Shia Islam in the Americas

A 2009 survey by the Pew Research Center estimated that 10-13% of Muslims worldwide adhere to Shia Islam, with a global total of between 154 million and 200 million Shia Muslims. In the Americas, Pew estimated a population of just under 4.6 million Muslims overall in 2009, with a small portion of those being Shia.[1] The Pew survey estimated a Shia population of 300,000 Shias in North America, about 10.0% of North America's Muslim population.[1]

The Islamic Center of America, the largest mosque in the United States, located in Dearborn, Michigan.

Memphis Al-Rasool Mosque, a Shia mosque in Memphis, Tennessee, United States

North America

A 2009 Pew survey estimated that around 300,000 Shias lived in North America (including the United States and Canada), about 10% of North America's Muslim population.[1] American Shia Muslim community are from different part of the world such as South Asia, Europe, Middle East, and East Africa.[2][3] They have many activities and founded several organization such as Islamic Center of America and North American Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslim Communities Organization (NASIMCO).[4]

In Brazil

Brazil, a vast South American country, has approximately one million Shia Muslims from the time of the Ottoman Empire. Many Lebanese emigrants to Brazil resulted in an increase Shia beliefs. In Brazil, Shia Muslims generally live in an area known as Curitiba. They have many activities and have established several Islamic centers and institutes for the propagation of Shia beliefs and the message of Ahl al-Bayt. For this reason, there are several related places for Shia Muslims in Sao Paulo, such as the Prophet of Allah Muhammad mosque and the Imam Khomeini Islamic Center. Also, Shias have one mosque, Imam Ali mosque, where Shia and Sunni may pray together. In recent years, Shia and Sunni scholars have had several meetings with each other. Many Shia's books are translated into Portuguese such as Nahjul Balagha.[5]

Shia organizations in the Americas

• The Islamic Center of America is a Shia mosque in Dearborn, Michigan. It is the oldest Shia mosque in the United States and the largest in North America[6][7][8] The institution known as "heart of Shiism" in the United States.[9][10]

• North American Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslim Communities (NASIMCO) is a religious-cultural organization for Shia followers in the North of America. Islamic education board of the NASIMCO have investigated and standardized Shia books and also published several references in Shia history and theology.[2][4][11]

• The Council of Shia Muslim Scholars was founded in North America in 1994 and is known as the central organization for Shia followers.[2]

• The Al-Khoei foundation was established in the 1980s by Seyyid Abul Qasim Musawi Al-Khoei, Grand Ayatullah and scholar of Shia in New York.[2][4]

• Al Baqee Organization is registered in 2003 in Illinois and is known as the central organization for leading initiatives and activism on the preservation and restoration of Islamic heritage globally.[12]

Several other organizations and institutions are active in the Americas, including:[13]

Provence	Organization(s)
California	Ja'faria Islamic Society Shia Association of Bay Area Zainabia Islamic Society
Connecticut	Islamic Institute of Ahl'albait
Georgia	Caravaan-e-Haider Zainabia Youth Zainabia Islamic Educational Center
Idaho	Imam Al Mahdi (AF) Islamic Center
Illinois	Al Asr Organization of Chicago Midwest Association. of Shia Organized Muslims
Massachusetts	Islamic Center, Quincy, MA Islamic Masumeen Center, Hopkinton, MA
Maryland	Idara-e-Jafria Imamia Center Inc
Michigan	Ansar Imam Mahdi Islamic Educational Services Kerbalaa Islamic Education Center Mosque of Imam Ali The Fadak Foundation
Minnesota	Anjuman-e-Asghari Jaffery Islamic Center
Missouri	Shia Islamic Education Center
Nebraska	Guidance (Al-Hedayah) Foundation
New York	Howza Ilmiyya Jami'a Wali-ul-Asr Shahe Najaf Islamic Center Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaat of NY
New Jersey	Masjid-e-Ali Shia Association of North America Astana-e-Zahra Bait-ul-Qaim Mehfile Shahe-Khorasan Imam-a-Zamana-Foundation of North America
Ohio	Jaffery Union of N.E. Ohio
Pennsylvania	Imamia Medics International (IMI) Mahdieh Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaat of PA
Texas	Anjuman Haideri, DBA Islamic Education Center, Houston Texas WWW.IEC-Houston.Org, Phone [phone] Markazi ImamBargah Al Murtaza Houston, Texas Ali Center Masjid e Ali Sugarland, Texas IPF - Masjid AlRasool AlAkram, Houston Texas Al Ghadeer Education Foundation, Houston, Texas Dar-E-Abbas Ahlulbayt Center, Houston, Texas
Virginia	Kufa Center of Islamic Knowledge (KCIK)
Washington	Ithna-asheri Muslim Association of the Northwest (IMAN) Zainab (A.S.) Organization of Greater Seattle
Canada	Islamic Shia Ithna-'Asheri Jamat OF Edmonton Bab-ul-Ilm, Bani Hashim Society. Mississauga, Ontario Shia Muslim Community of British Columbia Organization for Young Shi'ahs Islamic Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaat of Toronto Islamic Shia Ithn'Asheri Community of London, Ontario Shia worldwide matrimonial service Al Mahdi Youth Society Islamic Shia Ithna-Asheri Association of Ottawa Al-Huda Lebanese Muslim Society, Ontario Shia-ne Haidery International Association (SHIA), Quebec Razavi Islamic Center - Hamilton Ontario

See also

• Islam in the United States
• Islam in the Americas

References

1. Mapping the Global Muslim Population, Pew Research Center (October 7, 2020).
2. Daniel Brumberg; Dina Shehata (2009). Conflict, Identity, and Reform in the Muslim World: Challenges for U.S. Engagement. US Institute of Peace Press. pp. 366–370. ISBN 978-1-60127-020-7.
3. "Mapping the Global Muslim Population". pewforum.org. 7 October 2009. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
4. Mohsen Saleh (1 January 2009). American Foreign Policy and the Muslim World. Al Manhal. p. 179. ISBN 978-9953-500-65-2.
5. "Shia Muslims Around the World". imamreza.net. Archived from the original on 22 May 2009. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
6. The Doha Debates: Bio for Imam Sayid Hassan Al-Qazwini Archived 2015-06-19 at the Wayback Machine retrieved February 12, 2012
7. New Dearborn mosque to be the nation's largest. Michigan Daily, January 7, 2004. Retrieved February 16, 2009.
8. Islam's US faithful are happy to embrace the American dream, Daily Telegraph, July 23, 2005. Retrieved February 16, 2009.
9. Victoria Advocate: "American Shias struggle with their future" July 25, 2009
10. Daily Telegraph: "Islam's US faithful are happy to embrace the American dream July 23, 2005
11. Mohamed Nimer (January 2002). The North American Muslim Resource Guide: Muslim Community Life in the United States and Canada. Taylor & Francis. p. 18. ISBN 978-0-415-93728-3.
12. "About Baqee Organization".
13. "List of Shia Organizations in the Americas".