Editorial

Editorial

We, the people of the United States, are a people of various cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. Almost every ethnicity from every country of the world is represented among the immigrants. Many residents and citizens call this country their home; they come from different schools of thought and bring with them a variety of cultural experiences. This diversity, this multicolored tapestry of America, is important to understand so that as we interact with each other we build bridges to trust, respect, and understanding across our differences. The U.S. is home to four to six million Muslims of various backgrounds. Demographically, almost one-third of this Muslim community is African-American, one-third is of South Asian descent, one quarter is of Arab descent, and the rest are from all over the world and include a growing Latino Muslim population.

Though Muslims in America sometimes face hostility or mistrust from their neighbors, Muslim institutions, including the Islamic Circle of North America, are actively engaged in the society. Their initiatives include charitable giving, educational programs, interfaith outreach, health care, civic engagement, politics and media outreach. American Muslims are present in all walks of life, as doctors, taxi drivers, lawyers, newspaper vendors, accountants, homemakers, academics, media personalities, athletes and entertainers and also serve in the armed forces to protect their country.

The Muslim community also faces some difficult challenges. Violent extremists are trying to distort their faith on one end and anti-Muslim movements on the other, with fiery Islamophobic rhetoric from conservative commentators and politicians which has increased animosity towards us. But thanks to rights guaranteed in our constitution, which safeguards minorities and equally protects religious liberty and freedom for all, Muslims are continuing to practicing their religion. Moreover, their population is growing especially in the suburbs of the south and west. The Islamic Circle of North America organizes a convention that is visited by almost 20,000 people every year. The organization helps Muslims to hold their identity and also helps them integrate into the society. It has a productive role in establishing the aforementioned bridges between faiths and cultures in the United States.

- Shamim Ahmed, Editor