1. Organizing Muslims in the US:
Working for Spiritual, Economic and
Social Justice

2. What is Islam?
• The Arabic word Islam is literally translated as ‘Submission’
• Islam is a spiritual path based on a set of ethical principles, a set of daily ritual
practices, and a model of character exemplified by the Prophet Muhammad
and the Prophets who preceded him (Abraham, Moses, Jesus, etc.). The
primary purpose of this path is for Muslims to be in service to God while
growing spiritually throughout ones life with the central goal of knowing God
directly, living a righteous life and committing good acts throughout ones life.

3. Muslim Community Organizing
Rooted in Faith

4. Islam 101 & Best Practices in
the Muslim Community

5. A Global Snapshot of Muslims

6. Why This Moment?
• 11 Years after 9/11 Muslims are experiencing a generational shift in terms of
identity, ideology and leadership
• 11 years of continuous Islamophobia and misinformation about Islam and
Muslims throughout the world and in the United States - the community is
ready to organize
• The largest COINTELPRO program has been conducted within the Muslim
community in the last 11 years and Muslims are ready to say enough
• Major momentum in many Muslim countries from the Arab Spring which
produced organic organizing networks within Muslim immigrant
communities where Youth have taken major leadership roles in the US
• Major voting opportunities and a community which shifted from voting
Republican in 2000 (47.6%) to overwhelmingly supporting Barack Obama in
the 2008 election (89%)

7. Adbusters, March 2011

8. Islam in America 101
• Scholars believe that African Muslims were in the Americas before Columbus
• It is estimated that at least 1/3rd of all enslaved Africans brought to the
Americas were Muslim
• Prominent examples are: Yarrow Mamout, Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahim, Job
the Son of Soloman
• For further references see: Servants of Allah by Silvian Diouf, A Muslim American
Slave: The Life of Omar Ibn Said, and the PBS film Prince Among Slaves

9. Islam in America 101
The earliest voluntary immigrants came between 1875 and 1912—mainly from the
area then known as Greater Syria. 2nd wave of Immigration after WWII
• Major immigration beginning with the Immigration Act of 1965
• African American Revival of Islam: the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X Warith Deen
Muhammad and
• Growth of Globally recognized American Muslim Scholars and influence of Western
Muslims on the rest of the Muslim World
• Post 9/11 Rise of the Islamophobia Network - $42.6 Million dollars spent to support
hate speech by 7 foundations since 2001
• Network of writers/ bloggers, foundations, and hate speech radio/ tv with deadly
consequences: Norway – Andres Brevick, Sikh Temple Killings

10. Major Community Issues
• Same issues as many: Jobs, Immigration issues, DREAMers, Education
• Large Refugee populations from: Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, and Bosnia
• Deep distrust and trauma from 11 years of continuous warfare and spying on
the community in the United States
• Major differences and divisions amongst Muslims internally: Ideological,
Gender, Race and Tribe, Class, Immigrant versus non-immigrant, generational
• Wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine and drone wars in Pakistan and Somalia
• Revolutions in: Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, and Bahrain
• No major emphasis on voter turnout by any national organization - ISNA,
CAIR, and MPAC make a push but have limited capacity

11. Demographic Data
• Numbers vary greatly on total Muslims in the US - Conservative estimates are
between 2.6 Million and 10 Million
• Islam is the 2nd fastest growing religion in the United States
• Almost 2/3rds of American Muslims are 1st generation immigrants (Middle
East, North Africa, and South Asia)
• 37% of Muslims were born in the United States (Majority African American)
• 1 out of 5 American Muslims is a Convert
• Median age of Muslims throughout the world is 28 Years old

14. Figure 1: Concentration of adult Muslims (aged 18+) in major US states
(Pew Research Center 2011)
0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
300000 Not Registered
Registered
MI FL OH MD IL VA PA NJ TX CA NY

15. Mosques in the US
• Mosques in the US grew by 74% over the last ten years from 1,209 institutions
in 2000 to 2,106 in 2010
• Over 3/4th of all mosques (76%) in the US were established since 1980
• The vast majority of these mosques are located in Urban centers - 72%
• With the largest concentrations of mosques being in: New York City, Southern
California, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, the San Francisco Bay Area, Atlanta,
New Jersey, Houston, and Dallas.
• The majority of these mosques identify as Sunni (93%), while Shia mosques
have grown over 44% in the last ten years, they make up 7% of the total
mosques in the US.

17. Racial Breakdown of Mosque Participants
• South Asian - 33%
• Arab - 27%
• African American - 24%
• African - 3%
• Eastern European (Bosnian, etc.) - 2%
• Iranian - 2%
• Other Groups - 1%

18. Major Muslim Racial and Ethnic
Populations in the United States
• African American
• South Asian - Indian, Pakistani,
Bengali
• Arab - Syrian, Egyptian, Tunisian,
Iraqi, Yemeni, Saudi Arabian,
Moroccan, Algerian
• Afghan
• West African
• Somali
• Bosnian
• Persian
• Turkish
• Indonesian, Malaysian, Thai, and
Chinese
• Latino and White Converts
• White Converts

19. Ideological Differences Amongst Muslims
Religious Identity Views Dominant Racial Group
Traditional Sunni Moderate, can be cultural
Majority of Groups except
Iranians
African American
Moderate, traditional African American
Politics
AA - Warith Deen Muhammad
Community
and the Nation of Islam
Salafi/ Wahabi
Most Conservative
Community
Arab and South Asian, some
African Amer.
Shi’a
Moderate and often culturally
Persian
Persian/ Iranian
Sufi Moderate and Spiritual
Mixed, West African,
Moroccan, Converts
Secular/ Liberal
Most socially liberal of all, often only
Muslim by name
All Groups

20. African(
American(and(
Converts(
• Poli4cal(outlook(is(centered(in(the(US(
Immigrant(
Popula4on(
• Poli4cal(Outlook(focused(back(
home(
2nd(Genera4on(
Immigrant(
Youth(
• Somewhere(
Inbetween(
View of the World

21. Religious Leaders in the Muslim Community
• Levels of Leadership - Ulema, Imams, Professors and Community Leaders
• Ulema - Full Scholars - Very few religious leaders in the US fit into this category -
both men and women can be and have historically been ulema though few woman
exist in this role in the US today.
• Imam - Prayer leaders and mosque leaders - In Islamic Orthodoxy only men can lead
the physical Friday prayer and give the Friday sermon.
• 81% of Mosques have an Imam, and only 44% of these Imam’s are full time and
paid
• Only 6% of Imam’s are trained in the US and many do not have formal Islamic
religious educations

22. What does this mean?
• It is necessary to engage with more Muslim institutions than just the mosques since
many of these houses of worship do not have strong leadership and are often very
divided spaces within the community
• It makes sense to look for alternative allies within the community ranging from:
• Muslim groups who organize around race and identity
• Muslim Scholars with large national followings
• Student Groups
• National and Local Muslim Institutions
• Alternative Spaces in the community which are growing throughout the country

23. National Muslim Leadership
• Shaykh Hamza Yusuf (Bay Area)
• Imam Zaid Shakir (Bay Area)
• Imam Siraj Wahhaj (Brooklyn)
• Imam Suhaib Webb (Boston)
• Usama Canon (Bay Area)
• Shaykh Yasir Qadhi (Kentucky)
• Sherman Jackson (USC)
• Umar Faruq Abdullah (Chicago)
• Ingrid Mattson (Hartford Seminary)
• Khalid Latif (NYU)
• Shaykh Muhammad Mendes
(Atlanta)
• Shaykh Yahya Rhodus (Bay Area)
• Khalid Latif (NYU)
• Shaykh Muhammad Mendes
(Atlanta)
• Yasmin Mogahed

24. Community Organizing Groups
Educational Organizations
African American Majority
Organizations
Warith Deen
Muhammed
Community
Political/ Advocacy Organizations
RIS
National/ Conference
based organizations
3rd Space
- Think Tank
International Aid Interfaith
National Muslim Organizations

25. Muslim Organizing around Race and Identity -
Example SF Bay Area
• African American/ Converts - Warith Deen Muhammad Community, the Nation of
Islam, Zaytuna College, Ta’leef Collective,
• Arab - Arab Resource and Organizing Center, Arab Cultural and Community Center
(San Francisco)
• South Asian - DRUM - Desi’s Rising Up and Moving, Bay Area Solidarity Summer
• Afghan - Afghans for Peace, Afghan American Muslim Outreach
• Yemini - California Yemeni Youth for Change
• Major Organizing also in: Egyptian, Tunisian, Libyan, Iranian, Tunisian, and Somali

26. Case Studies of Community Organizing
in the Muslim Community
• SFOP (Interfaith Entry) - Traditional approach/ experimentation with cultural
translation of the PICO Model in the African American Muslim Community
• Brooklyn Muslims (Civic Engagement Entry) - Coalition Approach
• San Jose PACT (Hyper Local/ Specific Issue Entry) - Courtship Approach
• Other Examples?

28. How Can we Build Power in the Muslim
Community?
• Strengthening Congregations
• Train PICO Organizers on how to engage the Muslim Community
• Train Muslims in Community Organizing - The Muslims Community has to
begin to talk to each other and deal with the trauma’s of the last 11 years
• Dealing with the differences and traumas must be a priority before the Muslim
community can build UNITY internally, let alone amongst people of different
faiths
• Engaging the community on how to build alliances with other communities
and build towards power

29. PICO National Network
Community Organizing Model

30. Next Steps and Questions?