The shooting massacre at Fort Hood that left 13 dead and 30 wounded has cast a spotlight on Muslims in America because the suspected gunman, Maj. Nidal M. Hasan, a psychiatrist about to be deployed to a war zone, is reportedly a devout Muslim.
The anniversary of the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, always casts in sharp relief America’s relationship with the Muslim world, and the role of the growing Islamic community in the United States — issues that are covered in a new Pew survey and in a number of ReligionLink guides and resources, as shown below.
The Islamic holy month of Ramadan begins on or about Aug. 22, and the fasting and abstaining and feasting that accompany the observance are among the most prominent markers of North America’s growing Muslim population. But few may realize how diverse the Muslim community is.
Iraqis celebrated the June 30 start of the American troop withdrawal as a national holiday, but fears remain that sectarian tensions could spike as more troops leave over the summer and episodes of violence erupt. That makes understanding religious differences in Iraq and elsewhere in the Muslim world as critical as ever.
President Barack Obama’s June 4 address to the Muslim world served as a fresh reminder of the tensions between civil rights and national security that have played out in the U.S. and abroad since 9/11. The president’s speech was welcomed by the Muslim community, which remains deeply concerned about attacks against Muslims.
Islamofascism has emerged into the national conversation with increasing frequency and prominence since the Sept. 11 attacks. Supporters of the term claim they are using it to describe a dangerous form of radicalism. But critics say the word is offensive and ill-considered — a poorly conceived shortcut to describe a mix of Islam and politics.
Like Jews, Catholics and other immigrant groups before them, Muslims are building a social infrastructure in America that includes houses of worship, schools, health clinics, banks, charities and more. Muslims’ social and religious needs are diverse – and that diversity is reflected in the network of mosques and related social services centers they are creating.
Many Muslims welcomed President Barack Obama’s inaugural promise of “a new way forward” toward mutual respect between the United States and the Islamic world. That was also followed by his order to shut down the Guantanamo detention camp in Cuba. But scratch the surface and you’ll also find lots of caution.
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