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Islam In United States Of America
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The presence of Islam in the New World began with the
Moriscoes who accompanied the Spanish invadors. Following their
time, great numbers of Muslim slaves were imported to this continent
to work on the plantations of the South. Inspite of the effort to
wipe out the slaves' Islamic identity, Islamic practices and beliefs
remained strong with many of them. Several books chronicle the early
history of Islam in America, including:
- African Muslims in Antebellum America: A
Sourcebook by Allan D. Austin.
- Islam in North America: A sourcebook by Michael
A. Koszegi and J. Gordon Melton.
- Disforming the American Canon: African-Arabic
Slave Narratives and the Vernacular, by Ronald A.T. Judy
In the early part of this century, waves of immigrants from
various parts of the Muslim world, most notably Palestine, Lebanon
and what is now Pakistan, appeared on these shores. These people
were mostly illiterate, unskilled Arabs who found work in the auto
factories of Detroit, or peasants from the Panjab who set up house
in such places as Sacramento
Then, beginning in the '50s, the picture changed drastically.
An influx of Muslim professionals, many of them physicians, settled
in this country after completing their studies. The black movements,
the back-to-Africa groups, had come into flower by this time. Great
numbers of Muslim students from all parts of the world also began to
arrive in this country.
This was the period which saw the formation of the early Muslim
communities and mosques in such places as Detroit, Ann Arbor, Gary
(Indiana), Cedar Rapids (Iowa), Sacramento and the like. Visiting
scholars and missionary groups from the Middle East and the
Indo-Pakistan subcontinent also began to arrive. And Islam began, in
a very slow manner, to gain adherents among white Americans.
It was this period which also witnessed the formation of
national Islamic groups, such as the Muslim Students Association
(MSA) of the United States and Canada, later to be replaced by the
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), and their supporting
institutions. Regional and national conferences of Muslims for the
discussion of issues of common concern were streamlined during this
period. Many Muslims who had never practiced their religion now
found their way back to their roots and began, for the very first
time, to appreciate the value of their faith.
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The predominant group among Muslims in the United States are
Afro-Americans. The immigrant communities, which come from a great
variety of countries stretching from Eastern Europe to Cambodia and
virtually every country in between, comprise the next largest group.
The student community is the third largest group. Finally, Caucasian
and other ethnic Americans comprise the smallest group, but this too
is growing at a fast rate
Today, mosques, Islamic centers and schools are found in every
community of any size. Islamic organizations and institutions abound,
now at last able to minister to the needs of the Muslim congregation
in America. Muslims' voices are heard speaking up for their faith in
official circles, to the media and in every field of endeavor, and
Muslims are now able to make a significant contribution, especially in
the realm of spirituality, values and morals, to the life of this
nation
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