Islamic Movement in United States: Between Mission and Against Americanization
New York (NY) is the largest city in United States, perhaps even in the world. It is central of business, international corporate, and United Nation. For many Muslims, NY was also significant place, because historically speaking that Islam in US initiated for first time in NY. Mark Ferris portrayed Islam existence in NY for a century during 1893 until 1991. 1893 was the time when converted American, Alexander Russell Webb, became first missionaries appealing American to enter Islam. Since that time Islam was well-known by American trough paper media. After 1893, many immigrants also came to NY and keep their Islamic traditions; some of them even contributed in preaching Islam by establish several community group, mosque, and institutional education. Mosque, as symbol of Islam, increasingly enough time by time. Ferris describes that Mosque in NY multiplied during three decade, especially 1960, 1970, and 1980. Adding the number of mosque outlined that Islam spreading well in United States.
Like in other city in United States, majority of Muslim in NY are Afro-American and immigrant from Asia and Latin. They come around the world for many motivations; for instance to find better life, to avoid nation conflict, or find good quality of education. Additionally, after NY become office center of United Nation many Muslims came as diplomat from Muslim countries. Existence of diplomat from overseas colored Islam in NY became more flourish and dynamic, where Islam was not just embraced by majority of taxi driver in Queens. It was a fact that then many Islamic leaders and founders of Islamic movement in NY come from Pakistani, India, Egypt, Yemen, Morocco, Indonesia, beside original American.
Ferris talks much about the period of the development of Islam in United States. His writing seem as historical text that cover many date and years that presented some time by following the logic of event, and other time by the increasing of such Islamic group movement. However, I see theoretically speaking he want to say that Islam in NY firstly exists by, or come trough “missionaries” program held by Muslim overseas, especially Arabian and Indian.
Ferris argued that in 1893, Alexander Russell Webb, an American journalist convert form Christianity in Manila after corresponding with Bombay Municipal Council Member Badruddin Abdullah Kur in 1981. Perhaps, that conversion was a gate for Muslim to spread Islam in the United State. Then, not long from Webb conversion, Hajee Abdullah, one businessman from Saudi Arabia in 1982 funded him to the mission of Islamization of American people. After Webb returned to America in 1983, he established the “American Muslim Brotherhood” that soon attracted as the “Torch Bearer of Islam.” He, assisted by Jhon H. Lant, Nabakop, etc founded the first Muslim publishing named “the voice of Islam” and “the Muslim Word: Dedicated to the American Islamic Propaganda” between 1983-1985. Continuing his exploration, Ferris said that at the end, Webb has many allegations related to his financial assistance from abroad countries. His fellowship, like H. Lant even alleged Him for irresponsible money form the ruling prince in India, Nawab Basoda.
Might he true by describing that fact that Webb has significant influenced for first time in building Islamic brotherhood in United States, mainly, from his publication project to publish Islamic teaching in America. However, I guess became first missionaries is not means he was the first Muslim in NY, because before him there are many slave came from Africa that probably one of them Muslim because come from Islamic countries, like morocco, etc. the lack of black was prejudice and slavery that make he/she have no right to preach other to be Muslim. Yet, it was possible if Webb was the first white Muslim that converts from NY and allows Islamic law.
In the other hand, I see Ferris emphasize to what call as “Americanization” that become spirit of several Muslim organization. Face of Islamic movement built as respond for anti-Americanization organized by Immigrant Muslim form Africa and Asia that come after 1983 eras. Americanization believed by immigrant will dilute identity of Islam. Ferris argues that Americanization effect was huge not only for young people, but also for elder. Mosque was isolated, not many Muslim come to mosque. Decreasing attendance to mosque was significant, e.g. from 200 members of Muslim who come to mosque just 40 people.
The problem of Americanization was complicated because United States presupposes devotion to citizen as American People in which secular. It was not easy for Muslim in that generation to avoid Americanization because whoever who want to be American should follow the role of secular policy. Ferris said:
“Like other immigrants to the united states, those Muslim who plan to stay in America for several years must grapple with assimilation and Americanization. Most Muslim new Yorker strike precarious balance between religious, national origin, and American identities; many proudly assert their status of Islamic American and faced the prospect that time that may erode their sense of self.”
Those were choice to be Muslim or to be America, or to be both of them. But is it really one should choose on identity and avoid others? The problem of immigrant perhaps because they still related to the ancestor of them in the origin of country, thus they still doubt their child will forget where parent came and from what kind of tradition they were. NY as big cities can kill everyone, especially belief and principle if one did not have strong conviction. For Muslim, identity of religion perhaps more important rather than other identity, because Islam is identity of paradise, identity of communality. Became Islam might more cosmopolite rather than United States, because Islam cannot limited by countries boundary.
Ferris might want to show to me, and other reader, that the Americanization was opposite with the idea of “faith.” Simply by thinking that Islam should be protected from Americanization danger by stronger of people faith. One of the leaders was Seikh Daod Faisal, coming from morocco that announces that Muslim, in United States, needs to defense the faith and faithful. He organizes the Bona Fida Mosque, The Islamic Mission of America for the propagation of defense of faith. Faisal deliberately referred to his mosque as mission. His attempted to change the ways of American viewed God. Ferris asserted that Faisal Criticized aspect of American society that countered Islamic values, exhorting his follower not to allow the glitter of the material world to lead away from Islam. Futhermore, he established Islamic institute, ministered member of congregation that include students, diplomats, and businessmen. He has many followers from blue-collar Muslim that well-educated and professional. In the other hand, his wife was active too in the Muslim ladies’ cultural society. One significant legacy of Feisal brought Afro-American and Muslim together both for Sunni and Nation of Islam (NoI) offered by Elijah Muhammad. He stressed that “all Muslim are brother,” and attempted to promote harmony and interaction within the city’s of Islamic community. What Feisal did has inspired other Islamic later which grew like a mushroom.
Generally in western perspective the measurement of Islamic development was symbolized by mosque. Ferris said that the number of mosque in United States increased very well, that means Islam grew rapidly in United states. He exemplified that in Brooklyn mosque increased from nine to fifteen. In queens, Manhattan, and Bronx Mosque added twofold. Still Ferris, he argues “for the City’s religiously active African and American and immigrant alike, Mosques assume the central role in Islamic role and serve symbolic functions.”
Perhaps he true that increasing Islam can be counted by adding more mosque, because in the country was Muslim minority mosque in the public sphere where all Muslim overseas from different culture and order meet in the almighty brotherhood, under the umbrella of Islam. For immigrant, perhaps mosque was the first home. However, I should purport that mosque has important role for of da’wa, where Muslim nurtured Islamic knowledge. Additionally, mostly Islamic leader and Islamic movement was identified with his/her the mosque, because he was the founder of it. In NY there is “Mosque of New York” as a symbol of NY Muslim. Mosque sometimes also represents community, like Syiah, Sunni, Sufism, etc. Other significance of mosque was although Islam has been a victim of prejudice and discrimination of western media, especially after WTC bombing, but it is not dilute American interest to Islam, even adding more irrationally.
One interesting point that I found in Ferris chapter was that Islam not only abraded trough mosque, but also trough community organization, like ICNA (Islamic Circle of North America), the Muslim Foundation of America, Inc., Center of Islamic Movement of Queens, are Islamic organization that focuses in the community without strict relation to mosque. Despite the kind of movement was different, but mission was same. For example, ICNA tried to re-establish the spirit of Feisal “mission” in establishing Islamic system in United States. But to fulfill that mission, ICNA provides Muslim banking and matrimonial services published tracts about Islam, and computerizing Muslim database, not trough speech in mosque. That kind of movement was very important to support conventional da’wa. I remember the term “Muslim Tanpa Masjid” (Muslim without mosque) from Alm. Kuntowijoyo, to show the new Islamic trend that not really depend on the mosque, not learn in mosque, but learn from technology and surrounding.
That all my reflection, I want to finish this writing by quoting Ferris reflection: “NY City’s Muslims have labored to ensure that Islam will evolve into a significant social force. They had responded by attempting to fight negative stereotyping and to play a more pronounced role in local affairs. Negative experiences aside, NY City has provided fertile ground for the world’s most cosmopolitan Muslim population to forge flourishing, unique, and inclusive Islamic community.” []
