Argentina is a Christian country and Islam is a minority religion in it. However, because of secular nature of the country’s constitution, Muslims are free to adopt Islamic practices and they can also build Mosques in the country.
1- Largest Muslim Community in South America
Argentina has the largest Muslim community in South America. The Muslim population is approximately 900K to 1 million, constituting around 2% of the country's total population.
2- Largest Mosque in South America
The largest Mosque, King Fahad Islamic Center, in the entire continent of South America is in Argentina. Itwas built in 1996 in the capital Buenos Aires. It has a library and 2 Islamic Schools which works as the center for Dawah for a growing Islamic Community.
3- Early History of the Muslim Community
Although the growth of Islam in Argentina picks up pace in the 19th and 20th centuries, the origin of the Argentinian Muslim community goes back 5 centuries ago and some trace their roots to a 9th-century Muslim Emirate.
If you need any proof of Islamic history in the region, the second largest city in Argentina today, after the capital, is called CORDOBA which is named after the administrative, cultural, and educational capital of Andalusia for the majority of the 8 centuries of the Muslim presence.
Most of the Muslim Community in Argentina comprises Arab natives.
4- Carlos Menem
The most prominent Argentinian president, Carlos Menem, was born a Muslim to Syrian parents. Later in his life, he converted to Catholicism to pursue his political career. His ex-wife Zulema Yoma said that “Menem abandoned Islam and converted to Christianity in 1966 only because he wanted to become president of the nation.
Menem’s Muslim background pushed him to donate to the Argentine Muslim community. In 1995, he sold 8 acres of land in the Palermo quarter of Buenos Aires to build the King Fahd Mosque, the largest mosque in Latin America, following his state visit to Riyadh. Many Argentine Muslims see this building as the capstone of Menem’s legacy.
5- Muslim Life in Argentina
Halal meat is readily available in Argentina and their steak is world-famous for its quality and flavor. Argentina provides 7% of the world's meat and many Muslim countries import it from them.
The overall environment is pretty safe for the Muslim community in Argentina. It has various mosques and Islamic schools. Muslim Community is free to work or study in Hijab, to swim in covered clothing, and to have ID photos in Hijab. There was legal legislation introduced in 2011 specifically guaranteeing protection for Muslims in Argentina from discrimination
May Allah protect the Muslim community in Argentina and allow them to continue a legacy of 5 centuries as a faithful representative of Islam in South America.
May Allah protect the Muslim community in Argentina and allow them to continue a legacy of 5 centuries as a faithful representative of Islam in South America
Ameen
