"We are all brothers and sisters, they live in another world."
For many African-American converts, Islam is an experience both spiritual and political, an expression of empowerment in a country they feel is dominated by white elite. For many immigrant Muslims, Islam is an inherited identity, and America a place of assimilation and prosperity.
The divide between black and immigrant Muslims reflects a unique struggle facing Islam in America. Perhaps nowhere else in the world are Muslims from so many racial, cultural and theological backgrounds trying their hands at coexistence. Only in Mecca, during the obligatory hajj, or pilgrimage, does such diversity in the faith come to life, between black and white, rich and poor, Sunni and Shiite. "The more separate we stay, the more targeted we become," Dr. Khan said.
For many African-American converts, Islam is an experience both spiritual and political, an expression of empowerment in a country they feel is dominated by white elite. For many immigrant Muslims, Islam is an inherited identity, and America a place of assimilation and prosperity.
The divide between black and immigrant Muslims reflects a unique struggle facing Islam in America. Perhaps nowhere else in the world are Muslims from so many racial, cultural and theological backgrounds trying their hands at coexistence. Only in Mecca, during the obligatory hajj, or pilgrimage, does such diversity in the faith come to life, between black and white, rich and poor, Sunni and Shiite. "The more separate we stay, the more targeted we become," Dr. Khan said.
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