The Oxford Handbook of American Islam

Islam has been part of the increasingly complex American religious scene for well over a century, and was brought into more dramatic focus by the attacks of September 11, 2001. American Islam is practiced by a unique blend of immigrants and American-born Muslims. The immigrants have come from all corners of the world; they include rich and poor, well-educated and illiterate, those from upper and lower classes as well as economic and political refugees. The community's diversity has been enhanced by the conversion of African Americans, Latina/os, and others, making it the most heterogeneous Muslim community in the world.

With an up-to-the-minute analysis by thirty of the top scholars in the field, this handbook covers the growth of Islam in America from the earliest Muslims to set foot on American soil to the current wave of Islamophobia. Topics covered include the development of African American Islam; pre- and post-WWII immigrants; Sunni, Shi'ite, sectarian and Sufi movements in America; the role and status of women, marriage, and family; and the Americanization of Islamic culture.

Throughout these chapters the contributors explore the meaning of religious identity in the context of race, ethnicity, gender, and politics, both within the American Islamic community and in relation to international Islam.

Yvonne Y. Haddad is Professor of History of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations at Georgetown University. She is the past president of the Middle East Studies Association and the American Academy of Religion, New England Region. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She is a recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award for Outstanding Achievement and Distinction in Service to the Profession from the Boston University School of Theology (2007) and Scholar of the Year from the Canadian Corporation for Studies in Religion (2002). Her extensive publications include Not Quite American? and Contemporary Islam and the Challenge of History.

Jane I. Smith has taught at Harvard University, Hartford Seminary, and the Iliff School of Theology, where she served as Dean of the Faculty. Her areas of scholarly interest are Islam in America, women in Islam, Islamic theology, comparative religion/theology, and Christian-Muslim relations.