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The Diversity of Muslims in the United States

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The Diversity of Muslims in the United States UNITED STATES InsTITUTE OF PEACE www.usip.org SPECIAL REPORT 1200 17th Street NW • Washington, DC 20036 • 202.457.1700 • fax 202.429.6063 ABOUT THE REPORT Qamar-ul Huda 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 The Diversity of Muslims of American Muslims has effectively enabled the flourishing of dozens of national and regional organizations to work in areas of civil rights, human in the United States rights, interfaith dialogue, education, charity, public diplomacy, political activism, and other religious and secular activities. Despite the post 9/11 scrutiny Views as Americans 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 Summary Religion and Peacemaking Program at the United There are approximately 6 to 7.5 million Muslims in the United States who identify States Institute of Peace. Formerly a professor of • Islamic Studies and Comparative Theology at Boston themselves as Americans. The community consists of a combination of immigrants College, he examines ethics, violence, conflict and second- and third-generation Arab, Latino, Asian, European, African, and African- resolution and nonviolence in juristic and nonjuristic American Muslims. Muslim authorities in contemporary Islam. This report • The growth of the American Muslim community has fostered the development of a is part of a larger book project on American Muslim identity formation and Islamic approaches toward variety of religious, civic, political, cultural, economic, social, ethnic, feminist, artis- mediation and peacebuilding. tic, and professional organizations. • The diversity of American Muslim organizations provides a vast number of voices The views expressed in this report do not necessarily addressing such issues as terrorism, democracy, peacemaking, and human rights. reflect the views of the United States Institute of Peace, which does not advocate specific policy positions. • American Muslims do not see contradictions between Islam and such ideals as democ- racy, pluralism, or political activism; rather, in recent years several national groups have made it their primary mission to reconcile all three with Islamic values. SPECIAL REPORT 159 FEBRUARY 2006 • 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 CONTENTS world. Introduction 2 • American Muslim advocacy organizations often collaborate with the White House and Overview of American Muslim Nongovernmental l law enforcement authorities to devise strategies on public policy, civil rights, the war Organizations 2 against terrorism, and other related issues. Pew Research Study on Islamic Extremism 4 • Many organizations emphasize the importance of self-scrutiny and education in rela- National Fatwa Condemning Terrorism 4 tion to the larger Islamic heritage. Religious and Interfaith Organizations 5 • Interfaith dialogue has taken the forefront on the agendas of many American Muslim Civic and Political Organizations 9 organizations, demonstrating a belief that building trust, peace, and reconciliation Legal Organizations 15 will ultimately lead to harmonious interfaith relations in the United States. Views of American Muslim Scholars 16 • American Muslim scholars advocate greater involvement by Muslims in the political, Conclusion: Multipronged Conflict Prevention 17 social, economic, and cultural spheres of American society. ABOUT THE INSTITUTE • American Muslim scholars believe Muslims have an enormous responsibility and talent The United States Institute of Peace is an inde- for resolving conflict and being agents for peace. pendent, nonpartisan federal institution created by Congress to promote the prevention, manage- ment, and peaceful resolution of international Introduction conflicts. Established in 1984, the Institute meets its congressional mandate through an array of With recent attention on European Muslims in France, Belgium, Germany as well as with programs, including research grants, fellowships, the London bombings of July 7, 2005, there is a focus on how Western Muslims integrate, professional training, education programs from assimilate, and contribute to society. This Special Report examines how American Muslims high school through graduate school, conferences have expressed themselves as Americans in a post 9/11 world of suspicion. In doing and workshops, library services, and publications. so, this study analyzes different, major American Muslim organizations’ activities and The Institute’s Board of Directors is appointed by their distinguishing views on violence, terrorism, and conflict resolution. The objective the President of the United States and confirmed of this Special Report is to identify key trends in American Muslim organizations; their by the Senate. major religious and secular activities, as well as understand the ways in which American Muslims are carving out a distinct American identity as citizens. This report demonstrates BOARD OF DIRECTOrs that unlike Muslims in Europe, American Muslims do not feel marginalized, isolated, or J. Robinson West (Chair), Chairman, PFC Energy, Wash- locked out of political participation. Social-economic mobility is far more obtainable. For ington, D.C. • María Otero (Vice Chair), President, ACCION the most part, American Muslims have successfully created professional, cultural, human International, Boston, Mass. • Betty F. Bumpers, Founder rights, civil rights, educational, and political organizations as an expression of feeling and former President, Peace Links, Washington, D.C. • included in the larger spectrum of American society and liberal democracy. The analysis Holly J. Burkhalter, Director of U.S. Policy, Physicians presented here illustrates that American Muslims’ contribution to the United States is a for Human Rights, Washington, D.C. • Chester A. product not only of their own diversity, but also of the diversity of views in understanding Crocker, James R. Schlesinger Professor of Strategic themselves as Americans. Studies, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University American Muslims face a range of challenges to which Muslim organizations are • Laurie S. Fulton, Partner, Williams and Connolly, responding. After 9/11, American Muslims have had to confront widespread suspicion, Washington, D.C. • Charles Horner, Senior Fellow, Hudson challenges to civil liberties, a Muslim-specific response to Muslim radicalism (domestically Institute, Washington, D.C. • Seymour Martin Lipset, and internationally), and the war on terrorism. In doing so, Muslim and Arab Americans Hazel Professor of Public Policy, George Mason University have created a variety of new organizations and invigorated existing ones. The material • Mora L. McLean, President, Africa-America Institute, in this report describes and analyzes the programmatic responses of key American Muslim New York, N.Y. • Barbara W. Snelling, former State organizations to these challenges. In addressing these challenges, these organizations Senator and former Lieutenant Governor, Shelburne, Vt. walk a fine line between reassuring the American public about Muslims and Islam, while MEMBERS EX OFFICIO not alienating their constituents on issues important to them. Michael M. Dunn, Lieutenant General, U.S. Air Force; President, National Defense University • Barry F. Lowenkron, Assistant Secretary of State for Overview of American Muslim Nongovernmental Organizations Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor • Peter W. Rodman, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security The American Muslim community consists of a wide range of ethnic, racial, cultural, and Affairs • Richard H. Solomon, President, United States professional groups, all of which contribute immensely diverse opinions on contemporary Institute of Peace (nonvoting) issues, such as conflict and peacemaking. With the war in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the implementation of the Patriot Act, American Muslims no longer play an undefined role in American policy; rather, many political analysts and congressional representatives are seeking them out as sources of information. In the aftermath of 9/11, American Muslim organizations became critical consultants for U.S. foreign policies toward Afghanistan and Iraq. In addition to offering policy analysis, several American Muslim organizations have made it a priority to work with law enforcement agencies in identifying intolerant attitudes within the Muslim community. Some American Muslim organizations created in the wake of 9/11 have a stated mission to support the armed forces unconditionally in order to defeat the global threat of terrorism. Other organizations have devised alternative strategies, such as fostering interfaith dialogue and examining ways to reconcile Islam with democracy in Muslim societies as a means of dealing with violence and promoting peacemaking. The rich diversity of the American Muslim community illustrates that there is no single response or approach to confronting contemporary issues, such as civil and human rights vio- 2 lations, religious intolerance, and domestic violence. There are several religious organizations The analysis
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