Islam is Gaining a Foothold in Chiapas

With indigenous Mayans converting to Islam, the Mexican government is anxious about a possible culture clash in traditionally Catholic southern Mexico. Wary neighbors have suspected the Muslim Mayans of everything from basic subversive activity to having ties to al-Qaida. In fact, the converts belong to the moderate Sunni, Murabitun sect, a branch of Islam known not for extremism, but for a disavowal of capitalism. Many converts claim to have rediscovered in Islam their indigenous ideals and culture – which they claim had been destroyed by Catholicism and alcoholism. This conversion, while not without historical precedent, comes at a time when southern Mexico is in a religious upheaval of sorts, with Islam and Protestantism gaining influence in the region. – YaleGlobal