Author: Obaidullah Noorzahi
The Influence of Islam in America (Part Two)
A Brief Overview of the American Continent
Before Christopher Columbus “discovered” America in the 15th century (1492 CE), Andalusian Muslims had already set foot on the continent. During a congress held in Philadelphia, American Orientalists acknowledged that Muslim researchers reached America while investigating the Earth’s sphericity. At this congress, Dr. Hui-Lin Li, a professor of botany at the University of Pennsylvania’s College of Agriculture, stated: “Muslims discovered America a century before Christopher Columbus.” [1]
The American continent extends in latitude from 55° South to 85° North and is surrounded by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It spans an area of 42,245,000 square kilometers and, with a population of 712 million, is the second-largest landmass in terms of both size and population.
The equator, the Tropic of Cancer, the Tropic of Capricorn, and the Arctic Circle all pass through this continent. America consists of two main regions, North America and South America, connected by islands and gulfs known as Central America. The continent’s highlands, which generally run in a north-south direction, date back to the Tertiary period of geological history. In the western part of North America, extending from the Bering Strait in the northwest, there are young mountain ranges known as the Rockies, which continue in South America as the Andes Mountains. In the eastern part of America, the eroded and ancient Appalachian Mountains extend from Canada to Brazil. Among these highlands, plains, lowlands, and plateaus are interspersed with numerous river networks, the most famous being the Mississippi and the Amazon.
Due to its vast latitudinal range and diverse topography, America experiences a wide variety of climates, encompassing nearly all climatic zones except for the Mediterranean climate.
From a political perspective, the continent is currently home to 31 independent countries, whose populations include people of various racial backgrounds, including White, Indigenous (Native American), Black, and mixed-race individuals. Black people in America are primarily descendants of enslaved Africans who were forcibly brought to the continent under brutal conditions by the British, Portuguese, and Spanish to work on agricultural plantations.
The largest country in America by area is Canada, with a landmass of 9,970,610 square kilometers, while the most populous nation is the United States, with 243 million inhabitants.
Since the majority of early settlers in America were Portuguese and Spanish, and their dominant religion was Catholicism, Catholicism remains the predominant faith in Central and South America. However, in North America, Protestantism is the dominant Christian denomination. Additionally, minority religious groups, including Muslims, Orthodox Christians, and Jews, are dispersed throughout the continent.
Muslims in America
The first people to spread Islam in America were Spanish Muslims who migrated to the continent alongside the colonial forces of Spain and Portugal. Despite the harsh threats and oppressive conditions imposed by the Christian Inquisition, these Muslims actively propagated Islam and even invited Indigenous peoples (Native Americans) to embrace the faith in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.
Dr. Thomas B. Irving, a Canadian-born expert in Middle Eastern studies, stated at the Seventh Conference on Islamic Thought in 1988: “Approximately four centuries ago, two Islamic movements played a role in spreading Islam in America—one from Spain and the other from West Africa. These movements were led by skilled Muslim craftsmen, known as Mudéjar’s, who were brought to build new structures, as well as a large number of West African Muslims who were enslaved and transported from the kingdoms of Mali, Songhai, and Bornu. After World War II, Arabs from Syria and Lebanon, as well as Bosnians, Albanians, Pakistanis, and Indians, joined this migration.” [2]
Various theories exist regarding the introduction of Islam to America. Some argue that Islam arrived in 1492, slightly before European settlers, brought by Muslim sailors. Others believe that Islam reached America at the end of the 17th century through the transatlantic slave trade, when enslaved Africans were forcibly transported to the continent. Many of these enslaved individuals were coerced into abandoning their faith through torture and deprivation by their White oppressors. Alex Haley, himself a descendant of these enslaved individuals, discusses this issue extensively in his famous book Roots.
Another perspective suggests that Islam entered America at the end of the 19th century due to a massive migration of Muslims from the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, and Central Asia. These migrants, fleeing oppression and restrictions in their homelands, sought a better life in America. Among them were Tatar Muslims escaping the brutal communist revolution in the Soviet Union. Muslim groups from Palestine, Lebanon, Turkey, Syria, and Indonesia were also part of this migration. (It should be noted that proponents of this theory refer specifically to the spread of Islam in the United States, not the entire American continent.)
To prevent the spread of Islam, Catholics carried out mass killings of Muslims, burning thousands of them at the stake under accusations of heresy in the 16th and 17th centuries through the Inquisition. Despite these atrocities, some Muslims survived, and their descendants today can be found in Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico.
Black Muslims in various parts of America, empowered by Islam’s spiritual and political influence, organized uprisings against colonial oppressors. However, these rebellions were brutally suppressed. The struggle of Black Muslims in America for social recognition has been an integral part of the broader civil rights movement from the 17th century to the present.
Since 1830, when Dutch and British forces forcibly transported people from Indonesia and India to America, Muslims were among the migrants. Today, their descendants are spread across various American countries. Roger Du Pasquier states: “…Finally, it should be noted that Islam has a presence in the Americas as well. In Suriname (a country in northern South America), out of 340,000 inhabitants, one-fourth are Muslims who trace their lineage to Indonesia, India, or Africa. A significant number of Syrian Lebanese Muslims also live in Brazil and Argentina. Additionally, Islam has become a powerful movement among people of color.” [3]
Since World War I, waves of Muslim migration from various Islamic countries to America have intensified, further promoting the spread of Islam, especially among Black communities.
One of the major challenges concerning Muslims in America is the lack of precise and accurate demographic data. Since census institutions are often controlled by those opposed to Islam, many Muslims are not included in official statistics. The absence of reliable census figures has led to significant variations in estimates of the Muslim population on the continent.
In 1968, the Muslim population of America was recorded as 1,154,000, accounting for only 1.7% of the world’s 659,245,083 Muslims at that time. By 1871, this number had risen to 2,000,000, and by 1982, it had reached 4,600,000. Over the past decade, the Muslim population has experienced significant growth, with approximately 7 million Muslims now residing in the United States alone.
Continues…
[1]. Mohammad Ali Rouhani, Islam in America and Canada, pp. 6 and 7.
[2]. Kayhan Havaei, Issue: 855 – 1st of Azar 1368 (November 22, 1989).
[3]. Roger Du Pasquier, Islam and the Crisis of Our Time, p. 64.”
