WASHINGTON POST: LATINA WOMEN CONVERTING TO ISLAM

Washington Post's Sudarsan Raghavan slimes Hispanic Catholics with his Islamic Rehabilitation P.R Effort

The Washington Post places the spotlight on the small numbers of confused, wayward Hispanic women who have been drawn to Islam.

But as they embrace a new faith, Latinos face struggles, ranging from guilt to discrimination, as Muslims in a post-Sept. 11 America.

"Sometimes you feel like you are betraying who you are, that you are abandoning your family," said Avelar, who is small and round-faced with a soft voice.

The converts hail from throughout Latin America. In Islam, some say they see a devoutness and simplicity they find lacking in Catholicism. Like the tightknit Latino culture, Islam places emphasis on family, which can make it easier for converts to adjust.

Yet some are as motivated by feelings of alienation in a nation that is divided over immigration. Latino women find what most westerners rarely see -- a respect for women, unlike, some converts say, the machismo culture in which they were raised.