Mexico's indigenous Muslims in Maya heartland
A trip to Mexico's indigenous Maya heartland showed me how a vibrant Muslim community had sprung up in this predominantly Roman Catholic country.
In the southern state of Chiapas, home to a lush mountainous landscape, I photographed members of a small Muslim community made up of hundreds of mostly indigenous Tzotzil men and women, many of whom converted to Islam from Catholic or other Christian denominations.
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I later met 55-year-old Mohamed Amin who invited me to his home, offering me cookies and tea. He showed me where he prays five times a day and introduced me to his family. He asked me if I believed in God and I said no. That did not appear to bother him.
He went on to explain the main reason behind his conversion to Islam.
"I like to be clean and change my clothes," he said. "This is a clean religion and that's what originally drew me to it."
A view of San Cristobal de las Casas.
Umar speaks with Evangelical worshippers in a meeting between members of both religions.
A Muslim woman from the Tzotzil Maya ethnic group arrives at a meeting between Evangelical worshippers and Muslim faithful.
Evangelical worshippers and Muslims from the Tzotzil Maya ethnic group take part in a meeting between members of both religions.
A Muslim woman from the Tzotzil Maya ethnic group prays at a meeting between Evangelical worshippers and Muslim faithful at an evangelical church.
Muslims from the Tzotzil Maya ethnic group eat breakfast inside their house.
Karima Gomez, 66, cooks tortillas inside her house.
Muslims take part in Friday prayers whilst wearing traditional rebozo Tzotzil hijabs, inside Ahmadiyya Muslim Community mosque.
Muslims take part in Friday prayers as imam Ibrahim Chechev delivers his sermon inside Ahmadiyya Muslim Community mosque.
Soraya, 25, works at a craft store.
Anisa, 20, reads the Koran.
A rebozo, traditional Maya shawl, used as a hijab hangs on pieces of wood.
