Is Islam really Growing in North America?

[Qaasim]

I have a Question:
Is Islam realy the Fastest Growing religion in USA?

I read the follwoing article on www.islam.com
http://www.islam.com/reply.asp?id=80440&ct=4&mn=80440

ISLAM IS GROWING IN THE UNITED STATES.
Originally Posted by kotido on Sunday, February 03, 2002 at www.islam.com under Women in Islam topic
Comment:
Islam is growing in United States 01/16/2002
___HARTFORD, Conn. (RNS)–The number of mosques in the United States is on the increase, according to a study of 61 religious denominations by Hartford Seminary.
___The number of mosques in the nation increased 72 percent between 1990 and 2000–to at least 2,600–outpacing the 12 percent average increase among evangelical Protestant denominations and the 2 percent average increase among mainline Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox groups.
___Sixty percent of the 416 randomly selected mosques reported at least a 25 percent increase in membership between 1995 and 2000, according to the seminary’s Faith Communities Today research, which surveyed more than 16,000 religious congregations in 51 faiths. Researchers continue to mine the data for new findings.
___Forty-eight percent of Mormon congregations reported similar growth numbers, as did 39 percent of evangelical Protestant congregations and 29 percent of Roman Catholic and Orthodox parishes. About 27 percent of mainline Protestant congregations reported such an increase. Mega-churches of all denominations ranked above Muslims at No. 1, with a reported average increase of 87 percent.
___The increase suggests that “Islam is one of the fastest growing religious groups in the United States,” said David Roozen, a co-director of the study.

Commnets in nice words and true numbers would highly be appriciated
Thanks
Qaasim

[fuad]

As sallam Alaikum:
On the surface it may appear that the community of Muslims who have immigrated from overseas in last 20-30 years has exponentially increased, as most of us in this group arrived here in most part for personal reasons. A lot of us in the early arrival category did earned our higher education here in US and Canada. The numbers do speak volumes as we sit in this continent in year 2002.The other large group in last decade mainly came here for economic reasons as families and now constitute the majority of Muslims.

Having said that we did organized to establish Masajids and Islamic Centers all over this vast land. The comparisions between growth of masajids vs Churches is most likely accurate. This does not necessarily translate in the growth of Islam. The growth of Islam and Muslims are two seperate events, we may also have seen a surge in the # of people wanting to know and learn about Islam due to current events. But as Muslims we are not able to put a front to address issues nor we in last several years of building Masajids and other Institutions were training ourselves to be able to be the ambassadors of Islam, we may have prepared selves to represent Muslim Community at large.

The representation of Islam takes much more effort and requires much more than serving the Muslims and our Community at large, every other ethnic and religious minority here or any other place does it.

The topic "Is Islam really growing in North America" the simple answer is NO, however with our current infrastructure and renewed vigor with indigenius Muslim Population we may be able to present Islam to land of America, we have a long way to go but will take change in our priority.
And Allah knows the best

[OldLahori]

I am a second generation, and I know some 3rd generation Muslims in USA. My elders tell me that I am not a very good Muslim. I see younger guys than me who are born into muslim families, and are growing up a lot more secular than me. So to the question, is Islam growing in USA: I guess it will depend upon how well we are able to keep the kids being raised here thinking of themselves as Muslims. I think it is growing, but not as fast as writers make it out to be.

[Qaasim]

Thanks for your good input. It does not matter to me, in this topic, who practices Islam and who does not.

If we go by the practicing number of people in any religion then Christian seem to be untrue in their claim that Christianity is the biggest religion on the earth because there are not even half the number of Christians who practice Christianity in its full strength.
In this thread, I meant only to see the numbers, not deeds, if they are true!!!