Major Study Shows Increase in Number of Mosques in America
Author: Anayat Durrani
Published on: May 1, 2001
Related Subject(s): Islam -- United States , Muslims -- United States , Mosques -- United States
The number of mosques in America has grown by 25 percent in the past five years, according to a major study released on Thursday by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a national Islamic advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. The study on mosques in America is the largest and most comprehensive of its kind to date.
The report, called, “The Mosque in America: A National Portrait,” is a result of in-depth interviews with representatives from more than 1200 mosques across the nation. It is part of a larger study called “Faith Communities Today,” by the Hartford Seminary’s Hartford Institute for Religious Research.
The study, which gives a detailed profile of mosques in America, showed a significant rise in the number of mosques. Since 1994, the number of mosques has increased from 962 to 1,209. The mosques participating in the study were founded between 1925-2000; only 2 percent were established before 1950. Most existing mosques were founded after the 1970s, reflecting a growing movement among the Islamic community to establish more mosques in America, according to the study. Eighty-five percent of mosques are located in the East, the South, and the Midwest with four-fifths located in metropolitan areas, mainly city neighborhoods. The West and Mountain regions have the least number of mosques at only about 15 percent.
The study also shows an increase in the number of Muslims who attend mosque activities. During the past five years, the number of mosque participants has increased by 75 percent. According to the study, an average of more than 1,629 Muslims associate in some way with the religious life of each mosque, such as attending mosque for Eid Prayers. Forty-seven percent of those who attend the mosque are 35 years or younger. The average attendance at Friday prayer is 292 worshippers. English is the preferred language for Friday sermons at the majority of mosques; 97 percent of mosques use English as the main language or as one of the main languages.
The study confirmed previous estimates that the number of Muslims in the United States numbers between 6-7 million. Of those numbers, some 2 million Muslims are associated with the mosque. The study found that for American Muslims the mosque serves as more than just a place of worship.
“Mosques are not only centers for spirituality, they are now bases for political and social mobilization,” said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad.
Awad also said that Muslims are increasingly making a positive impact on American society and cited the successful Muslim voter registration drive and the large voter turnout last year during the presidential election. The study found that during the past 12 months, the majority of mosques were involved in outreach activities such as interfaith dialogue, contacting the media and political leaders, and school or church presentations on Islam.
“One of the most significant findings in this survey is that mosques are ethnically diverse,” said Dr. Ihsan Bagby of Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Bagby, one of the lead researchers in the study, is a former United Methodist who converted to Islam in 1969. According to Bagby, more than one ethnic group attends 93 percent of all mosques. South Asians, African-Americans and Arab-Americans are the most dominant ethnic groups in American mosques. Thirty-three percent of members are of South Asian origin (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc.), 30 percent are African-American, and 25 percent are from the Arab world, according to the study.
American mosques have also attracted an increasing number of Americans to Islam. The study showed that the average mosque has 16 conversions per year, which translates to nearly twenty thousand converts nationally. Of these, about thirteen thousand were men, and seven thousand women. African-Americans comprised the largest number of converts at nearly fourteen thousand. Converts make up nearly 30 percent of mosque participants.
The 63-page report contains a detailed study that covers the basic characteristics of the mosque; worship; participants; mosque history, location, and building; the mosque’s mission, practices and teachings; mosque programs and involvement in the community; leadership and organizational dynamics; and finances. One of the purposes of the study is to provide information on mosques to assist Muslim leaders on improving and strengthening mosques. The study is also provided as a valuable resource for the American public to gain deeper insight into Muslim presence in America.
The mosque survey was co-sponsored by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Islamic Circle of North America, Islamic Society of North America, and Muslim American Society led by Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
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The entire report can be found online at(PDF):
cair-net.org. |
