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An Introduction
to Islam in North America:
Resources for Self Study

...Take a self-guided tour of Islam
                                within North America...

Step 1) Gain an overview of Islam
Step 2) Focus on Islam within the United States
Step 3) Focus on Islam within your community


Step One:
Gain an overview of Islam by following one of the three options:
     Follow online links             Watch a video             Read a book

 

Overview Option A: Follow the Online Links presented here to overviews of Islam presented by Muslims:

     5 minutes     1) Read a brief description of Islam highlighting similarities between Muslims, Christians, and Jews;
"A Friendly Note From Your Muslim Neighbor"
(written by the Cleveland Institute and posted on the ELCA website)

   45 minutes     2) Read the sections: "In The Beginning" and "The Religion of Islam" of An Introduction to Islam
(M. Cherif Bassiouni, posted on the US State Department site for understanding of Islam)

   10 minutes     3) Explore responses to common questions about Islam: http://www.unn.ac.uk/societies/islamic/believe/standfo1.htm 

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Overview Option B: Watch one of the following videos:

Do you want to gain an appreciation for the cultural
and intellectual sophistication of Islam?

Smithsonian World: Islam. 
Produced and directed by Steve York.  60 min. 
Public Broadcasting Service, 1991.Videocassette.

This is an intellectual look at Islam’s numerous contributions and achievements within the humanities, science, history, and technology. This video is very carefully crafted, with beautiful cinematography and informative interviews.  The film grants viewers with a picture of Islam within Egypt and Iran to demonstrate the diversity that exists within Islam.  Because the video solely focuses on the Middle East, it is best used as a means to appreciate the beauty within Islam rather than grant a world-wide or North American view.  Lutheran lay or ordained leaders can check out the video from the Luther Seminary Library. (videocassette 266) 

Watch a video about Islam in America:

Islam in America: The Christian Science Monitor Video.   
Produced and written by Lindsay Miller.  60 min. 
Christian Science Monitor, 1991.  Videocassette.

Appropriate for all age groups, Islam in America dispels stereotypes about Islam by giving an insider view into Muslim communities around the United States.  The video is arranged in five sections, systematically journeying through the five pillars of Islam to show how these practices influence the life of Muslims around the country.  Discussion questions follow each section, and the video also comes with a learning guide leaflet with additional discussion questions.  Lutheran lay or ordained leaders can check out the video from the Luther Seminary Library (videocassette 267) or the Eastern Minnesota Resource Center. (651 641-3607)

Are you curious about what goes on in a Mosque, how Muslims’ faith enters
their daily life, or what Christians and Muslims have to offer each other?

Mosque.
Produced by Hallel Communications and directed by George Torok. 28 minutes.  Maryknoll Video Magazine, 1992.  Videocassette. 

Mosque aims to provide non-Muslims with a respectful introduction to Islam.  This thirty-minute video introduces how the Mosque functions as a central role within the lives of Muslims.  The narrator first explains the important practices that occur within worship, as the camera scans worshippers in a Cairo mosque.  He then takes viewers within family life to see how these practices influence daily living.  The third stop is to a Christian missionary who shares how conversation with Muslims has enriched his own faith, and what Christians and Muslims have to offer each other in interfaith dialogue.  The video ends with a beautiful prayer from the Qur’an.  This video will certainly provide a gateway into interesting group discussion.  Lutheran lay or ordained leaders can check out the video from the Luther Seminary Library. (videocassette 276) 

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Overview Option C: Read one of the following books:

Schimmel, Ann Marie.  Islam: An Introduction.  
Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1992. 
Luther Seminary  Call Number:  BP55 .S34 

This book is very easy to read and presents a thorough overview of the history and teachings of Islam.  The table of contents is as follows: Arabia Before Islam, Muhammad, The Expansion of Islam, The Koran and Its Teachings, The Tradition, The Law, Theology and Philosophy, The Shi'i and Related Sects, Mystical Islam and Sufi Brotherhoods, Popular Piety and the Veneration of Saints, Modern Developments Inside Islam, and Modern Developments Inside Islam.  Order for $14.95 (new) or $11.25 (used) from Barnes and Noble, at www.bn.com

Martinson, Paul Varo.  Islam: An Introduction for Christians.
Trans. Stefanie O. Cox.  Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg, 1994.

Paul Martinson, a Luther Seminary Professor of World Mission, presents an in-depth picture of Islam.  Sections include: Islam - Faith and Life, Islam in North America, Islam- Movements and Emphases, Islam and Christianity, Islam - A Christian Appreciation.  View a detailed description and order for $14.95 from Augsburg Fortress.  (Enter "Martinson" in the search box).

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Step Two:  Focus your understanding on Islam
within the United States:

   10 minutes    1)  Islam in the United States - Fact Sheet details basic statistics of the Muslim community in the United States.

   20 minutes    2)  ISLAM IN THE UNITED STATES: A Tentative Ascent considers the present state of Muslims in the United States through an interview with Yvonne Haddad, a world-wide Islamic Studies scholar.

   10 minutes    3)  View a 1999 joint Senate/House resolution promoting religious tolerance towards Muslims.

   15 minutes    4)  View a description of hate crimes against Muslims and mosques. 

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Step Three:  Focus on Islam within your own community:

Consider visiting a Mosque or Interfaith dialogue center. 
Enter your city or zip-code into Islamic.Finder to locate the mosque
(and contact information) nearest you.  Keep in mind that some mosques are more open to visitors of other faiths than are others.  Always phone the mosque you plan to visit ahead of time to ask permission.

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