Islam In America

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Islam in America Jesus Besinaiz, Gabriela Galvan REL/134 February 24, 2014 Joseph McCarthy, M.A. Islam in America (Gabby) According to a study conducted in 2001, by the City University of New York, there are 1,104,000 Muslims in the United States (Oregon Public Broadcasting, 2011). That number has almost certainly grown since then. This essay will discuss Islam in America. Islam has been introduced to America through both immigration and conversion, such as The American Muslim Mission, previously known as The Nation of Islam. Malcolm X once famously led the American Muslim Mission. Modern western culture influences and causes conflict within Islamic communities and families in the United States. Events,…show more content…
Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19, 1925, he converted to Islam while serving time in prison from 1946 to 1952. Upon his release from prison he joined the Nation of Islam (NoI) and dropped his surname of “Little” and replaced it with “X” as was common practice of members of the Nation of Islam. Malcolm X preached of the evil that white society represented and the superiority of black over whites. He urged his followers to defend themselves “by any means necessary” which included and endorsed the use of violence. These ideals later served as the foundation for Black Nationalism and the Back Power movements. His approval of violence and militant stance against white society caused the U.S. Government to name him “the most dangerous man in America” (Mamiya, 2013). As a result the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) and the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.) actively surveilled him until the time of his death. Although he was a charismatic and eloquent speaker, his messages of hate of whites negatively affected the public’s view of Muslims. After a falling out with the NoI leadership, a conspiracy to assassinate him was put into motion which culminate in his murder on February 21, 1965 during a lecture he was giving at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem, New York. Three members of the Nation of Islam’s New Jersey Chapter were convicted of the murder of Malcolm X. Alex Haley’s “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” (which was released nine months after his death) has helped to shape in to a martyr and hero to the black community by revealing the man behind the larger than life persona that was Malcolm X (Mamiya, 2013). In the early nineties hip hop and rap performers began to use the influence of Malcolm X to help usher a modern resurgence of the black power and pride movement. T-shirts with his likeness or quotes were common place during this time and were worn
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