Muslims

There are many other expressions of Islamic faith and even divisions among Sunnis

and ShiЎЇis, so to speak of Muslims as Sunni or ShiЎЇi would be akin to speaking of

Christians as Roman Catholic or Baptist, forgetting that there are other denominations

as well as sharp divisions within the Roman Catholic and Baptist faiths. Furthermore,

there are Muslim groups unique to the United States; later we will focus on the

largest oneЎЄIslam among African Americans.

Verses in the QurЎЇan prescribe to Muslims jihad or struggle against the enemies of

Allah. Typically, this is taken by Muslims to refer to their internal struggle for spiritual

purity. Today, a very visible minority of Muslims in the world see this as a pretext to

carry out an armed struggle against what they view as the enemies of the Palestinians

such as Israel and the United States. Such interpretations, even if held by a few, cannot

be dismissed because Islam is a faith without an established hierarchy; there is no

Muslim pope to deliver the one true interpretation, and there is no provision for

excommunication. Individual imams who serve as the clergy for a mosque can offer

guidance and scholarship, but IslamЎЇs authority rests with the scripture and the teachings

of the Prophet (Belt 2002).

It is even more difficult to estimate the number of Muslim Americans in the United

States than the number of Arab Americans. There are no census data from which

to work, and Islamic institutions such as mosques operate rather independently.

Therefore, even considering the most scientific analyses brings wide variation in estimates.

Based on the most recent studies, there are at least 2 million and perhaps as

many as 5.7 million Muslims in the United States. About two-thirds are U.S.-born and

citizens. In terms of ethnic and racial background, the more acceptable estimates still

vary widely. Estimates range as follows:

Ўц 20ЁC42 percent African American

Ўц 24ЁC33 percent South Asian (Afghan, Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani)

Ўц 12ЁC32 percent Arab

Ўц 10ЁC22 percent ÐŽootherÐŽ± (Bosnian, Iranian, Turk, and White and Hispanic converts)

There appears to be total agreement that the Muslim population in the United

States is growing rapidly through immigration and conversion (Ba-Yunus and Kone

2004; Institute for Social Policy and Understanding 2004; P. King 2004b; Paik 2001;

T. Smith 2001).

Reflecting the growth of the Muslim population in the United States, the number

of mosques has grown to more than 1,700. Mosques (or more properly referred to as

masjids) do not maintain identifiable membership roles as do churches, but scholars

have observed that mosques and the imam, the leader or spiritual guide of a mosque,

are today taking some of the characteristics of a congregation. In order to maintain

their tax-exempt status, mosques are forced to incorporate boards and bylaws. Imams

in the United States are more likely to take on a pastoral role relating to nonreligious

functions, such as helping immigrants adjust, and representing the Muslim community

to other nonprofit groups serving the larger community.

However more common mosques are in the United States, these symbols of faith

and houses of worship still attract a different kind of attention than a steeple atop a

Lutheran church. For many people in the United States, the mosque does not represent

religious freedom and diversity or even a curiosity but a foreign threat in yet

another example of Orientalism. Muslim groups have found some communities

blocking their efforts to build religious centers. Local authorities may require that the

building be stripped of cultural symbols and even to forgo the traditional dome.

Existing mosques have also experienced city councilsЎЇ blocking their efforts to publicly

broadcast their call to prayer over loudspeakers even when neighboring churches

just as loudly ring bells to signal the start of worship. Even after accepting some

community-driven changes, mosques or Islamic centers often are victims of vandalism.

However,