Muslims Keeping Up in Colombia

Sheikh Munir Valencia

The first Muslims arrived in Bonaventura Colombia in the 1960s when Esteban Mustapha Melendez arrived the port city with the Nation of Islam set of ideas. 90% of Bonaventura’s population is Afro-Colombian and the Muslim community has just about 300 members. After the 1960s, the influence of Esteban watered down and the Muslims of Bonaventura looked for other means of Islamic awareness. Members of the community travelled to Saudi Arabia and returned to introduce a main stream understanding of Islam different from the black supremacist views of NOI introduced by Esteban. The small Muslim community received more support after the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran which brought about financial support from Iran. Iran also gave scholarships to members of the community. Up to 50 people attend Jum’at prayers every Friday, led by the Imam, Sheikh Munir Valencia. Sheikh Valencia who said he aspired be become a priest was among the beneficiaries of the scholarships. The increased Muslim assistance shifted the attention of the community from America to Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries willing to assist. Valencia won a scholarship to study at the At-Tauhid mosque in Buenos Aires and then continued his studies at the University of Qom in Iran. Despite Bonaventura being among the most violent places in Colombia, Sheikh Valencia has been able to establish two private schools having 180 pupils. The schools, one of which is Silvia Zainab, has only five Muslim pupils but teaches both material and Islamic education. Sheikh Munir Valencia says as regards the schools that, they do not intend to convert anyone but to teach the pupils to respect other people’s religions.