{"id":5060905,"date":"2021-05-11T03:24:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-11T03:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/illatinonews.com\/?p=5060905"},"modified":"2021-05-11T03:24:00","modified_gmt":"2021-05-11T03:24:00","slug":"latino-muslims-put-their-faith-into-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/illn\/2021\/05\/11\/latino-muslims-put-their-faith-into-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Latino Muslims Put Their Faith Into Action\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The temperature was falling faster than the setting sun on a Friday evening that felt more like Autumn than Spring. Car after car with members of the Ojal\u00e1 Foundation rolled into the parking lot of Fairplay Foods on Chicago\u2019s Southwest Side for the weekly \u201cNeighborly Deeds Initiative\u201d of passing out food to the homeless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs-salamu alaikum,\u201d Arabic for peace be upon you, was ritually followed by \u201cWa-alaikum As-salaam,\u201d — and peace be upon you — as volunteers greeted one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For some members of the Latino Muslim group, this would be their first time earning their \u201chasanat,\u201d or reward for good deeds. Others have been donating their time since the program began three years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe feed the homeless because it is an obligation as Muslims,\u201d said Raul Gonzalez, director of outreach for the Ojal\u00e1 Foundation. The name of the foundation itself illustrates the strong link between Latinos and Arabic: Ojal\u00e1 is the Spanish derivative of the Arabic \u201cinshallah\u201d or \u201cmay God will it,\u201d and just one of many Spanish words with Arabic roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSunnah teaches us that among the best deeds are to feed the poor,\u201d Gonzalez added. Sunnah is the way of life prescribed for Muslims, based on teachings and practices of Muhammad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By then, the sun was no longer visible, and the sky was dressed in a pale blue with faint yellow. There was a call for the evening prayer before the group broke its Ramadan fast and enjoyed \u201ciftaar\u201d – the evening meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The daily fast during Ramadan, considered one of the holiest Islamic months, begins immediately after the pre-dawn meal of suhoor and continues during the daylight hours, ending with iftaar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a celebratory mood as volunteers shared food and stories before putting their faith into action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Ojal\u00e1 Foundation Director Raul Gonzalez briefs members as they prepare to fan out for an evening of feeding people on Chicago\u2019s south side.\u00a0 Photo by Hugo Balta<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJazakAllah Khayr\u201d – \u201cMay God bless you with goodness,\u201d Gonzalez said, as he thanked the more than two dozen in attendance. He tells newcomers what they can expect to see, how they should conduct themselves, and the significance of feeding their soul by feeding the \u201cmiskin\u201d – the unfortunate or impoverished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAllah has not forgotten them,\u201d he said, before the group headed out in a caravan through the Heart of Chicago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first stop is at a homeless camp under a bridge not far from where the volunteers first met. It\u2019s a row of rigged-up shelters mostly made from cardboard boxes, wood, sheets, and other discarded items found on the streets. Some of the lucky ones have tents and small luxuries that many people might take for granted. But despite living in squalid conditions, there is a sense of resourcefulness, if not determination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gonzalez directed the team into action. The crews engaged people, emphatically announcing that they had arrived this night with hot meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each volunteer is greeted warmly in this community, with a \u201cthank you for coming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike, who said he\u2019s lived on the streets for almost 30 years, said he has \u201cnothing but love\u201d for the Ojal\u00e1 team. \u201cI appreciate (that) they come out to see us week after week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being seen is a sentiment that another camp resident, Juanita, acknowledges. \u201cI get attention and help from them that I don\u2019t get from the government.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with meals, Ojal\u00e1 also provides the homeless with clothing, toiletries, tents, and other essentials. In Juanita\u2019s case, the group is helping her get the proper identification to then apply for temporary housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HOMELESSNESS: CAUSE AND CONSEQUENCE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An estimate in 2018 said there were nearly 80,000 people experiencing homelessness in Chicago. Blacks and African Americans comprise a disproportionate number in that population; 78% say they lived in the street or at a shelter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Latino Muslims bring food to the unhoused in Chicago.\u00a0 Photo by Hugo Balta<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In January, the Illinois General Assembly unanimously passed the Public Housing Access Bill, part of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus agenda. According to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, the bill is aimed at dismantling systemic racism that has been sustained by the current public housing system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Reentry and Housing Coalition reports that more than 25% of people experiencing homelessness have said they\u2019re routinely arrested for activities that are a direct result of their homelessness, like loitering, sitting, lying down, or sleeping in public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to this action-reaction relationship, a formerly incarcerated person is nearly 10 times more likely to be homeless than the general public, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MORE LATINOS ARE BECOMING MUSLIMS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After visiting six locations, the evening\u2019s initiative ends in the same way it began – with prayers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJazakAllah Khayr\u201d Gonzalez said, again thanking the volunteers again for their charitable acts — may God bless you with goodness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cNeighborly Deeds Initiative\u201d has fed more than 15,000 people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The U.S. Latino Muslim community is growing.\u00a0 Photo by Hugo Balta<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Learning that there are Latino Muslims might surprise some people, considering that about 76% of Latinos in the United States are Christian, according to the Public Religion Research Institute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there is a sizable number of Latinos who are Muslim, and the population is growing. The Pew Research Center finds Muslims living in the U.S. increased from 2.5 million to 3.5 million from 2007 to 2017. Approximately a quarter-million are Latinos. While many Latinos are raised in Muslim households, researchers said a little more than half are former Catholics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIslam provides a perfect combination of logic and faith,\u201d said Chris Nevarez, an Ojal\u00e1 member and a fellow with the Illinois Muslim Civic Coalition. Among the reasons people give for being attracted to Islam is that its teachings emphasize a personal and direct connection with God. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is no surprise that some families frown at a relative leaving the faith they were born into. While Nevarez\u2019s family and friends have been very supportive, he knows of many in the Ojal\u00e1 group who\u2019ve not been as fortunate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe initial responses for many include a belief that they are renouncing their latinohood to become Arab or a fear that this will lead to any radicalization (fear that comes from the media’s portrayal of Islam),\u201d he said. \u201cThese reactions have many times led to people being kicked out of their home or also being ostracized from their family and friends.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Latino Muslims live at an intersection of cultures, and Ojal\u00e1 Foundation members see themselves as the bridge, bringing people together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt all begins with action,\u201d Nevarez said. \u201cOjal\u00e1 aims to give \u2018dawah\u2019 (invite individuals to Islam) through our good actions.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the members of Ojal\u00e1, who said they are often made to feel like foreigners in their own country, strengthening community relationships by serving the homeless — another community often villainized and misunderstood — is their responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of us come from these neighborhoods. We are giving back to the community that raised us,\u201d says Malaina Echevarria. \u201cIt\u2019s bittersweet to know there isn\u2019t more we can do for them, but Alhamdulillah (all praises belong to Allah) – we are grateful to serve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The month of Ramadan, which this year ends on May 12, is dedicated to worship, charity, and community as Muslims renew their \u201cIman\u201d – their faith.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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