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Muslim Population Growth Rates: Difference between revisions
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==Introduction== | ==Introduction== | ||
Many have claimed that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. | Many have claimed that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. Countless falsely attributed and unattributed quotations circle the Muslim social media-sphere to this effect. | ||
Prominent media outlets such as CNN World News have likewise participated in the circulation of this myth, at one point posting about a "Fast-growing Islam winning converts in Western world" without providing reference. | |||
The actual data available reveals that Islam is neither the fastest growing religion by number of adherents or the fastest growing religion by percentage-increase. The growing number of Muslims in the world is due primarily to the higher than average birth-rates, and consequent population growths of Muslim countries and communities. And their growing presence in non-Muslim societies such as Europe and the Americas is overwhelmingly due to immigration. | |||
Furthermore, converts to Islam are vastly outnumbered by those who choose to leave the religion and embrace another faith or worldview. And the majority of converts that Islam does manage to attract, decide to leave within the first few years of practicing it. | |||
==Analysis== | ==Analysis== | ||
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*The ARIS polls<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html|2=2011-04-16}} Largest Religious Groups in the United States of America] - Adherents.com, accessed April 16, 2011</ref> 1990 and 2000 show that the percent of change for Islam was +109%. The percent of change for Nonreligious/Secular (+110%), Native American Religion (+119%), Buddhism (+170%), Baha'i (+200%), Hinduism (+237%), New Age (+240%), Sikhism (+338%) and Deism (+717%) were all higher. | *The ARIS polls<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html|2=2011-04-16}} Largest Religious Groups in the United States of America] - Adherents.com, accessed April 16, 2011</ref> 1990 and 2000 show that the percent of change for Islam was +109%. The percent of change for Nonreligious/Secular (+110%), Native American Religion (+119%), Buddhism (+170%), Baha'i (+200%), Hinduism (+237%), New Age (+240%), Sikhism (+338%) and Deism (+717%) were all higher. | ||
* The American Religious Identification Survey gave Non-Religious groups the largest gain in terms of absolute numbers - 14,300,000 (8.4% of the population) to 29,400,000 (14.1% of the population) for the period 1990 to 2001 in the USA.<ref name="cuny1">[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_briefs/aris/key_findings.htm|2=2011-04-16}} American Religious Identification Survey, Key Findings] - The Graduate Center of the City University of New York</ref><ref name="cuny2">[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_studies/aris.pdf|2=2011-04-16}} American Religious Identification Survey, Full PDF Document] - The Graduate Center of the City University of New York</ref> Also, Americans with no religion were the fastest growing segment from 2001 to 2008.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://blog.beliefnet.com/stevenwaldman/2009/03/fastest-growing-religion-no-re.html|2=2011-04-16}} Fastest Growing Religion = No Religion (New Religious Identification Survey)] ([{{Reference archive|1=http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/reports/NONES_08.pdf|2=2011-04-16}} original pdf report] | [http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/ website])</ref> | *The American Religious Identification Survey gave Non-Religious groups the largest gain in terms of absolute numbers - 14,300,000 (8.4% of the population) to 29,400,000 (14.1% of the population) for the period 1990 to 2001 in the USA.<ref name="cuny1">[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_briefs/aris/key_findings.htm|2=2011-04-16}} American Religious Identification Survey, Key Findings] - The Graduate Center of the City University of New York</ref><ref name="cuny2">[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_studies/aris.pdf|2=2011-04-16}} American Religious Identification Survey, Full PDF Document] - The Graduate Center of the City University of New York</ref> Also, Americans with no religion were the fastest growing segment from 2001 to 2008.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://blog.beliefnet.com/stevenwaldman/2009/03/fastest-growing-religion-no-re.html|2=2011-04-16}} Fastest Growing Religion = No Religion (New Religious Identification Survey)] ([{{Reference archive|1=http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/reports/NONES_08.pdf|2=2011-04-16}} original pdf report] | [http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/ website])</ref> | ||
* According to the Cultural Orientation Resource Center,<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.cal.org/co/refugee/statistics/final_FY2009.html|2=2011-04-16}} US Refugee Program: Current Fiscal Year Admission Statistics] - Cultural Orientation Resource Center, Updated October 2009</ref> 60% of all refugees admitted into the United States are from Muslim-majority countries. Likewise, a Pew report published in January 2011 found that "About two-thirds of the Muslims in the U.S. today (64.5%) are first-generation immigrants (foreign-born)".<ref name="PewRCJan272011">[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.pewforum.org/The-Future-of-the-Global-Muslim-Population.aspx|2=2012-12-02}} The Future of the Global Muslim Population: Projections for 2010-2030] - Pew Research Center, January 27, 2011</ref> | *According to the Cultural Orientation Resource Center,<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.cal.org/co/refugee/statistics/final_FY2009.html|2=2011-04-16}} US Refugee Program: Current Fiscal Year Admission Statistics] - Cultural Orientation Resource Center, Updated October 2009</ref> 60% of all refugees admitted into the United States are from Muslim-majority countries. Likewise, a Pew report published in January 2011 found that "About two-thirds of the Muslims in the U.S. today (64.5%) are first-generation immigrants (foreign-born)".<ref name="PewRCJan272011">[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.pewforum.org/The-Future-of-the-Global-Muslim-Population.aspx|2=2012-12-02}} The Future of the Global Muslim Population: Projections for 2010-2030] - Pew Research Center, January 27, 2011</ref> | ||
* Contrary to the often-quoted figures provided by CAIR and in spite of the massive influx of Muslim refugees, a Pew survey carried-out in October 2009 found the estimate for the total Muslim population of the U.S to be at only 2.454 million.<ref>Patrick Goodenough - [{{Reference archive|1=http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/55214|2=2011-04-16}} New Survey on Islam Calls Into Question Population Figure Used by Obama] - CNS News, October 9, 2009</ref> Percentage-wise, Islam represents only 0.8 percent of the United States' religious make-up. About a third of what had previously been claimed and widely accepted by many [[apologists]] and media outlets. | *Contrary to the often-quoted figures provided by CAIR and in spite of the massive influx of Muslim refugees, a Pew survey carried-out in October 2009 found the estimate for the total Muslim population of the U.S to be at only 2.454 million.<ref>Patrick Goodenough - [{{Reference archive|1=http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/55214|2=2011-04-16}} New Survey on Islam Calls Into Question Population Figure Used by Obama] - CNS News, October 9, 2009</ref> Percentage-wise, Islam represents only 0.8 percent of the United States' religious make-up. About a third of what had previously been claimed and widely accepted by many [[apologists]] and media outlets. | ||
* According to research carried out by the respected Pakistani-born American Muslim Dr. Ilyas Ba-Yunus (1932 - 2007),<ref> Dr. Ilyas Ba-Yunus, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, State University of New York at Cortland</ref><ref>Faraz Rabbani, Former SunniPath Instructor - [{{Reference archive|1=http://blog.sunnipath.com/2007/10/05/dr-ilyas-ba-yunus-pioneer-msa-and-isna-activist-leader-passes-away/|2=2011-04-16}} Dr. Ilyas Ba-Yunus – Pioneer MSA and ISNA Activist & Leader Passes Away] - SunniPath, October 5, 2007</ref> 75% of new Muslim [[converts]] in the US leave Islam within a few years.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.radioislam.com/_asx/PublicAffairs/whynewmleave.asx|2=2011-11-19}} Listen to the clip] detailing this research ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8EC8-aVlrE listen on Youtube])</ref> | *According to research carried out by the respected Pakistani-born American Muslim Dr. Ilyas Ba-Yunus (1932 - 2007),<ref> Dr. Ilyas Ba-Yunus, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, State University of New York at Cortland</ref><ref>Faraz Rabbani, Former SunniPath Instructor - [{{Reference archive|1=http://blog.sunnipath.com/2007/10/05/dr-ilyas-ba-yunus-pioneer-msa-and-isna-activist-leader-passes-away/|2=2011-04-16}} Dr. Ilyas Ba-Yunus – Pioneer MSA and ISNA Activist & Leader Passes Away] - SunniPath, October 5, 2007</ref> 75% of new Muslim [[converts]] in the US leave Islam within a few years.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.radioislam.com/_asx/PublicAffairs/whynewmleave.asx|2=2011-11-19}} Listen to the clip] detailing this research ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8EC8-aVlrE listen on Youtube])</ref> | ||
* According to Ahmed Nassef, the co-founder and editor in chief of MuslimWakeUp.com, less than 7 percent of American Muslims attend mosque regularly, compared with 38 percent of American Christians who attend church weekly.<ref>Ahmed Nassef - [{{Reference archive|1=http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0421/p09s02-coop.html|2=2012-11-30}} Listen to Muslim silent majority in US] - CSM, April 21, 2004</ref> | *According to Ahmed Nassef, the co-founder and editor in chief of MuslimWakeUp.com, less than 7 percent of American Muslims attend mosque regularly, compared with 38 percent of American Christians who attend church weekly.<ref>Ahmed Nassef - [{{Reference archive|1=http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0421/p09s02-coop.html|2=2012-11-30}} Listen to Muslim silent majority in US] - CSM, April 21, 2004</ref> | ||
====China==== | ====China==== | ||
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This is not limited to Muslim-majority countries. In the United Kingdom, it was reported in 2007 that police were working with universities to clamp down on "aggressive conversions" to Islam, during which vulnerable teenage girls are beaten up by Muslims and forced to abandon university courses.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.standard.co.uk/news/police-protect-girls-forced-to-convert-to-islam-7256407.html|2=2013-01-02}} Police protect girls forced to convert to Islam] - London Evening Standard, February 22, 2007</ref><ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://metro.co.uk/2007/02/22/hindu-girls-targeted-by-extremists-108990/|2=2013-02-07}} ‘Hindu girls targeted by extremists’] - Metro News, February 22, 2007</ref> | This is not limited to Muslim-majority countries. In the United Kingdom, it was reported in 2007 that police were working with universities to clamp down on "aggressive conversions" to Islam, during which vulnerable teenage girls are beaten up by Muslims and forced to abandon university courses.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.standard.co.uk/news/police-protect-girls-forced-to-convert-to-islam-7256407.html|2=2013-01-02}} Police protect girls forced to convert to Islam] - London Evening Standard, February 22, 2007</ref><ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://metro.co.uk/2007/02/22/hindu-girls-targeted-by-extremists-108990/|2=2013-02-07}} ‘Hindu girls targeted by extremists’] - Metro News, February 22, 2007</ref> | ||
{{Core Propaganda}} | {{Core Propaganda}} | ||