Islam spreading among African Americans .
Imams and experts in Atlanta, western United States, say that Islam is rapidly spreading among African Americans who are not deterred by the increased scrutiny that Muslims have faced in the United States since the September 11 attacks. Those who have converted to Islam from African Americans say they are attracted to the discipline and obedience represented by prayer, and to Islam’s emphasis on submission to God and its sympathy for the oppressed. Lawrence Mamiya, a religion professor at Vassar College, speaking about Islam among Black Americans, said that it is one of the fastest-growing religions in America, with an estimated two million Black American Muslims. He added that this is not considered a threat by authorities because the numbers are small, and as the war on terrorism and negative stereotypes wane, Islam will continue to spread. Amina McCloud, a professor of religious studies at DePaul University in Chicago, says that Black Americans pray in separate mosques from immigrant Muslim mosques, despite sharing the same beliefs.
The Appeal of Islam for African Americans in the Face of Government Distrust and Decline of the Nation of Islam
Some black people are also wary of the US government’s warnings about the emergence of new enemies since the September 11 attacks due to memories of how the administration tarnished the image of civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. As a result, they are prepared to consider Islam as a viable alternative to Christianity, the majority religion among African Americans. Many black people converted to Islam during the civil rights era, when Malcolm X helped rally support for the Nation of Islam and attracted, among others, the boxer Muhammad Ali. Islam still attracts black celebrities such as Scarface, the rap star who recently converted to Islam. However, the Nation of Islam has declined as an attractive force in favor of the Mosque Cares, led by the religious heir of the Nation of Islam’s leader, Imam Muhammad ibn Rauf Al-Qasim Muhammad, who died in 1975.
The Legacy of Islam in African American History at an Atlanta Mosque
In a mosque located in one of the oldest and poorest neighborhoods in Atlanta, a recent Friday sermon showed the strength of the history of Islam in the United States for African Americans. Men and women sat separately on the floor of the mosque while Imam Nadim Ali recounted stories of Muslim slaves who were brought from Africa and struggled to hold onto their faith in the face of opposition from their owners. Ali said in the mosque located on the west side of Atlanta that if the slaves were able to hold onto their faith during slavery, then the listeners should consider them as role models to be followed. He added in a later interview, “We’re talking about a people who were cut off from their roots… Islam reconnects with Africa and other parts of the world because humanity transcends race.” The mosque has a direct connection to a part of Black history as it was founded by H. Rap Brown, who was once a member of the Black Panthers in the 1960s. Brown converted to Islam in prison in the 1970s and changed his name to Jamil Al-Amin. He was convicted of killing a Georgia sheriff’s deputy in March 2000 and is serving a life sentence, but in his absence, the mosque continued what Ali described as an effort to build a local Islamic community.
The Role of Mosques in Atlanta’s Muslim Community
Those who regularly attend prayers at the mosque say that they teach them not to differentiate between Sunni and Shia. The sermons urge Muslims to seek employment, stay away from crime and drugs, and establish stable family lives. Ali said that it is assumed that the mosque contains listening devices and is attended by guides, partly because its leaders still doubt American policies after 9/11. Ali said, “They (the government) monitor Blacks to monitor Arabs and Muslims. Then they monitor Arabs to monitor communists. America needs war to maintain its economic position.” The other, larger mosque in another Atlanta neighborhood is the Islamic mosque affiliated with the Mohammedan religious heritage group. Its imam, Bilal Amin, said that he is involved in local work with followers of other religions, as well as working with local Islamic schools. On an upcoming Friday, Mark King, who recently converted to Islam, listened to the sermon with hundreds of worshippers, urging Muslims to approach God through the Holy Quran. The preacher said that followers of other religions should approach God through their holy books. King, who changed his name to Bilal Mansa, turned to Islam after visiting Africa for the first time and reading the Quran in Gambia, realizing that its teachings align with his beliefs, particularly in the fight against injustice. King said, “For African American youth, there is something attractive about learning the customs associated with resisting European imperialism.”