MOORISH HISTORY AND ISLAM IN BRAZIL

One of the keys to researching Moorish history is the understanding that the terms "muslim" and "islam" when applied to Africans, especially in the Western Hemisphere, is a code word for Moor.  This is a result of the Spanish Inquisition, which never truly ended.

Muslim slaves in 18th century's Bahia, Brazil

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Cabral did not discovered Brazil; a half of the slaves brought to the Americas must well have been Muslims; the Quilombo of Palmares followed Muslim orientation; Portugal and Spain were Muslims by 800 years until just two years before Cabral having arrived at Brazil ...

This, not to mention that the Reformation had Muslim support ... In short: the history of Brazil and the Americas is undergoing an amazing revision that is still not entirely known even by the Latin American academy and deeply involves the Muslims. This and more is approached through a variety of media in: http://www.martinsbenperrusi.com/crbst_41.html

Original Article Here:
Servants of Allah: African Muslims Enslaved in the Americas
Muslims' love for education continued in slavery wherever possible. Gilberto Freyre, the Brazilian scholar is quoted as saying "in the slave sheds of Bahia in 1835 there were perhaps more persons who knew how to read and write than up above, in the Big Houses [of slave owners]".

What happened to these Muslims when slavery was officially over? Diouf does report narratives recorded as late as the 1940s about how Islam was practiced by some African-American descendants of slaves in the islands of the North Carolinas. Steven Barboza (1993) also mentions that in 1910 there were some 100,000 African Muslims in Brazil.

Wikipedia, Islam in Brazil
Islam in Brazil was first practiced by African slaves. The early Brazilian Muslims led the largest slave revolt in Brazil, which then had the largest slave population of the world. The next significant migration of Muslims was by Arabs from Syria and Lebanon. The number of Muslims in Brazil according to the 2000 Brazilian census was 27,239^[1], or 0.00016% of the total population. According to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life's 2009 report, that number had grown to 191,000^[2], or 0.096% of the total population.

History

Capoeira or the Dance of War by Johann Moritz Rugendas, 1835

The history of Muslims in Brazil begins with the importation of African slave labor to the country. Brazil obtained 37% of all African slaves traded, and more than 3 million slaves were sent to this one country. Starting around 1550, the Portuguese began to trade African slaves to work the sugar plantations once the native Tupi people deteriorated. Scholars claim that Brazil received more enslaved Muslims than anywhere else in the Americas.^[3]

Malê Revolt

The Muslim uprising of 1835 in Bahia illustrates the condition and legacy of resistance among the community of Malês, as African Muslims were known in 19th century Bahia. The majority of the participants were Nago, the local designation for ethnic Yoruba. Many of the "Malês" had been soldiers and captives in the wars between Oyo, Ilorin and other Yoruba city-states in the early part of the 19th Century. Other participants included Hausa and Nupe clerics, along with Jeje or Dahomean soldiers who had converted to Islam or fought in alliance with Muslims.^[4]."

Bahia Spotlight: Praia do Forte

Praia do Forte

Article taken from Wikitravel Praia do Forte
The main attraction in Praia do Forte [1] is the "Projeto Tamar" turtle sanctuary [2]. The sanctuary has pools where you can see several varieties of turtle and various kinds of fish and is worth a visit. Entry fee is 7 reais. At first sight the town of Praia do Forte may seem to exist mainly for tourists to buy turtle-themed items but it is an interesting area with a nearby ecological reserve and there are several good pousadas, as well as apartments that can be rented for longer periods.

Lighthouse from the beach at Praia do Forte

Get in

Praia do Forte is 1.5 - 2 hrs on a bus from Salvador. You can get the bus from Calçada (near the bottom of the Lacerda lift) or from the rodoviária bus station). The bus costs 6.5 reais (May 2006).
Salvador's airport is to the northeast of the town, giving easy access to Praia do Forte if you want to by-pass Salvador itself. Car rental is available from several companies. Buses leave from the airport at 10.30 and 14.30 for Praia do Forte.

Get around

• From where the bus drops you off, you can walk anywhere in town. The path to the beach and to Projeto Tamar is lined with shops and restaurants.

See

• Projeto Tamar is a successful environmental project in Praia do Forte. TAMAR stands for Tartarugas Marinhas (Sea Turtles). The Project is a non-profit organization with its main objective being to protect sea turtles from extinction on the Brazilian coastline. Praia do Forte is one of 22 bases of the project along the Brazilian coast, which have now released close to 10mn turtles into the Atlantic.

A Turtle in a tank at Projeto Tamar

Bahia Spotlight: Morro de São Paulo

Morro de São Paulo

Morro de São Paulo is a village in the northern tip of the Tinharé island in Bahia. Reachable only by boat or plane, the village has no paved streets or car traffic. There are, however, lots of hotels, pousadas and restaurants, as well as a few ATMs. The island's beaches are nice and imaginatively named First, Second, Third and Fourth beach.

Morro de São Paulo

Get in

By plane

Morro has no actual airport but charter flights from Salvador take 20 minutes from Salvador and land on two runways, located respectively on the Third and Fourth Beach. Cost around R$231 from Salvador.

By boat

You can get there from Salvador by catching a ferry or catamaran from the Mercado Modelo,

BASIC INFO ABOUT THE CAPITAL OF BAHIA, SALVADOR

posted on Salvador - eTrip Tips Wiki

Salvador  

From eTripTips Wiki

Salvador is the capital of the state of Bahia, Brazil. With a charming Old Town (a World Heritage Site), a vibrant musical scene and popular Carnival celebrations, it is considered one of the birthplaces of Brazilian culture.

History

Founded in 1549, Salvador was the capital in the heyday of the slave trade. The legacy remains today in its large black population, and the resulting culture in many ways outshines the rest of Brazil -- in music, many of the greatest names from the mid-20th century to the present hail from here, such as Dorival Caymmi, Gilberto Gil, and Caetano Veloso. In literature, the late Jorge Amado was also from the region. It's a vibrant, exciting city, and its people are quite friendly.

Orientation

Salvador is located on a peninsula which shields the large Baía de Todos os Santos ("Bay of All Saints") from the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the third largest in Brazil, sprawling for dozens of kilometers inland from the coast. Most visitors head for the coastal neighborhoods that cluster around where the bay meets the ocean.

A 100m cliff runs along the entire bayshore, dividing the city into Cidade Alta, up on the cliff, and the Cidade Baixa down by the bay. The former features Pelourinho, the old city center that packs historical sites, colonial architecture, museums, restaurants, bars, hostels, artesanal shops, and music/dance/capoeira academies into a convenient, if tourist-swarmed, set of winding cobblestone streets. The latter features a commercial center with lots of bus traffic coming in from all over Salvador.

Outside of this area, there are many beach districts that stretch from the tip of the peninsula northeast along the Atlantic coast. The Barra neighborhood at the tip of the peninsula is the main alternative jumping-off point to Pelourinho, and a little further to the northeast are the hip neighborhoods of Rio Vermelho and Amaralina, which feature a nightlife less geared to the foreign tourism industry. A decent bus ride beyond these is the neighborhood of Itapuã, which has an energetic beachside nightlife and relatively few foreign visitors. Northward from there are kilometers and kilometers of gorgeous beaches, all accessible by bus.

The bayshore coast north beyond Pelourinho features a more tranquil

Brazil Entry Requirements

Brazil Entry Requirements

Visa and Passport

Both passport and Visa are required for all U.S. citizens traveling to Brazil for any purpose. Brazilian visas can only be obtained from a Brazilian embassy or consulate and must be obtained in advance: there are no "passport visas". Entry into Brazil will be denied to anyone without a valid visa.

All visas must be used within 90 days of the issued day; dated visas are not valid.

Exemption from Tourist Visa:
Travelers from countries listed below are not required to obtain a tourist visa:
Andorra*, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas*, Barbados*, Belgium, Bermuda, Bolivia*, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Morocco, Monaco, Namibia*, Netherlands, Norway, Panama*, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Surinam, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa, South Korea, Trinidad and Tobago*, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vatican, Venezuela.
* These countries require a business visa, though they are exempt from a tourist one.

In response to the US-VISIT program introduced in January 1, 2004 the Brazilian government began to fingerprint and photograph all U.S. citizens arriving in Brazil. Fines, averaging $15,000 each based on stated income, were handed out within the first six weeks of the new policy, for obscene gestures made while being photographed. Please be advised that local law is in act, and disrespecting and showing contempt for a government official is an extreme offence in Brazil.

Visitors who have recently visited infected-Yellow fever areas (listed in the Immunization section) may be required to present their inoculation card or they may be denied entry into Brazil.

Minors

Minors- under 18- traveling alone/with one parent/with third party- must have written authorization by the absent parent(s)/guardian stating permission to travel alone/with one parent/with third party. This must be in Portuguese and authenticated by a Brazilian Embassy or Consulate.

Dual Nationality

U.S. citizens who also hold Brazilian nationality must obtain a Brazilian passport from a Brazilian Embassy or Consulate, for a Visa will not be issued. They may be subject to Brazilian laws outside of those affecting U.S. citizens.