Religion
According to a 2007
religious survey, 72% of Muslims believe religion is very important, which is
higher in comparison to the overall population of the United States at 59%. The
frequency of receiving answers to prayers among Muslims was, 31% at least once
a week and 12% once or twice a month. Nearly a quarter of the Muslims are
converts to Islam (23%), mainly native-born. Of the total who have converted,
59% are African American and 34% white. Previous religions of those converted
was Protestantism (67%), Roman Catholicism (10%) and 15% no religion.
Mosques
are usually explicitly Sunni or Shia. There are 1,209 mosques in the United
States and the nation's largest mosque, the Islamic Center of America, is in
Dearborn, Michigan. It caters mainly to the Shi'a Muslim congregation; however,
all Muslims may attend this mosque. It was rebuilt in 2005 to accommodate over
3,000 people for the increasing Muslim population in the region. Approximately
half (50%) of the religious affiliations of Muslims is Sunni, 16% Shia, 22%
non-affiliated and 16% other/non-response. Muslims of Arab descent are mostly
Sunni (56%) with minorities who are Shia (19%). Bangladeshis (90%), Pakistanis
(72%) and Indians (82%) are mainly Sunni, while Iranians are mainly Shia
(91%).Of African American Muslims, 48% are Sunni, 34% are unaffiliated (mostly
part of the Community of W.Deen Mohammed), 16% other (mostly Nation of
Islam and Ahmadiyya) and 2% Shia.
In many areas, a
mosque may be dominated by whatever group of immigrants is the largest.
Sometimes the Friday sermons, or khutbas, are given in languages like Urdu,
Bengali or Arabic along with English. Areas with large Muslim populations may
support a number of mosques serving different immigrant groups or varieties of
belief within Sunni or Shi'a traditions. At present, many mosques are served by
imams who immigrate from overseas, as only these imams have certificates from
Muslim seminaries.
Education and income
Contrary
to popular perceptions, the condition of Muslims in the U.S. is very good.
Among South Asians in the country, the large Pakistani American community
stands out as particularly well educated and prosperous, with education and
income levels exceeding those of U.S.-born whites. Many are professionals,
especially doctors, scientists, engineers, and financial analysts, and there
are also a large number of entrepreneurs. There are more than 15,000 doctors
practicing medicine in the USA who are of Pakistani origin aloneand the number
of Pakistani American millionaires was reported to be in the thousands. 45
percent of immigrant Muslims report annual household income levels of $50,000
or higher. This compares to the national average of 44 percent. Immigrant
Muslims are well represented among higher-income earners, with 19 percent
claiming annual household incomes of $100,000 or higher (compared to 16 percent
for the Muslim population as a whole and 17 percent for the U.S. average). This
is likely due to the strong concentration of Muslims in professional,
managerial, and technical fields, especially in information technology,
education, medicine, law, and the corporate world.
Organizations
One of the largest
Islamic organizations is the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) which says
that 27% of mosques in U.S. are associated with it. ISNA is an association of
immigrant Muslim organizations and individuals that provides a common platform
for presenting Islam. It is composed mostly of immigrants. Its membership may
have recently exceeded ASM, as many independent mosques throughout the United
States are choosing to affiliate with it. ISNA's annual convention is the
largest gathering of Muslims in the United States.
The second largest is
the community under the leadership of W.Deen Mohammed or the American Society
of Muslims with 19% of mosques, mostly African-Americans having an affiliation
with it. It was the successor organization to the Nation of Islam, once
better-known as the Black Muslims. The association recognizes the leadership of
Warith Deen Mohammed. This group evolved from the Black separatist Nation of
Islam (1930–1975). The majority of its members are African Americans. This has
been a 23-year process of religious reorientation and organizational
decentralization, in the course of which the group was known by other names,
such as the American Muslim Mission, W.Deen Mohammed guided its members to the
practice of mainstream Islam such as salah or fasting, and teaching the basic
creed of Islam the shahadah.
The third largest
group is the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA). ICNA describes itself as a
non-ethnic, open to all, independent, North America-wide, grass-roots
organization. It is composed mostly of immigrants and the children of
immigrants. It is growing as various independent mosques throughout the United
States join and also may be larger than ASM at the present moment. Its youth
division is Young Muslims.
The
Islamic Supreme Council of America (ISCA) is a small organization representing
Sufi teachings, which, according to adherents, is the inner, mystical dimension
of Islam. The ISCA's stated aims include providing practical solutions for
American Muslims, based on the traditional Islamic legal rulings of an
international advisory board, many of whom are recognized as the highest
ranking Islamic scholars in the world. ISCA strives to integrate traditional
scholarship in resolving contemporary issues affecting the maintenance of
Islamic beliefs in a modern, secular society. It has been linked to
neoconservative thought.
The
Islamic Assembly of North America (IANA) is a leading Muslim organization in
the United States. According to its website, among the goals of IANA is to
"unify and coordinate the efforts of the different dawah oriented
organizations in North America and guide or direct the Muslims of this land to
adhere to the proper Islamic methodology." In order to achieve its goals,
IANA uses a number of means and methods including conventions, general
meetings, dawah-oriented institutions and academies, etc. IANA folded in the
aftermath of the attack of September 11, 2001 and they have reorganized under
various banners such as Texas Dawah and the Almaghrib Institute.
The Muslim Students'
Association (MSA) is a group dedicated, by its own description, to Islamic
societies on college campuses in Canada and the United States for the good of
Muslim students. The MSA is involved in providing Muslims on various campuses
the opportunity to practice their religion and to ease and facilitate such
activities. MSA is also involved in social activities, such as fund raisers for
the homeless during Ramadan. The founders of MSA would later establish the
Islamic Society of North America and Islamic Circle of North America.
The Islamic
Information Center (IIC) (IIC) is a "grass-roots" organization that
has been formed for the purpose of informing the public, mainly through the
media, about the real image of Islam and Muslims. The IIC is run by chairman
(Hojatul-Islam) Imam Syed Rafiq Naqvi, various committees, and supported by
volunteers.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community was established in the U.S. in 1921, before the existence of Nation
of Islam, according to its members. This sect, however, is considered heretical
by mainstream Muslims and not considered a part of the Ummah, or worldwide
community of Muslims.
Muslim Congress is
another National Muslim Organization. It is primarily a Social Welfare
organization and runs many social projects, including Food Distribution to the
homeless in their "No More Hunger" project and also provides
Scholarship. It is under the leadership of Islamic Scholars.
Political
Islamic Center of America, Dearborn, Michigan
Muslim political
organizations lobby on behalf of various Muslim political interests.
Organizations such as the American Muslim Council are actively engaged in
upholding human and civil rights for all Americans.
- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is the United States largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, originally established to promote a positive image of Islam and Muslims in America. CAIR is the voice of mainstream, moderate Islam on Capitol Hill and in political arenas throughout the United States. It has repeatedly condemned acts of terrorism and has been working in collaboration with the White House on "issues of safety and foreign policy." The group has been criticized for alleged links to Islamic terrorism; its leadership strenuously denies any involvement with such activities.
- The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) is an American Muslim public service & policy organization headquartered in Los Angeles and with offices in Washington, D.C. MPAC was founded in 1988. The mission of MPAC "encompasses promoting an American Muslim identity, fostering an effective grassroots organization, and training a future generation of men and women to share our vision. MPAC also works to promote an accurate portrayal of Islam and Muslims in mass media and popular culture, educating the American public (both Muslim and non-Muslim) about Islam, building alliances with diverse communities and cultivating relationships with opinion- and decision-makers."
- The American Islamic Congress is a small but growing moderate Muslim organization that promotes religious pluralism. Their official Statement of Principles states that "Muslims have been profoundly influenced by their encounter with America. American Muslims are a minority group, largely comprising immigrants and children of immigrants, who have prospered in America's climate of religious tolerance and civil rights. The lessons of our unprecedented experience of acceptance and success must be carefully considered by our community." The AIC holds an annual essay writing competition, the Dream Deferred Essay Contest, focusing on civil rights in the Middle East.
- The Free Muslims Coalition states it was created to "eliminate broad base support for Islamic extremism and terrorism" and to strengthen secular democratic institutions in the Middle East and the Muslim World by supporting Islamic reformation efforts.
Charity
Islamic Society of Boston mosque
in Roxbury
In addition to the
organizations listed above, other Muslim organizations in the United States
serve more specific needs. For example, some organizations focus almost
exclusively on charity work. As a response to a crackdown on Muslim charity
organizations working overseas such as the Holy Land Foundation, more Muslims
have begun to focus their charity efforts within the United States.
- Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) is one of the leading Muslim charity organizations in the United States. According to the Inner-City Muslim Action Network, IMAN seeks "to utilize the tremendous possibilities and opportunities that are present in the community to build a dynamic and vibrant alternative to the difficult conditions of inner city life." IMAN sees understanding Islam as part of a larger process to empower individuals and communities to work for the betterment of humanity.
- Islamic Relief USA is the American branch of Islamic Relief Worldwide, an international relief and development organization. Their stated goal is "to alleviate the suffering, hunger, illiteracy and diseases worldwide without regard to color, race or creed." They focus of development projects; emergency relief projects, such as providing aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina; orphans projects; and seasonal projects, such as food distributions during the month of Ramadan. They provide aid internationally and in the United States.
- Project Downtown is a non profit organization originated in Miami Fl. From what started as two men giving away a few sandwiches eventually turned into an array of chapters all over the United States giving away thousands of packets of food, hygiene bags, clothes, and other necessities of life to those who cannot afford it. The motto of Project Downtown is “We feed you for the sake of God alone, no reward do we seek, nor thanks.” (Quran 76:9)
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