The Diversity
of Muslims in the United States
With the war against terrorism
and an increased attention on the Muslim world,
this report analyzes ways Muslims in the United
States understand their roles as Americans in combating
terrorism and their unique contributions toward
conflict prevention and peacemaking. The assimilation
and integration of American Muslims has effectively
enabled the flourishing of dozens of national and
regional organizations to work in areas of civil
rights, human rights, interfaith dialogue, education,
charity, public diplomacy, political activism, and
other religious and secular activities. Despite
the post 9/11 scrutiny of the Muslim community,
American Muslim groups have devised sophisticated
grassroots campaigns on counter-terrorism and anti-extremist
ideology.
Qamar-ul Huda is the Senior Program Officer in the
Religion and Peacemaking program at the United States
Institute of Peace. Formerly a professor of Islamic
Studies and Comparative Theology at Boston College,
he examines ethics, violence, conflict resolution
and nonviolence in juristic and non-juristic Muslim
authorities in contemporary Islam. This report is
part of a larger book project on American Muslim
identity formation and Islamic approaches toward
mediation and peace-building.
The views expressed in this report do not necessarily
reflect views of the United States Institute of
Peace, which does not advocate specific policy positions.
The highlights of the report are:
• There are approximately 6 to 7.5 million
Muslims in the United States who identify themselves
as Americans. The community consists of a combination
of immigrants and second- and third-generation Arab,
Latino, Asian, European, African, and African-American
Muslims.
• The growth of the American Muslim community
has fostered the development of a variety of religious,
civic, political, cultural, economic, social, ethnic,
feminist, artistic, and professional organizations.
• The diversity of American Muslim organizations
provides a vast number of voices addressing such
issues as terrorism, democracy, peacemaking, and
human rights.
• American Muslims do not see contradictions
between Islam and such ideals as democracy, pluralism,
or political activism; rather, in recent years several
national groups have made it their primary mission
to reconcile all three with Islamic values.
• Some leaders see the blending of Islamic
values with the American experience as a solid bridge
to mutual understanding between the United States
and the Muslim world.
• American Muslim advocacy organizations often
collaborate with the White House and law enforcement
authorities to devise strategies on public policy,
civil rights, the war against terrorism, and other
related issues.
• Many organizations emphasize the importance
of self-scrutiny and education in relation to the
larger Islamic heritage.
• Interfaith dialogue has taken the forefront
on the agendas of many American Muslim organizations,
demonstrating a belief that building trust, peace,
and reconciliation will ultimately lead to harmonious
interfaith relations in the United States.
• American Muslim scholars advocate greater
involvement by Muslims in the political, social,
economic, and cultural spheres of American society.
• American Muslim scholars believe Muslims
have an enormous responsibility and talent for resolving
conflict and being agents for peace.
Conclusion: Multi-pronged Conflict Prevention
The American Muslim community is diverse in every
conceivable way. There are numerous national and
regional organizations dedicated to important civic,
religious, cultural, educational, political, and
social issues. On the subject of terrorism and conflict
resolution, clearly all American Muslim groups have
denounced it emphatically, while some have gone
beyond words by becoming involved with foreign policy,
lobbying efforts, and mobilizing grassroots campaigns
in the community.
The Fiqh Council of North American fatwa is an example
of American Muslims taking proactive positions on
global terrorism, while practicing zero tolerance
of violence and religious extremism. Their positions
have examined conflict and peacemaking in Islam
and have advocated the explicit need for American
Muslims to cooperate with law enforcement.
National American Muslim organizations like MPAC,
CAIR, ISNA, and AMA have focused on violence and
religious extremism as critical issues with local
and international strategies. MPAC's "National
Grassroots Campaign to Fight Terrorism" and
CAIR's "Not in the Name of Islam" efforts
are examples of American Muslims' innovative programs
to raise awareness on issues of radical ideologies.
The coordination of their efforts with those of
law enforcement agencies demonstrates mutual recognition
of the roles each group plays in conflict prevention.
Organizations like CSID, FMC, MAT, and AIFD exhibit
new types of thinking in the American Muslim community
by fostering, cultivating, and institutionalizing
democratic reform in the Muslim world as the primary
answer to extremism. Their own experiences in the
United States confirm that Islamic values and democracy
are compatible, and it is vitally important to institutionalize
democracy in order to reform despotic totalitarian
societies. Their activities display a conscious
effort to make for themselves in American society,
while contributing as bridge builders to the Muslim
world. Their activities have already established
a definite American Muslim model of inclusion and
participation that differs from Muslim communities
in Europe where Muslim communities are less involved
in law enforcement and civic participation.
The participation of American Muslims in mainstream
politics is to empower the community at many different
levels of public life. American Muslim advocacy
groups have tackled stereotyping of Muslims as a
matter of public debate, and they have aggressively
worked toward resolving incidents of discrimination
and civil rights abuses. These achievements have
shifted political attitudes that have enabled American
Muslims to integrate in American political institutions.
Another strategy in the American Muslim community
is to focus on human rights, gender inequality,
and interfaith dialogue, and to increase the Muslim
presence in the American legal system. KARAMAH,
NAML, and ASMA represent specialized groups whose
members believe that injustices can be overcome
by addressing the various legal, socio-economic,
political, and religious systems involved. ASMA's
interfaith dialogue programs in the United States
and around the world reflect the desire for reconciliation
and humanizing of all people. Each of these groups
recognizes that mutual respect is tied to taking
real steps toward tolerance and is part of alleviating
suffering.
Some organizations are concerned with improving
the condition of all human beings through education
and spiritual awareness, not terrorism. Other groups
believe their particular expertise is not conflict
resolution, but rather a focus on cultural, social,
professional, artistic, democratic, and human rights
issues. With such immense diversity in the American
Muslim community, it is difficult to reduce it to
a single voice. Instead, there needs to be greater
appreciation for the efforts and contributions of
Muslims in areas of conflict resolution, interfaith
dialogue, peace building, education, political activities,
civic work, human rights and women's rights advocacy,
legal expertise, and humanitarian efforts. The immense
contributions and growing involvement of American
Muslims in the public square clearly reflects that
Muslims in the United States are associating with
civic, governmental, and political structures of
the nation. Each organization has its own vision
for its members as Americans and for their contributions
to contemporary issues of conflict and peacemaking.
Of related interest:
Muslim World Initiative
Religion and Peacemaking: Publications
Applying Islamic Principles in the Twenty-first
Century: Nigeria, Iran, and Indonesia
Religion and Peacemaking Research Resources
United States Institute of Peace - 1200 17th Street
NW - Washington, DC 20036
(202) 457-1700 (phone) - (202) 429-6063 (fax)
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