Catholicism is the religion perceived to be most closely associated with Latin America. While this may have been true at one point – data suggests that between 1900 and 1960s, Latin America was 90 percent Catholic – a 2014 Pew Research survey found that the number has dropped, with 69 percent of adults in Latin America identifying with the religion. Of those surveyed, 84 percent said they grew up as members of the Catholic church. So it’s not surprising that when Reuters photographer Edgard Garrido visited a Tzotzil Maya community in Chiapas, he saw how they have embraced Islam.
According to locals, people began converting to Islam in the late 1980s, as they began rejecting Christianity. Mexico only has an about 1 percent Muslim population, but a large portion of this community lives in San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas. Check out some of Garrido’s stunning images below and visit Reuters for more.