Whitlock said two of his team members had radio contact with the six trapped cave explorers Wednesday.
"They are in great health and great spirits," he said.
He said there is no immediate threat to their safety because they have enough food to get them through the weekend.
Meanwhile, two British Navy divers are expected to swim through the flooded portion of the cave Thursday.
Whitlock said the divers will bring with them extra scuba gear for those trapped. They will assess whether to bring the cavers out now or to take them more food and supplies and wait until the water recedes.
The area that is flooded is about 100 yards long and reaches to the top of the cave, about 6 six feet high.
The cave is near the town of Cuetzalan, about 180 miles (300 km) northeast of Mexico City.
Like I said before you all shouldn't follow the ethics of the mainstream American media.
Link and past for 133???
The references to this are endless (for those of us with "ulterior motives!!) LOL!
Mexican-American Catholics
... Asians. In 1997, the American Muslim Council counted 40,000 Hispanic Muslims; current estimates range up to 60,000. Estimates of ...
wais.stanford.edu/Religion/ religion_mexamercatholics63002.html - 5k - Cached - Similar pages
Muslim American Society
... next three years (711-714), the Muslim Moors would ... is no doubt that Islam influenced Hispanic culture,” says ... Islam that is attracting so many Latino converts ...
www.masnet.org/spirit.asp?id=25 - 19k - Cached - Similar pages
muhammadsgsa.org
... Throughout the "Latino" community many people are asking what ... to the Creator's law, consequently they are Muslims. ... is an intragal part of the "Hispanic" culture ...
groups.msn.com/muhammadsgsaorg/islamforlatinos.msnw - 29k - Cached - Similar pages
Excuse me, reply #123.
It will grow among Communist socials, anti-Catholic societies, and criminals. This "religion" frees the individual from human God-given inhibitions to hate and murder. If South and Latin Americans thugs don't press their heads into the dirt in the direction of Mecca, they'll at least give parity to Islam and speak respectfully of it as they lay waste to all human life. Like the historical past, the Catholic Church and not America will be the biggest target.
You mean this?
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/03/24/trapped.cavers/
You know Dane, if you don't want to be on this thread, you don't need to be.
Some of us actually compile stories here at FR for other references that 'debating'.
bump
I'm not buying it.
Some of us actually compile stories here at FR for other references that 'debating'
Whatever self-appointed bouncer/bruiser for this thread.
I can't help if it the actual facts of the matter disagreee with your hyperbolic thread that islam is not making inroads in Mexico(which is 98% Christian).
You all tancredoites are like democrats, go back to old same hyperbolic playbook.
Sorry but your old tired playbook doesn't work anymore.
OK !
Than maybe you need to ring up Admin Mod to have this hyperbole removed from FR ;)
Why should I, hyperbole is free speech, the thing you don't get and are mad about is when your hyperbole is proven wrong.
>>>http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1326561/posts?page=123#123
When this story was first reported, they said the caves were being mapped. I don't remember them specifically saying they were doing UNDERGROUND mapping of these caves:
>>>Meanwhile, two British Navy divers are expected to swim through the flooded portion of the cave Thursday.
Whitlock said the divers will bring with them extra scuba gear for those trapped. They will assess whether to bring the cavers out now or to take them more food and supplies and wait until the water recedes.<<<
Remember all those messages we saw posted about divers?
Anyone know if any of these underground gaves leads to Texas? The Caves Of Cuetzalan - Total Lengths Surveyed:
http://www.vale.org.uk/caves/cuetzalan/biblio/cc62_93.html
Me thinks you are the only whiney one here that has not provided anything to back up statements made.
You even ignored my mosque search link.
You are now on IGNORE.
nw_arizona_granny found this article in Google Group: misc.activism.progressive
::NOTE FROM BELOW::
>>>>The declaration by the President of the Republic, who
refrains from referring to the reasons for the heightening of military bases and headquarters since 1994, doesnt explain, or consider, not to mention question the presence, threat, permanent hassling and guard of the military towards the EZLN and the civil population. Therefore, it denies the possibility of demilitarisation and lessening of tensions in Chiapas. Peace isnt built through military threat.<<<<
[SIPAZ]
Statement by the Chiapas Peace Network...
Only 1 message in topic
SIPAZ WEBADMIN
Jan 22, 11:55 pm show options
Statement by the Chiapas Peace Network
Following the recent declarations by Vicente Fox
Quesada, President
of the Mexican Republic concerning the conflict in
Chiapas
14th of January 2005
As the Peace Network of Chiapas, we declare that in
Chiapas we are undergoing a situation of war and general conflict, and at present we are experiencing an acceleration and heightening of conflict.
The conflict in Chiapas will not be resolved by the
construction of factories of fried produce or through programs for development aimed solely at the supporters of the present Government. Neither will it be resolved through plans that exclusively benefit foreign investors and that fail to consider the damage to the environment, culture, society and human rights that this brings towards the indigenous communities and the poorest citizens of our society.
The recent speech by President Vicente Fox Quezada
on the EZLN states it as practically a thing of the past with everyone looking towards the future.
This radically affects any civil and political initiative
for resolving the conflict. It also clearly expresses the
posture from above that denies the existence of armed conflict in
Chiapas.
The far off possibility of returning to the negotiation
table and of dialog between the federal government and the
EZLN becomes impossible, at least during the present six-year period, because the holder of the executive denies validity of its speaker. Until when will the politicians who claim to work for the benefit of both parties maintain this irresponsible attitude?
The declaration by the President of the Republic, who
refrains from referring to the reasons for the heightening of military bases and headquarters since 1994, doesnt explain, or consider, not to mention question the presence, threat, permanent hassling and guard of the military towards the EZLN and the civil population. Therefore, it denies the possibility of demilitarisation and lessening of tensions in Chiapas. Peace isnt built through military threat.
The declarations by the President and the Governor
Pablo Salazar Mendiguchma clearly demonstrate that the policies towards the State of Chiapas fail to include any intention of transforming the conflict and war into proposals that can surpass the ancestral marginalisation of the indigenous communities, but maintain the military strategy of exhausting the EZLN and their support bases.
We are sorry that the Federal Government, instead of
generating conditions leading to a resolution of the conflict in Chiapas and reestablishment of the mechanisms of dialog destroyed by the six-year period under Zedillo, sustains a strategy of exhaustion. They are maintaining the inefficiency of the instances first created to aid the search for peace and reduce the ancestral conflict between the Nation and the Indigenous Communities, at present limited to a series of Economical Development Programs.
This strategy not only affects those who wish to put
an end to all this, but it affects the entire society: it accelerates the contradictions and conflicts between the different economical, political, religious and identity groups.
For the year 2005 we cant expect the confrontations
and divisions to lessen, on the contrary, they will continue.
The Mexican Government manifests, once more, an
inability to transform civil and political conflicts in a creative and encompassing manner, this is a sign of the accelerated crisis in which the Nation is submerged.
On the other hand, we trust that the availability and
conscience displayed in the Good Government Committees (JBG)
of the Caracoles will be maintained in order to peacefully and positively resolve the conflicts arising between its members and those of other organizations.
We also trust that the other indigenous, farming,
social and civil organisations in Chiapas may work for unity and reconciliation and advance towards the creation of alliances and economical, political and social alternatives for the benefit of all Mexicans.
Interesting, if not biased choice of phrases there.
"The Mexican Government manifests, once more, an
inability to transform civil and political conflicts in a creative and encompassing manner, this is a sign of the accelerated crisis in which the Nation is submerged. "
That pretty much says it all.
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