United States: Muslim Population Growing Rapidly
Because the U.S. Census Bureau does not survey people about their religious traditions, there are no official estimates of how many Muslims there are in the country, but according to a 2000 study coordinated by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, Muslim congregations are the second-fastest growing in the nation, topped only by megachurches. With an estimated population of 7 million, there are estimated to be nearly as many Muslims in the country as Jews, and with higher birth and immigration rates, they are expected to be the third-most-dominant religious group in a matter of years.
A 2002 Cornell University study predicted the nation's Muslim population would more than double - to 16 million - in nine years. Cornell researchers pointed out that the Muslim community is about the same size as the nation's Hispanic population was 25 years ago.
As with other groups, little is monolithic about the Muslim community. They hail from countries around the globe: Indonesia to Zimbabwe to Guyana. They speak different languages, prefer different foods, have different histories. Many are American-born blacks. Muslims have been immigrating to the country since the late 1800s and continued in waves as the country's immigration laws changed and unrest in their native countries spurred them to seek new lives.
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