Rethinking the Masjid in America
by Abdul Malik Mujahid

"Muslims are the new Niggers of America. If you will not fight for yourself, no one will."

This is what the Jewish attorney of a Palestinian client recently told this author. And this was before 9/11. Who will take up the challenge of the new civil rights movement in America?

Masjids are the main organizing unit of Muslims on this continent. In the presence of weak national organizations, Masjids by default may end up performing a role which their founders did not perceive, much like the black churches did in the American Civil Rights Movement during the 1950s and 60s. But is the Masjid in America ready for it?

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks ushered in a new era for Masjids in North America whereby mosques became centers where Muslims and non-Muslims met face-to-face in the context of tragedy and solidarity.

Although very few mosques had their structures physically damaged after 9/11, the attacks shook up the Masjids' administration, as security became an immediate concern. In some cases, neighbors and interfaith groups took it upon themselves to take the Masjid out of its isolation. As a result, many mosques opened up to their neighbors, believers in God and brothers in humanity who do not believe in Islam. Their questions forced Masjids to look for Islamic literature and copies of the Quran. Many mosques organized open houses for the first time allocating some budget for these activities. As a result of such events, Muslims felt a level of comfort when others stood in the mosque and supported them as neighbors. This was a new experience for most Masjids.

It remains to be seen whether this openness to interfaith camaraderie is translated into a common agenda and more civic responsibility in the neighborhoods where the mosques are located. The incidents of 9/11 clearly indicate that Masjids can no longer be islands of isolation. They must and can reach out to meet tomorrow's challenges.

As an observer of US policy since September 11, this author is under no illusion that the American war on terrorism is bound to make America a continued target for more terrorism. Violence breads violence. If Israel, after decades of occupation, cannot contain essentially armless Palestinian refugees in their few square miles, America cannot feel safer following the same policies. Which policies are going to be more effective in defeating terrorism? What can the Muslim community in America do to prevent such happenings? If terrorist attacks, God forbid, do happen, then how is the Muslim community here is going to handle it? While these questions are subject of many discussions, this article dwells essentially on what the Muslim community can do to improve itself organizationally.

This author feels that Muslims are not ready to handle such a plausible eventuality. Our Masjids and their resources need to be much more organized than what they are now. That preparation essentially involves professionalism, more openness, greater civic involvement, allocating resources to develop coalitions and alliances throughout society, as well as a higher level of expenditure on the legal defense and physical security of the community. Other important steps are the ongoing training of staff and Masjid leaderships, and most of all, helping our neighbors understand what we are and the difference between us and those who give a bad name to our faith will help us in this regard as well. But let's first see what are the strengths and weaknesses of our community.

Strengths of Masjids in North America:

Walk into a Masjid in North America versus one in Cairo or Dhaka and you sense the difference almost immediately.

While the Masjid comes to life for prayers in most Muslim countries, many mosques in North America are full of life and activity beyond prayers. Weekend schools, full-time Islamic schools, adult classes, lectures, visiting non-Muslims, potluck dinners, bookstores, libraries, social gatherings, sisters, volunteers, committees, people accepting Islam, new Muslim classes and handshaking local politicians are among some of the unique features. In fact, in being the center of community life, the Masjid in America is probably closer to the Prophet Mohamed's (peace and blessings be upon him) Masjid in Madinah than most of the mosques in the Muslim world.

After all, the Masjid was never meant to be simply a place of worship with little to no participation by Muslims in it beyond that. The Masjid, in early Islamic times, was the locus of the community. There was a dynamism and activity that today is absent from many of the mosques of the Muslim world. A number of North American Masjids, however, are developing that quality as dictated by necessity.

Another distinctive phenomena in North American Masjids and Islamic centers is the participation of women. While women in North America, like Masjids in Madinah and Makkah come to pray, in many Masjids, they are administrators, teachers, students, chair committee etc.

North American Masjids are also multi-ethnic. According to the Council on American-

Islamic Relations (CAIR)'s 2001 report The Mosque In America: A National Portrait, mosque-goers in North America range from African-Americans (30 percent) to Arabs (25 percent) to South East Asians (two percent) to South Asians, the largest group, (33 percent) to Europeans (two percent). There is clearly multinational diversity which is not found in much of the Muslim world.

The Islamic principle of Shura (mutual consultation), which has long been forgotten in the Muslim world, where authoritarian and despotic regimes run the show, is in full force in North American Masjids. According to the Masjid survey, 59 percent of Masjids make decisions via a consultative council and 28 percent are made by the Imam.

Financially, most Masjids felt satisfied with their budgets as compared to most of the national Muslim organizations. There are probably more than 50 Muslim community centers in America whose annual budgets are higher than almost all the national organizations of Muslims.

Masjids on this continent are a growing phenomena. Even up to the 1960s, we had less than 20 mosques in America. This was followed by a sharp increase in the number of Masjids and Islamic centers established. Today, we have over 1000. This number does not include the thousands of temporary prayer spaces available to Muslims like on university campuses, in hospitals and other workplaces. If these are factored in, there are at least 3,000 places that Muslims use as places of prayer and congregation for Friday.

Challenges our Masjids and Islamic centers face:

The Masjid is part of the Muslim Ummah of North America. One question each Masjid needs to ask itself is what it is contributing in terms of human and financial resources for the growth of Islam and its institutions at the North American level. By asking this question, creative solutions to our challenges and needs can be harnessed.

Here are a few things Masjids can do to meet these in our communities.