New Information

[Jal]

Do you know that Islam is the fastest-growing religion in America, since the eighties?


A NATION CHALLENGED: AMERICAN MUSLIMS; Islam Attracts Converts By the Thousand, Drawn Before and After Attacks
By JODI WILGOREN
Source: The New York Times : October 22, 2001, Monday
Section: National Desk
http://www.whyislam.org/discoverwhy.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/22/national/22CONV.html
or :
http://www.alhewar.com/


"Islam is the fastest-growing religion in America, a guide and pillar of stability for many of our people..." Hillary Rodman Clinton, Los Angeles Times, May 31, 1996, p.3

"Already more than a billion-people strong, Islam is the world's fastest-growing religion." ABCNEWS, Abcnews.com

"Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the country." NEWSDAY, March7,1989, p.4

"Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the United States..." NEW YORK TIMES, Feb 21, 1989, p.1

"Moslems are the world's fastest-growing group..." USA TODAY, The population referance bureau, Feb. 17, 1989, p.4A
"Islam is the fastest growing religion in North America." TIMES MAGAZINE

"Islam continues to grow in America, and no one can doubt that!" CNN, December 15, 1995

"The religion of Islam is growing faster than any other religion in the world." MIKE WALLACE, 60 MINUTES

[c4ts]

And?

[Torment]

I wonder how the Christians will react if Islamists eventually outnumber them in America?

I can only imagine how they will feel when laws start being passed based on Islamic values and morality, their politics and life become ruled by another religion, and their president praises Allah all over T.V.

Sweet cycle of time, I but wish I may live long enough to see this. Their teaching of due unto others as you would have done unto you will finally become a reality.....

[Pyrrho]

News reports and sound bites don't carry enough evidential weight. Where are the factual studies which show evidence for Islam growing as fast as the headlines say it is?

[asthmatic camel]

Here we go again (YAWN). I accept that I may be blown up by poorly educated brain-washed idiots as I post this missive but would ask Mr. Randi (pbuh) to send the $1000000 to my widow when I return to haunt him. ;)

[evildave]

You know how many small towns make that claim?

It's simple: Start with a town with three people living there. Build a Wal*Mart and some tract housing. 10,000% growth!

The "growth" tapers off once the population reaches a certain point. Because adding the next 100 people is only 50% growth, and the next 100 is 33% growth, etc. It's usually the next year when the town next door gets a K-Mart AND a strip mall, and some more tract housing that THEY are #1 in growth.


The thing is that world-wide, the Islamic fundies are reaching out to the third world countries more directly than the U.S. Where our government channels billions of dollars and weapons to ruthless dictators, their religious institutions build schools and mosques for the people, and they gain political influence through the back door.

Simple formula.

Of course, U.S. Christians are much more interested in gaining power and influence and converting our own government into a theocracy, rather than concentrating on the spread of international Christianity to foreign lands. They're largely allergic to risks that walking into a third world country and building a school represent. Apparently martyring himself for his beliefs is something only foreigners are supposed to do. Americans would rather give their money to corporations that ensure "at least 5%" goes to the people it's intended to. Apparently, American Christians recognize that religion has always been a tool for political power, and not for anything silly, like helping the poor and downtrodden.

[kittynh]

My Mormon friends for YEARS have been claiming this honor, like missing out on the latest thing would convert me! The way they talk about it I'll be the last Episcopalian (I don't go to church, but I think I'm signed up somewhere....) in the world. And won't I just be all alone and sad then?

[Torment]

From the latest study I have found (2001), Wicca was actually the fastest growing religion by far, at least percentage wise..... Islam only accounted for around 0.5% of the U.S. population.

Of course the study is a tiny bit out of date.

In the world at large I remember reading studies that say Islam is the fastest growing, but not in the U.S.

I think the reason for this is in Middle Eastern countries they often tend to be a bit behind the rest of the world in medical technology and such. I don't imagine many of them use birth control, and they tend to have larger families from some studies I remember reading...

[Peter Jenkins]

Originally posted by kittynh
My Mormon friends for YEARS have been claiming this honor, like missing out on the latest thing would convert me! The way they talk about it I'll be the last Episcopalian (I don't go to church, but I think I'm signed up somewhere....) in the world. And won't I just be all alone and sad then?

I'm a (ex) Mormon and i'd be proud to be called your friend
"the mormon church is the fastest growing church in the world"
I know this is true because It's often repeated in priesthood lessons.
Peter

[Earthborn]

I wonder how the Christians will react if Islamists eventually outnumber them in America?I doubt they will mind, because it won't happen unless the majority of them voluntarily convert to Islam.and their president praises Allah all over T.V.Doesn't he already do this? He's just using the English word for 'Allah'. And he says 'War' instead of 'Jihad', but it's pretty much the same thing.

[triadboy]

Originally posted by Earthborn
Doesn't he already do this? He's just using the English word for 'Allah'. And he says 'War' instead of 'Jihad', but it's pretty much the same thing.

Oddly enough, even though 'Yahweh' and 'Allah' are the same (they are both the god of Abraham), Christians don't see that.

Allah is the Old Testament god and Jehovah is the New.

[asthmatic camel]

Old and new Gods? Nuff said lol

[Jal]

Well this is not something simple it is growing up everywhere and every body should think carefully about it. Others also have been affected:

"Yusuf Islam" Former Jazz Singer "Cat Stevens" Came to Islam
Hear his story as told him . . . read more

"Cat Stevens" album cover
How I came to Islam - by Yusuf Islam
From Musician to Muslim by Allah's Will
WAMY - World Assembly of Muslim Youth
Falls Church, VA. USA

All I have to say is all what you know already, to confirm what you already know, the message of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) as given by God - the Religion of Truth.

[edited to remove copyrighted material -- Raja]

The article in full may be found here: http://www.islamtomorrow.net/converts/yusuf_islam.htm

[Filippo Lippi]

Run for the hills!

With Cat Stevens on their side nothing will stop them!:eek:

[asthmatic camel]

Christ on a crutch !!!!! Are you a certified nutter Jal or just so simple that you cannot think for yourself?

[reprise]

I'm still trying to determine whether Jal is pleased by, alarmed at, or indifferent to the information he imparts in his OP.

Colour me confused.

[Robaato]

Jal:

Your post of an entire article on Cat Stevens' conversion to Islam appears to be in violation of forum rules; specifically, the rule against posting entire copyrighted articles. This article is on many websites, with the added information that it is posted with the permission of WAMY, the World Assembly of Muslim Youth.

If you have the permission of WAMY to post this article in its entirety here, please include that permission in your post. If not, please edit your post within 15 minutes so that it complies with the rules. You may post representative quotes and a link to the source.

Posted and sent as PM

[Robaato]

Jal:

Your post has been edited to comply with the rules of the forum.

[Barkhorn1x]

"The Arabic word Islam means voluntary surrender to the will of Allah and obedience to His commands."

Forget about free will or thinking for yourself. All you'll ever need to know is in this book called the Quran.

Let Allah worry about the big picture - you just do what you're told.


Sigh. :( :( :(

Barkhorn.

[hgc]

Does anyone else here get the sneaking feeling that Billiefan2000 just converted to Islam?

[Jal]

Islam is frequently misunderstood and may even seem exotic in some parts of today's world. Perhaps this is because religion no longer dominates everyday life in Western society; whereas, for Muslims, Islam is life. Muslims make no artificial division between the secular and the sacred.

For quite some time Islam was thought of as some "Eastern" religion, but with the increasing number of Muslims living in the West, Islam is gradually being perceived as a global faith. Muslims are not thought of as strangers with unusual practices, but are being welcomed as part of the mosaic of life in the West. In many cases, Islam is not just viewed as an acceptable religion, but as a desired way of living.

Whoever kills a soul, unless for a soul, or for corruption done in the land - it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one, it is as if he had saved mankind entirely
[Qur'an 5:32]

One of the core meanings of Islam is peace. Therefore, the inhumane and horrific events at the World Trade Center which caused innocent casualties - including many Muslim victims - is clearly, without a doubt, completely un-Islamic.
However, it should be noted that the actions of an individual or a small group do not necessarily represent the beliefs of a particular religion, nor is that religion responsible for such actions. Therefore, the media’s labeling of those who are allegedly responsible for these actions as “Islamic Terrorists” and the linking of such actions to Islam or the Qur’an, is incorrect. Rather, such inhumane actions clearly contradict the teachings of Islam - just as the bombing at Oklahoma City by Timothy McVeigh and the killings that occurred at Ibrahim Mosque, Hebron by Dr. Baruch Goldstein clearly contradict the teachings of Christianity and Judaism, respectively.
It is inconceivable that the religion of Islam, which takes its teachings from the noble Prophets such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad - peace be upon all of them - would ever teach terrorism or suicide missions. In reality, Islam not only condemns terrorism and suicide missions, but also prohibits them completely. Thus, many Muslim nations, organizations, and communities all around the world have condemned such actions, hoping never to see its like again. The yellow journalism of the media showing the views of a small group of Palestinians (mostly children), who have been terrorized for years, does not represent the true feelings of Muslims worldwide.
It is also unfortunate that harassment of various kinds (including shootings, beatings, stone throwing, robberies, vandalism, death threats and hate language) has occurred against innocent Muslims resident in the United States – the elderly, women and children alike. In addition, Islamic places of worship and Muslim owned businesses have now become the targets of some peoples’ anger and ignorance, just as the American people had become the targets of the anger and ignorance of the perpetrators of the World Trade Center attacks. Such bigotry and hatred is inhumane and unjustified.
We denounce the killing of innocent civilians in the United States, just as we have patiently for many years denounced the killing of innocent civilians in Bosnia, Chechnya, Kashmir, Palestine, India and other countries.
May God, Almighty, the One without any associates or partners in His Divinity, guide us all to the

Truth and spread peace throughout the earth. Ameen.

[Filippo Lippi]

You typed all that!

Well done.

[Robaato]

Jal:

First of all, a belated "welcome to the forum!"

I would just like to give you some advice. It's generally frowned upon here to make a post entirely made up of cut-and-pasted material. It would be more interesting if you would give us your own take on Islam. Also, many people have commented on the point you raised in the opening post. Would you care to respond?

That being said, I will also point out that by making cut-and-paste posts, you have already run afoul of the forum rules. By telling us what you think, you won't have this problem. Plus, people will be more likely to respond to you in a serious manner if it's your views they're responding to.

Finally, even if you do cut and paste something from a site such as http://www.thetruereligion.org/usattack.htm, that says that it's all right to freely distribute some of it's content around the web, it's considered polite to include a link to the source.

I suggest you start telling us in your own words your views on Islam.

Raja

[Michael Redman]

Islam is the fastest growing religion in America? Fine. Let's assume that it is.

What do you suppose the fastest growing religion in the Arab world is? It isn't Islam, we can be sure.

Should we conclude, therefore, that Islam is unfulfilling to those who have long practiced it, and only appeals to those who have just encountered it, and are thus ignorant of its faults?

[FireGarden]

whereas, for Muslims, Islam is life. Muslims make no artificial division between the secular and the sacred.

Does anyone have mosque attendance figures for Islamic countries? I'd try Google, but it doesn't like me :(

[FireGarden]

:eek: :eek:
I found this surprising (Although I wonder how they know when a Wiccan is lying to them!):
http://www.religioustolerance.org/isl_numb.htm
Followers of some faith groups, like Wicca, which are heavily persecuted in the U.S. often do not disclose their actual religion. They either give false data or refuse to answer

And that's while looking for mosque attendance figures, which shows you just how bad my Googling skills are!

(If anyone wants to give me googling lessons: I searched for

"mosque attendance" statistics

)