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The World Of The United States Essay

Decent Essays

Being the third largest religion in the United States, as of 2016 there are 3.3 million Muslims that make up the total U.S. population. American Muslims come from all different backgrounds including converts from other religions and ethnicities other than Arabian. The U.S. Census Bureau does not ask religious affiliation so there is no official government count of the U.S. Muslim population. However, The Pew Research Center estimates that the total Muslim population will double by 2050 (Mohamed).
The presence of American Muslims dates back more than 400 years. Some evidence shows that there were Muslims on Colombus’ ships. The arrival of Muslims was first documented in the 17th century when the slaves arrived from Africa. Dating pre-arrival to America, it is said that some Africans were converted to Islam by Arab invaders during the conquering of North Africa.
Between the beginning of the 18th century and the end of the 19th century, an estimated half a million Africans arrived in the U.S. Having an estimated fifteen to thirty percent of slaves arriving as Muslims, Islam was suppressed strongly on plantations. Fast-forward to the 20th century, practicing Muslims begin to immigrate in thousands in the early part of the century. When World War I came about, the immigration pattern was slowed and became disproportionately male. In addition to this, there was pressure for Muslims to assimilate: Especially women who felt the need to stop covering their heads, which is a

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