Aug
24
Ramadan 2010: State of American Muslims
Filed Under religion, United States | 8 Comments
by Imran H. Khan
Today is nearly the middle of Ramadan, a month of reflection and fasting for Muslims. It is also an appropriate time to reflect upon how Muslims are doing in America. They are certainly getting more than their due share of attention in the media and in the political arena of this country. One of the purpose of this post is to capture a snapshot of what is happening to American Muslims at this time for posterity. It is my intention to do this every year to gauge the trajectory of how this American group is doing.
While considerable progress has been made since 9/11 to educate the Americans in terms of Islam, the American public is still quite confused as to what Islam really is and Muslim practices like fasting in Ramadan. With the upcoming mid year elections and strained economy, political leaders have found Islam and Muslims as a convenient scapegoat for furthering their chances of election. One of the positive change is that the current President understands Islam and has initiated different efforts to bring about harmony between the US and the Muslim world.