Introduction
At a time when many religions are losing members, the number of U.S. Muslims is on the upswing, thanks to immigration from Islamic countries and conversions among native-born Americans. Today, Islam is said to be the fastest-growing religion in the United States. Nonetheless, Muslims have had little impact on American culture. In a secular society where the dominant faiths are Christianity and Judaism, American Muslims have yet to acquire a voice in public life. But their biggest problem is negative stereotyping, which equates Islam with terrorism, anti-Semitism and a fanaticism bent on destroying Western civilization. Muslims are trying to eliminate this anti-Muslim bias, but events such as the February bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City are making their quest for recognition and respect more difficult.
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