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Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. Islam is going to dominate many Places in USA
and Europe in the next few years, and is now a fiery revival sweeping much of the planet from
Africa to Asia to Latin America to Europe to USA. The number of Europeans, Americans,
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2174197742205325416#docid=-
4325695401633392928
Latinos and Africans converting to Islam is growing rapidly check it out !!
CNN WORLD NEWS: Islam is the fastest-growing religion
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9704/14/egypt.islam/
Islam is Fastest Growing Religion in United States:
http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/a100501b.html
Times on line:
Thousands of british people convert to islam every year:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1026534.ece
Why European women are turning to Islam:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1227/p01s04-woeu.html
Washington-Report: The Nation's Fastest Growing Religion
http://www.washington-report.org/backissues/0596/9605013.htm
Washington Post:
Islam Luring More Latinos
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A27758-
2001Jan6¬Found=true
Islam is spreading among Thousands black South Africans
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=139&art_id=qw1100423885802B264
Washington Post:
Islam Attracting Many Thousands Survivors of Rwanda Genocide
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53018-2002Sep22.html
Islam - World's Fastest Growing Religion
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/3016/fastest.htm
Many Converts to Islam Homepage:
http://www.islamawareness.net/Converts/
More Sources:
http://thetruereligion.org/modules/xfsection/index.php?categ%20ory=3&orderby=counterA
Learn more about islam:
http://www.islamreligion.com/ http://www.islam-guide.com/ http://www.sultan.org/
http://www.miraclesofthequran.com/
Today the fastest growing religion in the World is Islam..spreading through the Sword of intellect
and Wisdom .
http://www.islamicweb.com/begin/results.htm
in islam before we believe we have to get the Evidence of the religion to be committed without
any doubt and to live contently.
Muslims don`t look islam as a normal religion, but as a whole system of Life,
which gives all answers about this life and hereafter. many people don`t think how they came to
this life and what is waiting them after death. they just do not want to think about their death
although they must meet it.......
The followers of other religions have no decisive proof for their belief, therefore they believe in
their religions emotionally or through imitation.
Some of them think that you just have to have faith without clear proof.
However when it comes to normal things in life people apply a lot of thought such as buying a
car, house, choosing a University course or which bank to join, so how can it be that when it
comes to the most important questions about life; which define the purpose of our lives that we
should just have 'faith' without being convinced absolutely.
It is therefore vital for a Muslim to believe in the existence of Allah (swt) without any doubt
whatsoever and to believe in the Prophethood of Muhammad (saw) and that the Qur'an is the
final revelation sent by Allah (swt) to humanity. Islam is unlike all the other religions as it has a
decisive proof that convinces the mind. Read and Listen Holy Quran online:
http://www.ediscoverislam.com/quran-online.asp
Discover Islam Web Book CD..
A comprehensive learning guide to understanding Islam..
For Muslims and non Muslims:
http://www.ediscoverislam.com/download.asp
«
CNN WORLD NEWS: Islam is the fastest-growing religion
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9704/14/egypt.islam/
Fast-growing Islam winning converts in Western
world April 14, 1997
Web posted at: 11:41 p.m. EDT (0341 GMT)
From Correspondent Gayle Young
CAIRO (CNN) -- In the port city of Suez -- and across the Islamic world -- they
are celebrating the Hajj, the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca.
"This is a joyous day and the best day in the life of a man," said pilgrim Hussein
Suleiman Hussein. "It is as if I am being born anew."
(1.1M/31 sec. QuickTime movie)
Millions of Muslims across the world will trek to Mecca this week for the annual religious event. They
circle the Kaaba, a shrine that contains a black stone sacred to the Prophet
Mohammed.
Mohammed decreed that every Muslim who can afford it make the Hajj at
least once. It is one of five holy duties required in Islam.
A Muslim's first duty is to proclaim that there is only one God and that
Mohammed is his prophet. Muslims also must pray five times a day, give
charity to the poor and fast during the daylight hours of the holy month of
Ramadan.
When a cannon signals that the sun has set during Ramadan, Muslims in Cairo break their fast with
friends and family, often inviting the poor to share their meals.
Fastest-growing religion
The second-largest religion in the world after Christianity, Islam is also
the fastest-growing religion. In the United States, for example, nearly 80
percent of the more than 1,200 mosques have been built in the past 12
years.
Some scholars see an emerging Muslim renaissance as Islam takes root in
many traditionally Christian communities.
Islam has drawn converts from all walks of life, most notably African-
Americans. Former NAACP President Benjamin Chavis, who joined the Nation of Islam recently,
personifies the trend.
"In societies where you have minorities that are discriminated against, I think they may find an appeal in
Islam," said Waleed Kazziha of American University in Cairo.
Many moderate Islamic countries such as Turkey and Egypt are becoming more conservative.
Two decades ago, few middle-class Egyptian women wore scarves or veils on their heads. Now they
crowd into special emporiums that advertise Islamic clothing.
The shift toward Islamic fundamentalism worries many in the secular world, a fear underscored when
splinter groups target Westerners with violent attacks.
Islam vs. the West
But most scholars argue that the extremists are a very small minority and that most Muslims adhere to
principles in the Koran that teach peace and tolerance.
"The Islamic world is like any other society we have known in history,"
said Kazziha. "You might say it has the good, the bad and the ugly."
Founded in 622 A.D., Islam is among the newer major religions. But to the
non-Muslim world, it sometimes appears inflexible. Clashes between
Islamic tradition and Western influence are sweeping the globe.
In Islam, contrary to Western beliefs, the rights of the community are
considered more important than the rights of the individual. Women are
seen primarily as caretakers of the home, and religion strongly influences schools, government and courts.
Many Muslims today are trying to find a balance between being members of a global society and
maintaining ties to a religion that calls for strict adherence to the Koran.
A case in point is 35-year-old Hisham Hussein, a wealthy playboy who turned to religion and swore off
alcohol after an automobile accident.
He is going to Mecca this spring. "The most important thing is to maintain the purity of the Hajj, to lead a
pure life," he said.
Weather Forecast:
Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
Al Hajj - The Pilgrimmage How to Perform Hajj - Umrah The Islam Page
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
Air Force Chaplain (Capt.) Abdullah Hamza Al-Mubarak
is one of three Muslim chaplains in the Air Force. Here
he addresses Muslim service members at the
Pentagon's second annual Iftar celebration marking the
Islam holy month of Ramadan. At left is Chief of Naval
Operations Adm. Vern Clark. (Photo by Linda D.
Kozaryn)
Army Chaplain (Capt.) Mohammed
Khan is one of seven Muslim
chaplains in the Army. Here Khan
helps minister to the religious needs of
Muslim ethnic Albanians at Fort Dix,
N.J. (Photo by Capt. Ronald Kopp,
USAR)
Islam is Fastest Growing
Religion in United States http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/a100501b.html
“Taliban has taken over about 90 percent of
(Afghanistan). It has invited in foreign terrorists
that are functioning worldwide. It has oppressed
its people. It is starving millions of Afghans. It
has mis-served the Afghan people. And there is
no question but that the United States is
determined to root out the al Qaeda and the
Taliban leadership that are linked to al Qaeda at
the hip.”
— On CBS Evening News Oct. 9, 2001
TECHNOLOGY • QUICK FACTS: Information about military
systems and equipment • Facts and statistics from the Department of
Defense and other Web sites • Take a virtual tour of the Pentagon
Printer-friendly Version
Email A Copy
By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2001 -- Muslims, those who believe in Islam, are everywhere in the United States. They may be your doctor or drive your taxi. They may serve you in restaurants or advise you in law. And if you’re in the military, they increasingly may be in the same foxhole, manning the same position or working on the same aircraft as you.
Islam is the second-largest religion in the world, with more than 1.3 billion believers. In the United States, it is the fastest growing religion, a trend fueled mostly by immigration. There are 5 million to 7 million Muslims in the U.S., including between 10,000 and 20,000 members of the American military. One of them is Army Chaplain (Capt.) Abdul-Rasheed Muhammad, a Muslim Imam stationed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. In his chaplaincy, he ministers to all faiths.
Imam Muhammad said that all Muslims believe in the Five Pillars of the Faith. "The foundation of the faith, or Shahada, is the testimony in the belief in one God and that Muhammad is the messenger of God," he said.
Another of the pillars is prayer. Muslims pray to Allah five times a day, at dawn, midday, afternoon, evening and night. Wherever they are, they bow in the direction of Mecca, the Saudi Arabian city where Muhammad was born, for their prayers.
Charity is another pillar, Imam Muhammad said. "One gives a minimum of 2.5 percent of their wealth to the Islamic community yearly," he said.
Another requirement is fasting during the month of Ramadan each year. Ramadan begins Nov. 18 this year.
Finally, Muslims are expected, if possible, to make a pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime. This is the Hajj to the Grand Mosque.
In addition to prayer, a requirement of Islam is to not eat pork and not consume alcohol. Muslims gather at mosques for religious services, called Jumah, on Fridays just after mid-noon. Like many other religions, men typically do not mix with women during worship.
Muslim women wear the headscarf, or hijab, and all Muslims must dress modestly. Men may wear a head covering called a kufi, but it is not a requirement of the faith. The chaplain said one of the obstacles for Muslim women serving in the U.S. military is that commanders may authorize them to wear the hijab or not. "Some do, some don't," he said.
Muslims accept vast portions of the Bible and accept many Judeo-Christian teachings. Although many Americans believe that all Muslims are Arabs and all Arabs are Muslims, in fact less than 20 percent of the Muslims in the world are Arab. Even the most Islamic Arab countries have citizens who believe in other religions. In Indonesia, for example, which has the world's largest Islamic population, 88 percent of its 280 million people are Muslims.
Islam regards Jesus Christ as a very holy man, but not as the Son of God. Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad received the revealed word of God -- and that is Islam's holy book, the Koran.
Like the Bible, the Koran is open to interpretation, up to a point. "Those terrorists must be reading a completely different Koran than the rest of us," said Marine Corps Capt. Aisha Bakkar-Poe. Bakkar-Poe is from Kentucky. Her father comes from Syria and her mother is American-born. She said her co-workers have been asking her about Islam since the attacks in New York and Washington. "The question I get most often is, 'Who is this Allah guy?'" she said. "And how could these fanatics make these attacks?”
"I try to answer their questions and explain that Islam does not believe in killing innocent men, women and children."
Army Capt. Arneshuia Balial, a nurse instructor at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and a Muslim, said the terrorists claiming to act in the name of Islam was "like a knife through my heart -- that people would practice Al-Islam, but do deeds like what they've done. It's not true faith. Some people twist religion to the way they think." Balial converted to Islam in 1987. She said the religion is more than just a set of beliefs, it is a way of life.
Army Sgt. Jamal Abdel-Wahed is a medical supply specialist at Walter Reed. Born in Jordan, he moved to the United States in 1986 and is now a citizen. Abdel-Wahed said he has a good working relationship with his co-workers.
"The people I work with are all professionals, and we deal with each other in a professional manner," he said. Like many other Muslims in America he worries about the effect the terrorist strike will have on his family. He said he hasn't experienced any discrimination, but has heard reports. "I am proud of what I am, who I am and what I believe in," he said.
All of the Muslim service members said they would have no problem going to war against terrorism. "This isn't about Islam," Bakkar-Poe said. "It's about terrorism." President Bush has stressed that the United States is not against the religion of Islam--"Islam is peace," he declared--but against those who pervert the religion to support terrorism and mass murder.
Chaplain Muhammad said service members must understand that their fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen who are Muslim are just like they are. "It's important for all of us to see ourselves as coming from the same origin," he said. "It's too easy for people to get off on what's different.
"People have a way of just being people," he continued. "That nature God has already put into us. There's not one Polish nature or Italian nature or Muslim nature or Christian nature. It's just human nature. When people get to the essence of what makes us who we are, then that's what binds us together.
"The Koran says that God created us different nations and tribes that we may come to know each other, not that we should hate or despise each other."
MY PROFILE
From The Sunday Times
February 22, 2004
Islamic Britain lures top people Nicholas Hellen and Christopher Morgan
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1026534.ece
MORE than 14,000 white Britons have converted to Islam after becoming disillusioned with western values, according to the first
authoritative study of the phenomenon.
Some of Britain??s top landowners, celebrities and the offspring of senior Establishment figures have embraced the strict
tenets of the Muslim faith.
The trend is being encouraged by Muslim leaders who are convinced that the conversion of prominent society figures will help
protect a community stigmatised by terrorism and fundamentalism.
Zaki Badawi, chairman of the Imams and Mosques Council, said: ??The community has been unfairly targeted and these
developments encourage it in a time of difficulty.?? Meanwhile, the Muslim Council of Britain has co-opted Joe Ahmed-
Dobson, son of Frank Dobson, the former health secretary, to chair its regeneration committee.
The new study by Yahya (formerly Jonathan) Birt, son of Lord Birt, former director-general of the BBC, provides the first
reliable data on the sensitive subject of the movement of Christians into Islam. He uses a breakdown of the latest census
figures to conclude that there are now 14,200 white converts in Britain.
Speaking publicly for the first time about his faith this weekend, Birt, whose doctorate at Oxford University is on young
British Muslims, argued that an inspirational figure, similar to the American convert Malcolm X for Afro-Caribbeans, would
first have to emerge if the next stage, a mass conversion among white Britons, were to happen.
??You need great transitional figures to translate something alien (like Islam) into the vernacular,?? he said. ??The image of
Islam projected by political Islamic movements is not very attractive.??
Initially, Birt said, he had no coherent reasons for converting, but: ??In the longer term I think it was the overall profundity,
balance and coherence and spirituality of the Muslim way of life which convinced me.??
The faith has made inroads into the Establishment. It emerged this weekend that the great-granddaughter of a British prime
minister has converted. Emma Clark, whose ancestor, the Liberal prime minister Herbert Asquith, took Britain into the first
world war, said: ??We??re all the rage, I hope it??s not a passing fashion.??
Clark, who helped design an Islamic garden for the Prince of Wales at Highgrove, his Gloucestershire home, is now helping
create a similar garden for a mosque in Woking, Surrey, on the site of a car park.
Many converts have been inspired by the writings of Charles Le Gai Eaton, a former Foreign Office diplomat. Eaton, author of
Islam and the Destiny of Man, said: ??I have received letters from people who are put off by the wishy-washy standards of
contemporary Christianity and they are looking for a religion which does not compromise too much with the modern world.??
Others have come to Islam through love or marriage. Kristiane Backer, a former girlfriend of the cricketer Imran Khan, said
she was introduced to the religion through love but converted after her break-up. She has shrunk from speaking publicly about
her religion before because of fears it might affect her work prospects.
??Imran sowed the seeds, but when (the relationship) finished (the faith) took on a momentum of its own,?? she said. Backer,
who is drawn to Sufi mysticism, said white converts had to overcome prejudice both from those born into Islam and from non-
believers.
??In the mosque women come up and say to me, ??You have hair showing: you must cover up completely.?? I say, ??Mind
your own hair, you??re here to think about God??.??
She has ditched the revealing wardrobe she had as an MTV presenter, but, equally, will not wear headscarves about town. ??I
don??t show any legs or cleavage, or at least not together,?? she said.
Some prominent converts are even more wary. The Earl of Yarborough, 40, who owns a 28,000-acre estate in Lincolnshire,
declined to discuss anything about his faith. ??I have nothing to say to you,?? said Yarborough, who has apparently taken the
name Abdul Mateen.
Muslim leaders are harnessing modern campaigning methods to promote their faith. Groups have sprung up on the internet
publishing ??trophy lists?? of white converts.
The state-funded school in London founded by Yusuf Islam, formerly the singer Cat Stevens, has turned to Premiership
footballers to provide role models. Sources close to the school say converts including Nicolas Anelka, the Manchester City
striker, and Omer ??Freddie?? Kanoute, of Tottenham Hotspur, have made visits.
Fresh evidence came this weekend that Islam has received formal acceptance at the heart of the Establishment. The Queen has
approved new arrangements to allow Muslim staff at Buckingham Palace time off to attend Friday prayers at a mosque: a
member of staff in the finance department is the first to take advantage of it.
MY PROFILE
From The Sunday Times
February 22, 2004
Islamic Britain lures top people Nicholas Hellen and Christopher Morgan
MORE than 14,000 white Britons have converted to Islam after becoming disillusioned with western values, according to the first
authoritative study of the phenomenon.
Some of Britain??s top landowners, celebrities and the offspring of senior Establishment figures have embraced the strict
tenets of the Muslim faith.
The trend is being encouraged by Muslim leaders who are convinced that the conversion of prominent society figures will help
protect a community stigmatised by terrorism and fundamentalism.
Zaki Badawi, chairman of the Imams and Mosques Council, said: ??The community has been unfairly targeted and these
developments encourage it in a time of difficulty.?? Meanwhile, the Muslim Council of Britain has co-opted Joe Ahmed-
Dobson, son of Frank Dobson, the former health secretary, to chair its regeneration committee.
The new study by Yahya (formerly Jonathan) Birt, son of Lord Birt, former director-general of the BBC, provides the first
reliable data on the sensitive subject of the movement of Christians into Islam. He uses a breakdown of the latest census
figures to conclude that there are now 14,200 white converts in Britain.
Speaking publicly for the first time about his faith this weekend, Birt, whose doctorate at Oxford University is on young
British Muslims, argued that an inspirational figure, similar to the American convert Malcolm X for Afro-Caribbeans, would
first have to emerge if the next stage, a mass conversion among white Britons, were to happen.
??You need great transitional figures to translate something alien (like Islam) into the vernacular,?? he said. ??The image of
Islam projected by political Islamic movements is not very attractive.??
Initially, Birt said, he had no coherent reasons for converting, but: ??In the longer term I think it was the overall profundity,
balance and coherence and spirituality of the Muslim way of life which convinced me.??
The faith has made inroads into the Establishment. It emerged this weekend that the great-granddaughter of a British prime
minister has converted. Emma Clark, whose ancestor, the Liberal prime minister Herbert Asquith, took Britain into the first
world war, said: ??We??re all the rage, I hope it??s not a passing fashion.??
Clark, who helped design an Islamic garden for the Prince of Wales at Highgrove, his Gloucestershire home, is now helping
create a similar garden for a mosque in Woking, Surrey, on the site of a car park.
Many converts have been inspired by the writings of Charles Le Gai Eaton, a former Foreign Office diplomat. Eaton, author of
Islam and the Destiny of Man, said: ??I have received letters from people who are put off by the wishy-washy standards of
contemporary Christianity and they are looking for a religion which does not compromise too much with the modern world.??
Others have come to Islam through love or marriage. Kristiane Backer, a former girlfriend of the cricketer Imran Khan, said
she was introduced to the religion through love but converted after her break-up. She has shrunk from speaking publicly about
her religion before because of fears it might affect her work prospects.
??Imran sowed the seeds, but when (the relationship) finished (the faith) took on a momentum of its own,?? she said. Backer,
who is drawn to Sufi mysticism, said white converts had to overcome prejudice both from those born into Islam and from non-
believers.
??In the mosque women come up and say to me, ??You have hair showing: you must cover up completely.?? I say, ??Mind
your own hair, you??re here to think about God??.??
She has ditched the revealing wardrobe she had as an MTV presenter, but, equally, will not wear headscarves about town. ??I
don??t show any legs or cleavage, or at least not together,?? she said.
Some prominent converts are even more wary. The Earl of Yarborough, 40, who owns a 28,000-acre estate in Lincolnshire,
declined to discuss anything about his faith. ??I have nothing to say to you,?? said Yarborough, who has apparently taken the
name Abdul Mateen.
Muslim leaders are harnessing modern campaigning methods to promote their faith. Groups have sprung up on the internet
publishing ??trophy lists?? of white converts.
The state-funded school in London founded by Yusuf Islam, formerly the singer Cat Stevens, has turned to Premiership
footballers to provide role models. Sources close to the school say converts including Nicolas Anelka, the Manchester City
striker, and Omer ??Freddie?? Kanoute, of Tottenham Hotspur, have made visits.
Fresh evidence came this weekend that Islam has received formal acceptance at the heart of the Establishment. The Queen has
approved new arrangements to allow Muslim staff at Buckingham Palace time off to attend Friday prayers at a mosque: a
member of staff in the finance department is the first to take advantage of it.
Home > Backissues > 0596 > Muslims in America: The Nation’s Fastest Growing Religion
May/June 1996, pgs. 13, 107
Issues in Islam
Muslims in America: The Nation’s
Fastest Growing Religion
by M.M. Ali
The often-heard statement that “Islam is the fastest growing religion in America” elicits reactions varying from hope to fear. In
fact, Muslims in America are not totally new kids on the block. They have been here for quite a while now. What is attracting
attention are their growing numbers and their increasing visibility in this heterogeneous society, particularly in the urban
centers.
According to Dr. Sayyid Syeed, secretary-general of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), there are between 6 and 8
million Muslims in the United States today. The New York Times, which has its own agenda, placed the number between 2 and
4 million two years ago. Dr. Diana Eck, who is working on the subject at Harvard University, believes the correct figure is
somewhere in between.
How much of the growth is due to immigration also is hard to ascertain. The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)
provides information only on the places of origin of immigrants, and not on their religion. The INS data therefore provides a
general picture which can become distorted in detail.
For example, the Arabs who come from various parts of the Middle East are not all Muslims. Similarly, immigrants from the
Asian subcontinent can be Muslims, Hindus or Christians. While several organizations and researchers are collecting data on
Muslims in America, to date there is no authoritative count. What is acknowledged by all, however, is that their numbers are
growing rapidly.
Dr. Ahmed Totonji of the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) in the Washington, DC area, projects that by the turn
of the century, the number of Muslims in America will reach the 10 million mark. Dr. Hisham Al Talib, also of the IIIT, says: “At
their present rate of growth, their number will double in 28 years’ time.”
U.S. Bureau of Census records shed no light on the matter. Its statistics, based on race, are of little help in determining
religious affinities. America’s Muslims, it needs to be remembered, have come from all of the five major continents.
Historical records indicate the presence of a few Muslims on American soil early in the 16th century. Slaves brought in from
Africa in the 17th century also included some Muslims, but their religiosity appears to have been lost while they were in
bondage. There also is evidence that descendants of some of the Moors driven out of Spain found their way via the Caribbean
islands to South Carolina and Florida in the late 18th century.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, large numbers of Muslims immigrated to North America from Syria, Lebanon,
Palestine and Jordan and most settled in the upper Midwest. One of their earliest mosques was established in Cedar Rapids,
Iowa.
The Nation of Islam
In the early 1930s, a man named Fard Mohammed founded the Nation of Islam (NOI), an organization that expanded under
the leadership of Elijah Mohammed and is today led by Minister Louis Farrakhan. It was the NOI that Malcolm X first joined but
later left to enter mainstream Sunni Islam, just as did Warith Mohammed, son of Elijah Mohammed, upon the death of his
father.
The Nation of Islam therefore became a major gateway into orthodox Sunni Islam for African Americans, whose descendants
generally are referred to as “indigenous Muslims.” At the same time, many African Americans have remained in the Nation of
Islam. NOI supporters claim membership of between 50,000 and 100,000. Their detractors say they number around 20,000.
The majority of Muslims in the United States, however, are immigrants and their descendants. The 1965 relaxation in U.S.
immigration laws increased the inflow, which continues to this day. In Yvonne Haddad’s book The Muslims of America, Carol
Stone used 1980 census data to demonstrate that the numbers of Muslims were highest in California, New York and Illinois. At
that time, 400,000 Muslims lived in New York, 180,000 in Illinois and some 30 percent of America’s Muslims lived in California.
Today those numbers have more than doubled, and large numbers of Muslims are found in New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida,
Texas, Arizona and Michigan. A sizeable concentration also is found around the U.S. national capital in Washington, DC,
Maryland and Virginia.
Organizational Growth
The end of World War II saw the arrival of large numbers of Muslim students from all parts of the Islamic world, on American
university campuses. Initially small Muslim student associations were established on some campuses. A real effort to set up a
national organization began in 1963 with the establishment of the Muslim Student Association (MSA).
It was at this time that Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was expelled from Iran, Maulana Maudoodi was sentenced to death in
Pakistan, Sayed Qutb of the Muslim Brotherhood was jailed and later executed in Egypt, the Masjumi Party was banned in
Indonesia and the Algerian revolution was coming to a head. All of these developments had a very strong reaction among the
Muslim students in Europe and America.
The MSA launched an “action plan,” setting up offices across the country with initial headquarters in Gary, Indiana. In 1975,
the MSA acquired property in Plainsfield, Indiana and moved there. This also was the period when the North American Islamic
Trust (NAIT) was created to hold title to MSA properties such as Islamic centers, the American Trust Publications, the
International Graphics Press and the Islamic Book Service.
In 1981 the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) was formed to deal with all aspects of Islamic activity in the country,
allowing MSA to concentrate on the campuses. Professional activities are now coordinated through such organizations as the
American Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS), the American Muslim Engineers and Scientists (AMES), and the Islamic Medical
Association (IMA).
ISNA’s annual convention today attracts more than 10,000 members. Similarly, AMSE, AMSS and IMA hold their separate
conventions each year. According to Yvonne Haddad, “ISNA is considered to be the national Muslim organization and generally
represents the Islamic mainstream.” In the 1970s, the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) was formed, which mostly
consists of Muslims from the Asian subcontinent.
According to the American Muslim Council, a lobbying group formed in the mid-1980s and located in Washington, DC, there are
today close to 2,000 mosques and Islamic community centers in the United States. The Council for American Islamic Relations
(CAIR), a new organization also based in Washington, DC, has become active protecting the human rights of the Muslims in
America. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) was established in 1980. ADC fights against stereotyping of
Arabs in America.
Issues and Challenges
Since American Muslims are predominantly immigrants who have come from non-Western cultures, being transported to an
alien environment has contributed to a feeling of insecurity. This is especially true regarding raising their children in the
permissive American environment. However, most of these Muslim immigrants also are highly educated and have close and
intact family structures. From this they derive an increasing sense of confidence.
Both first- and second-generation immigrants find themselves caught between two cultures wherein old verities linger on while
new attitudes and outlooks become increasingly powerful.
The question before American Muslims is how to retain their core conservative values while swimming, with increasing ease, in
the mainstream. In fact, most of the highly educated and intelligent immigrants and their children are enjoying conspicuous
material success. The price they will pay in terms of family values and stability is still undetermined.
Christianity is the predominant religion in North America. Islam being another Abrahamic religion, the two have several
commonalities. Both faiths are missionary in nature, but they can co-exist ideologically. The experience being new, it will take
time to find out how. For now, the two religious groups must work at accommodation and develop a better understanding of
and trust in each other. For sure, the Muslims are here to stay.
With time it will become obvious to the mainstream that the Muslims are a very positive addition to the American sectarian
mosaic. Meanwhile it is also imperative for American Muslims to learn to assimilate with the mainstream without losing their
identity and special characteristics.
One sure way of gaining entry is via the political route. Their growing numbers make American Muslims a political force that
the existing political parties increasingly will seek to attract and accommodate.
What is needed is organization and structure. The AMC and the other new institutions have made a beginning. The process
needs to be carried further.
American democracy provides full opportunity for all segments of the population to gain and grow to their fullest potential.
America’s history and its social dynamics also have created an understanding and large-hearted people. If they see goodwill
and friendship, they will meet it half-way.
Therefore, in spite of glitches stemming from the diversity of its own origins, Islam in America appears destined to become a
particularly visible and active component of American society. If the present trends continue, American Muslims may well
become a source of strength and support for Muslims all over the world—and sooner than even the most optimistic members of
this expanding community dare to imagine.
Islam is spreading among black South
Africans
November 14 2004 at 12:39PM Get IOL on your
mobile at m.iol.co.za
By Gordon Bell Black South Africans, drawn to the Islam practised by African immigrants, are converting in growing numbers and slowly changing the face of religious affiliation in the overwhelmingly Christian country. "The numbers have gone up dramatically if you look at the census figures... there is massive growth especially in the (black) townships," said Dr Shamil Jeppie, an expert on Islamic history in Africa at the University of Cape Town. Immigrants from Central and West Africa, escaping poverty at home for life in the continent's economic powerhouse, have brought with them a new "Africanised Islam" more in line with black South Africans' identities than the religion practised by followers with closer links to Asia. Continues Below ↓
"In the townships people see the confidence they bring. The confidence of the African Muslim," Jeppie said. "There is going to
be a different texture, (the balance of followers) is definitely going to change."
Currently, about 650 000 South Africans or less than two percent, are Muslim. They are mostly members of the country's Indian
and coloured communities, the descendants of slaves and cheap labour shipped to South Africa by the former Dutch and British
colonial rulers.
Christianity - practised by 80 percent of the country's 45 million population - is still the dominant religion amongst black South
Africans.
But an estimated 75 000 Africans are now Muslim compared to fewer than 12 000 in 1991 during apartheid white rule, according
to research by the Human Sciences Research Council, a government-funded institute.
Of those, 11 percent are black Africans and that group is expected to become the largest segment of the Muslim faithful within
the next two decades.
"The gap is closing and we are finding each other," Sheikh Thafir Najjar, head of Cape Town-based Islamic Council of South
Africa, says of reconciliation since the end of apartheid in 1994.
"Under apartheid we were not allowed to share our cultures," Najjar said. But in the end there were "a lot of similarities between
African and Muslim cultures," he added.
Najjar said the war on terrorism, led by the United States, had heightened curiosity among Africans about Islam.
"What the policy of America has done has been to make people more aware and to show a greater interest in Islam," he said.
Despite their growing numbers, Muslims in South Africa have generally maintained a low profile and operate within the political
mainstream.
One notable exception was in the late 1990s when an Islamic group known as People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (Pagad)
embarked on a campaign that included bombings in Cape Town.
Their campaign came to a halt when leaders of the group were rounded up by police in 2000 and many prosecuted.
Converts (Reverts) to Islam
GENERAL ARTCLES:
Increasing Number Of Germans Embracing Islam
Catholics turn to Islam as faith conversions rise
Converts in the houses of the Lord - SMH, Australia
Islam converts speak on how they found religion - Michigan Daily, USA
The new face of Islam
Muslims make effort to welcome Hispanic `reverts' - Dallas Morning News
Converts swell Muslim ranks - News 24, South Africa
Russian Converts to Islam Promote Tolerance
Seeing the Light
Ahead of Iraq Deployment, 37 Korean Troops Convert to Islam
Thousands Of British Elite Embrace Islam: Study - Islam Online
500 here convert to Islam every year
Cyber-sheikh converts Jewish family to Islam
15 Ukrainian Youth Embrace Islam - Islam Online
A Very Good Article on Converts (in PDF Format) with Photos
Suspicious US Persecutes Muslim Reverts: Report - Islam Online
100 Nigerians Revert to Islam During Ramadan
INDIVIDUAL STORIES:
Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens)
A.R.Rehman: Leaving Celebrity Status Behind
MTV Presenter Kristiane Backer comes to Allah
Jermaine Jackson (Brother of Pop Star Michael Jackson)
Goethe (German Poet) had embraced Islam
Yvonne Ridley and Islam
Danny's (Danny William) big fight is with his conscience
Mum, I've decided I want to follow Allah - The Herald, UK
Bible Led me to Islam
'Allah came knocking at my heart' - Times, UK
A Woman on a Mission - Guardian, UK
Conversion Story of Shakira Graham
Conversion story of Jeremiah D. McAuliffe
Father Viacheslav: From Church to Mosque
Filipino Theologian Embraces Islam
An Austrian Scientist Discovers Islam
A student’s journey with the Islamic faith
Dutch Woman Embraces Islam ‘Live’
An Indian Family’s Journey to Islam
From Mosman to Islam
An Icelander’s Journey to Light - Islam Online
Young woman takes precepts to heart, converts to Islam
Belgian woman converts to Islam after watching film - The Peninsula, Qatar
How i converted to Islam - Kansas City Star
I was a BNP activist ... and converted to Islam - Guardian
From white extremist to pious Muslim - Eastern Eye Online
How Jewish Extremist Converted to Islam - IQNA
Former extremist Israeli settler thanks Allah at new West Bank home
American Soldier Converts to Islam in Fallujah Mosque
The Aminah Assilmi Story - Islam For Today
On the Beach With Dave Chappelle - Time Magazine
In case you have reverted (converted) yourself to Islam, or you have story of your
friend's etc., and if you would like to share it with us then please send it to
See Also:
Islam the Fastest Growing Religion
Latino Muslims Homepage
Frequently Asked Questions by Non Muslims
Stories of some new Muslims (at USC MSA)
The Muslim Convert's Association of Singapore
Converts Homepage - The True Religion
Back To Islam Awareness Homepage
Latest News about Islam and Muslims
Islam is the fastest growing religion and
the second largest religion in the world
Muslims in Asia (1996) 1,022,692,000 (30%)
Muslims in Africa (1996) 426,282,000 (59%)
Total Number of Muslims on the Earth (1996) 1,482,596,925
Total Number of People on the Earth (1996) 5,771,939,007
Percentage of Muslims (1996) 26%
Islam annual growth rate (1994-1995) from U.N. 6.40%
Christianity growth rate (1994-1995) from U.N. 1.46%
Total Number of Muslims on the Earth (1998) 1,678,442,000
Expected Number of Muslims on the Earth (2000) 1,902,095,000
This table below shows the growth of Islam:
North America (1989-1998) 25%
Africa 2.15%
Asia 12.57%
Europe 142.35%
Latin America -4.73%
Australia 257.01%
Among every four humans in the world, one of them is Muslim. Muslims have increased by over 235
percent in the last fifty years up to nearly 1.6 billion. By comparison, Christians have increased by only
47 percent, Hinduism, 117 percent, and Buddhism by 63 percent. Islam is the second largest religious
group in France, Great Britain and USA (Muslims in USA are 10 millions and Jews are 6 millions).
For a list of all Muslim countries and where the total number of Muslims came from, please click here.
The numbers of the growth rates have been taken from here
The number of the total population has been taken from The CIA World's Facts Book.
