1. Sohail Hashmi Mount Holyoke College
Islam in America
Sohail Hashmi
Mount Holyoke College

2. Islam in America Who Are American Muslims?
American Islam: A Brief History
American Muslims in American Politics

3. Who are American Muslims?

4. Compared to the average American, American Muslims are…
Younger
95% of Muslims are under age 65 compared to 73% of all Americans
Better educated
67% of Muslims have bachelor’s degree or higher compared to 44% of all Americans
More affluent
Median annual household income for Muslims is $52,000 compared to $44,000 for all Americans

5. Mosque attendance There are more than 1,200 mosques in
South Asian
African-American
Arab
Sub-Sahara African
European
European American
Southeast Asian
Caribbean
Turkish
Iranian
Hispanic
There are more than
1,200 mosques in
America and some
2,000,000 Muslims
affiliated with them.

6. American Islam: A Brief History
The “Mother Mosque of America” was dedicated in February 1934 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and the Islamic Center of Washington, D.C. in June 1957.

7. The Nation of Islam Elijah Muhammad Malcolm X (1897-1975) (1925-65)
Muhammad Ali
(1942- )
Malcolm X
( )
Warith Deen
Muhammad
( )

8. American Muslims in American Politics
Internal problems
Disunity along ethnic lines
Political apathy for cultural or ideological reasons
External problems
American two-party system
Bigotry

9. Why Muslims Vote Republican
Fiscal policies
Approximately 25% of Muslims are in occupations (physicians, corporate managers, and small business owners) that tend to favor conservative fiscal policies.
Family values
Many Muslims are conservative on issues such as abortion, gay marriage, violence and sex in media, and school choice.
Foreign policy
Republicans are seen as more balanced on the Arab-Israeli conflict (important for Arab- Americans) and on the Kashmir dispute (important for Pakistani and Indian Americans).

10. Why Muslims Vote Democratic
Civil rights
African-American and immigrant Muslims are deeply concerned with discrimination.
Welfare and foreign aid
Many Muslims favor federal programs for the economically disadvantaged at home and abroad.
Immigration policies
Immigrant Muslims favor liberal immigration policies.
Separation of church and state
Muslims are concerned about talk of America as a “Christian nation.”

11. Public Opinion
Source: Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, Sept. 2009

12. Orientalist Stereotypes

13. Obama’s “Muslim Problem”

14. “Ground Zero Mosque” Controversy
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and
artist’s rendition of the
Park51 Islamic center

15. American Muslim Lobbies

16. The 2000 Presidential Election
Bush: Muslims 72% National 47.9%
Gore: Muslims 9% National 48.4%
Nader: Muslims 15%
National 2.7%

17. The 2004 Presidential Election
Kerry: Muslims 93%, National 48.3%
Bush: Muslims 2%, National 50.7%

18. The 2008 Presidential Election
Obama: Muslims 89%, National 52.9%
McCain: Muslims 2%, National 45.7%

19. Muslims in Public Office
In 2007 Keith Ellison (D-MN) became the first Muslim elected to Congress.
Andre Carson (D-IN) was elected in 2008.

20. The Next Generation