Mr. Pipes: Milistant Islam spreads in Latin America

Submitted by Reneli in Utah (United States), Sep 3, 2003 at 11:34

Dear Mr. Pipes,

About three years ago, I saw on the Spanish television a documentary on Chiapas, Mexico, about some wealthy Arabs in the region handing out money for the construction of schools. Now, understand that the state of Chiapas has been for several years at the center of an existing armed conflict whose leader is known as "Commander Marcos" --a rebel allegedly fighting for the poor peasants and Indians that farm the land while, at the same time, indoctrinating them in Marxism and the communist manifesto, inciting them to attack and overthrow the Mexican government.

However, aside that political conflict in that remote part of Mexico, there is also the influence of these wealthy Arabs who decided (of all places in Mexico) to hand out "free" money to set up schools among the villagers for the poor illiterate Mexicans of the area.

The "catch" for all this generosity, was that the Arabs would pay for the new schools and would sponsor scholarships and higher education (even to foreign countries) FOR FREE, under the condition that these Mexican villagers converted to Islam and studied the teachings of the Prophet in the Quran.

Now, whether this seemingly generous act helping out the poor Indians and villagers in Mexico, are the works of some benevolent and caring people who happen to be Arabs; I do not know. But I can tell you that the first pockets or Mexican Muslims walking in robes and praying five times a day can be seen in these remote parts of Mexico already.

Although I doubt there is any connection with the Marxist rebel leader "commander Marcos" and the Arabs spreading their faith through the sponsoring of free education in Chiapas, Mexico, I can tell you that I've heard many Mexicans angrily shouting some alarming anti-American views that coincide with all those conspiracy theories you hear coming from Militant Islamism.

It worries me that hardly anyone seems to notice -or have heard of- the sort of "sponsoring" Arabs are doing in these remotes parts in Mexico. The government passes it off as the works of some new religion being practiced by the natives of that region as a fair trade off by whomever sponsors their education.

Nevertheless, even if these are isolated events taking place in remote parts of Mexico, it is a puzzling fact that when visiting American Spanish-speaking websites, and television stations directed toward Hispanic communities, there are sites upon sites saturated with genocidal propaganda and venomous hatred against America, bias toward the west, our morals, our culture and waging some kind of "war" through propaganda and seemingly harmless writing.

I am worried. Everyone seems asleep and very few people are listening to what is being said. What are we to do?

Reneli
Ivins, Utah

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