Mecca and Main Street: Muslim Life in America after 9/11

by Geneive Abdo

Islam is Americas fastest growing religion, with more than six million Muslims in the United States, all living in the shadow of 9/11. Who are our Muslim neighbors? What are their beliefs and desires? How are they coping with life under the War on Terror?
In Mecca and Main Street , noted author and journalist Geneive Abdo offers illuminating answers to these questions. Gaining unprecedented access to Muslim communities in America, she traveled across the country, visiting schools, mosques, Islamic centers, radio stations, and homes. She reveals a community tired of being judged by American perceptions of Muslims overseas and eager to tell their own stories. Abdo brings these stories vividly to life, allowing us to hear their own voices and inviting us to understand their hopes and their fears.
Inspiring, insightful, tough-minded, and even-handed, this book will appeal to those curious (or fearful) about the Muslim presence in America. It will also be warmly welcomed by the Muslim community.

Genres: Islam, Religion, Nonfiction, History

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[YouMo Mi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book does a very good job of showing how more religious Muslims practice their faith in America, the issues they face, what activities they are involved in, and just their life experiences in general. The people she interviews and discusses in this book are good examples of the views held widely by many Muslims in the United States, especially those involved in mosques, MSA's, and ISNA.

However, I do have some reservations of the portrayal of so called "progressive Muslims" (a term with different meaning depending on who you ask) such as Amina Wadud. Whether or not one agrees with Ms. Wadud's decision to break with certain past traditions upheld by traditional Muslim scholars and theologians , it would be disingenuous to assume that a good portion of Muslims (theologians and scholars among them) who disagree with some ideas of past act out of media-conciousness and conceit. Abdo herself does a great job of showing the diversity in Islamic interpretation and how it faces Muslim Americans when mentioning how music is seen as OK by some people but forbidden by others, regardless of certain scholars' opinions. But then she casts "progressive Muslims" as being in the same line as wolves in sheepskin like Irshad Manji even though they follow a similar manner of addressing how Islam should manifest itself in a positive manner in our lives. In any event, progressive and traditional are very relative things. Some people would probably lump 'Music is OK in Islam' under the same progressive banner Abdo deems sensationalist.

Nevertheless, I would still highly this book because it documents the voice of the often unheard Muslim activists, community members, and scholars whose views are reflective of Muslims who are more active in their mosques and communities. Keep in mind, though, Muslims are like any other religious group with all shades of religiosity (or lack thereof) present in America. I would suggest reading supplemental books, however, if you wish to gain a better prespective on the intricacies of the Islamic religion itself and the discussions that continue today, whether real or self-imagined by certain Muslims. Leila Ahmad's "Women and Gender in Islam" is a great read and very informative, as is Khaled Abou El Fadl's "The Great Theft". Also, if you're interested, just pick up "Progressive Muslims" (ed. Omid Safi) or Amina Wadud's "Gender Jihad" and examine their views for yourself.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abdo captures the heart of the real issues that Muslims in America have to deal with today.
I found myself nodding along to a lot of what she had to say.
Even though I had to read this book for school, I actually enjoyed it.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A NON-MUSLIM JOURNALIST REPORTS (SYMPATHETICALLY) ABOUT AMERICAN MUSLIMS

Geneive Abdo is a journalist and scholar (she is not a Muslim) who is currently a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. She wrote in the Prologue to this 2006 book, “I first thought about writing this book… during the days following September 11, 2001… I realized that the contemporary Muslim American experience should be documented. Life had changed dramatically for the country’s six million Muslims… the story of their changing lives has been left untold. For more than a century Muslims had lived in America in peace, blending into the ethnically diverse landscape. But suddenly, they were no longer in the shadows… From now on, their every word would be noted, their every action seized upon by a nation gripped with fear and inflamed by pollical manipulation… [This book] details the search by a diverse group of Muslims to find a way to live with dignity in this country… in the wake of the [9/11] attacks… [Muslims] felt an urgent need to embrace their beliefs and establish an Islamic identity as a unified community.”

She recounts, “By the 1990s, the Nation of Islam has lost its luster and Wallace Deen [son of Elijah Muhammad] had become disillusioned. He told me in 2003 that he was stepping down as leader of the American Society of Muslims because many of his prayer leaders in mosques around the country had refused to follow his example and master Arabic and embrace the teachings of the Koran. They were, he said, too locked into the separatist message of his father, Elijah Muhammad. Some prominent African American Muslims… argue that the excessive focus on race among today’s African American Muslims threatens to reduce their influence within the broader community of believers.” (Pg. 9)

She points out, “America features a flourishing Muslim community estimated to be six million strong and representing at least eighty different countries of origin. Only the annual hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, brings together more Muslims from more countries than live in America today… about two-third of Muslim Americans were born outside the United States… the American Muslim community was better educated, better off, and younger than the nation as a whole. Muslims tend to graduate from college at a rate more than double the national average… Three-quarters of adult Muslims are less than fifty years old. Mosque life in America has grown along with the steady increase in population.” (Pg. 63-64)

After the Patriot Act was passed in 2001, “Almost immediately Muslims in America found themselves targets of law enforcement in the name of homeland security. Thousands of Arab and Muslim men were questioned and at least twelve hundred people …were rounded up and detained under the new provisions… ostensibly for suspected visa violations… the detainees were held without charge, denied bond, and barred from contacting their families or legal representatives… The roundup produced virtually no charges of involvement in terrorism, and most of the suspects were either deported or eventually released.” (Pg. 84)

She observes, “There is yet another Muslim voice, one that has turned Islam into a commodity to be marketed shamelessly to non-Muslim America. After September 11, the community saw the emergence of the ‘professional Muslim.’ Suddenly there were lucrative opportunities to tell America what it wanted to hear about Islam, rather than challenging the nationwide consensus. Irshad Manji, the author of ‘The Trouble With Islam,’ is one of the most damaging voices for the Islamic community…. Muslims, as well as non-Muslim experts, around the world… condemn her. First, most don’t consider her a Muslim, even though she was born as such. She identifies herself as a lesbian, and homosexuality is considered a violation of the faith. Her political views are the anthesis of Muslim feelings about nearly everything… To many non-Muslims, however, she is the voice of ‘progressive’ Islam… Because Manji’s prescription for correcting the ‘troubles with Islam’ is for the faith to conform to the ideas of Western philosophy. Essentially, Islam would cease to be Islam… Muslims sometimes blame themselves for her fame; her voice stands out in the absence of other Muslim voices willing to debate her views in the national media.” (Pg. 120-121)

Of male/female separation in mosques, she explains, “the form of separation depends upon the ethnic makeup of the worshippers and whether they have imported the traditions from their homeland to the United States. In many American mosques dominated by Muslims from India or Pakistan, women are either required to pray in a separate room or in a space in the main prayer room segregated by a curtain or other type of barrier… By contrast, in most of the Arab world, for example in Egypt, women simply pray behind the men. Some women… believe in separation, as long as the conditions allow women to participate fully in the imam’s sermons. Such women consider themselves Islamic feminists and view the place where women pray in the mosque as part of their struggle to gain more rights… the women’s struggle for rights inspired Muslim women to demand equal space in the mosque… This is where the mosque movement began.” (Pg. 140-141) Later, she adds, “The Muslim minority who describe themselves as ‘progressive,’ however, would ban all forms of separation.” (Pg. 147)

She recalls that “for the small army of visiting foreign correspondents who … breezed into Teheran to observe the phenomenon of President Mohammad Khatami and his bid to introduce the notion of civil society into Iranian political life… I knew that soon enough the story would turn to the Iranian regime's treatment of women. The chador was always the central image used to illustrate this phenomenon. Few reporters ever stopped to consider that the majority of Iranian women feel comfortable wearing a headscarf; most Iranian women I knew believed they would retain the veil even if the authorities stopped mandating it.” (Pg. 150)

She acknowledges, “In the United States, the obstacles to accepting converts generally reflects the historical ethic segregation in most mosques… The converts represent to some degree the ‘other’; they do not fit neatly into particular mosque communities, many of which are divided along ethnic lines… the congregations of 64 percent of mosques were composed of one dominant ethnic group, generally either African American or South Asian.” (Pg. 175)

This is a very informative book, that will be of great interest to those wanting to know more about Muslims in America and the West.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent & very readable. Although published in 2006, the topic & the stories told remain vitally relevant. I often wished for a sequel as I read. It's time for an update from this engaging writer on this fascinating topic.

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

The introduction of Mecca and Main Street notes American Muslims live in the heart of America but “are solely defined by American’s perceptions of Muslims abroad.” After 9/11 American Muslims felt an urgent need to embrace their beliefs and establish an Islamic identity or a unified community. The author chose particular people to interview and discuss because they are the activists, journalist, imams and human rights activists shaping both the broader Muslim community’s standing in America and American’s views of the Islamic world.
The first part of this book is about the roots of Islam in America. Muslim slaves from Africa were the first wave to come to America but because of the conditions under which slaves lived Islam was not able to take hold. With the slow collapse of the Ottoman Empire immigration between the late 1800s until 1921 (when the National Origins Act was passed) provided a second wave of Muslim immigrants. However it lacked critical size and was unable to give Islam a foothold in America. Some Black American movements had adopted symbols and terminology of Islam but not the real doctrine. After the 1965 repeal of the National Origins Act a large group of immigrants came to America from the Middle East. These immigrants tried to bring their homeland and its brand of Islam to the US. Among the first was a group of Yemenis who established the Dix Mosque in Dearborn, MI, which remains extremely fundamentalist.
The author discusses some of the current ‘roots’ of Islam in the US. She notes the U.S. lacks a history of Islamic education and describes one of the religious sessions Hamza Yusuf, an American Imam, organizes several times a year. He imports Eastern and religious décor to turn modern hotels and restaurants in different parts of the country into temporary madrassas. These madrassas are the equivalent of mobile homes for Islamic learning.
Many young American Muslims (several of which are converts) have come to see Islam as a religion that can turn the fight for equal rights and social justice into action. One of the examples given is the Inner-City Muslim Action Network, started by Rami Nashashibi, which works to help those living in poverty in the city. Another American Muslim, Adbul Malik Mujahid, established a radio show and a multimedia company to show that Muslims are just like non-Muslims.
‘Women in the Changing Mosque’ is the section of the book that concentrates on the activities of women who are trying to regain the roles women had in the early years of Islam but which were taken away as time passed. The author also discusses Muslim Student Associations in which moderates and young women are playing a role in bringing about a distinct American Muslim identity

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is more about Muslims than it is about Islam. I was a little hesitant to read it when I found out the author is a non-Muslim because so many of the books written by non-Muslims about Muslims tend to portray Muslims in a very negative light. I thought that the author did a pretty good job of explaining the challenges facing Muslims in America in the post-9/11 years, and what really impressed me was that she didn't focus on the so-called progressive Muslims as is the tendency of the media. I think she did a good job of capturing the frustration Muslims feel at being treated as the enemy regardless of how much cooperation is given to authorities. Our voices are not often listened to by outsiders and it was refreshing to read a book written by a non-Muslim who didn't try to make Muslims out to be terrorists or women out to be downtrodden victims.

[Kristen Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for my American Religions class and it was great for our discussions about what Muslims in America go through. Most of the book is about different Muslims and how they live their religion in a modern American world. I liked the book but a part of me wanted something more out of it. I can't place what was missing from it though. I do think that it is an important read for non-Muslims to see the discrimination that they face in American society and also for non-Muslims to see the reasons behind certain aspects of their culture like the hijab.

There is a funny sentence about Mormon missions that is very off and wondered who fact checked her book. I was tempered to write her an email and let her know but just laughed instead.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good look into the life of Muslims in the United States. It was also very positive, talking about the different social contributions the Muslim community is trying to make in the US at this time. I do believe that some of the cultural differences could have been better explained. The author is non-Muslim, so she may not have all of the insights into the community that a Muslim author might have. Though, she is extremely fair handed in how she represents the Muslim community.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides an analysis of the lives of American Muslims in the early 21st century, with a focus on new trends among second-generation Americans and converts. The book is very readable, and the author does a good job of presenting a cross-section of American Muslims. The only problem is that while she fills the book with anecdotes, she doesn't indicate how common various phenomena are, so the reader is left to wonder how representative her anecdotes are.

[Anamaria · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely fascinating. learned SO much about islam and the title is a total misnomer...this isn't just about post 9/11 but really digs ito the history of Islam in the U.S. Did you know it's the fastest growing religion in the U.S.? That there are more Muslims in the world than Catholics. Yup. This was a fascinating read...

[A · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would give this 2.5 stars if I could... mostly because I think it was written with a non-Muslim audience in mind and didn't offer too much for me. Having said that, I appreciated that the book showed the diversity of, and nuances within, the Muslim community... and it also profiled some interesting Muslim figures like Hamza Yusuf, Rami Nashashibi, etc.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not quite what I expected. I was expecting to read about the the thoughts and experiences of Muslim-Americans after 9/11. This was more of a history of Islam in America. Some of it was interesting and some was not. Basically, the book went on for too long, although I did learn about Islam.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important contribution to better understanding the lives and struggles of American Muslims in a post 9/11 America.

This is a quick and comprehensive read. Think perhaps it might have been better with direct citations and footnotes, but that is just the academic part of me wanting to speed up the fact check and referencing process.

[Basmah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amaaazing book, it gives an account of Muslims in America ranging all the way back to the times of slavery (Omar ibn Said) to today's leaders (Sheikh Hamza, Imam Zaid). I learned a LOT about Islam in our own country. . .it's been here for centuries but is still considered a "foreign religion"

[Leslie]

I want to read this book because I have been told that Uroosa's Sister is the girl on the cover... Can someone confirm that for me???

[Maira · Rating 3 out of 5]

provided a great historical background on Islam- made it's way right back to the 21st century and the current debates under way for Muslim Americans trying to live an uncompromising Muslim life.