Was Islam spread by the sword?
No.
For example:
Spread of Islam in
Chile: [2]
The statistics for
Islam in Chile estimate a total
Muslim population of approximately 4,000, representing less than 0.1% of the population.
[1] There are a number of Islamic organizations in
Chile, including the "Muslim Society of Chile and As-Salam
Mosque" (
Spanish:
Sociedad Musulmana de Chile y Mezquita As-Salam) in
Santiago, Chile, "Bilal
Mosque"(
Mezquita Bilal) in
Iquique, and the "Mohammed VI Cultural Center" (
Centro Cultural Mohammed VI) in
Coquimbo, the
Community Islam Sunni Chile (Comunidad Islam Sunni Chile) and the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Chile, which was established in 2011,
[2]
History[
edit]
In 1988, the construction of the mosque of Santiago named
Mezquita As-Salam was initiated by Sheikh Taufiq Rumie', who had led the Muslim community for more than sixty years. The mosque was finished in 1989 and was inaugurated by a prince of
Malaysia in 1996, and it was reported that by end of the 1980s, some indigenous Chileans had also converted to Islam, with numbers increasing after the completion of the mosque. Muslim Chilean population was increased by the presence of foreign trade and investment from Muslim countries. Many Malaysian businessmen and their families settled Chile after the inauguration of the mosque by a Malaysian prince. Due to the external interference, and especially to the strengthening of
Shia Islam by part of the
Iranian help in 1996, they inaugurated Centro de Cultura Islámica, in
Las Condes, Santiago, where they consolidated a
Shi'ite Muslim community who mostly arrived in Chile in the 19th century. Most Shi'ite Muslim Chileans are of Iranian blood, they may still speak
Persian and/or other
Iranian language, aside from
Arabic and
Spanish. In 1997, Pakistani retailers purchased land for the construction of the Bilal Mosque and
madrasa in Iquique, which was completed in 1999. Following the death of Sheikh Taufiq Rumie' in 1998, Usama Abu Gazaleh was elected
Imam of the mosque following the passing of Taufiq Rumie'.
Infrastructure[edit]
Through the 1970s and ‘80s, there were no religious leaders or centers for praying. Muslims who maintained the faith met in the residence of Taufik Rumie’ Dalu, a trader of Syrian origin. In 1990 the construction of the Al-Salam Mosque began, the first in the country. In 1995 another mosque was inaugurated in
Temuco, and 1998 a new one in
Iquique. Sources of the Islamic community indicate that at the moment, in Chile, there are 3,000 Muslims.[
citation needed] Many of those are Chileans[
citation needed] who, as a result of their conversion, have even changed their names. In spite of the small number of believers, they are not a homogenous community. The majority are
Sunni, and the rest are Shiites,
Sufi groups have also arisen.
Today[edit]
Since the
September the 11th Attacks, there has been a minor, initial backlash against the Muslim community, as part of wider trend of suspicion towards Muslims in non-Muslim countries, although it is believed that the Muslim community as a whole, has remained well-integrated in broader Chilean society.
There are a number of organizations founded by the Muslim community in Chile, including:
- Asociación Islámica de Chile (Islamic Association of Chile)
- Centro de Cultura y Beneficencia Islámico
- Centro Chileno Islámico de Cultura de Puerto Montt
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Chile
Al-Salam Mosque in Santiago, Chile
Muslim Women in Chile
In front of Bilal Mosque Iquique, Chile
Muslim women pray at the mosque and in their houses. Chileans converted to Islam describe how they live as Muslims in a country which is dominantly Catholic, and how they are perceived. The attack of 11 September generated insults and practical jokes against them.
Karima Alberto, a 35-year-old housewife married to a Syrian merchant, has two children. She met her husband in his store. “He was the reason I converted to Islam, he told me marvelous things about Islam so I began to go to the mosque and learned more about Islam. It was like self-discovery,” she says.
Karima says that some people started treating them differently because of the 11 September attack. Although she is yearning to go to Makkah, she has already met her husband’s relatives in Damascus. “It was not difficult to stop eating pork or drink alcohol. It’s God’s will, and it’s stated in the Qur’an. Although some people think it’s a big sacrifice, I don’t look at it that way at all. Islam has given me a new vision.”
Carla Olivari, an 18-year-old student in a mixed school, says, “Now I do not feel pressured to drink alcohol at parties or to lose my virginity.”
At the age of 16, she used to pass by the mosque until one day she decided to enter. She left the mosque as a Muslim. “I feel that Allah chose me.” Her parents, who are Catholic, did not oppose, but her brother did. “When he sees me praying in my room, he calls me a lunatic.” However, she not only fasts during Ramadan, but on other days as well. “Above all, I pray for the victims in Palestine and Iraq.”
Carla wants to marry a Muslim. “My husband has to be a Muslim. I want my children to grow up in a Muslim family that teaches them important family values. Then I will get veiled permanently, not like now, when I only use it in the mosque.”
Habiba Abdullah, 40 years old, is a doctor at Roberto Del Río Hospital. She emphasizes that she carries the surname of her father, “Because Islam permits us to conserve our surname and not to be Mrs. Somebody.”
A member of a family of six brothers, she has a single son who is 18 years old. All her family is Muslim. “I was born a Muslim, and I’m proud of it. I remember my father taking us every weekend to the mosque. We would learn the Qur’an, and we would study Arabic. Although it was difficult when I first wore my veil at work, but little by little people started accepting me. Now people are not very surprised to see me with veil.”
Still, these women are a minority in Chile. “There are always people coming to the mosque out of curiosity,” states Imam Sami Elmushtawi. “Nevertheless, it is very satisfactory when I see their faces after leaving the mosque, or when they return again. Some people come to learn Arabic, and some come to learn more about Islam. But definitely it gives me greater joy that the Muslim community is increasing in Chile.”
http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/muslimschile.htm
Country/Region:
Chile
Muslim population 2010 Pew Report
[1]:4,000
Muslim percentage (%) of total population 2010 Pew Report
[1] :< 0.1
Percentage (%) of World Muslim population 2010 Pew Report
[1] :< 0.1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_by_country
I don't see any sword in spread of Islam in
Chile . Do you see any?
Please correct me if I am wrong.
Regards
) and columbia university texts when it makes these claims, can you point me to more accurate and reliable sources?
