In The Name of Allah The
Almighty
Republic of Peru , country in South America. Its borders lie in sparsely
populated zones. The boundaries with Ecuador to the northwest, Bolivia to the
southeast, and Chile to the south run across the high Andes, whereas the borders
with Colombia to the northeast and Brazil to the east traverse lower ranges or
tropical forests. Peru's land area of 496,225 square miles. The name Peru is
derived from a Quechua Indian word implying land of abundance, a reference to
the economic wealth produced by the highly organized Inca civilization that
ruled the region for centuries. The nation's vast mineral, agricultural, and
marine resources long have served as the economic foundation of the country.
Lima the capital is more than 10 times larger than the next largest city. Since
World War II Peru has changed from a country with a predominantly rural
population to one that has more than two-thirds of its people living in cities;
more than one-fourth of the nation's population lives within the greater Lima
metropolitan area.
Humans have probably lived in Peru for more than 13,000 years. Diverse groups of
indigenous Indians occupied Peru during the pre-Hispanic period. Beginning about
1250 BC, several advanced cultures, such as the Chavín, Chimú, Nazca, and
Tiwanaku, developed in different parts of Peru; however, the area was not
unified politically until AD 1438, when the Inca set out from their base in
Cuzco on a career of conquest that, during the next 50 years, brought under
their control the area of present-day Peru, Bolivia, northern Argentina, Chile,
and Ecuador. Within this area, the Inca established a totalitarian state that
enabled the tribal ruler and a small minority of nobles to dominate an inert
population.
In November 1533 the Spanish occupied Cuzco, the Inca capital. In 1535 they
established a new city, Lima, on the coast, to facilitate communications with
Panama. At the time of the Spanish arrival, the population of Peru was largely
resident in rural areas, with society organized around villages. The Spanish
conquest was accompanied by several dramatic changes in Andean settlement
patterns. They established feudal systems based on peasant labor that lasted
until the sweeping land reforms of the mid-20th century. The Spanish conquerors
dominated Peruvian society, including politics, religion, and economics. They
brought their European culture and transmitted their racial characteristics,
Spanish language, and Roman Catholic religion to their descendants. Peru's
independence was, consequently, achieved primarily by outsiders. Peruvian
independence was declared on July 28, 1821. The end of Spanish rule did not,
however, provide a solution to the many political, social, and economic problems
facing the country. The transition from a colonial dependency to a modern state
proved difficult.
Ancient Peru had various polytheistic and pantheistic religions. The most
important gods were Viracocha (lord, creator, and father of men) and Pacha Mama
(Earth mother). The Sun, Moon, and such phenomena as lightning and mountains
were also worshiped. The Hispanic conquest of the Incas brought new religious
traditions to the Andean area. The Spanish indoctrinated the Indians and spread
Roman Catholicism, built hundreds of churches. The people were not strict in
their practices, however. Although most Peruvians are Roman Catholic, the
constitution provides for freedom of religion. In Peru, as in most
Latin-American countries, there has been a mass migration to the cities during
the 20th century, especially since the end of World War II.
Among the most important bird species are pelicans, cormorants, gannets, and
various gulls. Humboldt penguins, an endangered species, are found as far north
as the Peninsula. Interesting mammals of this region include the jaguar,
capybara, tapir, and several species of monkey. Of special note is the wide and
colorful variety of bird and fish life. Reptiles and insects abound. The forests
have a broad assortment of hardwood and softwood species that produce a variety
of forest products. Scattered in isolated fields in the eastern foothills of the
Andes, too, are plantations of coca, the plant from which cocaine is illegally
produced.
Peru is a developing country whose economy has long been dependent upon the
export of raw materials to the more developed nations of the Northern
Hemisphere. It is one of the world's leading fishing countries and ranks among
the largest producers of bismuth, silver, and copper. In recent decades, the
country has struggled to modernize its economy by developing nontraditional
export industries as well as the manufacture of consumer items to meet local
needs. The limited agricultural areas do not meet the needs of the rapidly
expanding population, resulting in continually rising imports of foodstuffs and
difficult attempts to alter the nation's farming and eating habits. Peru has a
wealth of mineral resources. Copper, iron, lead, zinc, bismuth, phosphates, and
manganese exist in great quantities of high-yield ores. Gold and silver are
found extensively, as are other rare metals, and petroleum fields are located
along the far north coast. Oil exploration in the eastern tropical forests
indicates substantial reserves. More than one-third of the work force, however,
is still employed in agriculture. The main crops in the Sierra region are
potatoes and grains, especially wheat, corn, and quinoa, an extremely
high-protein cereal. To better utilize the nation's natural resources to achieve
self-sustained growth, a strong push has been given to industries such as those
producing petroleum, textiles, processed food, steel, cement, fertilizer, and
chemicals.
Peru has a long history of unstable political life that has been punctuated by
numerous military coups and changes of constitution. The 1979 Peruvian
constitution decrees a government headed by a popularly elected president who
serves as the chief of state and commander of the armed forces. The prime
minister, appointed by the president, presides over the Council of Ministers
(Cabinet), also appointed by the president. The council approves all
presidential law decrees and draft bills sent to the legislature. The bicameral
legislature consists of a Senate and Chamber of Deputies. Members of the
legislature are elected to five-year terms, running concurrently with the term
of the president. All judges are appointed by the president from lists of
nominees submitted by the National Justice Council. Appointments are confirmed
by the Senate, and, once confirmed, judges may serve until age 70. The Supreme
Court has nationwide jurisdiction and hears appeals from lower-court decisions;
it also investigates the conduct of lower-court judges.
The country has been politically divided into 24 departments and one
constitutional province, Callao; the departments are further divided into
provinces and districts. The 1979 constitution calls for each department to be
governed by a regional assembly. Considerable powers were given to local
governments by the 1979 constitution. In 1987 legislation was passed that
provided for the reorganization of departments into 12 regions. A wide spectrum
of political parties, ranging from right-wing conservative to left-wing
socialist and communist, participate in the political process.
Muslims came to Peru with the coming of the Spaniards. Many Muslims, by the
Spaniards, arrived fleeing persecution in Spain. They settled in many places in
Latin America, especially Peru, where they had a strong influence on the local
way of life including, dress, food, architecture, and the social and political
systems. Many of them had very important positions in society, and the women
until recently used to wear hijab and were known as "the Covered Ones from
Lima". This was a sign of distinction, as many of the Muslim women who
immigrated from Spain were the social elite. Today in Lima we have the famous
"Balcones Limeños". These balconies are crafted in the "Arabescos" style. They
are wooden balconies which protrude from the building's facade and offer the
women views with privacy. Walking through the streets of Lima, one can almost
imagine that he is walking through the streets of Al-Andalus. Islamic
architecture pervades the city.
So the Limeno way of life has been heavily influenced by Islam. But many
Muslims, because of persecution, were forced to go into hiding and became
"crypto-Muslims", identifying as Christians but secretly practicing Islam. Over
time, even this secret affiliation was lost and Islam disappeared from Peru. The
second wave of Muslims came with the migrations from Palestine and Lebanon in
the 1940's of Muslims fleeing the Jewish persecution in their homelands. These
Muslims were largely merchants. Beginning in the 1980s, Latinos who had traveled
abroad and encountered Muslims began converting to Islam. They began da'wah
activities, inviting both the immigrant Muslims and the Latino community to
Islam. However, being for the most part economically disadvantaged, the
resources of these Latino Muslims have been limited. A mosque was opened in a
neighborhood in Lima called Jesus Maria in 1993 but was closed due to lack of
funds. Another mosque, opened around the same time in Villa El Salvador, was
later closed for the same reasons. Today these nomadic Muslims of Lima have no
place to worship Allah as a group. LAMU's immediate goal is to re-open a mosque
in Lima which will serve the needs of the Latino Muslim community. A mosque is
established in TACNA city where five time prayer, Juma, Traweeh and coaching of
holly Quran is available.
There are a handful of Islamic organizations in Peru, including the Asociación
Islámica del Perú. A group of Muslims have also set up a webpage named
Musulmanes Peruanos. The Latin American Muslim Unity (LAMU) organization has
drawn up a proposal for the first Islamic orphanage in Peru, in order to deal
with the current crisis of homeless children. LAMU also channels extensive funds
to Muslim dawah programs in Mexico and Peru. This project has not materialized.