Author: Emanuel Pietrobon – 22/07/2020
THE ARRIVAL OF JIHADISM IN LATIN AMERICA – PART I
THE CURIOUS CASE OF MEXICO’S MAYAN RADICAL MUSLIMS
A research project by Emanuel Pietrobon for the University of Turin
PROJECT SUMMARY
In Mexico there is a small but striving Muslim community which is based San Cristóbal de Las Casas, the third-largest city of the rebel state of Chiapas (known to be home of a 26-year-long still unsolved insurgency), and which has been attracting worldwide attention since its establishment.
The first Muslims arrived in 1994 shortly afterwards the appearance of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN, Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional) and, indeed, they succeeding in exploiting the rebellion to make proselytism among the locals, in particular in the Mayan community.
From that year on, Chiapas’ Muslim community has been targeted by the attention of American and Mexican secret services due to the alleged links with terrorism, and the surrounding hostility-shaped environment has been prompting the faithfuls to isolate themselves from the outerworld.
Due to the scarcity of field investigations, we propose a ground-breaking participatory research-based project to be carried out in Chiapas with the goals of making an accurate census, giving voice to ordinary Mayan Muslims, enabling them to share their views, opinions and concerns, and reaching out each part involved in the issue, like Muslim preachers, islamic organizations, Mexico City’s authorities and the non-Muslim inhabitants of San Cristóbal de Las Casas.
Continue reading, please download the Analytical Dossier AD_15_2020 ISSN 2704-6419
