Developing a Culturally Inviting Collection

Reaching the Muslim Population

Order of Presentation

Brief History of Islam in AmericaMajor Islamic MovementsMajor Islamic OrganizationsMajor PublicationsCollection Recommendations

Pre-Columbus

According to Chinese records, first Muslim explorers to North America arrived in 1178

Muslim explorers came to North America before Columbus

Qadir Abdus-Sabur, Ph.D.

Qadir Abdus-Sabur, Ph.D.

Pre-20th Century

In about 1863, Muslim immigrants from Syria, Lebanon, Jordan start arriving in North America

In 1915, Albanian Muslims build the first Masjid in North America in Connecticut

Contemporary History

In 1926, Polish speaking Tartars build a Masjid in New York

In 1930, African Americans build a Masjid in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.

Masjid in Ross, North Dakota was also built in 1930s with 100 Muslims attending.

http://edf3.gallaudet.edu/diversity/BGG/!ISLAM/

U.S. Muslim PopulationEthnic Grouping Population % of Total

African-American 2,100,000 42

South Asian 1,220,000 24.4

Arab 620,000 12.4

African 260,000 5.2

Iranian 180,000 3.6

Turk 120,000 2.4

South-East Asian 100,000 2.0

American Whites 80,000 1.6

East Europeans 40,000 0.8

Other 280,000 5.6

Total 5,000,000 100

Definition of Terms: African Americans: Those persons of African Descent native to the United

States South Asians: Those of Indian/Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, or Afghan

Descent now residing in the United States Arabs: People from Arabic speaking countries of the Middle-East and North

Africa who are permanent residents or citizens of the United States African: People from the African continent who are permanent residents or

citizens of the United States Iranian: People of Persian descent, usually from Iran, who are permanent

residents or citizens of the United States Turk: People of Turkish descent who are permanent residents or citizens of the

United States South-East Asian: People of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Indochina, or the

Phillipines White Americans: People of West European descent, who are native to the

United States East Europeans: People from various regions of Eastern Europe

Moorish Science Temple of America (MSTA)

Timothy Drew (Noble Drew Ali) establishes the Moorish Science Temple of America (MSTA) in Newark, NJ, in 1933

Drew Ali reportedly was commissioned by the Sultan of Morocco to teach Islam to Negroes in the United States.

Nation of Islam (NOI)

Established in 1933One of the most significant organizations in

American Muslim historyResponsible for converting a high percentage of

African-Americans to IslamIt was also effective in highlighting American

Christians' difficulties combating the effects of slavery and racism among African-Americans.

NOI History

The NOI's philosophy was introduced in the United States by Fard Muhammad (Wallace Ford), a Muslim mystic who disappeared in 1933

Elijah Mohammed succeeded Fard and built the organization into a strong ethnic movement advocating Islam as way of life

Two of the most famous African-Americans, Muhammad Ali and Al Hajj Malik al-Shabazz (Malcolm X), were early adherents of this movement. Both later embraced the broader multiethnic concepts of orthodox Islam.

www.nathanielturner.com/ achievementselijahmuh...

Elijah Muhammad

Leader of the Nation of Islam

Died in 1975 and is succeeded by his son Warith Deen Mohammed

www.montana.edu/tlecain/

AI Hajj Malik al-Shabazz

1965 AI Hajj Malik al-Shabazz (Malcolm X) is assassinated in New York

One of the most outstanding Muslims in American history as well as a dedicated fighter for justice and equality for African-Americans and other oppressed people

www.noi.org/mlfbio.htm

Minister Louis Farrakhan

Leadership of Imam Warithuddin Mohammed) brought drastic changes to the Nation of Islam

After 3 years and a re-appraisal of the condition of Black people, Minister Farrakhan decided to return to the Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and its proven ability to uplift and reform Blacks.

www.atlantamasjid.com/ wdmuhammad.asp

Warith Deen Mohammed

Son of Elijah MuhammadCredited with moving the

NOI toward the broader universal concepts of Islam. He is now regarded as one of the leading Muslim spokesmen in the United States.

Islamic Society of North America

1982 The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) is established in Plainfield, IN. ISNA is now an umbrella organization for many active Islamic groups seeking to further the cause of Islam in the United States.

www.walktheroadtopeace.org/ gallery%2012-03-20...

ISNA’s Head

Dr. Sayyid Muhammad Syeed, Secretary General of the Islamic Society of North America.

Muslim Students Association (MSA)

Established 1963 as an organization to aid foreign Muslim students attending schools in the United States

MSA now has more than 100 branches nationwide.

In the 1970's it gave birth to the Islamic Medical Association (IMA), the Association of Muslim Social Scientist (AMSS), and the Association of Muslim Scientists and Engineers (AMSE).

Professional Journals

Established in the 1970s, these associations publish professional journals

Islamic Medical Association (IMA)Association of Muslim Social Scientist

(AMSS)Association of Muslim Scientists and

Engineers (AMSE).

Muhammad Speaks Newspaper

Established in 1962, it later becomes the largest minority weekly publication in the country and reached 800,000 readers at its peak

It has undergone several changesBilalian NewsThe A.M. Journal The Muslim Journal.

Islamic Magazines

Islamic MagazineIslamic HorizonsAl Jumuah MagazineAzizah MagazineThe Guidance MagazineThe American Muslim Magazine

Islamic Magazines Cont.

Emel: The Muslim Lifestyle MagazineThe Message International MagazineAll are available from

http://islamicbookstore.com/gifts-islamic-magazines.html

Additional Suggestions

English translation of Qur’anCollection of Hadith by Shahid BukarahCollection of Hadith by MuslimForty Hadith by Nawawihttp://www.halalco.com/books.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Russell_Webb

Muhammad Alexander Russell Webb (1846-1916)

appointed by President Cleveland to be Consular Representative to the Philippines

in 1888 declared himself a Muslim the first Anglo-American convert to

Islam founded the American Islamic Press & one of the earliest mosques in New York City

His Muslim Mission in Manhattan (1893) was among the first Islamic Missions in the United States.