Only in America -- The Evolving Muslim American Culture
"Leave it to the Americans!" laughed Muhammad Ahmed, a Cairo accountant when he heard about the woman-led Friday prayer. "It's just like them to come up with something like that." His comments reflect one attitude in the Islamic world about the ways of Muslim Americans. For decades, we have been defining those ways and creating a Muslim culture in America, an open society where freedom of speech and movement are paramount. As the second and third generations of Muslim Americans approach adulthood and blend with immigrants of different Islamic traditions, we are cultivating a strong Muslim culture that is uniquely American.
The formulation of an Islamic culture is nothing new; as we look back in time at the development of Muslim countries, we see they too went through cultural changes. Since Islam allows for various cultural traditions, when the religion spread from Arabia, people of other lands kept many of their customs and adopted new ones. What is different about America is that our culture is not homogenous and it is constantly changing as we create our own stylea home-grown culture. Since Muslim Americans live in a highly individualistic society, we are more likely to create an identity than assimilate to one. Additionally, in America it's more likely for two nationalities to intermarry, making Islam in America a melting pot of Islamic traditions.
One might see a Muslim American woman exercising in sweat pants, sneakers, a khameez top and a hijab. This combination is uniquely American. While Pakistanis might wonder what we have done to their shalwar khameez set, insisting that you can't only wear half of it, others see the beauty of American Islamic culture. With independent thought and with over 80 different ethnic groups in our Muslim community, we create our own cultural guidelines, taking traditions from others and blending it with ours. Yes, we have religious obligations and the command of modesty, but how we dress modestly varies widely.
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SPECIAL REPORT Only in America -- The Evolving Muslim American CultureThe Muslim population is growing and as the second and third generations of Muslims Americans age a unique culture is evolving. It is one marked with hybrid traditions, innovative styles and open dialogue.
by Renee Warner Syed, Nadiyah Sa'id & staff writers
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