2000 Glenmary Research Center Survey of Religious Congregations in America

September 20, 2002

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

On September 20, 2002, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on the inclusion of statistics on Muslims in America in the new Glenmary study. "Muslim leadership across the country provided an estimation of what non-Muslims would call 'mosque membership' county by county across the nation...    'It is good they are counting us, but we don't even have memberships, all are welcome at the mosques,' said Imam Waheed Rana, a founder of the Islamic Foundation of St. Louis.    So, Muslim figures are labeled estimates throughout the study because most mosques have no formal membership rolls... They do have buzz books, mainly of mosque financial contributors and those who pray weekly at the mosques...    The study reports 14,854 Muslims for the 12-county St. Louis metropolitan area. The total is... [an] estimate of those who gather for prayer on Muslim special holy days at the region's four mosques, local Muslims said...    Across the nation, the study counted 1.6 million Muslims. Estimates of Islamic followers in this country by Muslim groups over the past year have swung as high as 6 million. The study's figure, based on the compilations of mosque leaders, will undoubtedly upset some Muslims, who would want all Muslims... counted."