Author: Obaidullah Nimruzi
The Influence of Islam in America (Part Four)
The United States of America
There are various statistics regarding the number of Muslims in America, with estimates ranging between 4 million and 9 million. In 1960, the Muslim population in the United States was around 400,000, which increased to one million by 1971 and reached three million by 1982.
The U.S. government officially estimates the number of Muslims at 7 million, but the Muslim Ummah, based on their own records and arguments, claims that the figure reaches 9 million. Of this number, 5 million are immigrants from the Far East, the Middle East, South Asia, and Eastern Europe, while the remaining 4 million are African Americans. In recent years, the number of Muslim immigrants to America—especially from Asian countries—has significantly increased. Between 1982 and 1986 alone, more than one million Muslims, averaging over 100,000 per year, migrated to the United States.
California hosts the largest number of Muslims, with a population of 1,700,000. Among them, 150,000 are from India and Pakistan, while others come from various regions, and an additional 100,000 are of Afghan, Lebanese, or Gulf Arab origins. The Muslim publication is called Masjid and is associated with numerous mosques and schools, as well as an Islamic cemetery. Muslims consume halal meat through Islamic slaughtering methods.
In Illinois, approximately 300,000 Muslims reside, most of whom are from Eastern Europe. The number of Pakistani Muslim immigrants has increased sixfold over the past 20 years, with 5,000 Pakistanis arriving annually. After the Soviet military occupation of Afghanistan and the worsening conditions in the country, the number of Afghan Muslims in the U.S. increased twentyfold within just seven years.
Turkish immigration to America has declined. In 1970, Turks comprised about 25% of American Muslims, but this figure has now decreased to 5%. Additionally, around 50,000 white European Muslims—most of whom belong to the middle class, hold higher education degrees, and work in cultural and specialized professions—reside in the U.S.
Professor Yvonne Haddad, a historian at the University of Massachusetts, believes that the number of white Americans who have converted to Islam ranges between 40,000 and 70,000. Of this group, 15% were originally Jewish but gradually embraced Islam, while nearly half were formerly Catholic.
There are 600 mosques across 46 states in the U.S., with New York alone having 82 mosques and California 59. The first Islamic school, Sister Clara School, was established in 1939 in Philadelphia for Muslim immigrants. Today, the number of Islamic schools has grown to 40.
In 1963, Muslim students founded the Muslim Students Association (MSA). The Washington Islamic Center plays a significant role in promoting and strengthening Islam in the U.S. and Canada. Initially, Muslims taught Arabic and the Quran to their children at home. The first mosque in America was built in 1919 in Highland Park, Michigan, followed by another in Indiana.
The Muslim Ummah in Cedar Rapids has been at the forefront of Quranic and Islamic studies, with the first Quran reciters graduating from their mosque, which was built in 1925. The first congregational prayer in America was held in 1900 in the home of a Muslim in Ross, North Dakota—at a time when the U.S. government did not permit the construction of mosques in the western territories.
In 1952, the first Islamic society was established, later replaced in 1954 by the Federation of Islamic Associations in Chicago. The Institute of Islamic Studies in Los Angeles was founded in 1975, successfully developing a comprehensive Islamic education system for children. Its curriculum includes Arabic, Quranic studies, Islamic jurisprudence, hadith, and social sciences up to the undergraduate level.
In 1922, Elijah Muhammad founded the Muhammadiyah Islamic University in Detroit, Michigan, later establishing another in Chicago. In 1942, he founded an Islamic institute in Washington. When W. D. Mohammed succeeded his father in 1975 as the leader of American Muslims, he renamed these institutions after his mother, Clara. In 1983, an Islamic university was founded in Chicago, receiving widespread recognition from academic institutions across the U.S., including the federal government.
In 1982, American Muslims launched a newspaper called Kawkab America.
The rapid growth and activism of American Muslims have prompted scholars and research centers to study the Muslim Ummah. The first academic conference on Muslims in the United States and the presence of Islam in America was held in 1988 at the University of Massachusetts, with 300 researchers presenting 27 studies. One American researcher, Aaron Hanes, emphasized Islam’s growing role in American society and linked it to global Islamic revival movements and their response to modern Western hegemony.
Muslims in America form a dynamic and active religious community, with many holding advanced degrees and engaging in technical, medical, and scientific research fields. American Islamic leaders emphasize the need for increased Islamic engagement to preserve their identity and influence non-Muslims. Daoud Zunick, former head of the Islamic Services Committee of the Islamic Society of North America, stresses the importance of Muslims broadly and actively presenting Islamic beliefs in all aspects of life. He argues that if American Muslims wish to maintain their identity, they must establish their presence and continuously work to affirm their existence. He further states:
“Islamic values should permeate all aspects of American Muslim life, as this could have a positive impact on non-Muslim communities.”
Another American Muslim figure, Khurram Murad, asserts that:
“The goal of Islamic activism in America is not merely to teach Muslim children moral values but also to address the plight of other children whom American society pushes toward drugs, immorality, and alcoholism. By doing so, we not only fulfill our duty toward our own children but also contribute to purifying the environment in which they are raised.”
African American Muslims integrate Islamic traditions into their social and political interactions. American sociologist Michael Harrington, commenting on the Muslim minority in Harlem, states:
“Muslims are a clean and disciplined people. They avoid alcohol, do not consume pork or meat from Christian markets. Though they are a minority in Harlem, their gatherings and street demonstrations are highly influential. Interestingly, their impact is even greater in New York, where racial discrimination is masked under the guise of equality, compared to the more openly confrontational southern states. Harlem has developed a strong political consciousness in addition to its deep-rooted religious commitment to Islam.”
Muslims in America face numerous challenges, including the widespread culture of moral decline and social corruption. The reality is that American society, having distanced itself from spirituality and higher human values, suffers from a lack of true peace and inner tranquility. One manifestation of this issue is the high suicide rate. According to Howard Kushner, a history professor at San Diego State University, in his book Suicide in the Promised Land, between 1970 and 1980, approximately 230,000 people in America took their own lives in various ways. He also notes that during this period, suicide rates among Americans aged 15 to 24 increased by 40%, attributing this phenomenon to a break from traditional cultural values and a disregard for religious and spiritual principles.
The U.S. government’s policies toward its Muslim citizens are marked by violence, pressure, and repression.
Continues…
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Muslim Minorities in Today’s World, Ali Kattani, translated by Mohammad Hossein Aria, pp. 38-46.
- Abdolhadi Faqhizadeh, A Study of the Situation of Muslims in Non-Islamic Countries, Part One, p. 563, Kayhan, June 15, 1991, No. 14209.
- Ibid., Part Two, p. 771.
- Ibid.
- Michael Harrington, translated by Ebrahim Younesi, The Other America, Tehran, Kharazmi Publications, p. 92, original text of the book: The Other America. Michael Harrington. Poverty in the United States.
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Excerpt from an article by Ramin Mojtabaei, Danesh Publishing Magazine, Year 10, No. 5, 1369.
