Presence of Muslims in Brazil dates back to centuries

Although they are not a large population of Brazil, the presence of Muslims in this country in South America dates back to a long time and specifically when the Portuguese discovered this part of the world in 1500 A.D.

When the Portuguese explorer’s ship, Cabral, reached the coast of Brazil, on board were renowned Muslim navigators such as, Shehab El Din Bin Majed and Musa Ben Sate’a.

But the famous Brazilian historian, Juakin Hibiro, confirms that Muslim Arabs visited Brazil and discovered it before the Portuguese in 1500 A.D, and that the Portuguese came with the help of Muslims who were advanced in the field of navigation and ships industry.

Some Arabic writings and engravings were found on some stones in Rio de Janeiro and other coasts of Brazil and Latin America in general.

The Charity Association in Sao Paulo is considered the oldest Islamic association in Brazil, and its roots go back to 1926 AD, when the first committee of Muslim immigrants was formed, and one of the goals of this association was to build a mosque for Muslims, but their poor financial conditions and World War II prevented this, so the construction of the mosque was delayed until the year 1957.

At the beginning of the seventies, the association established the first Arab Islamic school named after the neighborhood in which it was established, which is Villa Karon School, and the association was able to obtain a large plot of land that was taken as a cemetery to bury Muslims, and this cemetery is located in the Guarulhos area, about 25 km from the Sao Paulo Mosque.