First Friday

Yesterday was my first Friday here. What an amazing day!

I met one of Jorge's friends in the morning, and then went to the King Fahd Mosque (which is only about 20 minutes walking!) for Friday prayers. I met up with a contact and had coffee with him and another Muslim before prayers. I got some interviews done before prayers and after too. Then afterwards, a group of us went to lunch and then came back to the apartment to try mate, an herbal drink that is very popular here. It's a communal activity--the group sits in a circle and pass the mate cup around, and each person takes turns drinking from it. It was very bitter but also very good--however, my stomach didn't agree with me...

I then went to the apartment of a group of Muslims for dinner. It was amazing to meet so many people from so many different parts of the world! It was like a meeting of the UN.

I learned a lot of important things yesterday for my study. Firstly I was able to make a ton of contacts, taking down emails and phone numbers. I found out about the major Muslim establishments here in Buenos Aires--three mosques (including on Shia mosque) and several organizations that deal with Islamic/interfaith issues. I am so grateful to all of my wonderful hosts--their hospitality has been indescribable.

One thing that I was very surprised to hear is that there is very strong movement here called La Fundacion de la Amistad Argentino Turco (http://www.fundargentinoturca.com.ar/). This organization is part of the larger movement led by Fethullah Gulen--I first heard about it on "60 Minutes" a few weeks ago. I know so little about the movement, but from what I have observed, it is a fairly large and prominent one here. I must read up on the movement. I'm going to one of their meetings tonight. Several of my new friends, who I had dinner with last night, are taking me as a guest.

What I am picking up on here is a sense that Muslims have "lost their way" here in Argentina and that certain institutions like the King Fahd Mosque or the Gulen organization are trying to bring Islam back. But what's interesting is that both these organizations are international--not homegrown, Argentinian. So is it a revival (or an internationally imposed revival) that Buenos Aires Islam is experiencing right now?

The King Fahd Mosque is officially called "El Centro Cultural Islámico Custudio de las dos Sagradas Mezquitas Rey Fahd en Argentina"

A view of the Mezquita Rey Fahd