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The Muslims of America (Religion in America)

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Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad (born in Syria) is Professor of the History of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations at the Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University. She was formerly Professor of Islamic History at the University of Massachusetts. She has written many other books, such as Contemporary Islam and the Challenge of History, Not Quite American?: The Shaping of Arab and Muslim Identity in the United States (Charles Edmondson Historical Lectures), Islamic Law and the Challenges of Modernity, Christian-Muslim Encounters and Muslim Minorities in the West: Visible and Invisible.

She writes in the "Acknowledgements" section of this 1991 book, "This book brings together studies on the religion of Islam as it is experienced in a variety of contexts in North America, in recognition of its expanding minority status in the United States and Canada. The papers in this volume were first presented at a conference devoted to the 'Muslims of America,' held in April 1989 on the Amherst campus of the University of Massachusetts..."

Here are some quotations from the book:

"Islam is believed to be the fastest growing religion in the United States today, yet it is unclear how many Muslims currently reside in America... To date, no systematic, statistically valid survey of Muslims in America has been conducted. This largely because of a lack of reliable information about Muslims in this country." (Pg. 25)
"Paul Findley's book They Dare to Speak Out has proven to be a timely incentive for Muslims to consider the possibility of forming political action committees. Findley confirmed Arab and Muslim fears about the pervasive influence of the more than seventy-five pro-Israel PACs. Several Muslim PACs were developed since 1985." (Pg. 116)
"The fall of the Shah's regime has been a very important factor in heightening Islamic identity in the United States. The Shah was perceived as the enemy of the Arab people because of his role in providing Israel with oil... His removal from power fueled the belief that an organized Islam would provide the energy to mobilize the masses to remove corrupt rulers as well as Arab regimes perceived as lackeys of the United States and impotent before Israel. This renewed hope in the power of Islam has been extremely significant in the thinking of many Muslims as they seek to define their role in the context of American society." (Pg. 227)