Chilean
It is believed that the first encounter of the Chilean land with Islam was established in the late 15th century through the Moriscos and Moors who fled from Andalusia escaping from Spanish persecution. Yet, Muslims who came to Chile during this period are thought to have lost their religious identity and were forcibly Christianized.
The first Muslim migrations to Chile in the modern period took place in the 1850s from Syria, Palestine, and Lebanon when many Muslim Arabs migrated to South America from the Ottoman territories. With these migrations, the first Muslim minority was formed in the country and these communities have maintained their existence until today. Today, an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 Muslims, mostly of foreign origin, live in Chile. The As-Salam Mosque was opened for worship in 1989 in the capital Santiago. The opening of the mosque, which also serves as the Islamic Center of Chile, has both increased the interest in Islam in the country and has become a gathering point for Muslims on important days, especially on Fridays and holidays. Apart from the Selam Mosque, there are other centers opened by the country's Muslims, most of which are in the capital Santiago and Iquique. The most important of these centers are the Islamic Center and Bilal Masjid in Iquique, the Islamic Knowledge Center in Valdivia, and the Islamic Center of Santiago.
