Chicago Muslims and the Transformation of American Islam

Book excerpt: Through the Hart-Celler Act of 1965, Islam in America underwent a dramatic transformation. In the city of Chicago, African American and immigrant Muslims increasingly came into contact and collaboration with each other. Aided by shifts in American foreign and domestic policies, and the increasing interconnectivity of Arab states with American Muslims, the character and scope of community development and religious practice changed under the leadership of a new generation of American Muslims. Envisioning themselves as part of a single “ummah,” leaders of various Muslim communities worked to build understanding, consolidate organizations, and share time and space with their co-religionists. Through their actions, racial, cultural, linguistic, and ideological barriers were no longer be irreconcilable differences. Utilizing documents from groups like the MCC, MSA, and NOI, this book emphasizes the on-the-ground actions of Chicago-based Muslims in reimagining and building the ummah in America. In doing so, Chicago Muslims and the Transformation of American Islam offers a new approach to understanding the complex and oft-disparate stories of American Muslim life during this era.