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Thread: Islam among Native Americans (LONG HISTORY)
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Dahir

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Digging for the Red Roots
by Mahir Abdal-Razzaaq El


[CHEROKEE NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN MUSLIMS]

My name is Mahir Abdal-Razzaaq El and I am a Cherokee Blackfoot American Indian who is Muslim. I am known as Eagle Sun Walker. I serve as a Pipe Carrier Warrior for the Northeastern Band of Cherokee Indians in New York City.

There are other Muslims in our group. For the most part, not many people are aware of the Native American contact with Islam that began over one thousand years ago by some of the early Muslim travelers who visited us. Some of these Muslim travelers ended up living among our people.

For most Muslims and non-Muslims of today, this type of information is unknown and has never been mentioned in any of the history books. There are many documents, treaties, legislation and resolutions that were passed between 1600s and 1800s that show that Muslims were in fact here and were very active in the communities in which they lived. Treaties such as Peace and Friendship that was signed on the Delaware River in the year 1787 bear the signatures of Abdel-Khak and Muhammad Ibn Abdullah. This treaty details our continued right to exist as a community in the areas of commerce, maritime shipping, current form of government at that time which was in accordance with Islam. According to a federal court case from the Continental Congress, we help put the breath of life in to the newly framed constitution. All of the documents are presently in the National Archives as well as the Library of Congress.

If you have access to records in the state of South Carolina, read the Moors Sundry Act of 1790. In a future article, Inshallah, I will go in to more details about the various tribes, their languages; in which some are influenced by Arabic, Persian, Hebrew words. Almost all of the tribes vocabulary include the word Allah. The traditional dress code for Indian women includes the kimah and long dresses. For men, standard fare is turbans and long tops that come down to the knees. If you were to look at any of the old books on Cherokee clothing up until the time of 1832, you will see the men wearing turbans and the women wearing long head coverings. The last Cherokee chief who had a Muslim name was Ramadhan Ibn Wati of the Cherokees in 1866.

Cities across the United States and Canada bear names that are of Indian and Islamic derivation. Have you ever wondered what the name Tallahassee means? It means that He Allah will deliver you sometime in the future.
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To be honest I had heard of Islam being in the US prior to Columbus. I always placed it in the realm of Exaggeration. Now, I'm taking a closer look at Cherokee words and the names of some of our old landmarks. Very interesting
 
Woodrow said:
To be honest I had heard of Islam being in the US prior to Columbus. I always placed it in the realm of Exaggeration. Now, I'm taking a closer look at Cherokee words and the names of some of our old landmarks. Very interesting
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My wife was Cherokee and the Cherokee language is basicaly of Algonquin background it has many words that do not appear in any other Native American Language. Plus what is funny many of our native languages use pronunciations that sound very Arabic. The letters themselves were designed by The Cherokee leader Sequyah, it is the only know written alphabet that was designed by one man. He patterened it after the Latin Alphabet with his own symbols. Each symbol is a sound in cherokee. Compare the pronuciation of the letters with the Arabic pronunciations. Let me find the Cherokee alphabet and you judge:

 
I get what you mean, they do sound Arabic. "Ga" "Ha" "Wa," very fascinating indeed. And I once heard of a strange Southern tribe that spoke Persian - and that Elvis Presley and Abraham Lincoln were members of that tribe. ^o)
 
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I was under the impression Elvis was Cherokee. My wifes brother is almost an identical twin for Elvis. They were both the same age, but my wifes brother is still living, and yes he did get to be as heavy as Elvis LOL
 
^^^lol...he should take a dna test...and give it to elvis daughter...
 
Woodrow said:
I was under the impression Elvis was Cherokee. My wifes brother is almost an identical twin for Elvis. They were both the same age, but my wifes brother is still living, and yes he did get to be as heavy as Elvis LOL
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Possibly Elvis was part cherokee...the tribe I speak of are genetically varied...they even have knots at the back of their heads that signify that they're of that tribe...wierd. They have gypsy culture and speak Turkish.

*I said Persian earlier, but they spoke Turkish*
 
north_malaysian said:
Are there many native american convert/revert back to Islam? Never heard of it ... just like Eskimo Muslims..?
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I would suspect there are many American Indian reverts. Islam is spreading in Mexico and most Mexicans are of American Indian and Spanish Ancestry. In North America it will be hard to tell as the majority of the Native Americans have been assinilated into the general population.
 
SADAQA CENTRE OF SOUTH DAKOTA (Sioux, US - Central)

The Sadaqa Projects is the long term goal of a handful of North American Muslims & others in South Dakota who are striving to establish a sadaqa centre in South Dakota, for the sake of the Creator, that is a centre of Islamic charitable work for Needy in South Dakota, in particular the needs of the disempowered Native American communities. Tha state is home of America's most scenic landscapes, and also home to the poorest people in the Rich Nation. Many who can be found on the Indian reservations throughout the state. The project strives to become a tool of empowerment, not a tool of cultural genocide. Through respect of tribe and nation, we strive to come to know one another and to worship the Creator.

I'v found it on: http://www.nativeweb.org/resources/religion_spirituality
 
Woodrow said:
I would suspect there are many American Indian reverts. Islam is spreading in Mexico and most Mexicans are of American Indian and Spanish Ancestry. In North America it will be hard to tell as the majority of the Native Americans have been assinilated into the general population.
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I've read about Mayans and Tzotzils being islamized in Chiapas by a Spanish Da'wa group....

Do we Muslims have webs like joshua project or world christian database? We need to count Muslims worldwide....
 
north_malaysian said:
I've read about Mayans and Tzotzils being islamized in Chiapas by a Spanish Da'wa group....

Do we Muslims have webs like joshua project or world christian database? We need to count Muslims worldwide....
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No such records exist. I know that at the Masjid I attend normaly no one has ever asked my name and the only ones who know me are brothers I have made friends with. Although I usually attend one masjid regulary there are 4 others that I do attend. I know my name is not on any roles at any one. The only Masjid that may have my name is the one in Tyler where I said the Shahadah and that is because the Imaan knows me.

I believe here the only records of Muslims are from the dept of immigration and from the US census if any declared themselves as being Muslim.
 
Hmm, somehow I fail to understand the use or importance of figures for Muslims. :?
 
salaamz

Interesting!
it is strange coz whenever I think of Native Americans I think of human sacrifices,renewal ceremonies,shamans,gods of war...lol that is scary.

good to know they had some muslims in'em
 
north_malaysian said:
to make muslims more organized... and could prevent FUTURE TERRORISTS?
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It also can be a good thing to know where our Brothers and Sisters are. We all want a strong Ummah and most of us don't even know where we are. I was surprised to see that the 1995 Estimate for America was over 9 million. I was under the impression it was about 5 million.

It is good to know that there are that many here and out of that number how few have ever had trouble with the law.