Source: The Washington Post

On April 28, 2001, The Washington Post reported that "Average weekly attendance at U.S. mosques nearly doubled during the last six years, and the number of mosques increased by one-fourth to more than 1,200, according to a study released this week by four major Muslim organizations. The study is the most comprehensive analysis so far of Islam in the United States...The full report is available on the Internet at www.cair-net.org/mosquereport/."

Source: The Houston Chronicle

On April 28, 2001, The Houston Chronicle reported on Warris Mahmud, a calligraphy artist, who paints verses from the Quran, Islam's holy book in colorful paints. "Calligraphy has been an important art form in the Islamic world, said Suna Umari...'The emphasis is on the beauty of the language and the beauty of the way the language looks, and it helps people transcend their everyday life.'"

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

On April 27, 2001, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that "the nation's Muslim community is growing because of immigration and conversions and has about 2 million members who go to a mosque at least occasionally during the year, according to a new report...Conversions and immigrations are boosting the Muslim community in Pittsburgh also. Local Muslim leaders estimate that there are 10,000 Muslims in the metropolitan area -- a diverse community of faithful hailing from Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, Bosnia, Nigeria and 47 other...

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On April 27, 2001, The Columbus Dispatch reported that "more than three-fourths of U.S. Muslims interviewed in a recent survey by the Council on American-Islamic Relations said that America is an example of freedom and democracy that they can learn from. But more than half also said this country is hostile to Islam, according to the findings of Mosque Study Project 2000, released yesterday by the council."

Source: The Kansas City Star

On April 27, 2001, The Kansas City Star reported on Kansas City's Muslim community, "which has, according to some, nearly doubled in population the past few years to 15,000 or so...The growth is part of a national trend that has seen America's Muslim population increase to between 6 million and 7 million," according to The Mosque in America: A National Portrait.

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

On April 27, 2001, the Chicago Sun-Times reported on a comprehensive new study, "The Mosque in America: A National Portrait." Among the study's findings was that "average mosque attendance at Friday prayers has nearly doubled" since 1994. "There could be more than 6 million Muslims in America today, the researchers calculated...Perhaps the most significant finding is the determination of Muslims to make mosques 'the platform for full participation in American life.'"

Source: CAIR-NET

On April 27, 2001, CAIR-NET reported that "dozens of local, national and international media outlets are reporting on the release yesterday at a CAIR news conference of 'The Mosque in America: A National Portrait.'...It indicated that there has been tremendous growth both in the number of mosques and in the number of those who take part in mosque activities."

Source: The New York Times

On April 27, 2001, The New York Times reported on the findings of the Mosque Study Project 2000. The study found "that a large majority of mosques were in cities and suburbs, that attendance was overwhelmingly male and that worshipers were ethnically diverse."

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

On April 27, 2001, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that "the nation's Muslim community is growing because of immigration and conversions and has...2 million members who go to a mosque at least occasionally during the year, according to a new report...Spear-headed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Mosque Study of 2000 is part of a larger study of faiths in America, coordinated by the Hartford Institute of Religious Research...Muslim leaders estimate that there are 10,000 Muslims in the [Pittsburgh] area...

Source: The American Muslim Council

On April 24, 2001, the American Muslim Council reported that Georgetown University's Muslim prayer room was vandalized. Georgetown Muslim Student Association President Owas Balti said "that the damage to the room was more religiously significant than anything else." The Georgetown Unity Coalition is sponsoring a rally "to promote religious tolerance on campus."

Source: New York Daily News

On April 22, 2001, the New York Daily News reported that "the demand for schools that offer the state-approved curriculum with Islamic and Arabic classes has risen over the past decade along with the city's growing Muslim population. But the high cost of real estate, the relative newness of the Islamic community and a religious prohibition against charging or paying interest have kept the number of Islamic schools [in New York City] at a minimum."

Source: Star Tribune

On April 21, 2001, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported on Thasneem Ahmed, who "developed 'Race to the Kabah,' a colorful, fast-paced board game for Muslim children and their families...The concept is based on the 99 names for Allah (God). People who aren't familiar with the religion can play it, and, Ahmed hopes, learn about Islam in the process...Ahmed considers herself a bridge between" the Indian and American cultures.

Source: The Houston Chronicle

On April 21, 2001, The Houston Chronicle reported that "Imam W. Deen Mohammed, the Muslim leader who turned from the leadership of the Nation of Islam toward orthodox Islam and a message of racial and religious harmony, will speak next week at a Houston mosque...He has encouraged African-American Muslim communities to reach out to those of other faiths and races. But he also emphasizes the need for black communities to gain economic independence and a sense of pride...Mohammed was first thrust into a leadership position in...

Source: Star Tribune

On April 20, 2001, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that about 40 Muslims from Minneapolis met with legislators on Capitol Hill "to learn more about the legislative process and to encourage a greater look at affordable housing, credit issues and economic development...There are about 75,000 Muslims in the Twin Cities and about 100,000 in Minnesota."

Source: The Arizona Republic

On April 20, 2001, The Arizona Republic reported that "recognizing America's changing demographics, the nation's biggest mortgage backer, Freddie Mac, is working with the American Finance House LARIBA to fund home loans for Muslims who follow Islamic religious laws against paying or collecting interest." The system allows Muslims to arrange to buy houses without having to pay interest on loans, an act which violates Islamic religious law. Arizona is one of the first 15 states in the US to use the system. "After a buyer finds...