Hawzah News Agency- Over centuries, Islam has evolved from a silenced presence under colonial repression into an established component of Venezuela’s social, cultural, and economic fabric.
Today, mosques, Islamic schools, and halal commercial networks stand as visible markers of a community that has become an integral part of Venezuelan society.
Colonial Origins: A Suppressed Beginning
Historical and anthropological evidence indicates that the earliest Muslims in Venezuela arrived during the colonial era as enslaved Africans from North and West Africa. These individuals carried Islamic beliefs and rituals that were systematically suppressed by Spanish colonial authorities and the Inquisition, which enforced Catholic exclusivity. As a result, Islamic practices were driven underground, leaving no institutional or generational continuity.
A second, less visible presence emerged with the arrival of Moriscos—Muslims from the Iberian Peninsula who had been forced to convert to Christianity after the Reconquista. Some migrated to Venezuela’s central coast, bringing expertise in trade and navigation. However, strict religious controls prevented open worship, and their Islamic identity gradually faded.
Levantine Migration and the Birth of Modern Communities
The foundations of Venezuela’s contemporary Muslim population were laid in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, following the collapse of social and economic structures in the Levant under Ottoman rule. Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian migrants—mistakenly labeled “Turks” due to their Ottoman passports—arrived in increasing numbers, fleeing poverty, instability, and persecution.
Although many early migrants were Christian, a significant minority of Sunni, Shiite, and Druze Muslims settled alongside them. Pioneer families established themselves in port cities and rural towns, building kinship-based migration networks that enabled long-term settlement and continuity.
From Peddling to Prosperity: Economic Integration
Muslim immigrants initially entered Venezuela’s economy as itinerant traders, known locally as coteros. Carrying bundles of goods to remote villages, they introduced credit-based sales systems that revitalized local commerce. Their emphasis on self-employment, frugality, and family solidarity facilitated rapid capital accumulation.
Over time, these traders transitioned into permanent shop owners, particularly in Caracas, where commercial districts such as “La Turquería” emerged. Long business hours and customer-focused practices distinguished their enterprises and accelerated upward mobility.
Oil Boom and Professionalization
Venezuela’s oil-driven economic expansion in the mid-20th century triggered a second wave of Middle Eastern immigration. Government policies during the 1940s and 1950s encouraged skilled and entrepreneurial migrants, enabling Muslims to move beyond retail trade into industry, services, and the professions.
By the late 1970s, university attendance among second- and third-generation Arab-Venezuelans was near universal. This educational advancement translated into significant representation in medicine, engineering, academia, and public administration.
Demographics and Regional Presence
According to estimates by the Pew Research Center, Venezuela’s Muslim population stood at approximately 90,000 in 2010, making it one of the largest in Latin America. Community leaders report continued growth, including an increasing number of converts from non-Arab backgrounds.
Muslim communities are concentrated in economically strategic areas such as Margarita Island, Caracas, and industrial free zones. In cities like Porlamar, Islamic cultural markers—including hijab and Qur’anic inscriptions—are widely accepted features of everyday life.
Sacred Architecture: The Caracas Mosque
The most prominent symbol of Islam in Venezuela is the Sheikh Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al Ibrahim Mosque in Caracas. Completed in the early 1990s, the Ottoman-style complex features the tallest minaret in Latin America and serves as a religious, educational, and social hub for the community.
Beyond worship, the mosque hosts libraries, conferences, sports activities, and social services, reinforcing Islam’s institutional presence in the capital.
Education, Halal Economy, and Global Links
Islamic identity has been sustained through education, notably via Islamic schools in Caracas and Margarita Island that combine the national curriculum with Islamic values and Arabic language instruction.
Economically, Venezuela has begun exploring the global halal market, with local companies seeking certification to access Middle Eastern and Asian markets—an initiative aligned with broader efforts to diversify exports.
Political Visibility and Contemporary Context
In recent years, Venezuela’s strengthening diplomatic ties with Muslim-majority countries, including Iran and Turkey, have increased the visibility of the Muslim community. Official recognition of Islamic events, such as Ramadan, has reinforced perceptions of Islam as a legitimate and respected component of national life.
A Venezuelan Story
The evolution of Islam in Venezuela is not a story of foreign implantation, but one of adaptation and continuity. From the silence imposed on enslaved African Muslims to the prominence of mosques and institutions today, the community’s trajectory reflects resilience, moderation, and social integration.
Islam in Venezuela is now firmly embedded in the nation’s historical narrative—contributing to its plural identity and offering a vision of coexistence, stability, and shared prosperity.
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