Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
SoCal's Muslim community geographically, ethnically diverse
Imam Abdul Karem, left, leading a prayer at the King Fahad Mosque in Culver City.
(
Benjamin Brayfield/KPCC
)
It's difficult to quantify how many Muslims live in Southern California. But experts say the region's Muslim community spans every county in the region and encompasses numerous ethnic and national backgrounds.
"The Muslim community is the most diverse in terms of their ethnic backgrounds in the United States," says Shakeel Syed, Executive Director of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California. "So they come from all continents, all places."
A 2010 survey of religious institutions, including mosques, offers some of the most specific information available about the number of Muslims living in Southern California. The U.S. Religion Census, conducted by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, estimated there are 120,868 Muslims living in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura Counties. While California is the nation's most populous state, it has fewer Muslims than Texas, New York or Illinois.
Those numbers are probably low though, cautions Brie Jeanette Loskota of USC's Center for Religion and Civic Culture. That's likely due to the fact that the survey relies on Mosque attendance, so may miss large parts of the group, including many women. Yet it's still among the most specific available information on Muslims in the region.
Support for LAist comes from
The Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American-Islamic relations estimates there are around 500,000 Muslims in the region. The Garden Grove-based Shura Council offers a similar figure for the area spanning Santa Barbara to San Diego County.
Muslims in the region have come under increased scrutiny following last week's shooting in San Bernardino, which killed 14 people. The shooters were a Muslim couple.
Data on religious communities is difficult to come by for any group. That's because, though the U.S. Census asks about sensitive topics from race to income, it doesn't track the religious affiliations of Americans. It hasn't for decades, and since the 1970s the Census has been barred by law from even asking about religion.
State government doesn't track religious groups either.
The demographic picture is unclear nationally for Muslims too, where estimates of the population range from about 2.75 million to as many as 7 million.
That lack of data makes it even harder to quantify the makeup of Southern California's Muslim community. Still, some indications are available in a 2011 survey of mosques in Southern California, done by the Shura Council with a University of Kentucky researcher.
Support for LAist comes from
That study found that the makeup of Southern California mosques is significantly more South Asian and Iranian than it is nationally, and somewhat less African-American.
Above: an excerpt from the 2011 study A Comprehensive Survey of Southern California Mosques
Syed, of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, said that it's difficult to make any generalization about the Muslim-American population as a whole.
"Is there diversity in the perspectives, in the things they do and don't do? Absolutely, yes."
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs. -
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons Thursday after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
Best of LAist