Essay About United States And Muslim Groups

Muslims
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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,