Islam in the United States

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Islam in the United States - The history of Islam in the United States dates back to around the 16th century when Estevánico of Azamor was the first recorded Muslim in North American history.

However, most researchers in studying the arrival of Muslims in the US focus more on the arrival of immigrants who came from the Middle East in the late 19th century.

This Muslim migration to the US took place in different periods, which are often called "waves", although the Experts don't always agree on what causes these waves.

The Muslim population in the US has increased in the last hundred years, much of this growth driven by immigrants. In 2005, more people from Islamic countries became US residents - nearly 96,000 - each year compared to the previous two decades.

Estevánico of Azamor may have been the first recorded Muslim in North American history. Estevanico was a Berber from North Africa who traveled to Arizona and New Mexico for the Spanish Empire. Estevanico came to America as a slave to the Spanish explorer in the 16th century, Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca.

During the 1520s slaves were brought to North America from Africa. It is estimated that about 500 thousand souls were sent to this area or 4.4% of the total 11,328,000 slave souls that existed. It is estimated that around 50% of slaves or no less than 200 thousand slave souls who were imported came from areas influenced by Islam.

According to other sources, the earliest arrival of Muslim immigrants was between 1875 and 1912 from rural areas, which are now Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Israel. This area was formerly known as Greater Syria which was ruled by the Ottoman Empire.

After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in World War I (WWI), there was a second wave of Muslim immigration from the Middle East, which was also during this period the start of Western colonialism in the Middle East.

In 1924, U.S. immigration laws were passed, which immediately curtailed this second wave of immigration by imposing a "country of origin quota system".

The third period of immigration occurred from 1947 to 1960, when there was an increase in the number of Muslims coming to the US, who now come from countries outside the Middle East.

The fourth wave then occurred in 1965 when President Lyndon Johnson endorsed an immigration bill that abolished the longstanding country of origin quota system.

The mosque is the main place of worship for a Muslim. In the US, there are approximately 1,209 mosques, of which the largest is the Islamic Center of America located in Dearborn, Michigan. Built-in 2005, the mosque can accommodate more than 3,000 worshipers which continues to grow in the region.

Fewer than 100 units were originally designed as mosques, most Muslim worshipers in the US initially worshiped in buildings originally built for other purposes, such as former fire stations, theaters, warehouses, and shops. The largest number of mosques in the US is in the state of California, which was about 227 units in 2001.

It is difficult to determine the exact number of Muslims in the US. The US constitution separates the church from the state as reflected in American law, so the US Census Bureau form does not include questions about religion in the persons listed in it.

The immigration service also does not collect information about the religion of immigrants. Many mosques in the US do not have official membership policies, and they rarely accurately record the number of worshipers who attend.

The result is that there is no accurate data on the number of Muslims in the US. According to the same source, South-Central Asian immigrants top the list (33%) of the largest US Muslim community, second to African Americans (30%), Arab (25%), African (3%), others. another 5%, as well as Europe & Southeast Asia (2%).

Meanwhile, according to the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on its website, the number of Muslims in the US is 1% of the 301,139,947 (July 2007 estimate) of the US population, this number is equal to the number of Jews in the US.

According to the Pew Survey Institute in 2007, 2-thirds of Muslims in the US are of foreign descent. Among them have migrated to the US since 1990. While a third of US Muslims are indigenous converts to Islam, and of African American descent.

In 2005, according to the New York Times, more people from Muslim countries made up the US population - nearly 96,000 - every year than in the previous two decades.

Meanwhile, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the congregation of Sunni mosques that are intended for the public in the US come from different national backgrounds: South Asian (33%), Afro-American (30%), Arab (25%), European (2.1%), White Americans (1.6%), Southeast Asian (1.3%), Caribbean (1.2%), Turkish Americans (1.1%), Iranian Americans (0.7% ), & Hispanic/Latin (0.6%).

The first Muslim community was in the Midwest. In North Dakota, Muslims gathered for congregational prayers in the early years of the 1900s; in Indiana, a center of Islamic activity started in 1914; & Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is home to the oldest mosque still in use today.

Dearborn, Michigan, on the outskirts of Detroit, is home to Sunni & Shia Muslims from many Middle Eastern countries. Together with Christians from the Middle East, Michigan Muslims form the largest Arab-American community in the country.

The shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, outside Boston, has employed Muslim immigrants since the 1800s. In New England, an Islamic Center has also been created, which is now a large mosque complex for worship for business people, teachers, professionals, as well as traders and workers. In New York, Islam has been around for more than a century.

Another first home for Muslim immigrants was Chicago, Illinois, where some say the number of Muslims living here in the early 1900s was the largest of any US city. More than 40 Muslim groups have been established in the Chicago area.

Los Angeles & San Francisco, California, have also become centers of large Muslim communities in the US. The Islamic Center in Southern California is one of the largest Muslim entities in the US. The number of mosques in California is also the largest in the US, which is about 227 mosques in 2001.

At first, Muslim immigrants who came to the US worked like slaves, but now many are working as professionals. Other jobs performed by Muslims in the US are teacher, soldier, shopkeeper, taxi driver, doctor, entrepreneur, laborer, and other occupations.

Because in Islam usury is forbidden by religion, some Muslims find it difficult when it comes to funding & developing their business. Most financial & banking institutions in the US are still conventional, where they apply an interest-bearing system. But since a few years ago, some financial institutions and corporations began to look for ways to help US Muslims.

Several Islamic-style local funding programs have recently been initiated or are in the planning stages.

The Phillips Community Development Corp. and the Minneapolis Community Development Corp., each have provided funds to Islamic business owners with administrative costs instead of interest.
The Minneapolis Consortium of Community Developers has provided two fee-based funding for Islamic enterprises as a start-up.
Dean Auto Dealer, a Somali-owned used car business, provides interest-free funding to its customers.
The Twin Cities group is trying to form an Islamic credit union.
Banks such as Wells Fargo & Co. & University Bank is looking for ways how they can help Islamic enterprises.

There are many Islamic organizations in the US.

The largest group is the American Society of Muslims (ASM), successor to the Nation of Islam, better known as Black Muslims. The group is led by Warith Deen Mohammed. It is not clear how many American Muslims follow this group. The belief of this group is also different from Islamic belief in general, they do not recognize Muhammad as the last messenger of Allah.

The second largest group is the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). ISNA is an association of Muslim organizations and individuals to represent Islam. This group was created by immigrants, some ethnic Caucasians, and a small group of African Americans who converted to Islam.

Its recent membership count may have surpassed ASM. The annual ISNA convention is probably the largest Muslim gathering in the US. The organization has been criticized for spreading Wahhabi teachings and for having links to terrorism.

The third-largest group is the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA). ICNA is an Islamic group that does not see ethnicity, is open to all, and is independent. This group was formed by immigrants, white Americans, and African Americans who converted to Islam.

This group is growing, and could also be bigger than ASM by now. Its youth division is Young Muslims or Young Muslims.

The Islamic Supreme Council of America (ISCA) represents the majority of US Muslims. Its goal is to provide American Muslims with solutions that are based on Islamic law. ISCA works hard to integrate Islamic teachings in solving contemporary issues to maintain Islamic beliefs in a secular society.

The Islamic Assembly of North America (IANA Islamic Association of North America), is a leading Muslim organization in the United States. According to their website, IANA's goals are to "coordinate and unify the efforts of different da'wah, orient (Islamic) organizations in North America or direct Muslims to stick to Islamic methodologies".

To achieve its goals, IANA uses many tools, methods, conventions, member meetings, institutions, institutions, da'wah-oriented academies, & others.

The Muslim Students' Association (MSA), is a group dedicated to Islamic students in Canadian and United States universities. MSA is also often involved in community activities, such as raising funds for the homeless during Ramadan.

The Islamic Information Center (IIC) is an organization established to provide information to the public, mostly through the media, about Islam and Muslims.

Islamic political organizations in the US have an interest in accommodating the interests of Muslims there.

Organizations like the American Muslim Council are actively involved in upholding human rights & civic rights for every American.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR or Council on American-Islamic Relations), is the largest Islamic organization that accommodates Muslim interests in the United States. CAIR describes its organization as a moderate organization in the US House of Representatives and the American political arena.

CAIR also condemns all acts of terrorism and is working with the White House on security and foreign policy issues. CAIR is the largest American Muslim rights advocacy organization and has 35 offices.

Apart from advocating for Muslims it also increases understanding of Islam, encourages question and answer, protects civil liberties, empowers Islam in America, & builds unity & promotes justice & mutual understanding.

The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), is a service agency for the American Muslim community. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California & has branches in Washington, DC. MPAC was founded in 1988.

The purpose of this organization is to introduce the American Muslim identity, develop an active organization, and also train future generations of both men and women for various visions. MPAC also works to introduce Islam and Muslims accurately through mass media, educate Americans about Islam, friendship with different peoples and build relationships with decision-makers and makers (government).

American Islamic Congress, is a small and moderate organization that promotes pluralism.

The Free Muslims Coalition was formed to eliminate support for radical Islam and terrorism and strengthen democratic institutions in the Middle East and the Islamic World by supporting Islamic reform efforts.

The September 11, 2001 attacks on the WTC & Pentagon buildings were a disaster for America & Muslims worldwide. After the attack, various accusations were leveled against Islam and its ummah. There have been many attacks against American Muslims after that incident, although these were limited to small minority groups.

According to a survey conducted in 2007, 53% of American Muslims thought it was harder to become a Muslim (in the US) after the attack. Muslim women who wear the hijab/hijab are bullied, causing some Muslim women to prefer to stay at home, while others temporarily leave the practice (work).

Some Muslims have been criticized for using their beliefs as an excuse to reject the existing system in America. Muslim taxi drivers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for example, have been criticized for turning away passengers with liquor or dogs, including disabled passengers being led by dogs.

Minneapolis' Saint Paul International Airport Authority has threatened to withdraw the license to operate taxis for those who discriminate against passengers like this.

US institutions have also been criticized for accommodating Muslims in paying taxes. The University of Michigan-Dearborn and a state university in Minnesota have been criticized for accommodating Islamic religious ceremonies by building ablution sites for Muslim students using tax dollars.

Critics consider this treatment a violation of the US constitution, which states the separation of church and state (religion and state).

The first Muslim congressman, Keith Ellison, caused controversy when he compared President Bush for his policies after the September 11 attacks to Adolf Hitler.

Keith said that Bush had used the September 11 attacks for political gain, as when Hitler used the Reichstag to imprison constitutional liberties.