Muslim Presence in Pre-Columbus America?
Sep 26
The evidence about the possibility of Muslim presence in pre-Columbus America is controversial. Linguist Barry Fell in his work Saga America (1980) pointed out that in Inyo county, California, there exists an early American petrogyph (rock carving) which stated in Arabic: “Yasus ben Maria” (“Jesus, Son of Mary”), a phrase commonly found in the Quran. In addition he draws cultural parallels between West African people and certain “Indian” peoples of the southwest. I am not scholarly enough in this area to judge the authenticity of such claims. Here a review of Fell’s work (with pictures from his book): http://www.fountainmagazine.com/article.php?ARTICLEID=823