CAIRO – A Brazilian ex-gangster has reverted to Islam, taking the shahada (Islamic declaration of faith) and sharing his story with members of da`wah project WhyIslam.

“Everyone on the Street has faith,” Umair, who took the shahada only two months ago in Brazil, told members of WhyIslam da`wah team.

“We just need to reach out to them to reform and accept Islam,” he added, sharing his story on transition from street life to Islam.

His goal is to be steadfast in Islam and to invite others to Islam by doing dawah.

WhyIslam, the largest grassroots da`wah project in North America, has headed to Brazil’s Sao Paulo to “convey precise and authentic information about Islam through simple, effective, and innovative means of communication”.

The team is not the only one in Brazil for World Cup.

British Islamic Education and Research Academy has dispatched special da`wah teams to Brazil to present the true image of Islam.

On the second day of the tournament, a Brazilian Muslim has taken the Shahada or Islamic declaration of faith a few minutes after meeting team Mission Da`wah from IERA.

Another football fan, Cesar, accepted Islam during the World Cup after meeting with IERA volunteers.

Along with the British team, Brazil’s Federation of Muslim Associations in Brazil (Fambras) has launched a program titled Salam Brazil to spread the word of Islam during the World Cup.

The group published a special guide book in Brazil for Muslim fans in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Titled “Salam (hello) Barazil”, 65,000 copies of the 32-page booklet have been published by the Union of Islamic Associations of Brazil in cooperation with the Omani embassy in the South American country.