The Root: Is There Less Anti-Islamic Sentiment Among Blacks?
Recent data about how black and white Americans view the New York City mosque controversy suggest that this is true, but opinions vary as to why.
Recent data about how black and white Americans view the New York City mosque controversy suggest that this is true, but opinions vary as to why.
2 comments:
Salaams and thanks for stopping by. I'd basically agree with what you wrote.
I don't think I've ever seen a figure for what percentage of African-Americans are Muslim but yeah, I think it is clear that compared to white folks, more black folks would have a family member or a friend who was Muslim.
Or even if they weren't Muslim per se they would have plenty of positive associations with Muslims and Islam (Malcolm X probably being the best example, but one could also mention Muhammad
Ali, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Farrakhan, Five Percenter Hip-hop, etc.)
At the other hand I'm sure there are Black Christians who are theologically not so far from Pastor Jones.
Actually, let me revise the above. I suspect that percentagewise, compared to white Americans, more African-Americans would say "All Muslims are going to hell" and the like in the religious sphere.
But also percentagewise, alot more African-Americans would also have strong positive feelings about Muslims, Islam, and anything with a family resemblance to Islam (like the Elijah Muhammad groups)
I agree that it was no so long ago that famous Black Muslims were leaders of major Black movements and the civil rights movement(Elijah Mohammed, Malcolm X) and their significance is still remembered by many Black Americans today. It may also be that it was also not so long ago that Black Americans felt the heat of such prejudice and hatred themselves, and identify with those discriminated against today, which makes them less Islamophobic.
Islam itself has a long history in the Americas, and was first brought over to America by black slaves, many of whom retained their relgion in slavery. Generations after them have lost a direct religious connection with Islam, but scholars (including scholars like Mustafa Bayoumi and Michael Gomez) have demonstrated that there are still identifiable elements of that earlier African Muslim culture within African American culture today. Perhaps a sort of connection has been retained to some degree within the collective memory, and can be seen in things like naming practices?
This is an article you might be interested in reading regarding the Ground Zero Mosque controversy and African American Muslims:
"African-American Muslims: Left Out of the National Conversation on Islam"
http://www.illumemag.com/zine/articleDetail.php?African-American-Muslims-Left-Out-of-the-National-Conversation-on-Islam-13282#comments
Post a Comment