[Who Are American Muslims?]
Imam Shamsi Ali: In the majority Muslim lands, I think the biggest misconception is
[Imam Shamsi Ali, Jamaica Muslim Center, NY] in order for you to be a good Muslim, you have to be a bad American,
and in order for you to be a good American, you have to be a bad Muslim. Yet, we don’t have that.
Imam Abdullah Antepeli: American Muslims represent the entire Muslim world, in different proportions, but everybody is here.
What they share the most
[Imam Abdullah Antepli, Duke University] is not necessarily being Muslim,
because in the practice of Islam, they have a lot of diversities.
Their overarching identity, their most common denominator, is being an American.
Nadeem Mazen: I’m an American Muslim.
Aja Black: I’m an American Muslim.
Cesar Dominguez: I am an American Muslim.
Imam Shamsi Ali: We are an integral part of American society, businesspeople, politicians, teachers.
Linda Sarsour: I’m an activist.
Rep. Keith Ellison: I’m a U.S. congressman.
Ibtihaj Muhammad: I am a fencer.
Eboo Patel: Muhammad Ali, the greatest American athlete of the 20th century, is a Muslim.
[Rep. Keith Ellison, U.S. Congressman] American Muslims contribute to not just sports, also music.
Big Samir: I’m a performing artist.
Amina Dzananovic: I’m a high school student.
Tipu Khan: I’m a doctor.
Aizzah Fatima: I’m an actress.
Abdul Rashid Abdullah: I’m a Boy Scout leader and an American Muslim.
Linda Sarsour: Being an American Muslim is being a mom,
[Linda Sarsour, Activist] being someone who serves my community.
[George Simon, Case worker] Being an American Muslim is a blessing and a challenge at the same time.
[Eboo Patel, Non-profit director] There is a lack of understanding of what Islam is;
that gives us both a greater responsibility and a greater opportunity to make our contribution.
[Roughly 1 out of every 100 Americans are Muslim.]
Imam Abdullah Antepeli: American Muslims represent entire ethnic, linguistic, cultural, socioeconomic communities.
I think only in Kaaba and only in the United States you’ll find that kind of Muslim diversity.
Imam Shamsi Ali: I’m an American Muslim.
Marta Khadija Felicitas: I am an American Muslim.
[Roughly 2 out of 3 American Muslims are first-generation immigrants.]
Imam Shamsi Ali: America receives immigrants from all over the world. Historically, America is an immigrant country.
Edina Lekovic: My parents are from the former Yugoslavia. They weren’t allowed to practice their Islam
[Edina Lekovic, Activist] and they had no educational or economic opportunity.
They moved to the United States so that me and my sister would have a chance at a better life.
[Mohamed Ali, Human Rights Advocate] I came here when I was about 12 years old, directly from Mogadishu, Somalia.
I learned English, and I eventually went to law school.
I think Muslim Americans definitely have the same opportunities as non-Muslims.
[Marta Khadija Felicitas, Latino Muslim Association Director] I was born in Mexico City and raised as a Catholic.
[1 in 5 American Muslims have converted from another religion.]
[Ndidi Okakpu, Community Organizer] There’s a renaissance of Islam in America. You’re able to see these burgeoning communities of new Muslims.
Felicitas: There’s a great interest in the Spanish speaking population on Islam. So we teach Islam in Spanish.
Patel: Part of the Muslim contribution in America is to create a wider sense of what America is in terms of who’s a citizen and who’s a participant.
[Ibtihaj Muhammad, U.S. Fencing Team] What is so amazing, I think, about being an American is just the freedom to practice your religion.
Eboo Patel: America is a nation with the soul of a church and a synagogue and a mosque and a Buddhist sangha, and a Hindu temple.
Ellison: There are mosques everywhere. You can start one wherever you want. The First Amendment guarantees our right to freely choose and practice our religion.
Ahmed Shahid: Well, the University of Colorado at Boulder has given the Muslim Student Association an office space where Muslims can come and pray,
[Ahmed Shahid, University student] and we had to apply for that just like any other student organization,
but just having that opportunity in place really helped us accommodate the Muslims on campus.
Linda Sarsour: The American Muslim community has flourished here in the United States
and there are many challenges that come with being an American Muslim in this day and age,
but that has not stopped us from taking full access of the opportunities that are available here.
Patel: It makes me proud that we can participate in the progress of this nation.
America invites its citizens to write the next chapter in its journey.
I am as much a participant as somebody whose great, great, great grandparents were on the Mayflower.
Join the conversation #BeingAmerican
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