Islam in America #1534

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Caption from poster__

Muslims have been part of American history since pre-Columbus times.

Indeed, early explorers used maps that were derived from the work of

Muslims, with their advanced geographical and navigational information

of the time. Some scholars estimate that 10-20 percent of the slaves

brought over from Africa were Muslims. The film "Amistad" alluded
to this fact, portraying Muslims aboard this slave vessel trying to

perform their prayers, while chained together on deck as they

crossed the Atlantic. Personal narratives Omar Ibn Said (ca. 1770-

1864) was born in the Muslim state of Futa Toro in Western Africa,

in present-day Senegal. He was a Muslim scholar and trader who was

captured and enslaved. He arrived in South Carolina in 1807, and was

sold to James Owen of North Carolina. Sali-Bul Ali was a slave on a

plantation. His owner James Cooper wrote: "He is a strict Mahometan

(sic); abstains from spirituous liquors, and keeps various fasts,

particularly that of the Ramadan..." Lamen Kebe was a slave who used

to be a school teacher in Africa. He shared information about the texts

and teaching methods used in the Islamic schools of his country. Abdul

Rahman Ibrahim Sori spent 40 years in slavery before he returned to

Africa to die. He wrote two autobiographies, and signed a charcoal
sketch of himself by Henry Inman, which was featured on the cover of

"Freedman's Journal" and is on display in the Library of Congress. Many

of the Muslim slaves were encouraged or forced to convert to Christianity.

Many of the first-generation slaves retained much of their Muslim identity,

but under the harsh slavery conditions this identity was largely lost to later

generations.