Someone asked me, “How long were Muslims in America? Was Islam heavily practiced here like Christianity and Judaism? I never heard of Islam prior to September 11th.”
This was shocking to me because this person claimed to be a middle school teacher. Because of such a question, I will never again assume anything is basic knowledge.
[This is a 260 year old Qur’an. It is four years older than the Qur’an in which Pres. Thomas Jefferson was sworn into office.]
ISLAM HAS ALWAYS BEEN PART OF THE AMERICAN FABRIC.
It has been noted that Muslims have been present in the geographical area that is now known as the United States for centuries. In fact, it has been documented that Muslims have been part of the history of the Americas since the time of the transatlantic slave trade. Some historians and researchers have suggested that a significantly large number of enslaved Africans brought to the Americas, including what is now the United States, were Muslims. These enslaved individuals hailed from various regions of Africa, many of which had long-standing Islamic traditions. As a result, Muslims were unequivocally among the Africans forcibly brought to the Americas as part of the transatlantic slave trade.
In addition, there is evidence to suggest that some Muslims from the Middle East and other parts of the Islamic world also made their way to the Americas through various means prior to the 20th century. For example, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, there were waves of immigration from the Ottoman Empire and other predominantly Muslim regions that freely came to the United States, contributing to the presence of Muslims in the country.
Also known, in the early 20th century, there were significant numbers of immigrants from the Arab world, many of whom were Muslim, began arriving in the United States to start a new beginning. These immigrants settled in various parts of the country and contributed to the rich tapestry of American cultures and religious traditions.
To know or learn more about Islam, go to the “Islamic” page on the site.
This post has enlightened me regarding the substantial contributions of Muslims to America’s development. It’s impressive how it addresses their impact in various fields. However, I wish it spoke more on how Muslims contributed so much to science, technology, medicine, culture, and business, as well as their role in shaping the nation’s diversity and progress. But very good article anyway.