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Mexico: Radical Islamic preachers operating in Mexico City or Chiapas, particularly two Spanish nationals and any related controversies, arrests, affiliations with Zapatistas, deportations or political alliances (1997-2002)

A 1999 report on Islam in Mexico did not indicate whether there were Muslim communities outside the capital city, and estimated at the time that the total number of Muslims in Mexico was approximately 200, half of them Mexican (WebIslam 1999). The only references to Muslims in Chiapas or outside Mexico City among the sources consulted were found in news articles and reports of 2000 and 2001.

No reference to "radical preachers" of the Muslim faith in Mexico City could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, recent articles refer to the conversion to Islam of a number of members of an indigenous community in Chiapas, led by a controversial Spanish figure.

The Muslim Cultural Centre of Mexico (Centro Cultural Islámico de México A.C., CCIM; A.C. stands for Asociación Civil, or Civil Association) reports the following on the presence of Muslim preachers in Chiapas, specifically referring to San Cristobal de las Casas:

Ahmed and Munir Abdul Basir both previous students of Br. Omar took a brother from Spain by the name of Nafia who insisted he wanted to start Dawa in Chiapas. CCIM hosted some scholars from Medina who offered Br. Ahmed a scholarship to Medina to help him increase his knowledge of Arabic. Nafia who we later discovered was financed by the Murabitun movement leaded by Abdul Qadir Al Murabit insisted he not go to Medina.

A few more people from the Murabitun arrived from Spain to help Nafia, however today after about 200 people have accepted Islam, half of them have broken away from Nafia and are seeking CCIM's support. CCIM has visited them twice and in August 2000 two of the main brothers from Chiapas visited Mexico City. CCIM did a program for them on Islam and is studying the ways to continue its support (CCIM 11 Apr. 2001).

The Chiapas-based non-government information and analysis organization Centro de Investigaciones Económicas y Políticas de Acción Comunitaria (CIEPAC) reports that up to 300 indigenous persons have converted to Islam, most of them living in the San Cristobal de Las Casas (Chiapas) neighbourhoods of Peje de Oro, La Hormiga and La Esperanza (Chiapas al Día 28 Nov. 2001). Spaniard Aureliano Perez Yruela [also spelled Pérez Y Ruelas by one source] arrived in San Cristobal de Las Casas (Chiapas) in 1995 during the peak of the "rebel government" (gobierno en rebeldía) of Amado Avendaño, offered to collaborate with him, attempted to work in educational projects among indigenous communities in Chiapas, but his offers were rejected (ibid.). Perez then established a tomato stand in the market of San Cristobal, which proved unsuccessful, and finally set up a bread and pizza business called "La Alpujarra" in the San Diego neighbourhood of San Cristobal (ibid.). He was under investigation in late 2001 for unlicensed religious activities; in San Cristobal, he and his Spanish family have reportedly established the Misión para el Da'wa en México, A.C. and the Centro de Información Sobre las Enseñanzas del Islam (ibid.).

The Panama-based daily La Prensa published in mid 2001 a news report from the Spanish news agency EFE stating that more than 200 Tzotzil indigenous persons living in the neighbourhood of La Esperanza, in the outskirts of San Cristobal de las Casas, had "changed their bibles for the Koran" (decidieron cambiar la Biblia por el Corán) only a few months before and became the first Muslims in Chiapas (28 May 2001). The report states that the community is reportedly led by two Spaniards who belong to "a fundamentalist current called World Murabitun Movement" (una vertiente musulmana fundamentalista llamada Movimiento Mundial Murabitun), with links to North Africa and Andalucia, southern Spain (ibid.). One of the Spaniards is reported to be Aureliano Perez, a resident of San Cristobal since 1994; he was questioned by Mexican immigration authorities in 1998 on his possible link with the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN), which he reportedly denied (ibid.).

The report states that the indigenous converts carry out the same agricultural activities as other indigenous persons of the area, with the noticeable difference being that men have replaced much of their traditional clothing with more austere fabrics and the women cover their faces with veils and do not look men in the face (ibid.).

In November 2001 the Chiapas daily La República reported that the State government rejected a request made by some indigenous Tzotzil residents to expel the Muslims headed by Aureliano Perez; the Under-secretary of State reportedly stated that the Chiapas government rejects all religious intolerance and supports reconciliation (28 Nov. 2001). La República had reported the previous day that some Tzotzils from the San Cristobal neighbourhoods of La Nueva Esperanza and Ojo de Agua, where the Misión para el Da'wa en México (Da'wa Mission in Mexico) operates, had requested the expulsion of the group, out of concern that the expansion of Islam in their community could provoke conflicts; those neighbourhoods had been formed by Tzotzils expelled for religious reasons from San Juan Chamula some 30 years earlier (ibid. 27 Nov. 2001). The Misión para el Da'wa en México was reportedly formed in 1995 by Aureliano Perez (ibid.). A Muslim Fraternity and Social Development Centre (Centro de convivencia y desarrollo social para los musulmanes) and an Information Centre on Islamic Teachings (Centro de información sobre las enseñanzas del Islam) are reportedly located at the periférico norte número ocho, where approximately 100 Tzotzils, described as "former evangelicals" (ex-evangélicos), gather every day (ibid.). The newspaper cites an evangelical leader and the Bishop of San Cristobal as stating that the presence of a Muslim community presents no threat to the inhabitants of the city (ibid.).

The federal Under-secretary of Population, Migration and Religious Affairs reportedly stated in late September 2001 that the Spaniard Aureliano Perez was only authorized to engage in activities in the country other than religious promotion and therefore his situation was being reviewed, while indicating that the indigenous Muslim community in Chiapas had a mosque but was not registered as a religious association (La Crónica 27 Sept. 2001). In late October 2001, Perez was summoned by the office of the federal Under-secretary, who indicated to the press that Mexicans were free to practice any religious activities, but the same does not apply to foreigners who lack the pertinent authorization (El Orbe 1 Nov. 2001). Although expressing concern about possible religious conflicts in Chiapas, the federal official reportedly stated that the Muslim community in Chiapas was very small but had received much publicity (de escaso número y de gran publicidad) (ibid.). La República repoted in mid-December 2001 that the Chiapas State Under-secretary for Religious Affairs acknowledged that the Muslim community in Chiapas headed by Spaniards Esteban López Moreno and Aureliano Pérez Yruela had no legal status, but had the intention of registering as a religious association (11 Dec. 2001). The official stated that the group, which the report describes as "fundamentalist" (fundamentalista) represented no danger to society, and added that his government had only manifested "fraternity and tolerance" towards the group (la única relación que se ha mantenido con los islamitas es de fraternidad y tolerancia) and had the intention to respect their beliefs (ibid.).

One of the most detailed reviews of divisions within the Muslim community of Chiapas is provided in a 20 July 2001 article published by WebIslam:

The Muslim community of Chiapas was created by the Spaniards Aureliano Perez and Estaban Lopez, who settled in 1994 on Damasco Street, San Cristobal de las Casas (ibid.). Indian converts were reportedly told by the Spaniards that there were no other Muslims in Mexico; however, some found out that there was a community in Mexico City, and travelled there to search for it (ibid.). Internal "differences" (diferencias) between the Tzotzils and the Spaniards increased in 1998 when Ismael Lopez, a member of the Muslim community of Mexico City, visited San Cristobal de las Casas; according to Ismael Lopez, he found that the Spaniards' preachings were "totally opposed to what the prophet Mohammed taught" (totalmente en contra de lo que nuestro profeta Muhammad (Mahoma) nos enseñó) (ibid.). The Spaniards claimed that they were preaching according to the teachings of their spiritual leader, who resides abroad; however, when locals saw that there were other Muslims in the country and that there were other forms of prayer, they began to question the Spaniards (ibid.).

According to some Muslim Tzotzils who broke away from the Spaniards, the latter promised wealth and land but never delivered, while demanding that Tzotzils stop eating tortillas and speaking their tongue, and demanding that they leave their homes and their schools (ibid.). A group of converts composed of some 40 persons in six families separated in 2000 to form their own Muslim community following the Sunni teachings; they have been living in the San Cristobal neighbourhood of Molino Los Arcos, where "Muslims and Evangelicals coexist" (conviven evangelistas y adoradores de Alá), and unlike those who remain under the leadership of the Spaniards, their children do attend government schools (ibid.).

The author of the WebIslam article on the Muslims of Chiapas reports on her visit to the Centro de Información sobre las Enseñanzas del Islam located at No. 8 Damasco Street, in the Nueva Esperanza neighbourhood: she was unable to talk with Aureliano Perez – known by his followers as Sirinafia or Señor Nafia – or with Esteban Lopez, who apparently were travelling outside Mexico at the moment; she spoke briefly with a tall, white man named Mariano who had a Spanish accent from Andalucia, and who reportedly refused to answer her questions (ibid.). The report indicates that the children in the Spaniards' community are not allowed to attend public schools, the families are not allowed to receive government assistance, and no one is allowed to have contact with kafir or non-Muslims (ibid.). Their group belongs to an Islamic movement known as "Morabidum" [see other possible spellings above] (ibid.). The author cites Omar Weston, head of the CCIM in Mexico City which reportedly represents the majority of Muslims in Mexico, to explain that the Morabidum combine elements of a mystic current of Islam known as Sufism, adding that their political agenda is to establish an Islamic state in Spain; their leader is a Scotsman named Abdul Kadar, a resident of Cordoba (Spain) (ibid.).

Regarding arrests or deportations, the CIEPAC reports that in late 2001 undocumented Muslims from Yemen were detained in the Chiapas city of Palenque, and that 78 Iraqis were detained in Chiapas during the first month following the 11 September 2001 attacks (Chiapas al Día 28 Nov. 2001). In April 2001 police in the municipality of Tonalá (Chiapas) arrested Taher Bassam, described by the local press as one of the world's most sought-after terrorists, who had been living for six years among fishing communities (ibid.). No reference to the arrest or deportation of Aureliano Perez or Esteban Lopez could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Centro Cultural Islámico de México A.C. (CCIM), Mexico City. 11 April 2001. "Mexico Fertile Soil for Islam." <http://www.islam.com.mx/ islammex.htm> [Accessed 18 Feb. 2002]

Chiapas Al Día [San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mexico]. 28 November 2001. No. 268. "Guerra Mundial: Consecuencias Para Chiapas." <http://www.ciepac.org/ bulletins/200-300/bolec268.htm> [Accessed 11 Feb. 2002]

La Crónica [Mexico City]. 27 September 2001. Carina García. "Sanciones para promotores del islamismo en Chiapas." <http://www.cronica.com.mx/2001/sep/ 27/mundo19.html> [Accessed 14 Feb. 2002]

El Orbe [Tapachula, Chiapas]. 1 November 2001. "Preocupa a Autoridades la Presencia de la Iglesia Musulmana en Chiapas." <http://www.elorbe.com.mx/pretor/ 01112001/nota4.html> [Accessed 14 Feb. 2002]

La Prensa [Panama City]. 28 May 2001. "Tzotziles cambian la Biblia por el Corán." <http://mensual.prensa.com/mensual/contenido/2001/05/28/hoy/mundo/140217.html> [Accessed 14 Feb. 2002]

La República [Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas]. 11 December 2001. Aleyda Galdámez. "Es equivocado asociar a los grupos fundamentalistas y extremistas con la violencia ... " <http://larepublica.chiapas.com/2001/Diciembre/ Diciembre%2011%20nota%2008%202001.htm>[Accessed 14 Feb. 2002]

_____. 28 November 2001. Cosme Vázquez. "El Gobierno del Estado no avala la solicitud. ... " <http://larepublica.chiapas.com/2001/noviembre/ Noviembre%2028%20nota%2009%202001.htm>[Accessed 14 Feb. 2002]

_____. 27 November 2001. Janet Schwartz Parnes. "En los últimos meses, indígenas tzotziles ... " <http://larepublica.chiapas.com/2001/noviembre/ Noviembre%2027%20nota%2009%202001.htm> [Accessed 14 Feb. 2002]

WebIslam [Cordoba, Spain]. 20 July 2001. Thelma Gómez Durán. "Musulmanes en Chiapas." <http://www.webislam.com/WI_Latino/Musulmanes_Chiapas.htm> [Accessed 11 Feb. 2002]

_____. 19 June 1999. Muhammed Abdullah Ruiz. "El Islam en México." <http://www.webislam.com/99/tx_99_11.htm> [Accessed 14 Feb. 2002]