Mosques Thriving In America

The American Mosque: A Thriving Institution



New study finds significant growth in number of mosques and mosque participants

By Rida Fozi

Washington D.C. (February 29, 2012) – The number of mosques continues to rise in the United States. A recent report conducted by a group of major American Muslim organizations and academic institutions reveals mosques counted across the country in 2011 totaled to 2,106, more than double the number of mosques in 1994, and mosque participants increased from 2 million in 2000 to 2.6 million in 2011.


The report, entitled “The American Mosque 2011: Basic Characteristics of the American Mosque, Attitudes of Mosque Leaders” is part of the larger U.S. Mosque Survey 2011. The survey was conducted by Dr. Ihsan Bagby, Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Kentucky, and sponsored by numerous prominent organizations including the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA).
The report presents the picture of a thriving institution, noting that the majority of mosque growth occurred in the past decade, with a 74% increase from 2000 to 2011. Dr. Zahid Bukhari, President of ICNA and member of the survey’s research committee pointed out that much of the increase in mosque numbers occurred in suburbs and particularly in the western and southern regions of the United States, with a 109% and 128% growth, respectively. New York had the largest number of mosques, followed by California and Texas.



“The number of mosques has increased despite Islamophobia spread by right wing groups and certain religious and political leaders,” says Bukhari. “This growth in spite of bigotry also reveals the persistence of the Muslim community and inherent fairness of the American system.”


Bukhari also points out that the data collected through this study indicates that the total number of American Muslims is much higher than reported by other research institutions, which estimate the total amount to be approximately 2.5 million. Bukhari says, “The U.S. Mosque Survey 2011 finds the total amount of mosque-going American Muslims alone is over 2.6 million. This figure does not account for the millions of Muslim women and children who do not regularly attend a mosque for prayers. There is a clear discrepancy between previously reported figures of the American Muslim population and the actual amount.”



More at: [link to www.icna.org]


PD._ WTF? Get a grip.