Muslim Communities in North America

Abstract

This book, which is a collection of 22 articles by 25 authors, is appropriate for undergraduate courses on religion in the United States, religious minorities, immigrant communities, the history of religion, and the sociology of Islam and Muslims. The first part contains five articles on religious communities, the second part has nine articles on the mosaic of Islamic communities in major American metropolitan centers, and the third part consists of eight articles on ethnic communities in metropolitan settings. Each part should have been a separate book, as this would have made the book less bulky and more accessible to those who are interested in only one of the areas covered. Reading this book makes it clear that there is great need for Muslim scholars to study and analyze their own communities, which have a rich history and have only been studied recently. Books such as this are an important contribution to the understanding of Muslims in the West and also serve to clear up many misconceptions about Muslims, a development that makes interfaith and intercommunity dialogue easier. Part 1 begins with an article on the Shi'ah communities in North America by Abdulaziz Sachedina (professor of religious studies, University ...