The American Mosque 2020 Growing and Evolving

REPORT The American Mosque 2020: Growing and Evolving

The decadal surveys provide a detailed portrait of the nation’s mosque

BY ISLAMIC HORIZONS STAFF

The U.S. Mosque Survey 2020 (https:// www.ispu.org/report1-mosque-sur vey-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. 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

to attract and maintain young African American adults; and the overall aging of this population segment, many of whom converted in the 1960s and 1970s.

YOUNG ADULT MUSLIMS — GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS ➤ Good news. Twenty-four percent of mosque participants are aged 18-34, roughly the ages of Generation Z and young Millennials. This is a very respectable NEIGHBORHOOD AND ZONING BOARD RESISTANCE TO MOSQUE DEVELOPMENT HAS INCREASED ➤ During 2010-19, 35% of mosques encountered significant resistance when seeking permission to move, expand or build. In comparison, from 1980-2009 the average percentage in this regard was 25%. Apparently, anti-Muslim sentiment grew in the last decade. Mosque opposition represents an institutional form of

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.

percentage when compared to their peers who attend churches. About 11% of church attendees fall in this age group. ➤ Bad news. ISPU found that in 2020, 54% of adult Muslims were aged 18-34. Eliminating the children’s age group of 1-17, Survey 2020 estimates that 29% of adult mosque attendees are 18-34. This figure, which is far below ISPU’s data, indicates that this age group comprises 54% of the Muslim American population. Based on this large difference, mosques aren’t attracting very many of them.

THE NUMBER OF PURPOSE-BUILT MOSQUES CONTINUES TO GROW ➤ In 2020, 37% of all mosques were purpose-built structures. This is a substantial increase from 2010, when only 30% fit into this category. Taking into consideration the actual numbers instead of percentages, 37% translates into 1,025 mosques. In 2010, 30% translated into 632 mosques. In 2000, only 314 mosques were purpose-built. Clearly, Muslim Americans have maintained their building spree. anti-Muslim discrimination. According to ISPU’s American Muslim Poll 2020 (https:// www.ispu.org/public-policy/american-muslim-poll/), Muslims experience more institutional and interpersonal religious discrimination than any other religious group.

MORE IMAMS ARE FULL-TIME, PAID AND AMERICAN-BORN ➤ Half of all mosques have a full-time paid imam as compared to 2010, when this figure was 43%. This percentage is well short of those churches and synagogues that have full-time paid religious leaders. Nevertheless, it shows steady progress. ➤ Of the full-time paid imams, 22% were American-born, an increase from 15% in 2010. The growing preference for American-born imams is gradually becoming clearer. ➤ Only 6% of all imams received their Islamic degree (BA, MA, PhD) from an American institution. No one seminary, university or institute is predominant in granting these degrees. The absence of a leading U.S.-based Islamic seminary negatively affects the number of these figures. MOSQUE GOVERNANCE IS STILL VARIED AND EVOLVING ➤ No one governance model typifies mosques. ➤ 48% of mosques have one volunteer governing body, usually called a “board of directors” or an “executive committee,” to manage their day-to-day activities. In larger mosques with a Jum’ah attendance of over 500, the more common governing structure is to have a board of trustees that provides oversight and an executive committee that manages the mosque. ➤ As only a handful of very large mosques have paid staff to manage the mosque, 76% of mosques are managed entirely by volunteers. ➤ Lay leadership is predominant, for only 30% of all mosques view the imam as the leader. ➤ In 77% of mosques, imams have no managerial role. In addition, 54% of mosques have a shared lay leadership–imam governance arrangement, with the former tasked with management and the latter with religious affairs. In 23% of mosques, the lay leadership runs all aspects of the mosque, including religious affairs, and the imam just leads the prayers. Only in a few instances — almost all African American mosques — does the imam have both religious and management responsibilities. Typically, in the shared governance model mosque leadership and the final decision-making power lie with the lay leadership.

MOSQUE INCOME CONTINUES TO GROW ➤ The average mosque budget in 2020 was $276,500 and the median budget was $80,000. This is a substantial increase from 2010’s figures of $167,600 and $70,000, respectively. These figures don’t include capital campaigns to build or expand mosques. ➤ On average, mosques collect $40,640 for zakat. ➤ On average, when the budget and zakat are combined, mosques collect $317,140. ➤ Mosque and church incomes are roughly the same; however, churches achieve their income levels with far fewer people. Churches average $311,782 with 180 regular participants. Mosque income averages $317,140 with an average Jum’ah attendance of 410. Dividing income by participants, church participants give $1,732 per year and mosque participants give $674 per year. ih