Latino Muslim Reporter

Wendy Díaz interviews José Acevedo regarding the aftermath of Hurricane María in Puerto Rico José Acevedo is a Puerto Rican Muslim who embraced Islam while pursing his studies at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor where he received his Masters Degree in Education (Curriculum and Instruction) and a dual-bachelors in History and Sociology. Jose has dedicated his career to youth education and development, serving as Principal, teacher, and youth director at numerous Islamic and public schools in the Baltimore/DC metro areas. He also has provided consulting services in the areas of organizational development, parenting, and homeschooling. He has initiated and developed many projects such as youth camps, Islamic Studies curricula, sustainable farming, and homeschooling services. WD: Were you born in Puerto Rico? How often do you visit or have you visited? ​JA: My parents were born in PR and I was born in Chicago. I used to visit every other year growing up. WD: As a Puerto Ric...

Interview with Wendy Díaz 1. What influenced you to become a Muslim? In my freshman or sophomore year of high school, I saw the movie, Malcolm X, and I was so moved by his life and role in the civil rights movement that I wanted to know more about him. I bought Malcolm X’s autobiography and was intrigued by the religion of Islam. However, it wasn’t until I was in 11th grade that I met one of my best friends, who happened to be a Muslim Egyptian by the name Hebatullah (A gift from Allah). I feel like her name bears great significance in my life because it was through her that I found Islam. Through interacting with her and her family, I became acquainted with the religion and began to ask questions until finally her father gave me a copy of the Qur’an and some books with information about Islam. 2. What has been/is your greatest challenge after accepting Islam? There have been many challenges that have come since I accepted Islam, but by far the most difficult and continuous is...