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March 30, 2007 The history of Islam in
the United States dates back to the 18th century, with the first
Muslim inhabitants. The sizeable Muslim community increased
greatly over the past one hundred years, mainly due to the
increase in the number of Muslim immigrants, and the high rate
of Americans who convert to Islam.
Until recently, the American Muslim community hadn’t been
involved in the political process. Like other immigrants,
Muslims focused on finding economic security before thinking
about politics.
But now, U.S. Muslims are becoming more involved in the
political process. They are voting, running for office and
getting more involved in civic and political life at every
level.
Based on tallies of mosque membership and Muslim names, several
national organizations estimate there are 4.5 million to 6
million American Muslims. Up to a third of American Muslims are
African-Americans who vote mostly for Democrats. The rest come
from Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa.
The Muslim political involvement grew in the U.S. after the
September 11, 2001 attacks, according to Houston City Councilman
M.J. Khan, a U.S. Muslim of Pakistani origin.
The “9/11 disaster” has focused every community, including
Muslim communities, on political activism, Khan said. The
attacks jolted Muslims into realizing that they must make
themselves known to their neighbors and heard by their
government.
“I think American society in general is a lot more interested in
world affairs … and getting to know the religions, different
cultures after 9/11 than it was before,” Khan said.
Khan, a Republican, represents an overwhelmingly Christian
district in Houston, the fourth largest city in the United
States, with a Muslim population of roughly 250,000. He was
first elected to city council in 2003 and will seek re-election
again in 2007.
“My election was significant in the fact that I come from a
different culture, a different background, a different religion,
and yet people voted for me,” Khan said in an interview hosted
March 5 by the U.S. State Department.
In addition to his position on the council, Khan is president of
a real estate development company and has served as president of
the Pakistan American Association of Greater Houston and as vice
president of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston.
Although Khan says that questions about Islam “never came up”
during his election campaign, he believes that his faith
influences his work. “If I do well, hopefully, it will open
doors for other Muslims to follow in [my] footsteps in going
into public office and serving the society,” he said.
“I don't wear my religion on my sleeve, but I don't hide it
either,” Khan said, adding that he tries to be “the best public
servant” to serve all of his constituents “indiscriminately.”
Khan also hailed the election of Keith Ellison -- a Muslim from
Minnesota -- to Congress “as a significant step toward political
empowerment of the Muslim community.”
He also expressed optimism about the future of American Muslims.
In Houston, for example, the two major political parties choose
a chairman to run party business in voting areas called
precincts. Until 2002, he said, few of those precinct chairs
were Muslim, but today there are more than 70 Muslim precinct
chairs in eastern Houston alone.
“If people just take an interest in politics, the chance of
success is there for them,” Khan said.
Moreover, Muslims are now doing more “lobbying,” a process by
which interest groups in the U.S. educate and influence members
of Congress, Khan said.
Both the Democratic and Republican parties recruit voters among
Muslims, and well-educated, financially stable Muslims are
attractive to candidates not only for votes, but for campaign
donations.
In the most recent presidential election, many Muslims attended
the political parties’ nominating conventions and organized
political action committees to pool donations to candidates.
When asked about the possibility of a Muslim president in the
U.S., Khan said: “For sure, there will be a president who will
be from the Islamic community in the future of America … you can
be assured that there will be a Muslim sitting in the White
House.”
“American society is ready for diversity in its highest
offices,” he said. |
