Muslims in the United States of America - Coursework Example

Muslims in the United States of America Name Institution Introduction America is a home to one of the most diverse Muslim population in the world. The population of Muslims in America is about 3 to 6 million in which about half of them have been born in the USA; the rest are immigrants. The majority of the Muslims just like other communities choose to migrate to the USA for the sake of economic opportunities and demographic freedom. Today, the Muslim community is an integral part of the American society and majority of them are middle-class people. Some of the Muslims in America have emerged and made an impact in the American society and thus live to be appreciated and respected, an example is Muhamed Ali, Shaquille O'Neal, Lupe Fiasco among others (Ahmed, 2010). Due to their integration in the American Society, American Muslims participate in all the civic life aspects of the American, these include political life and social life, and there are Islamic centers that serve both the Muslim and other communities in America. However, despite the integration of Muslims in the American society, there has been constant wrangles between Muslims and the local communities in regards to various aspects, constant attacks by the homegrown Islamic extremists in pursuit of their rights, extreme violence and terror attacks linked to Islamic religion has sparked conflict between Muslims in America and other local residents, this has gone to the extent that there have been Muslim no-go zones in the USA. Muslims have therefore faced increased backlash on the aspects of sharia laws, mosques, and terrorism. Effect of Terrorist Attacks on the Muslim Community in the USA The relationship between Muslims in America and other religious communities has been greatly affected by the incidents of terror that have regularly attacked the region. Most of these terror attacks have been linked with the Islamic religion because of the war against terror that the USA has been pursuing in most of the Arabic nations. The tragic terror attack of 11th September 2001 was a landmark on the relationship between the Muslims living in America and other communities, the attack came at time when the USA was involved in the antiterrorism war with Iraq and Afghanistan, and this war played a role in the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and the Capital Hill regions. Because of the attack, the Muslim community has received blame and hatred over the past years. Anti-Muslim sentiments have been on the rise even from the politicians who are influential people; this situation results to generalizing that Muslims are associated with terror. Muslim leaders in America have denounced extremist violence and reinstated that Islam is a religion of peace. It is a clarification that has not been well received by most Americans since they live in the fear of the past, this situation has compromised the relationship between Muslims and people from other religions in America (Bhutto, 2008). Social and Economic Position of Muslims in the USA Muslims in America are a diverse group of people both in terms of social, political, and economic lifestyle. Many Americans live in the fear that Muslim Americans pose a threat to the American Society, majorly because of the assumption that there is one kind of Islam, and it is the same Islam characterized by violence and anti-democratic tendencies. Muslim Americans, however, have almost a similar lifestyle as those of the rest of Americans; they have similar career levels, educational achievements, and diverse political beliefs just like other Americans. Averagely, Muslim Americans tend to be highly educated, politically conscious and speak fluent English. They share similar socio-economic characteristics with the general U.S population this is in terms of employment, education, and levels of income. Muslim immigrants in the U.S tend to focus more on professional and entrepreneurial vacations. Due to the high educational levels, the average incomes for a good number of Muslims tend to be superior to that of the U.S Nationals. According to the Muslims in America, they are the richest Muslim society in the globe. Demographic structure of Muslims in the USA Counting of Muslims in the U.S.A has always been a hard task, this is due to their diverse nature, statistically, the total Muslim population in the U.S.A. Just like many other immigrant communities, Muslims are considerably younger than the national average. Most Muslims, just as many other immigrants, tend to live majorly in metropolitan areas including the largest cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Many of these centers in which they reside have got particular ethnic quality, California has a large percentage of Iranians, Los Angeles is the second highest populated by the Iranian while Texas has a majority of the South Asians. Unlike the majority of the Muslim immigrants in Europe who prefer ghetto- like areas, American Muslims are highly dispersed. There are some Muslim-only towns in the U.S.A but these comprise of African-Americans who have converted to Islam (Caldwell, 2009). Mosques in the USA The location of Mosques in the U.S.A has been one of the reasons American Muslims have faced scrutiny and backlash from the local communities. Despite this, more than 1200 mosques have existed in the U.S.A from the 1990s though very few among them had been originally designed as mosques. Islamic congregations began inside buildings that had been constructed for other purposes but later changed to become mosques. To majority of the Muslims, mosques are central to devotional life, mosques have helped Muslims to integrate into the U.S society this is because they tend to bring the difference between Muslims and non-Muslims in the United States. Despite the protests against new mosques in New York, the overall number of mosques rose from 2000 in the year 2000 to 2,100 in the year 2010. The States with the most mosques include New York, which has approximately 257, California 246 and Texas having 166 mosques. The majority of these Mosques are ethnically diverse; the major participants in the mosques are the South Asians, Arabs, and the African American. Concerning Muslim migration to U.S.A, it is evident that they people had been migrating to this nation, long before the colonial era. During the early colonial period, some Muslims convicts had been transported to U.S.A; these migrants contributed significantly to the infrastructural development of the then a growing nation. Muslim rights in the USA Muslim women reflect the country’s breadth in terms of diverse ethnicity and multicultural heritage. The majority of the Muslim women always practice hijab as per their religious beliefs; they wear headscarves and loose-fitting clothes while in public and when in the presence of men that do not belong to their family. Just like all people in the United States, Muslim women have got a right to practice their religion and be treated equally without being harassed or discriminated as a result of their religion (Haddad, Senzai & Smith, 2009). In the U.S.A, there are laws protecting Islamic regulations, the Religious Freedom Act in the U.S.A provides protection by barring the federal government from restricting Islamic women to practice hijab. Muslim women have in many occasions had their rights infringed by being prohibited to wear head coverings in various contexts. Some have been harassed, dismissed from jobs. In school, girls who wear headscarves have faced harassment and assaulted, some students have been denied the right to wear hijab to school. All these forms of discrimination lead to psychological torture and a feeling of being marginalized. Despite the laws in place, many of the rights of Muslims have been infringed and gone unnoticed (Haddad, Smith & Moore, 2006). Impact of Islamic religion in The USA For many years now, Muslims have been conducting their Friday congregation prayers inside the U.S Capitol building. United States military has tripled the number of Muslims chaplains in its ranks; this is a clear indication of the increase in the number of the Muslim communities among the USA military. The increase in Muslim American has also had an impact it the political system of the U.S.A, in New Jersey which is a home to an estimated number of 400,000 Muslims, a former Governor Christine Todd signed a bill which made New Jersey the first state in the U.S.A to enact a law which ensured the authenticity of Halal food. Two Muslim Americans also made history when they delivered the benedictions during the first day of both the Democratic and Republican national conventions in the year 2012 (Khan, 2003). In the year 2000, Congress instructed the United States Postal service to issue a postal stamp that commemorated the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. All these acts have influenced the American in one way or the other and gave the Islamic religion as a sense of recognition the American Society. The increase in number and integration of the Muslim immigrants has had numerous impact both to Muslim itself as a religion and to the U.S as a whole. There has been a change in perception about Islam and Muslims, the misconception that Arab and Muslim are synonymous has been cleared out to a good extent, the idea that Islamic religion is a religion of terrorism has also been transformed due to the presence of many peacemaking and instrumental Muslims in the society. Intermarriages have also been because of an increase in Muslim immigrants; local people have adopted Islam when a Muslim girl gets married to a non-Muslim. In the political field, many Muslims have emerged to become Mayors and state congressional representatives. Muslims also helped in political campaigns such as one for Hilary Clinton in New York and many other candidates (Khan, 2007). The acceptance of Muslim dresses and ideas had been a stepping-stone in towards embracing the Muslim culture and Religion. In the financial aspect, there have been trillion dollars that have been invested in the U.S by oil-rich Arab states thus improving the economy. Myths about Muslims in America 1. American Muslims are foreigners The Islamic religion was in America before the United States, in early America, the names of Muslims could be found in rosters of soldiers and reports of runaway soldiers. The Muslims were part of the people who fought to preserve America independence in the war of 1812. 2. American Muslims are ethnically and politically monolithic. American Muslim community is the most diverse Muslim community in the whole world. They believe different things and honor their faith in various different ways. Muslim Americans are different in terms of their sectarian affiliation; they range from highly conservative to moderate to secular in terms of their religious devotion. 3. American Muslims oppress women. The latest study shows that Muslim Americans are more educated than other Muslim women in Europe and more than the average American. The American Muslims are at the helm of many key religious and civic organizations, as documented by Women Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality, Muslim women play a leading role in terms of public engagements, education and also activism in the United States. 4. American Muslims often become homegrown terrorists In the year 2010, more non-Muslims were involved in terrorism than the Muslims were. Many times terrorism is associated with political and socioeconomic issues and not religious concerns. 5. American Muslims want to bring sharia law to the United States Islam regards sharia as a divine ideal for justice and compassion; however, radicals exist who wish to manipulate the laws to suit their personal gains. Muslims are required to follow the laws of the land in which they live in. Through observation of the country’s laws and following their religious doctrines, no interference or breaking of laws can be experienced. Country of Birth of American Muslims Muslim Americans come from all around the world, not all the Muslims in America are foreigners since some of them were born in the U.S.A.. Muslim Americans come from at least 77 different countries around the world. Sixty-three percent of the Muslim Americans represent the first-generation immigrants while thirty-seven percent of those who are born outside the U.S are American citizens. Among the first generation Muslims Americans, forty-one percent of them come from the Middle East or North Africa, twenty-six percent of them come from South Asia, eleven percent of them come from the Sub-Saharan Africa and Seven percent of them come from Europe. Among them, thirteen percent of U.S Muslims are African Americans whose parents were born in the U.S (Toguslu, Leman & Sezgin, n.d.). Due to the diverse range from which these Muslim groups found in the USA come from, they do not have common ideologies, the Muslim Americans vary in terms of their political and social beliefs. They do not have common interests and, therefore, independent in terms of their choices and preferences. Sharing a common religion makes them United and hence resist any moves that may tend to compromise their religious beliefs. Reasons for Muslim Migration in the U.S.A 1. Refuge Many Muslim countries have been faced with tragic events of interpersonal conflicts and terror. Afghanistan and Iraq are some of the Muslim nations that have never experienced a peaceful spell for a long period. The majority of these countries face tyranny leadership, poverty, violent regimes, civil strife, and wars. This has led to the constant migration of their citizens to more peaceful and politically stable nations. U.S.A has been a destination to many foreign Muslims, who migrated either as refugees or those seeking a better life. 2. Education During the 1990s, many colleges and universities in the U.S.A attracted more than half a million foreign students. The majority of them chose to remain in the U.S.A in order to pursue their careers and start a life there. The environment they lived in the U.S.A as compared to their native homeland persuaded some to stay in order to avoid critical conditions back in their homeland. 3. Islamist Ambitions Islamists arrived in the U.S.A with a different impression of the country. They despised it and everything that it represents, upon arrival; they intended to make converts, exploit the freedom of the residents and to build another strong movement that would have brought basic changes in the country’s way of life. The freedom of expression granted to them in the U.S.A gave them a favorable environment to air their views thus made them be determined. As this proved to be hard against their expectations, some opted to stay longer with the determination that they can achieve their goal. With time, most of them chose to stay and adapted the U.S.A way of life. Muslim Integration Muslim Americans, unlike many of the Muslim communities across Europe, do not feel marginalized from the rest of the U.S.A society. Most of them have integrated into the society and participate actively in all societal activities. In other aspects, the Muslim Americans are the ones with an upper hand holding key positions in the various sectors of the government and the society. This is a proof that the American Muslims have integrated well into the American society and given an equal chance of participation. However, the majority of the U.S Muslims feel that they have been alienated in the war on terror. They also have had to struggle in terms of how much they need to integrate into the U.S culture and their daily lives. A study shows that Muslim Americans are the least religious group who are likely to be registered to vote. After the September 11 attack in the U.S.A, the Muslim Americans started doing community outreach. There have been Anti-Muslim sentiments from the rest of the American society some of whom thought that a good number of Muslims are likely to encourage violence in relation to other religions. The growth in population has also led to other U.S public agencies to adapt to the religious practices. Indianapolis International Airport is an example of an agency that has installed footbaths that allow Muslims and more so taxi drivers to perform their religious ablutions in a sanitary way. Denver International Airport has a mosque despite being criticized; the mosque serves the Muslim workers in the Airport. All these measures put in place show how the American Muslims have integrated into the American way of life and have been appreciated in terms of their service delivery. This has served to enhance national cohesion and integration. Conclusion Muslims are the third highly populated religion in the U.S.A, over the years, Islam religion has grown and attained tremendous development in terms of acquiring a position and image in the American society. There have been various discriminations against the Muslim religions which have been sparked by the constant terror attacks believed to be from the Islamic nations. This has not shaken the determinations of the Muslim Americans to develop a good relationship with the other citizens and also show them the good part of Islamic religion which their faith professes. Positive steps have been made towards a proper integration and national cohesion, and this has changed the lives of both the Muslim Americans and the other citizens at large. Muslims Americans are part of the American society and contribute to the socio-economic development of the U.S as a state. The rest of the citizens need to understand them, respect their religious beliefs, and solve conflicts that may arise among them in a peaceful and liberal manner. Muslim Americans should not be linked with terror and violence since these aspects of terror and violence lie majorly of the political and socio-economic factors but not about religious beliefs. Muslims from other parts of Europe should learn from the American Muslims. They should take a part in terms of developing the society and portraying a good image of the Islam religion, different from that which has been linked to terror and violence. If this is done in a liberal manner, the Muslim communities will the more accepted and appreciated in the society. References Ahmed, A. (2010). Journey into America. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press. Berend, N. (2001). At the gate of Christendom. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Bhutto, B. (2008). Reconciliation. New York: Harper. Caldwell, C. (2009). Reflections on the revolution in Europe. New York: Doubleday. Haddad, Y., Senzai, F., & Smith, J. (2009). Educating the Muslims of America. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Haddad, Y., Smith, J., & Moore, K. (2006). Muslim women in America. New York: Oxford University Press. Jackson, L. (2014). Muslims and Islam in U.S. education. New York: Routledge Khan, A. (2003). Islam, Muslims, and America. New York: Algora Pub. Khan, M. (2007). Debating moderate Islam. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press. Toguslu, E., Leman, J., & Sezgin, I. (2014). New multicultural identities in Europe. Leuven : Leuven University Press Read More

Because of the attack, the Muslim community has received blame and hatred over the past years. Anti-Muslim sentiments have been on the rise even from the politicians who are influential people; this situation results to generalizing that Muslims are associated with terror. Muslim leaders in America have denounced extremist violence and reinstated that Islam is a religion of peace. It is a clarification that has not been well received by most Americans since they live in the fear of the past, this situation has compromised the relationship between Muslims and people from other religions in America (Bhutto, 2008).

Social and Economic Position of Muslims in the USA Muslims in America are a diverse group of people both in terms of social, political, and economic lifestyle. Many Americans live in the fear that Muslim Americans pose a threat to the American Society, majorly because of the assumption that there is one kind of Islam, and it is the same Islam characterized by violence and anti-democratic tendencies. Muslim Americans, however, have almost a similar lifestyle as those of the rest of Americans; they have similar career levels, educational achievements, and diverse political beliefs just like other Americans.

Averagely, Muslim Americans tend to be highly educated, politically conscious and speak fluent English. They share similar socio-economic characteristics with the general U.S population this is in terms of employment, education, and levels of income. Muslim immigrants in the U.S tend to focus more on professional and entrepreneurial vacations. Due to the high educational levels, the average incomes for a good number of Muslims tend to be superior to that of the U.S Nationals. According to the Muslims in America, they are the richest Muslim society in the globe.

Demographic structure of Muslims in the USA Counting of Muslims in the U.S.A has always been a hard task, this is due to their diverse nature, statistically, the total Muslim population in the U.S.A. Just like many other immigrant communities, Muslims are considerably younger than the national average. Most Muslims, just as many other immigrants, tend to live majorly in metropolitan areas including the largest cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Many of these centers in which they reside have got particular ethnic quality, California has a large percentage of Iranians, Los Angeles is the second highest populated by the Iranian while Texas has a majority of the South Asians.

Unlike the majority of the Muslim immigrants in Europe who prefer ghetto- like areas, American Muslims are highly dispersed. There are some Muslim-only towns in the U.S.A but these comprise of African-Americans who have converted to Islam (Caldwell, 2009). Mosques in the USA The location of Mosques in the U.S.A has been one of the reasons American Muslims have faced scrutiny and backlash from the local communities. Despite this, more than 1200 mosques have existed in the U.S.A from the 1990s though very few among them had been originally designed as mosques.

Islamic congregations began inside buildings that had been constructed for other purposes but later changed to become mosques. To majority of the Muslims, mosques are central to devotional life, mosques have helped Muslims to integrate into the U.S society this is because they tend to bring the difference between Muslims and non-Muslims in the United States. Despite the protests against new mosques in New York, the overall number of mosques rose from 2000 in the year 2000 to 2,100 in the year 2010.

The States with the most mosques include New York, which has approximately 257, California 246 and Texas having 166 mosques. The majority of these Mosques are ethnically diverse; the major participants in the mosques are the South Asians, Arabs, and the African American. Concerning Muslim migration to U.S.A, it is evident that they people had been migrating to this nation, long before the colonial era. During the early colonial period, some Muslims convicts had been transported to U.S.

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