The North American Muslim Resource Guide: Muslim Community Life in the United States and Canada

From the book: "Chapter 1 offers a synthesis of the major influences shaping the ethnic and religious worldviews of Muslims,... Chapter 2 traces the Muslim population in number, ethnic diversity, and social life. Chapters 3 and 4 describe the process and progress of building the primary community organizations -- mosques and Islamic schools. Chapter 3 traces changes in the evolution of mosque communities since the early decades of the twentieth century, but focuses on the institutional elements of mosque life and what it means to the community as a whole. Chapter 4 outlines the variety of educational options for Muslims in North America and focuses on the movement to build private religious schools. Chapter 5 examines the contributions of major national groups that have worked to organize and shape the character of local religious communities. Chapter 6 outlines the various ethnic associations that have been organized (largely outside the mosque communities) on the basis of affinity to ethnic and national origin attachments. Chapter 7 sheds light on the efforts of Muslims to build organizations that offer charitable assistance to the needy worldwide...Efforts to establish service programs targeting refugees, uninsured patients, and women are highlighted. Chapter 8 examines ethnic and religious community media. Chapter 9 discusses public affairs agencies that work to represent their members in the public square....Chapter 10 sheds light on Muslim community think tanks -- the efforts they make to analyze Muslim issues, and the guidance they have offered in rationalizing grassroots approaches to interfaith dialogue and public advocacy." A third of this book, or 150 pages, details the 'Directory of Organizations' that lists the addresses and telephone numbers of: Islamic schools, mosques and Islamic centers, magazines, social-service charity groups [and which Islamic organizations they support overseas], student groups, guilds, public-affairs organizations, religious-education programs, radio/TV stations, prison outreach programs, halal food services, Islamic legal services, coordination councils, education consultants, cemeteries, ethnic associations, and other Muslim organizations that are located in each U.S. state and province in Canada. About the first 15 pages present a well-written, straight-forward introduction to the basic Islamic beliefs. The book's title really says it all.