Muslim immigration into the United States

Muslim immigration into the United States

Introduction

Any serious analysis of the situation of Muslims in the United States requires consideration of contacts and relations between the "Christian West" and the Muslim peoples 2, and pay attention to socio-religious aspects of American Muslims. Have they influenced these relations before the twentieth century in the current relationship? Is "being Muslim" a priority for American Muslims? American Muslims Are they a cohesive group? Can you talk about relations with most Muslim minority in the United States? This essay is an attempt to briefly answer these questions in an analytical and critical. Hopefully, suggest questions for future research.

The United States colonized Muslim peoples, in fact, during the colonial period advised the European decolonization in some Muslim lands. However, the U.S. is an extension of political, religious and cultural life of Europe. Europeans, especially the British, were the "teachers" of the Americans as far as the Muslim peoples concerned, and Americans adapted from their teachers to European prejudices against Muslims. Until well into the twentieth century, the Muslims depended on U.S. media in particular the Reuters news agency in London to cover all the news from Asia, Africa and Europe. The American interest in the "east" and Africa was manifested in institutions built in the image of Europe. European scholars and some immigrants were sources of misinformation about Muslims. Thus, America's religious vision was no less hostile than the European. Although the Americans were less involved than the Europeans in missionary activities, they promoted Western education in Islamic countries, including the formation of schools, colleges and universities, and occasionally immigration. The role of "advocate" of human rights, economic and political freedom in this country has made it extremely appealing to Muslims of different ethnic origins, as a refuge to shelter itself from the more undesirable aspects of their societies.

Discussion

The composition of the "community" American Muslim

American Muslims are a microcosm of the international Muslim community. Unofficially, and exaggeration, it is estimated that ten million, a number greater than the population in some Muslim countries, but approximately 4% of the U.S. They differ regarding their religious affiliation, ethnicity, occupation, wealth, social and political affiliation and degree of assimilation into American culture. Almost all pools (tawa'if) Islamic as well as schools and trends (madhahib) are represented among American Muslims. There have also been many internal changes and conversions from one to another school. The famous doctrinal and social changes of the old Nation of Islam are the most notorious 3, similar changes have taken place in the Moorish Science Temple. Currently, both organizations are widely recognized as Muslims "orthodox" or nearly 4. The numerical growth of Shia Muslims can be attributed to Iranian influence (before and after the revolution of 1979) and Lebanese immigrants and other nationalities. From various countries such as Senegal or India, came members of various Sufi brotherhoods and persons of recognized persuasion "mystical". Despite their points of view "heterodox", Sufis appeal to Muslims and non ...