Faith
Islam is one of the fastest-growing religions in the United States today.

· The ten states with the largest Muslim populations, listed in order, are California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Indiana, Michigan, Virginia, Texas, Ohio and Maryland (Council on American Islamic Relations, 2000).

· There are 1,209 mosques in the United States. More than 60 percent of these have been founded in the last two decades.

· Today, Muslims in the United States outnumber Episcopalians, Lutherans, Presbyterians, the United Church of Christ and many other Christian denominations.

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Freedom
The United States is a country of many faiths and many ethnic backgrounds. American Muslims are part of this rich and diverse fabric, sharing the same freedoms as any other U.S. citizen in American civil, political, religious and cultural life and playing a productive role in American society. For example:

· More than 20 percent of American mosques have a full-time school. In the United States today, there are over 400 Islamic schools, three colleges, 400 associations, an estimated 200,000 businesses and over 200 publications, journals and weekly newspapers (Council on Islamic Education, 1998).

· 62.4 percent of American Muslims are registered voters (American Muslim Council, August 2000).

· There are currently more than 9,000 Muslims on active duty in the U.S. armed forces (U.S. Department of Defense, 1998).

· More than 70 percent of American Muslims "strongly agree" that they should participate in American institutions and the political process (U.S. Department of State, 2001).

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Community
Muslims in the United States make up only one segment in the complex mosaic of American religious and cultural life today. American Muslims themselves come from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. Statistics show that:

· The Muslim community in America is made up of people from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds and national origins. In a typical American mosque nearly 90 percent have some Asian, African-American, and Arab members (U.S. Department of State, 2001).

· South Asians (Indians, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and Afghanis) make up the largest percentage of regular participants in U.S. mosques (33 percent), closely followed by African-Americans (30 percent) and Arabs (25 percent). Also active, although in smaller proportions, are Muslims from a variety of ethnic backgrounds:

Ramadan In America
As it is elsewhere in the world, Ramadan is a time of prayer and reflection for the millions of Muslims living in the United States. Each year during this holy month, Muslims of diverse backgrounds and national origins come together to worship and celebrate in much the same way as others in the Muslim world. For many American Muslims, as well - nearly three-quarters of whom were not born in the United States - Ramadan provides the opportunity to share as a family the culture and traditions of their various homelands.

Americans of all backgrounds are increasingly aware of Ramadan, and its importance to Muslims. In many communities, American Muslims share their faith with their neighbors and friends. Some examples include:

· Ramadan awareness events are held on college and university campuses across the United States, including library displays, Ifftar dinners and special classes about Islam.

· In many communities across the United States, American Muslims use the Ramadan month to educate non-Muslims in America about Islam by holding open house events at local mosques and Islamic centers, and organizing Eid Bazaars, public lectures on Ramadan and Islam, Ifftar dinners for the homeless, canned food drives and other activities.

· In some communities, including Washington, DC, local television stations broadcast daily Ramadan greetings.

· Interfaith Ifftar dinners are organized in communities across the United States.

· In some communities, special prayer services are organized to bring together Muslims, Christians and Jews.

· A number of web sites have been created to help Muslims across America reach out to non-Muslims in their local communities during the Ramadan period.

· Leading Muslim-American organizations plan special events and distribute "Islam Resource Kits" during Ramadan to promote education and information about Islam.

· For the last three years, the U.S. Department of State has hosted an Ifftar dinner for prominent American Muslim leaders, and Muslim prayers have been offered in the House of Representatives of the U.S. Congress.

· Last year, President George W. Bush hosted an Ifftar dinner at the White House, welcoming representatives from 53 Muslim nations. Additionally, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld hosted separate Ifftar dinners.

· In his 2001 message to Muslims worldwide to mark the beginning of Ramadan, President George W. Bush said: "We send our sincerest wishes to Muslims in America and around the world for health, prosperity, and happiness during Ramadan and throughout the coming year. All the world continues to benefit from this faith and its achievements. Ramadan and the upcoming holiday season are a good time for people of different faiths to learn more about each other. And the more we learn, the more we find that many commitments are broadly shared. We share a commitment to family, to protect and love our children. We share a belief in God's justice, and man's moral responsibility. And we share the same hope for a future of peace. We have much in common and much to learn from one another."

· Last year also marked another important first: the issue of the first-ever postage stamp by the U.S. Postal Service to commemorate an Islamic holiday - Eid. The Eid stamp symbolizes the recognition of the importance presence of Muslims in America. American Muslims were very active in urging the U.S. government to issue a postage stamp to represent the Islamic holiday. More than 5,000 Muslim children wrote the Postmaster General and American Muslim groups lobbied the U.S. Congress in support of the postage stamp.

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