Muslim-Americans helped to build this country

Furman Professor of Politics and International Affairs Akan Malici and Associate Professor of Religion Alfons Teipen contribute a guest column in The Greenville News about the impact of Muslim-Americans on the United States. They point out that Muslims have been part of our culture since the transatlantic slave trade, with some estimating that as many as 20 percent of slaves were of Muslim heritage. In the column they say, “One would hope that our leaders would return to the wisdom of some of our founding fathers, exhibiting a greater respect for religion and an earnest desire to learn more about the traditions of Muslim-Americans.” The faculty members write the piece ahead of Furman’s Islam Awareness week, which begins Oct. 22.