The lives of American Muslims have changed on many levels since Sept. 11, 2001, as is only too evident from media reports. Many American Muslims have suffered the humiliation of false arrests, de-boarding from airplanes, inappropriate search and seizure of property, and setbacks in business and the workplace.
However, Muslims from the African American community tell a different story. Several told Arab News that they had not experienced any direct problems, although some said they noticed signs tension in the communities.
“My non-Muslim friends and coworkers were so protective and concerned for my safety,” said Mrs. Hallalah D. Hasam.
Hamza Abdul Mutabir did not notice any major upset. “It wasn’t even a disturbance,” he said. “The immediate thing was that we went from 20 men in the mosque to the complete outer court filled. People have been coming to Islam in droves.”
Both Mrs. Hasam and Mutabir were part of a large group of US Muslims who performed Haj this year.
A comprehensive market research study of American Muslims in North America done by the Johnson School of Business at Cornell University in April 2002 revealed that there are eight million Muslims in North America, seven million in the US and one million in Canada.
For the last 10 years, the American Muslim population has grown at an annual rate of six percent versus 0.9 percent for the total United States. Muslims represent three percent of the North American population; taken as a whole, the community is bigger than the entire population of Norway or Sweden.
Muslim Americans are younger. Specifically, 67 percent of adult American Muslims are less than 40 years old.
American Muslims are well educated, with 67 percent holding a bachelor’s degree or higher against 44 percent for all Americans. The variance becomes even greater when it comes to advanced degrees, master’s or higher. One-third of American Muslims hold an advanced degree versus nine percent for all Americans.
As education is highly correlated to affluence, it is not surprising that American Muslims enjoy higher household incomes than the US average. The average household income in the US is $42,158. Two-thirds of American Muslim households earn over $50,000 per year.
“The main thing that is needed for Muslims is to give each other time,” Mutabir said. “The ones who are born Muslim or who have been in Islam for a while need to spend time with the new converts. It’s about spending time with people. It’s not about money: It’s about an investment of time. The money is there, and the resources are there. We must have more experience in living together by following the path of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. We need to see in front of us the workings of Muslims in successful communities.
“Now that Haj has brought me into Saudi Arabia for the first time, it was great to be among people that have a historic understanding of Islam and can share it.
“We are hopeful that more people from the Muslim environment open themselves the way that the brothers and sisters on Haj do. We need to see the real thing working,” he said.
However, there are some who report a threatening atmosphere in the US. “America has instilled such a fear in its people about Islam that anything that looks like Islam is attacked,” Aisha Clark, a 32-year-old American Muslim, said. “It was very tense for a while; so much so that anyone that covers their body up as Muslims do has the same problem as Muslims.”
Arab News Features 13 March 2003