Cultures clash in US mosques
Young Muslims steeped in American life are tuning out imams brought in from foreign countries to teach Islam.
from the May 17, 2007 edition
Page 4 of 4
Though immigrant imams dominate the Muslim-American landscape today, they may become a thing of the past, especially in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. The events forced Islam into the public discourse, and Muslims began to reconsider their leaders. "We needed imams not to talk to us, but imams to talk to the rest of the society," explains Imam Abdul-Malik. "People are saying, 'We need an imam who has the Islamic credentials, and his English is not optional; it's required.' "
Many mosques are now looking to more open-minded, albeit immigrant imams fluent in Arabic, such as Egyptian Imam Basyouny Nehela, who leads the Islamic Society of Boston Mosque in Cambridge, Mass. He says he became an imam with the hope of serving as a Muslim ambassador who could explain Islam to non-Muslims.
As an imam, his bona fides are hard to match. Imam Nehela studied at Al-Azhar University in Cairo (the Islamic equivalent of Harvard), speaks flawless Arabic, can deliver a sermon in English, and, after 10 years in the US, can easily connect with anyone in his congregation, young or old, immigrant or American-born.
"We have to integrate," says Nehela. "I teach my brothers and my sisters here that you have to build a strong relationship with your neighbors. Get to know them and help them."
While the likes of Nehela may lead American Muslims through this transitional time, many hope to see the rise of American-born imams. "It's absolutely essential that we have imams who are from this country and that understand this country," says Mr. Abd-Allah of Nawawi.
Efforts to develop US-born imams
Creating indigenous imams, however, will take time. For starters, while immigrant imams may struggle to learn English, American imams would need a firm command of Arabic, something many US-born Muslims lack.
"If you're an American Muslim and your Arabic is not the best, I don't know if you're going to be able to lead the mosque because any authentic text is in Arabic," says Fatina Abdrabboh, a Muslim graduate student at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Hoping to create a solution to such issues, a handful of institutions such as the Zaytuna Institute in Hayward, Calif., are offering Islamic education and training to Muslims in the US, potentially laying the foundation for a new generation of imams who understand both Islam and American culture.
Until then, Imam Dawoud Kringle, an American in New York City, says he and his friends like to quote a verse from the Koran that says "Allah made the earth spacious," meaning if you don't like an imam or a particular mosque, there's always somewhere else to pray.
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