M
Muslim Works
Guest
http://www.egypttoday.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=6980
ITS HARDLY NEWS that the average American has plenty of misconceptions about Islam, but the idea of Muslims in the Americas can be puzzling to people here, too. The 8 to 10 million Muslims in the United States are, understandably, a diverse group, ranging from recent immigrants, to second- or third-generation American-born citizens (or beyond), to converts of every possible background.
But one group, calling itself the Nation of Islam (NOI), has often earned more attention than the rest put together.
This is not Al-Ummah Al-Islamiyya, the nation of Islam binding Muslims together worldwide. In fact, the NOI only represents a small fraction of American Muslims: Estimates of its numbers are around 20,000, or less than one quarter of one percent of all adherents to Islam. Whats more, this nation of Islam is deliberately exclusive: At times it has been rightly considered to be more an arm of the black power movement than a religion at all.
And yet the organization never fails to show up in the public eye, and, until 9/11, the average American had probably learned more about the NOI in school, in movies and in the press than about true Islam itself.
The most recent incarnation of the group was formed by Louis Farrakhan in the late 1970s and early 1980s. While most Muslims in America have preferred to practice their faith without seeking attention, Farrakhan has carved a prominent place for himself and the NOI in the American media. Television stations and newspapers receive press releases with catchy phrases announcing Farrakhans position on issues of the day. With vituperative speeches and his trademark bow ties, the NOI leader is something of a camera magnet.
Understandably, the silent majority of American Muslims finds this attention troubling, attributing it to media sensationalism. Thats the problem of media on the national level: Sensation captivates people, says Mahdi Brey, secretary-general of the Indianapolis-based Islamic Society of North America. Whether it is Louis Farrakhan or bin Laden, those are the people who get attention. That is our challenge: to be heard, to define ourselves. It is very difficult.
Particularly since 9/11, with anti-Muslim hate crimes in the States at an unprecedented level, Muslims have had problems reaching out to the mainstream press. Many feel they must attempt to strike a balance between speaking out on behalf of their religion and practicing Islam subtly so as not to attract undue negative attention.
The NOI, on the other hand, continues to hold the publics eye. Just last year, on the occasion of the 10-year anniversary of the NOIs Million Man March on Washington, Farrakhan collaborated with public figures including the reverends Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson to organize the Millions More March, supporting a number of social causes. It seems unlikely that the group will leave the spotlight any time soon.
The question, for many here in Cairo, is what is NOI and what does it believe?
TO BE CONTINUED
ITS HARDLY NEWS that the average American has plenty of misconceptions about Islam, but the idea of Muslims in the Americas can be puzzling to people here, too. The 8 to 10 million Muslims in the United States are, understandably, a diverse group, ranging from recent immigrants, to second- or third-generation American-born citizens (or beyond), to converts of every possible background.
But one group, calling itself the Nation of Islam (NOI), has often earned more attention than the rest put together.
This is not Al-Ummah Al-Islamiyya, the nation of Islam binding Muslims together worldwide. In fact, the NOI only represents a small fraction of American Muslims: Estimates of its numbers are around 20,000, or less than one quarter of one percent of all adherents to Islam. Whats more, this nation of Islam is deliberately exclusive: At times it has been rightly considered to be more an arm of the black power movement than a religion at all.
And yet the organization never fails to show up in the public eye, and, until 9/11, the average American had probably learned more about the NOI in school, in movies and in the press than about true Islam itself.
The most recent incarnation of the group was formed by Louis Farrakhan in the late 1970s and early 1980s. While most Muslims in America have preferred to practice their faith without seeking attention, Farrakhan has carved a prominent place for himself and the NOI in the American media. Television stations and newspapers receive press releases with catchy phrases announcing Farrakhans position on issues of the day. With vituperative speeches and his trademark bow ties, the NOI leader is something of a camera magnet.
Understandably, the silent majority of American Muslims finds this attention troubling, attributing it to media sensationalism. Thats the problem of media on the national level: Sensation captivates people, says Mahdi Brey, secretary-general of the Indianapolis-based Islamic Society of North America. Whether it is Louis Farrakhan or bin Laden, those are the people who get attention. That is our challenge: to be heard, to define ourselves. It is very difficult.
Particularly since 9/11, with anti-Muslim hate crimes in the States at an unprecedented level, Muslims have had problems reaching out to the mainstream press. Many feel they must attempt to strike a balance between speaking out on behalf of their religion and practicing Islam subtly so as not to attract undue negative attention.
The NOI, on the other hand, continues to hold the publics eye. Just last year, on the occasion of the 10-year anniversary of the NOIs Million Man March on Washington, Farrakhan collaborated with public figures including the reverends Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson to organize the Millions More March, supporting a number of social causes. It seems unlikely that the group will leave the spotlight any time soon.
The question, for many here in Cairo, is what is NOI and what does it believe?
TO BE CONTINUED
