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Texan Muslim holding fast to Islamic practices
Moe
09/20/00 at 20:30:00
Texan Muslim holding fast to Islamic practices HOUSTON, TEXAS, Jamadil Akhir 21, September 20 (IINA): Muslims in the State of Texas, United States, are increasingly playing an important part in the day-to-day life of the State, and at the same time holding tenaciously to their Islamic beliefs and practices. Five times a day the muezzins would call the Muslim believers to prayers. The new Texan Muslim is characterized as clannish, highly individualistic and illustrious, successfully maintain close family ties, Islamic values and ethnic heritage. According to Prof. Dr. Ataullah Bogdan Kopanski, of the Department of History, International Islamic University Malaysia, there are more than 250, 000 Muslims in Texas (about six per cent of the state's total population). The majority are newcomers who emigrated to the US from Muslim countries in the late 1960s. But in the last two decades, nearly 12,000 ex-Christian Texan Anglo Celts, Germans, Mexicans, Italians and Slavs embraced Islam. There are also Texanized Muslim Vietnamese, Chinese and a few Native Amerindians (Cherokee, Taos, and Apache tribes), says Kopanski. Among the Muslim Texans, the Pakistanis and Indians followed by the Arabs are the most abundant ethnicracial group. The Afghans, Albanians, Turks, Malays, Hui and Somalis who settled down in Texas are the 'minority' among the Muslims, said Kopanski. The first Arabic speaking Muslims appeared in Texas just before the Civil War, when the American Army attempted to establish camel transportation between Camp Verde in Texas and San Diego, California. The camel tenders were mostly Arabs and Turks, who amazed Texan cowboys with their oriental dress and unpronounceable names. Among them was Hadji Ali, a Muslim from AlSham (Syria). The Texan natives called him 'Hi jolly', said Kopanski, adding Hadji Ali was born in 1828 to a Christian Orthodox family, but he embraced Islam as a young man. He arrived at Indianola in 1856 with 33 camels. In 1856 he reached California as head of the government caravan, he added. Hadji Ali devoutly observed his Islamic prayers and fasts in the deserts of Arizona until his death in 1902. One of his Arab friends, Eliyas, settled in Sonora, Mexico. Eliyas's son, Plutareo Elias Calles, became the president of Mexico in 1928. Other Muslim Arabs landed at Houston in 1858. Kopanski said this historical perspective showed that Muslims had existed in Texas for more than 150 years, and the 1920 census revealed that there were 3,400 people of Syrian and Lebanese origin who had immigrated to Texas. They were mainly Eastern Maronites, with a sprinkling of Muslims. The Muslims in Dallas, Forth Worth and Houston have built not only several 'majestic main mosques, but also three religious schools (madrasas)', said Kopanski. He added:"Today, the Muslim Texans operate their own radio stations and present Islamic programs on television. He noted that a large number of heavily veiled Muslim women and turbaned, bearded men work in the public and private institutions. Muslim women wearing Hijab even work in police stations." Expatriate Muslims are well represented in the universities, hospitals, banks, attorneys' offices and manufacturing plants of Texas. Most of them are newcomers, who came to study in 1960s and later, attracted by the high standard of living in America, decided to apply for permanent residence and eventually US citizenship. Culturally and emotionally, however, most of them feel alienated and uncertain about times to come. As with the rest of Americans, they are obsessed with the economical survival, prosperity and the future of their children, and they participate in the political process and have a presence in the political parties. The Texan branches of the nationwide Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) have taken up such issues as the support for the independence of Palestine, Kashmir, and Chechnya (Ichkeria). Everyday life in Texas, slowly, but surely washes away the unjust, false, and hostile image of Islam, as projected by the anti-Islamic forces. Increasingly, the non-Muslim Texans are discovering that their Muslim doctors, lawyers, soldiers, neighbours, teachers, managers and co-workers are not the terrorists they are portrayed to be. This process of rediscovery of Islam and the Muslims as a vital part of the American tradition, is irreversible. Sooner than later, the Muslims will not bother themselves with an obsessive justification of their faith in the pitiful terms of 'modernization'. Kopanski concluded that the Islamic culture shall overcome, and said that the image of Islam will continue to improve with the times, not only in Texas, but in other parts of the country as well.

Re: Texan Muslim holding fast to Islamic practices
Saleema
09/21/00 at 10:51:41
Salam, Yes!! We texans rock!! What do you think of that Arsalan? Wassalam

Re: Texan Muslim holding fast to Islamic practices
Arsalan
09/21/00 at 11:57:06
Nice article.  Really nice!  See what a few Muslim journalists can do!  It makes a big difference, doesn't it!  Talk about removing stereotypes and making da'wah! SubhanAllah. Wassalamu alaikum.
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