Muslims In America Research Paper

Our lives all begin the same. We are created through the combined DNA of our mother and father and then we are born into the human existence. Some of us will be raised in an environment of love, support and open-mindedness while others will be born into a world of judgment, hate and narrow-mindedness. If we are lucky we will be born into an environment that provides us with an opportunity to grow, receive quality education and to parents who instill knowledge of the world and cultures around us so we can experience life in a way that creates perceptions that can be used to encourage and perpetuate this existence to future generations. In America, it is a toss up as to which life you may be born into and how that life will shape your future …show more content…
First, let’s define Muslim. A Muslim is a follower of the religion of Islam much like a Christian is a follower of Jesus (source). We will discuss some of the similarities and differences between these two religions later on in this paper. During the 17th century the first clearly documented arrival of Muslims in America were those who arrived on the slave ships from Africa (source). Historians estimate that a quarter to a third of the enslaved Africans brought to the United States on these ships were Muslims (Source). Although freedom of religion for the enslaved was strictly forbidden during this time, in the United States many continued to practice their faith in secret which they later passed on to future generations. During the 19th century Arabian immigrants mostly coming from Lebanon and Syria began migrating to the United States in search of better opportunities for themselves and their children (Source). Many of these immigrants were Arab Christians but a small percentage was Muslim, most of who settled in the Midwest (Source). The first mosque built for the purpose of serving the Muslim population was in Ross, North Dakota in 1929 (Source). After World War I and World War II, African Americans began to rediscover their African Islamic roots during the Great Migration from the South to Northern cities in the United States (Source). This phenomenon has been consistent from the 19th century to the …show more content…
The Christian religion was founded in Israel in the first century CE (SOURCE). The Christian scriptures are written in the Bible while the Islamic scriptures, or word of God are written in the Quran (SOURCE). The Islamic religion was founded in Mecca, currently Saudi Arabia, in the early seventh century CE and stems from the belief that there is only one true God, Allah (SOURCE). Allah stems from the Arabic words Al-ilah meaning “the deity” (SOURCE). Christians also hold the belief that there is only one true God, who is one being and exists as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (SOURCE). Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad, the last in a long line of prophets that includes Moses and Jesus, was the chosen recipient and messenger of the word of God through his divine revelations (SOURCE). Christians believe Jesus, the son of God, is the messenger of God through his own divine revelations who was born onto this Earth to absolve us of our sins as long as we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior (SOURCE). Prior to the conception of these religions the majority of each of these populations believed in and was ruled by polytheistic deities controlling the laws which were governed (SOURCE). After death, Christians believe that God will judge ys to decide whether or not we lived a life of good or evil (SOURCE). Those who have