22/04/2005
stampa
invia
In 1577 the Franciscans arrived in Mexico to convert the indigenous population.
Today, in 2005, almost five hundred years later, a new doctrine has appeared in
Chiapas, one of the southern regions of Mexico: Islam. In San Cristobal de las
Casas there now exists a very small Muslim community. While it’s not certain exactly
how many people are involved, what is certain is that 90% of them are Tzotziles.
They have regular work and spread their beliefs in the shadows, amid thousands
of problems. They are financed by means of a pseudo pizzeria-bakery and a carpenter’s
shop, even though many people believe that financial support arrives from abroad,
particularly Saudi Arabia where the Wahabiti are more than willing to pay out
a good deal of money. Beginning with paying the faithful to travel to Mecca.
The Muslims of San Cristobal don’t have a real mosque where they can practise their religion. They have been forced to adapt what was once a shop, where they now meet to pray and follow the teachings of Mohammed. “We’re discriminated against”, they say, although it’s very hard to get them to speak. “The local newspapers attack us at every opportunity”.
Polygamy. Curiously, Islamic proselytism has mainly affected the Tzoteziles indios. One
of the things that links Islam to this ethnic community is polygamy, which is
forbidden by the Catholic and Protestant religions. The converts feel united by
a collective aspect of the religion and they feel as if they are an integral part
of a community. The Muslim religion unites them and gives them inner strength.
It’s not difficult to recognise them, since the women, for example, dress in the
traditional indigenous way but also wear a veil covering their hair, which is
typical of Islamic culture.
stampainvia
Religion unites and, at the same time, divides the members of the same community
from our correspondent
Alessandro Grandi
In 1577 the Franciscans arrived in Mexico to convert the indigenous population.
Today, in 2005, almost five hundred years later, a new doctrine has appeared in
Chiapas, one of the southern regions of Mexico: Islam. In San Cristobal de las
Casas there now exists a very small Muslim community. While it’s not certain exactly
how many people are involved, what is certain is that 90% of them are Tzotziles.
They have regular work and spread their beliefs in the shadows, amid thousands
of problems. They are financed by means of a pseudo pizzeria-bakery and a carpenter’s
shop, even though many people believe that financial support arrives from abroad,
particularly Saudi Arabia where the Wahabiti are more than willing to pay out
a good deal of money. Beginning with paying the faithful to travel to Mecca.
The Muslims of San Cristobal don’t have a real mosque where they can practise their religion. They have been forced to adapt what was once a shop, where they now meet to pray and follow the teachings of Mohammed. “We’re discriminated against”, they say, although it’s very hard to get them to speak. “The local newspapers attack us at every opportunity”.
Polygamy. Curiously, Islamic proselytism has mainly affected the Tzoteziles indios. One
of the things that links Islam to this ethnic community is polygamy, which is
forbidden by the Catholic and Protestant religions. The converts feel united by
a collective aspect of the religion and they feel as if they are an integral part
of a community. The Muslim religion unites them and gives them inner strength.
It’s not difficult to recognise them, since the women, for example, dress in the
traditional indigenous way but also wear a veil covering their hair, which is
typical of Islamic culture. "The Islamic community feels that they are always under attack, always being
accused”, Gianni Proiettis, professor of religion at the university of social
sciences in San Cristobal de las Casas, explained. "They don’t inspire much sympathy,
particularly from the
other religions (nor from the authorities). The most important sociological phenomenon
was the conversion of people from traditional Catholicism to Protestantism and
this has been going on for thirty years, although in actual fact it isn’t really
traditional Catholicism, more syncretism. If you go round the churches you’ll
soon see the difference. There aren’t any priests in these places”, Proiettis
continued, “they only put in an appearance once every 365 days for the feast of
St John, when they have to baptise all the children who were born during the last
twelve months. The churches are decorated with statues of the saints and the faithful
say the traditional prayers out loud, drink posh (a very strong alcoholic drink
that’s typical of the area) and get drunk. The striking thing is that they also
perform magic rituals and sacrifice chickens in a form of voodoo ceremony. Things
that have nothing to do with religion. To get away from this type of mixed religious
system, people converted to Protestantism”.
Protestantism in Chiapas. "This doctrine has changed the traditions and customs of the indigenous population,
literally changing their lives”, professor Proiettis Questa went on. “Above all,
Protestantism prohibits the use of alcohol while local Catholicism encourages
its use, particularly for rituals, and Protestantism encourages the work ethic,
and the idea of saving. “Those who convert are better off”, he explained, “although
it’s not all plain sailing. Once they’ve converted, the community no longer accepts
them and they are expelled. And the excuses they give are banal: “Since you’ve
changed religions, you can’t stay here any longer”, they say, and since the land
is not personal but communal, they take away their right to land and they send
them away. And then the problem becomes enormous”.
other religions (nor from the authorities). The most important sociological phenomenon
was the conversion of people from traditional Catholicism to Protestantism and
this has been going on for thirty years, although in actual fact it isn’t really
traditional Catholicism, more syncretism. If you go round the churches you’ll
soon see the difference. There aren’t any priests in these places”, Proiettis
continued, “they only put in an appearance once every 365 days for the feast of
St John, when they have to baptise all the children who were born during the last
twelve months. The churches are decorated with statues of the saints and the faithful
say the traditional prayers out loud, drink posh (a very strong alcoholic drink
that’s typical of the area) and get drunk. The striking thing is that they also
perform magic rituals and sacrifice chickens in a form of voodoo ceremony. Things
that have nothing to do with religion. To get away from this type of mixed religious
system, people converted to Protestantism”.
Protestantism in Chiapas. "This doctrine has changed the traditions and customs of the indigenous population,
literally changing their lives”, professor Proiettis Questa went on. “Above all,
Protestantism prohibits the use of alcohol while local Catholicism encourages
its use, particularly for rituals, and Protestantism encourages the work ethic,
and the idea of saving. “Those who convert are better off”, he explained, “although
it’s not all plain sailing. Once they’ve converted, the community no longer accepts
them and they are expelled. And the excuses they give are banal: “Since you’ve
changed religions, you can’t stay here any longer”, they say, and since the land
is not personal but communal, they take away their right to land and they send
them away. And then the problem becomes enormous”. The Protestant evangelical churches take them in, give them places they can go
to and also give them pieces of land to cultivate, although in the majority of
cases the land is not suitable for cultivation. In the area around San Cristobal
nine new districts have been set up.
The majority of the Indians you see in the streets of the town, those selling
bracelets and shining shoes, have been expelled from their original community’s
because they’ve changed their religion.
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