REPORT
The American Mosque 2020: Growing and Evolving The decadal surveys provide a detailed portrait of the nation’s mosque BY ISLAMIC HORIZONS STAFF
T
h e U . S . Mo s qu e Survey 2020 (https:// www.ispu.org/report1-mosque-survey-2020/), a comprehensive statistical study conducted by The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding in cooperation with ISNA and several other organizations, was released on June 1. This ongoing decadal survey, which was also conducted in 2000 and 2010, provides a detailed portrait of the nation’s mosques. Its point is to dispel misconceptions and help mosque leaders and participants better understand their mosques. This year, 2,769 mosques responded. This article is limited to the survey’s Report 1: “Basic Characteristics of the American Mosque.” Its primary sponsors also include the Center on Muslim Philanthropy and the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies. Other important supporters are Intuitive Solutions, IIIT, ICNA’s Council for Social Justice, CAIR and the Hartford Institute for Religion Research (Hartford Seminary). The major findings are as follows:
THE NUMBER OF MOSQUES CONTINUES TO GROW
➤ The 2020 survey counted 2,769 mosques, a 31% increase from the 2010 count of 2,106 mosques. Undoubtedly, the primary driving force for this increase is the expanding population of Muslim Americans due to immigration and births. ➤ Mosques are becoming more suburban. The number of mosques located in towns/small cities has declined from 20% in 2010 to 6% in 2020. The apparent reasons for this are disappearing jobs and the moving of
young adults, children of mosque founders and activists to large cities for education and jobs. In 2010, 17% of mosques were located in the downtown areas of large cities; in 2020, that figure was 6 percent. This decrease is most probably tied to the decrease of African American mosques and the general relocation of mosques to the suburbs.
THE NUMBER OF MOSQUE PARTICIPANTS CONTINUES TO GROW
➤ Jum’ah prayers averaged 410 attendees in 2020, as compared to 353 in 2010 — a 16% increase. Almost 72% of mosques recorded a 10% or higher increase in Jum’ah attendance. ➤ The total number of mosque participants, measured by the number of Muslims who attend the Eid al-Fitr prayer, increased to 1,445, a 16% increase from the 2010 count of 1,248. ➤ Using the Eid prayer count, the number of “mosqued” Muslims is approximately 4 million.
CONVERSIONS DECREASED
➤ The number of converts per mosque
32 ISLAMIC HORIZONS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
declined dramatically, from 15.3 in 2010 to the average number of 11.3 in 2020. The primary reason for this is the decline in African American converts, especially in African American mosques. Some observers of the study stated the need to determine if conversions are the result of active organizations like Imam WD Mohammed’s community and those MSA chapters that organize campus activities to share their faith with others. Also, the question of whether the major focus on “interfaith” activities has diverted resources and people who could have been better used to spread accurate information of what Islam is and who Muslims are.
A SHARP DECREASE IN AFRICAN AMERICAN MOSQUES AND THEIR ATTENDEES
➤ In 2020, African American mosques comprised 13% of all mosques. In 2010, this figure was 23% — a 43% decrease. Dominant ethnic groups within mosques are calculated as any group over 55% of all mosque participants; 50%-59% of one group and all others less than 40%; 40-49% of one group and all others less than 30%; 35-39% of one group and all others less than 20%. This is especially noteworthy, considering that, according to ISPU, they account for roughly 28% of all Muslims in this country. ➤ In 2020, they comprised 16% of all mosque attendees, a 33% decrease from 2010’s figure of 23%. ➤ More study is needed to understand this phenomenon. Right now, apparent causes are the decline of African American converts, which constitutes the lifeblood of their mosques’ growth; mosques’ inability
