Karyma Ríos is a Mexican revert. She was born and raised in Mexico City, and moved to Chicago four years ago and embraced Islam. She is a Marketing Specialist who graduated from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and is now studying for a Business and Digital Multimedia Certificate. While studying for the certificate, she has also started her Master’s in Islamic Studies at Ribaat Academic Institute and International Open University Bridge to become a certified scholar and teach in Spanish. When she is not working and studying, she loves traveling and learning languages like English, Arabic, Portuguese, Urdu, German, and Mandarin.
In October 2019, Karyma founded Hola Islam with sister Valeria Torres, a Da’wah project with the aim to share the message of Allah ﷻ from the Qur’an and the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet ﷺ in Spanish. Alhamdulillah, Hola Islam has connected to more than 2,000 Muslims around the world through social media channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Hola Islam has reached people of ages 18 to 60 years old from Mexico, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Chile, Venezuela, Peru, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Spain, the USA, and more.
They offer online educational workshops like “I Want to Be a Productive Muslim”, “Nutrition”, “How to Pray”, “Islamic Videos in Spanish”, as well as Ramadan programs, Hijabi Power Podcast, and one-to-one help for new brothers and sisters who started this beautiful journey of discovering Islam. Nowadays, the Hola Islam team consists of Karyma Rios and Asif Shaikh in Chicago, Valeria Torres in Mexico City, and Hafiz Rashid in Bangladesh.
In addition to the workshops and programs Hola Islam hosts, they collaborate with brothers and sisters locally and globally. One ongoing collaboration is with Rebecca Aboquaoud from Muslimahs of Chicago in the Halaqah Book Club two Fridays a month at the Islamic Community Center of Illinois. They also offer the weekly class “My Belief” with Anse Khadija Hobbas from Uruguay where sisters from Latinoamerica join and talk about the Pillars of Faith in Islam. Moreover, Hola Islam is part of Alianza International de Mujeres Musulmanas, a network page of Hispanic businesses, organizations, groups, and teachers. Together, they all have worked on the ‘abaya and hijab drive campaign, raising funds and sending donated clothes to Mexico, Chile, and Colombia for sisters. They also have reached more than 1,000 sisters through educational programs to educate the community such as “Discovering Hijab”, “Women in Islam”, and “Women Empowerment” through Instagram and Facebook Live sessions.
Starting April 2nd, 2021, Hola Islam will start the workshop: “Nur in Your Heart”, a 10-day preparation for Ramadan through purifying the heart with Coach Kareema Albatah, who is from the Dominican Republic and now living in NYC. Finally, for this coming blessed month of Ramadan, they are launching their first printed Ramadan journal notebook. With every purchase of the journal, people can help the Hispanic community and make the most out of this special month.
Alongside the collaborations mentioned, Hola Islam stays connected with different local organizations in Chicago and worldwide online organizations like Ojala Foundation, IslaminSpanish, Esencia de Mujer, Latinas in Islam, Muslimahs of Chicago, The Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, Slay Collective, Why Islam? and America’s Islamic Radio.
