In an interview, Mahomed Iqbal stated that the arrival of many Asian Muslim immigrants led to “a lot of misinformation” directed against Muslims in Portugal, partly due to “some political exploitation.”
According to the leader of CIL, the influx of thousands of immigrants, following an initial wave of primarily Lusophone immigration, has raised “doubts and concerns” within parts of society, allowing narratives against Muslims to “gain prominence.”
“We feel this; certain untruths are thrown onto social media,” he said, suggesting these distort rather than showcase “the cultural richness” that new immigrants bring to the country.
Some fears are viewed as “natural and normal,” according to Mahomed Iqbal, acknowledging potential “cultural clashes” as an “adaptation of one culture to another,” issues which “time resolves” with immigrant integration.
Born in Mozambique, Mahomed Iqbal is the third president of CIL, an institution that has represented the majority of Muslims in Portugal in their dealings with society and the State in the Religious Freedom Commission.
Founded in 1968, CIL manages the Central Mosque of Lisbon and has a strong representation of Mozambican and Guinean origins.
The mosque serves as a place of prayer for thousands, but its multipurpose space is often used for other activities. CIL also has a sports facility, with agreements for Benfica’s futsal team to use the field.
“Could there be a better example of tolerance and social integration?” he asked, smiling.
This increase in discourse against Muslims was also affected by “having had three elections in a short time,” alongside the pandemic’s impact, which altered social relations.
“After the pandemic, there was a new reality, a new way of being. I can’t explain it well, but I felt it strongly, and I believe the pandemic represented a very strong barrier to social life,” Mahomed Iqbal said.
A week ago, CIL issued a statement complaining about attacks and hate speech against Muslims. Days later, Imam David Munir was insulted at a ceremony for veterans on June 10, with his presence also criticized by Chega leader André Ventura.
“People have a right to critique. We are not against it, but it should be based on truth,” Mahomed Iqbal stated, recognizing that Muslims in Portugal have faced various attacks “with no basis in truth.”
“Thanks to God, we’ve been very respected and have had an extraordinarily peaceful existence within Portuguese society. We are completely rooted and never had to worry,” he added, recalling that Portugal has been “an example of coexistence of faiths and creeds” in Europe.
Recently, “there was a wave of immigrants seeking a better life from the Indian subcontinent. We welcome them and hope for an orderly immigration, with people being welcomed, employed, experiencing a fantastic life, and being legal,” he explained.
An example of integration efforts is that Friday sermons are conducted in Portuguese, encouraging children’s integration into schools and respect for Portugal’s secular culture, as has been the case with the older Muslim community in Portugal.
“We don’t consider ourselves different,” he said, rejecting associations made between Islam and extremism or immigration and crime.
Within the Portuguese Islamic community, “we don’t have specific cases of extremism,” but “here at the mosque, we are very cautious about potential threats because we are exposed to the world,” and “there are people who could enter our country,” he explained.
Therefore, “we have a very close relationship with the country’s security authorities,” and “at mere suspicion of any specific situation, we call the authorities,” notifying the Judicial Police or Public Security Police, added the CIL leader.
“We pick up the phone, call the right people, and notify them, as that is our duty. We want the Portuguese citizen, the Lisbon citizen, to feel safe at home, in our home,” he summarized.
