Latino Islam Esquina: Recognizing the Feminine in Divinity

It was brought to my attention that I focus too much on my Iranian-Afghan heritage when it comes to discussions of Islam.  One Hindu Desi asked me a poignant question, "Are you proud of your Latino heritage?"

I was stunned by the question, and so since Latinos are an emerging minority in the American Muslim community, but our concerns and our cultural napantlismo is never discussed, since issues of indigenous Muslim communities deals with non-Hispanic Euro-Americans and blackAmericans alone and not the experiences of say former Catholic Pilipinos and Latinos, I have decided that issues of Latino Muslims must be brought to the forefront.

I celebrate the cultural, I do not see assuming an "Arab" identity as a pre-requisite to being Muslim.  Neither do I condone the practice of assuming an Arab name or surname, my Iranian-Afghan family have retained certain "Persian" and "Kurdish" names that are unique to the various tribes of the Greater Iran region which I trace lineage from.  But today, I will focus on the topic of the Feminine Principle in Latin American spirituality.  Some Muslims may find this borderline shirk, but I am not a conventional Muslim, and neither do I think I can ever be.

My relationship with Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico and La Diosa del Mar (the Nigerian Orisha commemorated in the Latino Caribbean basin) is what I shall talk about today.  We have articles about political strife in Turkey and Pakistan, but I shall focus on adjacent regions in proximity to the United States.

To begin with, napantla, you may be wondering what this is?  This is a Mexica-Nahault term that roughly translates as "nowhere."  Like many colonized peoples, Mexicans, rich in culture and heritage have an identity crisis.  This is a philosophical question that was first raised during the Mexican Revolution, this question centers on issues of race, origins, and ancestry.  Since colonial times, a form of white supremacism has permeated through Mexican identity.  Lighter skinned Mexicans were given societal privilege denied to those who were deemed prietos (dark-skinned).  It is common even today for Mexican abuelas (grandmothers) to say to dark-skinned grandchildren, Que prieto!  This term is not one of endearment, this is an insult.  From an early age, Mexican children quickly inculcate forms of white supremacism that they are not aware of, and many will never become cognizant of this disease later on in life and adulthood.

Esquina in Spanish means corner.

Okay, I think I gave you enough background information and translated common Spanish terms for those not acquainted with this Romance language.  As you can probably guess, Mexican Spanish is rich with indigenous terms not found in European Spanish, I speak Mexican Spanish, even the way I pronounce the language is typically Mexican.

Back to the Feminine in Divinity.

Oftentimes, I have been dismayed by what I perceive as the Masculinity of Islam.  When people talk of Allah, they usually refer to God in the masculine.  Both the Qur'an and Bible are sometimes male-centric in my opinion, even if you take a Third Wave Feminist approach and reinterpretation of the Qur'an, lets face it, the recognized Prophets and Messengers are males.  Even if Maryam (Mary) and people like Ruth from the Old Testament played a crucial role in preserving the Message of Truth, patriarchy has seeped into Islamic practice.

Traditional shariah in my opinion favors men in terms of plural marriage, in terms of inheritance, in terms of freedom of movement, in terms of what is considered "modesty" in the public sphere, etc.

Though the Qur'an explicitly mandates gender equality, social customs specific to the community of Qusayy (the great-great-great-great grandfather of the Prophet) and the pre-existing patriarchical norms of Sassanian Persian and Byzantine Greek culture have formed the basis for gender relations in Islam which are quite out-dated in my humble opinion.

Even though Christianity may be seen as gone astray from the Path of Truth, Catholicism and the permissability of preserving pagan practices of the Earth Goddess have been preserved.  She comes in many forms depending on the culture, in Mexico, she is one of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Christ and she is called the Sea Goddess in Santeria (Afro-Latino religion).

So the next time you find yourself in the barrio (Latino community-typically in an urban setting), and stumble upon a botanica (a shop of religious items and devotional wares), inquire about the stories of Guadalupe (the name itself is Arabic in origins) and La Diosa Del Mar.

Omar has his khutba reviews, I'll explore issues that confront Latino Muslims in los Estados Unidos.