My name is Yusef Maisonet, I am of Puerto Rican descent, born in America in New York, N.Y. in what is Spanish Harlem and an Imam in Mobile, Alabama; I have been Muslim the past 50 years, I started traveling in Puerto Rico, then I expanded to the U.S.A. and traveled from coast to coast, my first trip to Europe, England, France, Spain was so rich in culture that it inspired me to continue to travel. I joined the Merchant Seaman and I began to travel the world Italy, Greece Albania, Germany, Spain, and that was on my first trip. Thirty years of traveling the earth and I am still traveling to Cairo, Egypt for a nice vacation, the traveling hasn’t stop. I am an Imam of Masjid As Salaam, (mosque of peace) I’ve made Hajj three times and been to Medina in Saudi Arabia. Mobile, Alabama is one of the greatest cities in America, we help those in need in the community with clothes donations and food and we socialize with the community at large. I have a big family in Puerto Rico and in the USA, we keep in contact with each other through texting or Facebook, this way we can see which holidays that we are planning to celebrate and who’s invited, we break it up in two groups to accommodate the whole family. I have two children a son 45 years old and my daughter 33 years old, I have six grandchildren and they are the love of our lives. They are on spring break, but they are eager to get back to school, friends teachers just loving school overall. I am currently writing a book on my world travels and all my experiences, to leave a legacy for my grandchildren, my experiences in New York and all over the world like London, Athens, and Paris. I look forward to starting class at the University of Phoenix (Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services). I am a community conscious person, and I try to do as much as I can to help humanity out. No matter what race or background, if I can assist them in any way, I will do my best to help. I’ve taken part in a group of Americans Muslims to Dubai to see how they live over there and to have a cultural exchange, my last visit was to Cairo, Egypt for a month studying and riding on the river Nile, and to the Pyramids in Giza. My dream is to take a group of community oriented people, to expose each other’s culture to one another. I am Puerto Rican, I eat Puerto Rican. I try my best to be an example to those that I work with every day, I am always interested in the poor and needy, very much committed to helping to make my life more exciting! And those around me.
The Puerto Rican Muslims
The Muslim population (indigenous Muslims) in Puerto Rico is small, but vibrant when it comes to practicing their Islamic faith: No god but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger, Ramadan, salat, sadaqah, hajj, but they can go to Jumah at any of the Masjids in Puerto Rico and not hear a khutbah in Arabic and Spanish, maybe after the khutbah someone that translate what the Imam’s said or not; they might give classes on Sunday, what we need in Puerto Rico is unity as far as the Islamic community and to have a Masjid for the indigenous Muslims to learn Islam and to socialize.
The Puerto Rican Muslim Community participation extends from New York to California, Puerto Rico Imams, Lawyers, teachers, merchant seamen, for being a small island we have great people that need a chance to spread their wings like all other communities, the people in Puerto Rico want a change in their society and see the benefits of the Muslim lifestyle.
بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
الم ﴿١﴾ ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٢﴾ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ ﴿٣﴾ وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ وَبِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ ﴿٤﴾ أُولَـٰئِكَ عَلَىٰ هُدًى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ ۖ وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٥﴾
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Alif. Lam. Mim. (1) This is the Scripture whereof there is no doubt, a guidance unto those who ward off (evil). (2) Who believe in the Unseen, and establish worship, and spend of that We have bestowed upon them; (3) And who believe in that which is revealed unto thee (Muhammad) and that which was revealed before thee, and are certain of the Hereafter. (4) These depend on guidance from their Lord. These are the successful. (5)
The Latino community in America is doing a great job in letting the world know that we are here, there are Imams in New York, New Jersey, Mobile, Alabama, California, Texas and yet in our Island of Puerto Rico we have none, no Masjids where the indigenous Muslims can feel safe and wanted, most of the indigenous Muslims are haji’s or hajjah’s and we have a rich history in participating in the betterment of humanity, we have history of participation of those in need, drug programs, food programs, medical needs and that what makes us hard working brothers and sisters.
What is special about the Puerto Rican community is most members are professional people with degrees and what they need is to feel part of a greater Islamic community, not subjects of the Arabs, they have come to our land to live, but separated, the Puerto Rican are warm people and we try our best to get along with our Muslim family, I have so many stories about the Puerto Rican Community, from New York to the Island of Puerto Rico, which I will share with you all.
Yusef Maisonet
