December 17, 2005

Muslims in the United States: Truths and Calumnies

By Magdi Khalil

[Editor's note: this article was written by a Magdi Khalil, a journalist in London and Egypt, writing for an Arabic readership. It is translated with the author's permission.  An earlier article of his explaining the United States to his readers can be found here.]

The recent disturbing articles and news in the Arabic media may very well lead people to believe that the Muslims living in the United States are being subjected to collective persecution or even eradication ─a false accusation easily refuted by the fact that millions of Muslims continue to apply for emigration to, and temporary residence in, the United States for study and business purposes. Polls conducted by credible organizations show that even now, and in spite of the unprecedented hostility towards the United States and the West, millions of Muslims around the world still aspire to live in the United States or Europe.

I would like to shed light on the situation of Muslims living in the United States, and to call readers' attention to a number of significant facts:

1. Muslims are able to practice their religious rituals and celebrations freely, as well as openly maintaining and asserting their cultural traditions.

2. They are granted total religious freedom including the freedom to proselytize anywhere, even within the American prison system; a CNN report indicated that the ratio of prisoners who convert to Islam each year is 1:6.

3. Muslims have the right to establish Islamic schools, institutes and universities anywhere in the United States with no constrictions; the American government has even provided support to some of these institutions.

4. Muslims have the right to establish their own media, with no restrictions or particular conditions, whether they will operate in their own languages or in the English language. They also have total access to Arab and Islamic media in the form of newspapers, magazines and satellite channels, and though most of those are openly hostile to the United States, none of them have been banned by the US.

5. There are numerous registered Islamic institutions and associations that are concerned with the defense of Muslims