muslims in nyc
... American Muslims represent a rich mosaic of ethnic, racial, linguistic, tribal and national identities that stretch from all parts of the world. ... There are between six to eight hundred thousand Muslims in the city; seventy five percent of which are accredited to belong to the immigrant population alone (Dodds 24). ... There are large concentrations of Muslims scattered throughout the city of New York. These concentrations range from a high density of Muslims in the Bay Bridge neighborhood in Brooklyn to Crown Heights and the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhoods (Beshkin). With such dense, diverse numbers scattering throughout the city, it is virtually impossible for Muslims to not have some kind of presence or even influence almost everywhere in New York. Mosques act as places of worship for Muslims. ... Mosques seem to embrace the ethnic, social and economic diversity of New York Muslims. ... Just as New York is universal, so is Islam to the practicing Muslims living in the city. Muslims use these mosques as an outreach to the outside community as well, striving to incorporate non-Muslims into the structure found within these places of worship. ... According to Louis Cristillo, project coordinator of the Muslims in New York City Project, these religious schools also provide a safe haven for students and act has anti-discriminatory environments where children can be educated while at the safe time being shielded from negative aspects of society. ... It is reasonable to assume that many other Muslims in the city share Zinser’s sentiments when she says that the mosque provides an accepting environment that allows her to thrive both spiritually and worldly in a city where it is easy to forget how to get in tune with one’s self.