Located in Tijuana, the Omar Mosque (AKA the Islamic Center of Baja) opened in 2012 and is said to be the largest mosque in Northern Mexico.
There is an estimated 110,000 Muslims in Mexico and though the Tijuana population is small, it is also said to be “burgeoning.” “Every week someone comes into this mosque and converts,” says Imam Abdu Salam. “Because of social media, you can now be sitting here and talking to someone in China. Some people meet each other on Facebook, and they talk about Islam, and then they start looking for a place to learn about Islam, and then they eventually find our mosque.”
And it’s not just locals who are worshippers – approximated thirty American Latino Muslims from various cities in California attend prayer services every month. “I come to support the Mexican Muslims,” says Southern California native Leslie Henderson. “The Muslims here don’t have that much support. They go through a lot. And not just the adults, but the children as well. They go through a lot of bullying, so we are here to support.”
