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Islam in Argentina is represented by one of Latin America's largest Muslim minorities. Although accurate statistics on religion are not available (because the national census does not solicit religious data) the actual size of Argentina 's Muslim community is estimated between 1 and 1.5% of the total population (375,000–525,000 people) U.S. Government's Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor's 2005 International Religious Freedom Report . The Argentine newspaper '' Clarín '' has reported that Muslims in Argentina number 900,000, but this number is not based on any verifiable data. Some estimates of the Muslim population in Argentina exceed one million people, but such high numbers are thought to be based on flawed assumptions. EARLY MUSLIM IMMIGRATION Though early Spanish and Portuguese explorers and immigrants to the New World were very familiar with Muslims and Islamic Culture (due to 800 years of Moorish rule), it is doubtful that any Muslims were among the first wave of the largely Spanish and Italian settlers who formed the majority of the immigrant population in colonial Argentina. The 20th century saw an influx of , was common amongst these early Muslim pioneers. Among other notable Arab immigrants is the Menem family, who were of Syrian origin and Muslim themselves. Former President ). RECENT IMMIGRATION AND CONVERSION More recent Muslim immigration is comprised mostly of immigrants from South Asia . Reports of conversion to Islam amongst Argentines has grown in recent years but no accurate data exists with regard to their numbers. The Argentine newspaper '' Clarín '' has reported that Muslims in Argentina number 900,000, but this number is not based on any verifiable data. Today, some estimates of the Muslim population in Argentina exceed one million people, but such high numbers are thought to be based on flawed assumptions (e.g. that all people of Middle Eastern descent are Muslims, or that all Muslim immigrants and their descendants continued to practice Islam). ISLAMIC INSTITUTIONS IN ARGENTINA There is a prominent mosque on Alberti St. in Buenos Aires , in the city center, that was built in 1989 by local Argentine Muslims. There are also several mosques in other cities and regions throughout the country, most notably the Triple Frontier (the tri-border area along the junction of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay). The King Fahd Islamic Cultural Center, the largest mosque in South America, was completed in 1996 with the help of the Custodian Of The Two Holy Mosques , on a piece of land measuring 20,000 m&2. The total land area granted by the Argentine government measures 34,000 m&2, and was offered by President Carlos Menem following his visit to Saudi Arabia in 1992. The project cost around US$30 million, and includes a mosque, library, two schools, a park, is located in the middle-class district of Palermo, Buenos Aires . The Islamic Organization Of Latin America (IOLA), headquartered in Argentina, is considered the most active organization in Latin America in promoting Islamic affiliated endeavors. The IOLA holds events to promote the unification of Muslims living in Latin America, as well as the propagation of Islam. TERRORISM Since the ish population and many non-Jews feel that the previous government failed to bring the terrorists to justice because the local police are implicated in the affair. Most of the suspicion has been directed at Iran or Iran-backed groups, but Menem's Syrian ancestry as well as the involvement of several Arabs in corruption and even murder scandals has led to a fogging of issues. Some Counter-terrorism experts in the United States claim extremist cells tied to Hezbollah , Islamic Jihad and Al-Qaida network are operating in Argentina, primarily in the Triple Frontier region, which was described as a "haven for Islamic extremists" by the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration Asa Hutchinson , in testimony before the U.S. House International Relations Committee . The suspected activities of these groups include counterfeiting U.S. currency, drug, arms and uranium smuggling, and money-laundering activities. On September 4 , 2005 that police in Buenos Aires briefly detained dozens of Tablighi Jamaat Muslim missionaries acting on tips from Spanish and Italian officials investigating the March 2004 Madrid Train Bombings . Argentine newspapers reported that the men had been held, questioned and released. REFERENCES |
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