Muslims important in America, speaker says

When Christopher Columbus discovered America, he was carrying a copy of the 13th century… When Christopher Columbus discovered America, he was carrying a copy of the 13th century Arab scholar Al-Idrissi’s work, according to Amir Muhammed.

Al-Idrissi’s studies contained information that eight Muslim explorers had previously discovered a new continent.

During Columbus’s first voyage, two Muslim captains accompanied him.

The Islamic Center of Pittsburgh hosted the event, “Muslims in America: Seven Centuries of History” on Monday evening, where Muhammad, of the “Collections and Stories of American Muslims” group, held a lecture on the history of Muslims in America.

Displays containing photographs and stories created a gallery, which praised some of the many Muslims who worked to make America the successful and powerful country that it is today.

Muhammad explained several different collections of stories about notable American Muslims.

According to Muhammad, the names of a few American cities have special meanings to Muslims.

“There are stories that Tallahassee [Fla.] is supposed to mean ‘returning to Allah,'” he said.

“Islamic history in America is a field wide open,” Muhammad added.

Between 1566 and 1587, many Muslims settled into the areas we now know as North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia, he explained. They were the first people to extensively inhabit this area, with the exception of American Indians, Muhammad added.

American Muslims have played an important role in the United State’s early history, serving as the founders of several permanent colonies and fighting in both the War of 1812 and the Civil War, according to Muhammad.

Between the large number of immigrants from the Islamic world and new American converts, Islam is the fastest growing religion in both America and the entire world. Eight million Muslim Americans, including the famous boxer Muhammad Ali, live in the United States.