Is it true that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the United States?

Answer 1

Fast-growing Islam winning converts in Western world
April 14, 1997
Web posted at: 11:41 p.m. EDT (0341 GMT)
From Correspondent Gayle Young

CAIRO (CNN) -- In the port city of Suez -- and across the Islamic world -- they are celebrating the Hajj, the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca.

"This is a joyous day and the best day in the life of a man," said pilgrim Hussein Suleiman Hussein. "It is as if I am being born anew."

(1.1M/31 sec. QuickTime movie)

Millions of Muslims across the world will trek to Mecca this week for the annual religious event. They circle the Kaaba, a shrine that contains a black stone sacred to the Prophet Mohammed.


Mohammed decreed that every Muslim who can afford it make the Hajj at least once. It is one of five holy duties required in Islam.

A Muslim's first duty is to proclaim that there is only one God and that Mohammed is his prophet. Muslims also must pray five times a day, give charity to the poor and fast during the daylight hours of the holy month of Ramadan.

When a cannon signals that the sun has set during Ramadan, Muslims in Cairo break their fast with friends and family, often inviting the poor to share their meals.


Fastest-growing religion


The second-largest religion in the world after Christianity, Islam is also the fastest-growing religion. In the United States, for example, nearly 80 percent of the more than 1,200 mosques have been built in the past 12 years.

Some scholars see an emerging Muslim renaissance as Islam takes root in many traditionally Christian communities.

Islam has drawn converts from all walks of life, most notably African-Americans. Former NAACP President Benjamin Chavis, who joined the Nation of Islam recently, personifies the trend.

"In societies where you have minorities that are discriminated against, I think they may find an appeal in Islam," said Waleed Kazziha of American University in Cairo.

Many moderate Islamic countries such as Turkey and Egypt are becoming more conservative.

Two decades ago, few middle-class Egyptian women wore scarves or veils on their heads. Now they crowd into special emporiums that advertise Islamic clothing.

The shift toward Islamic fundamentalism worries many in the secular world, a fear underscored when splinter groups target Westerners with violent attacks.


Islam vs. the West

But most scholars argue that the extremists are a very small minority and that most Muslims adhere to principles in the Koran that teach peace and tolerance.


"The Islamic world is like any other society we have known in history," said Kazziha. "You might say it has the good, the bad and the ugly."

Founded in 622 A.D., Islam is among the newer major religions. But to the non-Muslim world, it sometimes appears inflexible. Clashes between Islamic tradition and Western influence are sweeping the globe.

In Islam, contrary to Western beliefs, the rights of the community are considered more important than the rights of the individual. Women are seen primarily as caretakers of the home, and religion strongly influences schools, government and courts.

Many Muslims today are trying to find a balance between being members of a global society and maintaining ties to a religion that calls for strict adherence to the Koran.

A case in point is 35-year-old Hisham Hussein, a wealthy playboy who turned to religion and swore off alcohol after an automobile accident.

He is going to Mecca this spring. "The most important thing is to maintain the purity of the Hajj, to lead a pure life," he said.


Hell Yea BABY!

Answer 2

Hi. I'm not a hater just wanna give my humble opinion. Perhaps Islam really growing faster than any other religion in the world, but growing faster will not make any religion "true". It can be your true religion, but it may never be for someone else. Number is not an issue, even the world left 1% non Islam, these 1% of people may have their own belief which they believe is true. And don't forget there are still a lot of free-thinker around the world. Religion itself should not question the trueness of other religion because I strongly believe that most of the known religion in the world will only lead people to the right path and to perform good deed :)

Answer 3

Islam is the fastest growing religion in the United States because of CONVERSION, not immigration. It is said that the new mosques being built in the United States over the last 2 years have 30% of people going to it as converts. In fact, according to Brittanica, Islam has the highest conversion rate in the world.
The majority of Muslims in the United States, however, are immigrants and their descendants.Carol Stone used 1980 census data to demonstrate that the numbers of Muslims were highest in California, New York and Illinois. At that time, 400,000 Muslims lived in New York, 180,000 in Illinois and some 30 percent of America’s Muslims lived in California. Today those numbers have more than doubled, and large numbers of Muslims are found in New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Texas, Arizona and Michigan. A sizeable concentration also is found around the U.S. national capital in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia.

Answer 4

No, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the fastest growing religion in the USA...

Islam is the fastest growing religion in the World.

Answer 5

Absolutely. There are statistics on the Net in support of the fact. It appears that, intrigued by this relentless concerted compaign of denigration targeting Islam, Americans are taking time to go through the relevant literature and finding Islam to their liking. I am not surprised, taking account the moral-or rather immoral-miasma Americans, and people in the West in general, have been wallowing in for ages.

Answer 6

YES IT IS!!! I'm muslim, and soooo many people convert to islam everyday. It's a beautiful religion, screw the terrorists for making the religion look bad. Don't believe people who say islam isnt the fastest growing religion, they just dont wanna admit it!, look it up your self

Answer 7

In the world

Answer 8

JackBauer,
It could be! The devils time is getting shorter and shorter. His message, the one that he perpetrates with Islam, is bound to get stronger. Only the faithful to Christ will overcome these dark times. But I notice that you didn't post a source. So you could be jacking around. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt though.

Answer 9

I don't know or care,but it sure seems like a whole bunch of submissive females that are converting because it's an easy way to make sure they stay repressed like they like to be. Thankfully most of them are also kind of hard to look at and eat lunch,so they won't be missed.

Answer 10

Just because the singing is loud, doesn't mean there's more in the choir.