Muslim Immigration “There are an estimated 7 million Muslims living in the United States, and polls suggest that 64% of these Muslims are immigrants” Muslim Immigration History The earliest Muslim immigrants came as slaves from Africa beginning perhaps as early as 1501 The slave-owners sometimes appreciated and rewarded their literate Muslim slaves, but they despised the religion of Islam and did what they could to prevent it from passing from one generation to the next. Reasons for Immigrating Ethnic persecution. Expulsion of Asians from Uganda, followed by smaller numbers from Tanzania and Kenya, led to some 6,000 Muslims in North America. Saddam Hussein’s extermination campaign against the Kurds led to mass exoduses in 1989, 1991, and 1996. Religious persecution. Hindu-Muslim clashes in India cause a steady stream of Muslims to seek safety in America, even as members of the...