Religious Landscapes in the United States

The Amish Old Order Amish are descendents of the Mennonites who fled religious persecution in Germany in the late 17th century and came to the US-primarily Pennsylvania. Followers of Jakob Ammann later separated from the Mennonites and became the Amish in 1693. Old Order Amish can be identified by conservative clothing-straw hats, black bonnets, horse drawn buggies-most are trilingual and speak a German dialect (Pennslvanian Dutch) at home, German in Church services and English to outlanders-over 130,000 Amish located in 20 states and Canada Farms about 150 acres (1500 typical US) 4,000 Amish in Arthur, Arcola area of Illinois

From the Hearth of the Eastern Mediterranean Islam – originated on Arabian peninsula about 1500 years ago. * monotheistic religion, revelations Muhammad received from Allah, Five Pillars. sacred text: Qu’ran founder: Muhammad sacred sites: Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem split in the church: * shortly after Muhammad’s death, split into Sunni Muslims (great majority) Shi’ite Muslims (concentrated in Iran) diffusion: across Arabian peninsula, across North Africa, into Spain and also east into Southeast Asia Very few Muslims are violent or fundamentalists; most are traditionalist, mystic, modernist or secularist. Murder rates in the Muslim world are remarkably low About 10 to 15% of Muslims or about 130 m. to 215 million support a fundamentalist point of view, including sharia law by the state

Islam Islam is the 2nd largest and fastest growing religion with 1 billion followers. It has 2 main sects or divisions-Sunni, the majority and Shiite centered in Iran & Iraq. It is dominant in North Africa, Southwest Asia and extends into Central and Southeast Asia SW Asia is the heartland of Islam with 400 million followers. In Central Asia it is found in the Central Asian Republics, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Western China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, part of the Philippines, East Africa, Bosnia and Albania in the Balkans of Europe. India has 120 million (more than Pakistan) Sub-Saharan Africa has 170 million Muslims

The Diffusion of Islam

2 Muslim men chat outside a hostel in Galle Fort, India

The Hajj-Pilgrims circle the holy Kaaba in the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia during the Hajj.

Sacred Landscapes of Islam Muslim Mosques-Dome of this mosque in Isfahan, Iran demonstrates the importance of geometric art evident in Muslim architecture.

Minaret (for call to prayer) stands on the Sabah State Mosque in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

Diffusion of Islam into Europe large mosque in Paris, France

The Dome of the Rock, with its gilded dome and octagonal base, stands in Jerusalem. After the Great Mosque at Mecca and the Prophet’s tomb at Medina, it is Islam’s third holiest site. According to Muslim tradition, the rock at its center was the point from which the Prophet Muhammad visited heaven one night in 619.

Nation of Islam Founded in 1930s as an African- American modified form of Islam. Ideology of nationalism and modified Islam founded on the principle of freeing blacks from white oppression. 1950s –60s Malcolm X his militant speeches increased followers Over 7 m. Muslims in the US, about 1 million are Nation of Islam Muslim. Louis Farrakhan’s anti-semitism brought negative attention. Founded in Chicago by Elijah Mohammad-grew rapidly in 1960s and 1970s Son of the original founder changed the religion-brought ritual and practices closer in line to orthodox Islam, increased ties to Africa and Caribbean-became more mainstream. Photo of Malcolm X at right

Government Impact on Religion The Soviet Union: Had an official policy of atheism Discouraged religious practice Drew boundaries for political control that separated ethnic groups in small areas

Armenia and Azerbaijan Soviet Union’s divide-and-diminish plan

Religion’s impact in history and culture is evident in its centrality in many places Antwerp, Belgium