Statistics of the American Muslims - Article Example

Muslim culture Introduction Religion and society 2. Diversity of religions in the social environment. Thesis: American mosques have a lot of peculiarities which are conditioned by the way Arab culture is perceived in the United States. Main body 1. Demographics and statistics of the American Muslims: a. The population of Muslims may be two times larger that it is thought to be; b. Since 2000 the number of mosques increased greatly; c. The American mosques are often “young” since most built in the 1970s. 2. Mosque as a reflection of diversity: a. Arabs and other ethnicities pray in a mosque; b. There are many Shiite mosques in the United States; c. Metropolitan areas and suburbs have mosques; d. Purchased, built or rented facility – a variety of places for a mosque. 3. Mosque in the American society: a. Modern and flexible interpretation of Quran; b. Spiritual leaders feel welcome in the society; c. Muslims in mosques are encouraged to be active in the American society; d. Conversion to Islam of an American. Conclusion 1. The number of Muslims in the population may be underestimated; 2. The American society incorporated mosques successfully; 3. The diversity of the American social environment is reflected in the mosques. Introduction If one takes a close look at the society that is formed by human being, one can not help noticing that the concept of religion plays extremely important place in it. Indeed, from the very dawn of civilization spiritual traditions have been supporting people in numerous ways. Nowadays, the social environment is not as homogeneous as it used to be. This means that different religions often coexist in one country. This is particularly interesting from a sociological point of view as such state of affairs might be regarded as a characteristic feature of the modern world. This paper will argue that American mosques have a lot of peculiarities which are conditioned by the way Arab culture is perceived in the United States. Demographics and statistics of the American Muslims It is quite obvious that when it comes to analyzing the place of religion in a society, a researcher should examine the number of people who practice it. In spite of the fact that it may be rather difficult to estimate the actual number of believer, there are may be different ways to do it. The researchers argue that the official figures tend to give the wrong impression about the population of Muslims which is thought to be around a million and a half. Nevertheless, it was found that in 2011 there were more than two and a half million people participating in Eid Prayer (Bagby 2011). While it may not be regarded as a reliable way to determine the population of Muslims, there is no doubt that the original figures should be adjusted. Another point that should be taken into account after the number of believers was examined is the place where they pray. Thus, it was found that in the new millennium the number of mosques in the United States increased (Bukhari 2004). This finding might be regarded as a rather surprising since the first year of the millennium was marked by sorrowful events which involved radical Muslims who supported their terroristic acts with the principles of their faith. Nevertheless, the statistics shows that the first decade witnessed an increased in the number of mosques which rejects the idea that the American society feels hostility towards the Muslims. The above mentioned situation may be easily explained if one analyzes the events which were documented in the previous decades. Thus, the presence of Muslims in the America society can be traced back for a considerable period of time (Haddad 1994). That is why the increase in their demographics as well as number of mosques can be seen in 1970s. Indeed, many people fail to realize that Islamic part of the population has been around for a considerable period of time. However, it was the second half of the previous centuries when sons of the immigrants were able to establish a profitable business as direct some of the funds that they gains to the development of their faith. Mosque as a reflection of diversity One of the characteristic features of the American society is the respect for diversity. That is why there is no wonder that this was reflected in the population of Muslim believers. Indeed, Islam is often closely associated with the Arab identity; that is why it is quite natural to expect mostly Arabs to visit mosques (Kahera 2002). However, the evidence shows that other ethnic groups are also represented in a mosque. This finding should not come as a surprise: the promotion of diversity which is carried our in the United States was able to influence every part of its social environment including religious communities. Speaking of the diversity of the American Muslims, one can not omit the issue of inner division in Islam. It is well known fact that there are two major branches of Islam: Sunni and Shia; however, the most important fact about this division lies in the fact that the latter are greatly outnumbered by the former. That is why it would have been quite logical to assume that the American Islamic life would feature primarily Sunni believers, but the researchers argue that there is a considerable number of Shia mosques as well which shows that this religious group is represented in the United States of America as well (Metcalf 1996). Similar to the previous situation, the American society appeared to be an effective platform for the development of both branches. One can hardly object to the fact the place where mosques can be found also plays an important role in the way they are perceived in the society. Thus, it was found that Muslim places of worship are not found in the metropolitan areas exclusively, but in the suburbs as well. This means that the American Muslims respect their faith and try to comply with it regardless of where they live. As a result a mosque should not be seen as an element of a big city, but should be associated with any Muslim community that is found in the United States of America. This might be seen as a reflection of the penetration of Islam into various parts of the social environment. Finally, a detailed analysis of the places that are used as a mosque might reveal peculiar facts about it. For example, the majority of places which are currently functions as a place of religious gathering and worship of the Muslims were purchased. This simple fact shows that over the decades this particular group of people was able to accumulate a considerable amount of money and buy a place for religious practices. Nevertheless, there is a certain percentage of mosques that use facilities which were built by the believers. This is a rather significant fact which reflects the genuine desire to adhere to one’s faith. Building a mosque is much more difficult than purchasing a place for one since in the first case a person will have to invest not only money, but time and efforts as well. Mosques in the American society It is quite understandable that the United States of America is a Western country that has quite controversial relationship with the Islamic world. Leaving aside the peculiarities of its foreign policy, one might mention the fact that after 9/11 Islam was considered by some people as a religious tradition which is profoundly opposite to the values of the American society. For example, many of the fundamental beliefs were seen as oppressive. It must be noted that the contemporary interpretations of Quran which can be witnessed in the American mosques appear to be quite modern and flexible which complies with the values of the majority of the population. This might be seen as a direct impart of the latter on the former. What is more important is that the spiritual leaders often suggest that they have never felt the alleged hostility on a personal level. They do acknowledge the fact that mosques in particular and Islam in general do not belong to the American society originally, the leaders fails to agree with the fact that their faith as well as way of life are rejected by the majority. In other words, the respect for diversity which was mentioned before is successfully implemented. It must be noted that the relationship between the Muslims and the American society is not at a stalemate, but is a developing one. It was found that the spiritual leader often encourage Muslims to take an active part in the American society in order to make sure that the religious communities are not isolated. In other words, it is not only the public in general who tries to find a common ground with the Muslims, but also the latter who do their best to incorporate their communities into the society. This might be seen as a sign of successful cooperation as well as mutual appreciation of each other’s customs. One of the most peculiar statistics that might reflect the peculiarities of the above mentioned relationship is the rate of conversion to Islam. Indeed, while the spiritual life of the United States of America is often associated with Christianity and more particularly Protestantism, there is surely evidence according to which many American citizens try a new faith and a quite satisfied with the outcome of their spiritual question. It is quite obvious that the number of people who are converted to Islam is quite small in terms of the entire population, there is no doubt that this process is steady and reflects the interest of the American society in Islam. Mosques play significant role in it, becoming the place for an American to interact with the Muslim community. Conclusion Having examined all the evidence which was brought up in the paragraphs above, one is able to come to the following conclusion: the way the American public perceived Islam has had a tremendous impact on mosques that are located in the United States of America. Other important points that should be taken into consideration include the fact that the number of Muslims in the population may be underestimated. In addition to that there is an increase in the number of mosques in the new millennium. The history of American Muslims provides evidence that they were able to incorporate themselves successfully into the social environment. Finally, the diversity of the American social environment is reflected in the mosques in different ways. References Bagby, I. (2011). The American Mosque. Retrieved February 1, 2015, from http://faithcommunitiestoday.org/sites/faithcommunitiestoday.org/files/The American Mosque 2011 web.pdf Bukhari, Z. (2004). Muslims place in the American public square: Hope, fears, and aspirations. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press. Haddad, Y. (1994). Muslim communities in North America. Albany, N.Y.: State University of New York Press. Kahera, A. (2002). Deconstructing the American mosque space, gender, and aesthetics. Austin: University of Texas Press. Metcalf, B. (1996). Making Muslim space in North America and Europe. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Read More