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.” []

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"I see America through the eyes of a victim. I don’t see any American dream. I see an American nightmare."
(Malcolm X movie).

That short quotes above fostering how the condition of black people in the United States before 1960 where slavery, oppression, and unjust was the part of daily life. Malcolm was not grew in 21th century where all American citizen are equally free, but he was a son where the black people seen as rubbish. Day was night; even almost all days are nights for the oppressed one. System just gives security for part of citizen because of the racial policy.
Actually I just see the Malcolm X story from movie last weeks, Thus did not cover all things of the life of Malcolm X. the movies have long duration, 3 hours, which seem the producer want to cover all the interesting part of his life. One site comments the movies; “the Malcolm X is too long, too imperfectly paced, too superficial in some places, and too obsessive in others, but it's also highly entertaining, illuminating, and deeply inspiring. Far from worshipping its subject, Malcolm X shows the hero as a man, and the man as a critical part of the cultural progress of 20th-century America.
I see that comment was true, I am as Indonesian and far from America can feel how the heroic life of Malcolm X. That story inspired me, like other people to see that unjust people was forbidden if we are want to build better life in the community without prejudice. I impressed by his personal journey from petty criminal to spiritual leader. Malcolm X transformed himself intellectually from a preacher of racial hatred to an advocate of interracial and international brotherhood. Malcolm X arises to new awareness that black is beautiful and has his/her own destiny like white people, but it should be struggled.
He has great transformation during his life in which seems in conflicting idea. Faul Finkman asserts that in one hand he advocates violence, and the other hand he become man of face. He rejected voting and political action during his early years, but later embraced them. As a member of the Nation of Islam, he called whites the devil, but as a Sunni Muslim he embraced all people as brothers. Hi was charismatic, his speeches provided quotes for people for many different social and political goal from different time and situation. Hi proposed black self-respect and self-help, combine with his rejection to racism.
One interesting point from that movie is liberation spirit that come trough race and religion. The context of Malcolm X was Civil right movement where black people moves against to fulfill the equal right to all citizens. The leader of movement was Martin Luther King, a minister of protestant. King succeeds to maintain and organize the black people to go against racial policies. The most familiar argument was American inherently plural country, but the racial policy makes American lost it all. American in the time just represents one color and one religion.
The most significance of Malcolm works for black afro-American is Islam as an instrument of movement against discrimination and prejudice of white people who by chance are Christian. According to Muslim American book the population of Muslim of Black people who came to America in slavery time was about 30%. After Malcolm became preacher the number of Afro-American Muslim increased significantly. There many conversions when Islam as Malcolm presented become spirit of movement. Islam was the thing that afro American people seek to change the repression toward new identity, that was a Muslim, a religion that guarantee all people as equally same before the law and God.
Nation of Islam (NoI) was a flag of new movement against white and discrimination. Malcolm in early Muslim was the member of that congregation. Elijjah Muhammad was the founding of NoI, the organization established to support the Muslim da’wa. Existence of NoI in United States helped in spreading Islam in United State faster than before. NoI was systematic organization that promotes Islam to black people. Malcolm X enters to Islam in the Jail helped by his brother. His Islam adding strongly when he learned Elijah though, especially when he meet Elijah after he was beat the rap. The life and Islam of Malcolm X was influenced by Elijah, before he declared independence. I see the position of Elijah was like a prophet, because he always calls as “almighty,” by Malcolm X and his follower.
The ideology of NoI seem also racist because just accommodate one group. The white color was placed in opposite, as victim that cannot joint together. For Noi White peoples, or western nations were inherently racist and that black people must join together to build their own society and value system. Malcolm X represents as NoI asked a strict separation between the black and white. He argued that blacks should focus on improving their own communities, rather than striving for complete integration, and that blacks had the right to retaliate against violent assaults. He said: "We don’t go for segregation. We go for separation. Separation is when you have your own. You control your own economy; you control your own politics; you control your own society; you control your own everything. You have yours and you control yours; we have ours and we control ours." (Malcolm X Movie). Let’s See other speech, "If it’s necessary to form a Black Nationalist army, we’ll form a Black Nationalist army. It’ll be ballot or the bullet. It’ll be liberty or it’ll be death."(Malcolm X Movie).
Liberty is the key of Black movements; army is the way that black would do if the Black liberty is hard to establish. But, NoI seems still in the ways of American states and did not lead to build new nation. Army might is also one tool in empowering Black in pursuing the vision. It was because NoI distrust to the wasy of white people. Malcolm contends that "No sane black man really wants integration! No sane white man really wants integration!
I guess that the idea of separation of NoI was not only race, but also religion. I black can establish black people supremacy in United States they can make new nation. The fact that Black Power maintained by Malcolm and NoI not only represented civil rights movement, a reaction against the racism, but also Islamism. But it not happens until Elijah dead. Even Malcolm separated from NoI and announced his independent though after he make journey to two holy citie, Mecca and Medina. Malcolm changes his thought that racist, because he saw that Muslim can be brother although they are different color. His new thought lead to new kind of relation between Black and White. Malcolm can accept white people as brother if he/she Muslim or he/she have good manner to black. This changes, however, should be paid by high cost, because he should faced many treatment, like from NoI and other people who disagree to his view.
In short, Malcolm X initiated social movements or civil right movements based on Islamic spirit. The spirit was significance because Islam inherently religion that accepts an adherence not based on color and status, but from the faith. Malcolm came on the right place and the right time where black needs one who can elevated the spirit black people as human, as people who have right, and he was exist.
But, I am still questioning, why many leader that come up with religious issue was killed in United States? What is the states role to protect citizen in that time? And why several Islamic organization cannot united under the flag of “muslim brotherhood,” that all my general question..[]

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