美国的伊斯兰教

IslaminAmerica•GeneralinformationaboutIslam•IslaminAmerica•Whichway?IslamandMuslim◆IslamisderivedfromtheSArabicword“Salaama”andhasatwo-foldmeaning:peaceandsubmissiontoGod.ThissubmissionrequiresafullyconsciousandkeenefforttosubmittotheoneAlmietyGod.ThefaithofIslamistheonenessandsovereigntyofGod,whichhasshapedandlookeduponallhumanracesasonefamily.IfyoubelieveinIslam,youmustgiveyourselftotheserviceofAllahwhichmeans“theonetrueGod”inArabic.Muslim;Theword“Muslim”isoriginatedfromtheArabicwordsignifyingapersontotallydevotedtothewilloftheGod.AnyonewhofollowsIslamisknownasMuslim.Muhammad:ThehistoryofIslamcentersaroundMuhammad(messengerofGod)whowasbornaround570A.D.Hebegintohavereligiousvisionsaroundage40.Duringthesevisions,Muhammadwouldreceive“messages”fromGod.hewouldmemorizethemandteachthemtohisfollowers.ThesevisionsarenowrecordedintheholyQur’an(古兰经).TheQuranisbelievedtobethelastrevealedwordofAllahandthebasicsourceofIslamicteachingandlaws.FiveessentialpillarsofIslamreligion:▲confessionoffaithinGodandinMuhammadasGod’smessenger.▲dailyprayeratfiveappointedtimes▲fastingduringthemonthofRamadan▲payinganalms-taxandgivingcharitytothepoor▲pilgrimagetotheholycityofMeccaanditssacredshrine,theKaaba.Mecca:麦加（沙特阿拉伯城市，伊斯兰教的圣地）Kaaba:（伊斯兰教）天房，克尔白圣堂（位于麦加大清真寺内，供有神圣黑石）IslaminAmerica1ImmigrationHistory:●TheearliestMuslimimmigrantcameasslavesfromAfricabeginningperhapsasearlyas1501.●ThefirstfreeMuslimimmigrantsmaydatebacktothelatesixteenthcentury,whencapturedMuslimweredepositedonthecoastofNorthCarolinaandelsewhereinthesouth.●ThemodernhistoryofMuslimimmigrationtotheUnitedStatesbeganadecadeorsoaftertheCivilWar,consistingofMuslimsfromYemenSouthAsia,Indonesia,andelsewhere.●That1965legislationinitiatedthethirdwaveofimmigration,whichcontinuestothepresent.2Reasonsforimmigrating●Refuge●Education●IslamistambitionRefuge:TragiceventsinpredominantlyMuslimcountriesoftenleaddirectlytotheemergenceofaMuslimethniccommunityintheUSA.Islamistambition:someIslamistdonotacceptTheUnitedStatesasitisbutwanttochangeitintoamajorityMuslimcountrywheretheKoranreplacetheconstitution.JustasoneMuslimsaid“ourplanis,wearegoingtoconquerAmerica.”3DemographyandGeographyBymostestimates,Islamisnowthelargestnon-christianreligionintheUnitedStates.Ithasapopulationofabout7million,ofwhichmostderivefromthreemainsources:SouthAsia,IranandtheArabic-speakingcountries.Geographicallyspeaking,Muslimstendtoliveinthemajormetropolitanareaswhereimmigrantshistoricallyhaveencouraged,includingthecountry’slargestcities(NewYork,LosAngeles,Chicago.)Morebroadly,theIslamicmapoftheUnitedStatesfeaturesfourmajorregions,allurban:theNewYorktoWashingtonarea.California,especiallyLosAngelesandSanFrancisco;atrianglestretchingfromChicagotoClevelandtoDetroit;andTexas,especiallytheHoustonandDallas-FortWorthareas.Dearborn:InDearborn,Michigan,Muslimsmakeupperhaps30percentofthepopulation;onepartofDearborn,calledSouthend,isabout97percentMuslim.4EconomicsituationImmigrantMuslimstendtoconcentrateintheprofessionalandentrepreneurialvocations,andespeciallyinengineeringandmedicine,whichjointlyemployaboutone-thirdofMuslimsintheUnitedStates.AverageincomeforMuslimsappearstobehigherthantheU.S.nationalaverage.ThatiswhyMuslimAmericansproudlysaythattheircommunityis“therichestMuslimsocietyonearth”5ReligiouspracticeDoimmigrantsbecomemorereligiousorlesssoonarrivalintheUnitedStates?Both.ThosewhoembracethefreedomsAmericaoffersandbecomereligiouslylessobservant(orevenconcertoutofIslam)areactingoutwhattheycouldnotfullyexpressinthehomeCountries.Incontrast,aboutone-thirdofMuslimImmigrantssaytheyhavebecomemorereligiousIntheUnitedStates.Theirincreasedpietyhastwomainsources,culturalandmoral.Ontheculturallevel,immigrantsrespondtothestrangenessofanewlandbyemphasizingfamiliarritualsandspendingtimeatthemosque.Onthemorallevel,theyrespondtotheradicalopennessofAmericanlifebyemphasizingtheirhithertoneglectedfaith.(AsonemantoldtheNewYorkTimes,“whenIcametoAmerica,IreallybecameaMuslim.Backhome,Itookitforgranted.6EducationMuslimimmigrantsofrecentyearsboastexceptionallyhighlevelsofeducation.A1999surveyfoundthat52percentofthemhaveagraduatedegree.SouthAsiansappeartobethebesteducatedofall.(Exceptionstothispatterndoexist,ofcourse:Yemenifarmers,Iraqisoldiers,andmostillegalimmigrantsarefarlesseducated.)VeryoftenitisthebesteducatedwhocometosettleintheUnitedStates.SomeofthemosttalentedmembersofsocietyareestablishingnewlivesintheWest.7MarriageAsuccessfulmarriageinMuslimparents’eyesisthemarriagewithinthesameMuslimschoolMuslimparentsdonotmindtheirsonmarryingawhiteAmericangirl,buttheywouldobjectifhemarriedaMuslimgirlofadifferentschoolofthought,ordifferenttribe,likeArabvs.non-Arab,Afro-Americanvs.immigrant,ordifferentclass.AMuslimwomanbeingforbiddentomarryout,hertakingaChristianhusbandisanactofdefiancethateffectivelyexpelsherfromhercommunityandsometimesevenherownfamily.Toencouragetheyoungmarrywithinthefaith,AmericanMuslimsaredevelopinganumberofnovelsolutions,includingsummercamps,socialsforsingles,andmarriageadvertisement.ArrangedmarriageLovemarriagecompromi