American Muslims: the Community and Their Relations with Jews

Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs www.jcpa.org by Noam Ivri Published January 2011 The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the Board of Fellows of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs No. 64, 16 January 2011 / 11 Shevat 5771 American Muslims: The Community and Their Relations with Jews Noam Ivri Muslims in the United States number slightly under three million according to the most accurate population studies. They are among the wealthiest, most educated, and most ethnically diverse Muslim communities in the world. Their integration into the United States is remarkably different than in European countries, most notably in the near- absence of Muslim ghettos or enclaves common across the Atlantic. Three well- organized and well-funded political and civil rights organizations form the core Muslim advocacy.They work within the American political process to advance Muslim interests, but frequently present their community as victims of widespread "Islamophobia."Leaders in all three have drawn controversy for support of extremist groups, and are overall hostile to Israel. Since 9/11 several counterestablishment groups, often led by a charismatic individual, have been formed to promote alternative visions for American Muslims. Strongly influenced by their adopted homeland, they perceive the character and policies of United States more favorably and advocate for a moderate Islam in harmony with democratic, pluralistic values. Nevertheless, their influence among the broader Muslim community is still quite limited. Similar social currents have emerged in the openness of American society, questioning taboo issues such as homosexuality and apostasy, and spurring American Muslims into the spotlight of global Islamic debates. Two nationwide and scores of local dialogue initiatives between Jews and Muslims have taken root, especially over the past decade. Most focus on common religious themes and mutual civic issues rather than hot-button political questions. Despite modest successes, the differences over Israel and questions regarding some Muslims' sincere embrace of moderate positions still present stumbling blocks to sustained contacts, especially at the national level. Jewish groups differ significantly over respective approaches to dialogue and suitable Muslim partners. Most recently, the intense national debate over the planned New York mosque has polarized Muslim-Jewish relations and served as a sort of litmus test for future contacts. Muslims from certain circles have demonstrated hostility to Jews in recent years, worrying many in American Jewry. Some college campuses have turned into centers of Israel-bashing and overt anti-Semitism, often spearheaded by Muslim student groups. Individual Muslim attacks on Jews have occurred sporadically, and radical pro-Al-Qaeda groups have been established, two alarming trends that mirror developments among Muslim immigrant communities elsewhere in the West. History and Demographic Trends The first believers in Islam most likely came to North America involuntarily in the sixteenth or seventeenth century. Some historians have estimated that as many as 10% of imported slave labor from West Africa were Muslim.[1] The vast majority of these Muslims and their ancestors abandoned their beliefs and converted to Christianity; some might have observed Islamic rituals in secret for a few generations, but ultimately left Islam for the dominant faith of the American colonists. The legacy nevertheless endures, as many African Americans over the past several decades have converted to Islam in the belief that they are returning to their ancestors' heritage, including such famous athletes as Muhammad Ali and Kareem Abdul Jabbar. A wave of voluntary Muslim immigration began in the 1860s and lasted into the first two decades of the twentieth century - an era of overall large-scale immigration to America. Newcomers hailed from such diverse places as Polish Tatarstan, Albania, the Ottoman Empire territories, and India. Many of these immigrants settled in large cities such as New York, but others ended up in remote small towns such as Biddeford, Maine.[2] [3] Legislation in the 1920s curbed immigration from non-northern European lands, only to be reversed four decades later. Once the doors reopened in 1965, hundreds of thousands of Muslims began immigrating in a wave that continues up to the present. A study by the Center for Immigration Studies reveals that the largest immigrant community hails from Pakistan, with Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, and Turkey following suit respectively. Today, Muslims live overwhelmingly in urban areas, primarily on the West Coast, East Coast, and in the Midwest states, with significant numbers also in the Sunbelt states of Florida and Texas. As a state, California has the most Muslims. The cities of New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, and Dearborn, Michigan (a suburb of Detroit) have the largest Muslim communities. American Muslims live overwhelmingly in mixed ethnic and religious neighborhoods; one Dearborn neighborhood can be classified as the only example of a Muslim "ghetto" in the United States.[4] The Numbers Debate The current Muslim population in the United States is subject to debate, but estimated by respected pollsters at anywhere between two and three million. Accurate figures are hard to come by, primarily since the once-in-a-decade U.S. Population Census Bureau does not ask for religious affiliation. Muslim organizations such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) have regularly stated American Muslims' number as at least six million. The group's claim is based on its 2001 study "The Mosque in America," surveying attendance in over 1,600 Muslim prayer centers and an estimated two million mosque-goers. The study surmised that only a third of Muslims attend mosque in any capacity, boldly asserting that six to seven million Muslims lived in America.[5] The CAIR study, however, was widely criticized by pollsters and demographers, noting its unscientific research methods for population estimation. Some critics emphasized CAIR's political aims, arguing that these self-styled Muslim leaders inflated population figures to appear more powerful and deserving of policymakers' attention. The American Jewish Committee (AJC) commissioned a post-9/11 study with the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, analyzing data from previous nationwide surveys on religion, and estimated 1.7 million Muslims, with a margin of error allowing for a maximum of 2.8 million.[6] A similar American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) in 2001 estimated 1.8 million Muslims.[7] The nonpartisan Pew Center polling firm conducted the most recent demographic survey of Muslims in 2007, and estimated 2.5 million in the United States, or 0.8% of the total population.[8] The dueling 2001 demographic surveys provoked a harsh war of words between Muslim and Jewish groups, deepening mutual tension that lingers up to the present. CAIR executive director Nihad Awad said the Jewish community was trying to "marginalize" the growing Muslim population, while spokesperson Ibrahim Hooper labeled AJC part of the "extremist wing of the pro-Israel lobby." The now-defunct American Muslim Council (AMC) blasted the pollster for "denying the existence of 4.5 million Muslims," and argued that many recent Muslim immigrants are afraid to report their religion due to Islamophobia.[9] David Harris, the AJC executive director, dismissed the claims and said his group's study was merely about "truth and accuracy," and the "wildly divergent" estimate by the Muslim groups was geared for gaining more influence in Washington.[10] Ethnic and Religious Subgroups According to Pew's 2007 survey, 24% of American Muslims are Arab, 32% South Asians (including Iranians), and 20% African Americans. Smaller percentages are of West African, Balkan, and Southeast Asian (Malaysia and Indonesia) origins. Approximately two-thirds (65%) of Muslims were born outside of the United States. The poll estimates Shi'a Muslims to number 200,000-400,000 of the 2.8 million, or anywhere between 10%-15% of the total population.[11] Another subgroup, the black-separatist Nation of Islam, counts anywhere between 10,000- 100,000 members and is almost always included as part of Muslim American demographics.[12] However, most Muslims do not consider the Black Muslims as part of their faith, as the latter's beliefs in prophecy after Muhammad and rejection of racial equality contradict core Islamic tenets. Many African-American converts, though, have first embraced the Nation of Islam, later turning to mainstream Sunni Islam. Economic and Social Trends Economically, Muslims settling in America have fared much better than European coreligionists, as well as vis-à-vis the general population. The Pew 2007 study found that a plurality of American Muslims (41%) live in middle-income households or higher - those earning over $50,000 per year - similar to the overall American rate (44%); 35% lived in low-income households - $30,000 or lower, close to the national average of 33%. By comparison, a 2006 Pew study revealed that 53% of German Muslims lived in low-income households, as opposed to 35% of the general population; in Britain the Muslim disparity was even greater (61% vs. 39%). The 2007 study also discovered that 24% of American Muslim adults have at least a bachelor's degree or higher, slightly lower than the overall national average of 25%.[13] In sharpest opposition to European figures, Muslim

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