So.....Pretty much, Travis's article hits the nail on the head.
---
not exactly
Historical evidence suggests that there were Muslims within the
original, native, Ameri-Indian community and that the first group of
immigrant Muslims reached the Americas in 1312 (180 years before
Columbus). From Mali and other parts of West Africa, Muslim explorers
arrived via the Gulf of Mexico for exploration of the American
interior, using the Mississippi River as their access route. Abubakri
was one of the first to set sail to America from Africa (according to
"˜Muslims in America' by Amir Nashid Ali Muhammad).
In 1492 when Columbus arrived here, he was strongly influenced by the
writings of 13th century Arab geographer Al-Idrissi, who served as an
advisor to King Roger of Sicily. Columbus arrived with Al-Idrissi's
book and Muslim captains, crews, and translators. He had two Muslim
captains: Martin Alonso Pinzon and his brother Vicente Yanex Pinzon.
The Pinzon family was related to Abuzayan Muhammad III, the Moroccan
Sultan of Marinid dynasty (1196-1465) (ibid).
Columbus himself admitted in his papers that while his ship was
sailing near Gibara on the northeast coast of Cuba, he saw a mosque on
top of a beautiful mountain. Ruins of mosques and minarets with
inscriptions of Qur'anic verses have been discovered in Cuba, Mexico,
Texas, and Nevada. A historian, Dr. Berry Fell, in his books
"˜America, BC' ("˜BC' representing "˜before Columbus') and "˜Saga
America! ,' provided evidence of early presence of Muslims in America.
The Muslim country of Morocco was the first to recognize and
acknowledge America's independence in 1777. Morocco was the first
nation to sign a peace treaty in 1786 with America, followed by
Algeria in 1795, Tripoli in 1796, Tunis in 1797, and Muscat (Oman) in
1833. All the earliest signatories were Muslim countries. During 1788
to 1789, President George Washington exchanged letters with the Sultan
Mohammad III about peace and! asked the Sultan to plead with
authorities in Tunis and Tripoli to obtain the right of free
navigation for American ships in the Mediterranean. In this way,
American ships entered the sea with the support of Muslims.
There are hundreds of examples of contributions of Muslim immigrants
to building the nation in all spheres of American life; here are just
a few:
The United States Cavalry hired a Muslim by the name of Hajj Ali to
experiment with breeding and raising camels in the deserts of Arizona.
Hajj Ali came from Syria in the mid 1850's, and in 1868 he went to
work prospecting and scouting for the government. He was given the
quaint, American nickname 'Hi Jolly' as he became a local folk hero in
Quartzsite, AZ, where he died in 1902. His tombstone is a stone
pyramid with a camel on top of it (according to "˜Muslims in America'
by Amir Nashid Ali Muhammad).
An African immigrant Muslim, Muhammad Ali Ben Said (1833-18820),
joined the 55th Regiment of Massachusetts Colored Volunteers. Serving
in Company 1, Muhammad rose from corporal to sergeant by July 16, 1863
(ibid).
In 1875, the wave of Muslim immigrants started coming; the first small
group came from Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Punjab (Pakistan and
India). Some of the Syrian-Lebanese Arabs settled on lower Washington
Street and in Brooklyn across the East River around Atlantic Avenue
and South Brooklyn (ibid).
The agricultural lands of America were cultivated and raised by
African slaves; the original religion of most of them was Islam.
African American Muslims were among the major working force in
building America.
Abdul Hakeem Muhammad, a computer scientist with the IRS, won the
"Department of the Army Commander's Award for Civilian Service" for
his work in the field of computers open system standards and technical
architectural environment. This is one of the highest, most rare, and
unusual Congressional awards won by an IRS employee.
Dr. Fazlur Rahman, Khan, a Bangladeshi Muslim immigrant, and
outstanding architect, designed Chicago's John Hancock Center in 1970,
the One Shell Plaza in Houston in 1971, and the Sears Tower in Chicago
in 1973.
El-Hajj Malik el-Shabbaz (Malcolm X) was a leader of international
fame, and his legacy continues to influence Americans today. There
have been dozens of famous Muslims in Jazz music, arts, and other
entertainment fields, and American Muslim contributions are visible in
every walk of life from the most sensitive and military areas to more
common jobs.
Presently, there are more than 5,000 Muslims in uniform on active duty
in the military. A Pakistani American in uniform, Azhar Mahmood,
recently died in the War in Iraq and is now buried in Long Island, New
York.
American Muslim women are also adding their names to the list of
distinguished inventors, scientists, engineers, etc. Among them is
Lubna Ahmad, a young biomedical engineering student who recently
invented a noninvasive sensor for obesity and diabetes management.
In the First World War, Muslim states were allied with America, even
against the Muslim State of Turkey. In the Second World War, Muslims
were again allied with the US, with all their political, economic, and
military resources. In the Cold War with the Soviet Union, Muslim
states were allies of America. Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey were the
front line states against the Soviet Unio! n; they were vulnerable and
exposed to the danger of nuclear assault of the enemy. Till now, US
military bases were all over the Muslim world, allied with America.
Since 1945, all the natural resources of the Muslim World have been at
the disposal of American companies. Presently, only one Muslim
country, Saudi Arabia, has an investment in America that is more than
one trillion dollars.
At the society level, Muslims have the lowest divorce rate, lowest
abuse rate, lowest domestic violence, lowest criminal percentage, and
Islam gives a model for an ideal family. Muslims, making up the second
largest religious minority of the country, contribute moral values to
the society and thus reduces the crime rates. Masajid (mosques) play a
great role in minimizing crime, drug usage, and other social evils.
Muslims living in America have helped create a bridge between America
and the most resourceful Muslim worlds.
In a nutshell, Muslims in America were always an asset and never a
liability.
http://thebigotbasher.com/2010/08/15/what-have-the-muslims-ever-done-for-america/
On Jul 24, 3:33 pm, Keith In Tampa <keithinta...@gmail.com> wrote:
> So.....Pretty much, Travis's article hits the nail on the head. There
> has been no significant contribution(s) to society by anyone who is of
> Islamic heritage or claims to be a Muslim.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_the_United_States
> On Tue, Jul 24, 2012 at 9:32 PM, plainolamerican
> <plainolameri...@gmail.com>wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_the_United_States
>
> > On Jul 24, 2:21 pm, Travis <baconl...@gmail.com> wrote:
--
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