Transcript Muslims in America - First Assembly of God

Muslims in America
J. Bennett
January 2011
How Many?
Estimates vary from 2 ½ million to 9 million!
Evangelical Missions Quarterly - 4.1 million
 Encyclopedia Britannica - 4.7 million
 Council of American Islamic Relations – 8 to 9
million
 2007 PEW research estimates - 2.35 million
 Global Initiative - 4-6 million
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Who Are They?
Ethnic origins of regular participants in
American mosques:
33% - South Asians (Pak., Indians, Bang., Afghans)
30% - African-Americans
25% - Arabs
12% - Other (Eur., Malay., Ind., Turk., Iran, Cauc.
Amer., Hisp., Filipino, Sub-Saharan Afr., etc.)
America’s First Muslims
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14% to 20% of slaves coming from Africa to
America were Muslims.
Some were literate in Arabic.
Result: Cut off from their families & faith
communities, Islamic faith wavered.
Modern research result: Many AfricanAmericans “revert back” to Islam.
Immigration Trends
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1st Wave – late 19th Century - Syrian Arabs
2nd Wave – After WWI
3rd Wave – After WWII – immigrants were
better skilled & educated
- Prime reason for immigration during these
periods was to escape political oppression and
persecution.
4th Wave Muslim Immigrants
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Presently: Approximately 100,000 Muslim
immigrants annually.
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Since 1967 when new immigration laws took
effect, more Muslims are:
- Professionals
- Speak English
- Have a sophisticated global perspective
Foreign-born vs. Native-born
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Foreign-born Muslims
65%
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Native-born
35%
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Percent of NB total who were converts to
Islam: 21%
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Those “born into” a Muslim family: 14%
Overall Profile of American Muslim
Community
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Approximately same size community as Hispanics 25
years ago.
.06% of U.S. adult population
56% between 18-39
Average household size: 4.9
67% have a Bachelor’s degree or higher
66% of Muslim HHs earn over $50,000 yr.
26% over $100,000 per yr.
1 in 10 Muslim HHs has a medical doctor
Other
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47% of Muslims in the U.S. say they think of
themselves first as a Muslim, rather than an
American. By contrast, 75% of European
Muslims say they are Muslim first, rather than
citizens of a European country.
40% of American Muslims doubt that
“Muslims” were responsible for 9/11.
When asked “Is religion very important in your
life?” – 72% of American Muslims said yes.
Top 10 Occupations
(Cornell University)
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Student
Engineer
Physician/Dentist
Homemaker
Programmer
Corporate Manager
Teacher
Small Business Owner
Researcher
Admin. Assistant
Total
20.2%
12.4%
10.8%
10.0%
7.0%
6.4%
6.4%
4.4%
4.1%
2.8%
84.5%
Muslim “Religious” Profile
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50% - identify with Sunni Islam
16% - identify with Shia Islam
22% - say they are “just Muslims”
86% - say the Quran is “the word of God”
96% - believe in “one God,” Allah
94% - believe Muhammad is THE prophet
91% - believe in a “Day of Judgment”
87% - believe in Angels
Muslim Publications
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90-100 regular Islamic publications in America
Islamic Horizons The Muslim Journal Islamica
Azizah The Message Muslim Advocates Elan
Illume Islam America The American Muslim
Muslim Organizations
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Council of American Islamic Relations CAIR
Islamic Society of North America
Islamic Circle of North America
Muslim Public Affairs Council
American Society for Muslim Advancement
Institute for Islamic Understanding & Education
Institute for Social Policy and Understanding
Nawawi Foundation
Zaytuna Institute
Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR)
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations is a nonprofit
501(c)(3), grassroots civil rights and advocacy group. CAIR is
America’s largest Islamic civil liberties group, with 30 regional
offices in 19 states. The national headquarters is located on
Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
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CAIR’s mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage
dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and
build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
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CAIR’s vision is to be a leading advocate for justice and mutual
understanding.
Multi-Media Resources
Islam: An Empire of Faith
 Islam in America
 The Islam Project
 Muslim Life in America
 Threats to One Humanity
 Active Voice in the Workplace
 The Faith Club
For complete list: See www.onenationforall.org
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African-American Muslims
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Majority identify with Sunni Islam – The World Community of
Islam in the West - Wallace [Warith] Deen Muhammad.
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Louis Farrakhan’s Nation of Islam is a minority.
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While only 40% of all Muslims say they go to the mosque
weekly, 54% of African-American Muslims claim attendance.
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30% of incarcerated African-Americans are Muslims.
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Largest conversion conduit for African-Americans is prison.
Conversion to Islam
• 21,000-25,000 convert to Islam every year.
• More would convert - except for the
negative stereotypes that many Americans
hold regarding Islam, especially post 9/11.
• 53% say it is more difficult to be a Muslim
in a post Sept. 11 setting.
Conversion to Islam
Those converting to Islam in America say:
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It is a simpler religion
It is a more rational religion
(3=1)
It is a package deal that affects my politics,
economics, ethics - (the here and now)
It is a religion for all races, genders, and age groups
It is a “do it yourself” religion
Conversion “History”
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Studies of new Muslims in Illinois found 41%
leaving Islam within a few years.
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In New York state 61% left within a few years.
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Male converts on university campuses walk “in
and out” the revolving door of Islam.
Case Study: Los Angeles County
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Muslims: 48 Mosques, 92,919 adherents
Case Study: Hispanic Islam
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Fasting growing population of New Muslims/U.S.A
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What has assisted in this process?
- Reading the Quran
- Curiosity
- Answers their problems
- Can still love Jesus and Mary
- Never really understood Catholicism or Christianity
- Trouble with the trinity
- Have friends teaching The Seven Steps for the
Development of an Islamic Community
Case Study: Hispanic Islam
- “Evangelism” Methodology 
Translating books & Islamic texts into Spanish
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Two translations of Quran in Spanish
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Radio programs – Focus on Faith
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TV programs – including free cable access
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Classification – “reversions”
Case Study: Hispanic Islam
- “Evangelism” Methodology 
PIEDAD – Propagacion Islamica par la
Devocion a Ala’ el Divino – a Latin American
Women’s Association
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LALMA – Los Angeles Latino Muslim
Association
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MSA – Muslim Student Association scholarships
Reaching Muslims in America
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Assemblies of God U.S. Missions: 22 missionaries in
Muslim outreach ministries
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Church planting, radio/TV, internet, children’s
programs, campus ministry, discipleship programs,
teaching English & refugee ministry
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Sites include: Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania,
Florida, California, New Jersey, Minnesota, Illinois,
Washington, Arizona and Oklahoma
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70,000 Muslim college students in America
Reaching Muslims in America
Will not happen in an adequate
way – unless the LOCAL
CHURCH gets involved.
Reaching Muslims: Models For The
Local Church
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San Antonio, TX – 1st A/G – Amigo Program
Tucson, AZ – Friendship Program
Champaign/Urbana, IL – Student Outreach
Fremont, CA – Afghan Outreach
Lincoln, NE – Refugee Outreach
Tucson, AZ – Refugee Outreach
Oklahoma – Network to Muslims
Dearborn, MI – Teaching English/Arab Church
Chicago, IL – Teaching English/Church planting
Jacksonville, FL – Church planting among Arabs
In the past, the Church's response
has been…
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Ignore them
We want someone else to do it
Hide/fear
Complacency
We give up before we start