SHIA MUSLIM POPULATION IN NORTH AMERICA [ Part 2 ]

A statistical report on Shia Muslim population, communities, roots and

Socio-economic status in the U.S.A and Canada.

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Table- 5 : Estimate of Muslims/Shia Muslims in the US:! 1950

Estimate (Thousands)

Ancestry Muslims Shia Muslims

East Europe 210 14

Middle East/North Africa 265 79

Sub Sahara 27 05

Asian 150 38

Caribbean 23 01

African American 285 07

…………………………………………………………….

Total 960 144

Table- 6: Estimate of Muslims/Shia Muslims in the US, 1995

Muslims Shia Muslims

1950 Estimate 960000 144000

Acc. immigration (1951-95) 3468000 743000

Acc. Births (1951-95) 3694000 926000

Local African American Growth & others

- conversion (1951-95) 1483000 149000

…………………………………………………………………

Total 9605000 1962000

Table- 7: Estimate of Muslims/Shia Muslims in Canada, 1950

Estimate (Thousands)

Ancestry Muslims Shia Muslims

East Europe 38 6.9

Middle East/North Africa 49 8.8

Sub Sahara 15 2.9

Asian 29 7.2

Caribbean 09 1.7

African American 32 3.5

…………………………………………………………………

Total 172 31.0

Table- 8 : Estimate of Muslims/Shia Muslims in the Canada, 1995

Muslims Shia Muslims

1950 Estimate 172000 31000

Acc. Immigration (1951-95) 375000 77000

Ace. Births (1951-95) 429000 112000

Local African American Growth & others

- conversion (1951-95) 135000 36000

……………………………………………………………….

Total 1,111000 256000

Note. 1: It is noticeable that in USA, Alaska had the minimum l number of Shia population (2000) and communities (5) with average community members of 400. while California had the maximum number of Shia population (276,000) and communities (75) with average community members of3680.

Note. 2: It is noticeable that in Canada, Prince Edward Island had the minimum number of Shia population (1700) and communities (5) with average community members of340. while Quebec had the maximum number of Shia population (81,800) and communities (116) with average community members of 705.

d- Socio-Economic Status

Shia Muslims established their places of worship in private homes and rented halls, if they did not have a permanent Mosque or Mussalla. They, usually, held religious classes for their children on Saturdays and/or Sundays. They were normally active and hard working people. Many early Shia immigrants worked as bellboys, waiters, mechanics, janitors, factory workers, insurance agents and businessmen.

Shia who left Asia and Africa to live in the Americas and elsewhere after WW - II were spurred by economic changes and political upheavals in their homeland and attracted by opportunities for economic betterment in the west. By the end of the 20th century Shias are found, virtually, in every country in the western hemisphere. They come from many different nations (Mostly Middle eastern! Asian) and include speakers of many Arabic dialects and numerous Turkic and Indo-European languages. In the early 1960s Shias began to acquire remarkably high levels of scientific and technical education and to hold advanced positions in professions (lawyers, engineers, teachers, chartered accountants etc..), business (Bookstores, car dealers, restaurants, real state, advertisement, insurance and financial agents), industry (textile, furniture, carpet, food, fisheries, printing, office equipment and electrical/electronic appliances), medicine (physicians, opticians, dentists, surgeons, etc..), engineering (nuclear, mechanical, electrical, chemical etc..) and technology (auto mechanics, photography, welding, machining etc..).

Statistical analysis of several random samples of Shia Muslim members of different communities in different geographic locations in the US and Canada revealed a representative average of the present socio-economic levels of Shia communities in USA and Canada as the following classes:

1- Students (all levels) 13.50%

2- Businessmen, store keepers &self employed 32.25%

3 - Professionals, trained tradesmen & office employees 27.75%

4- Labor of all types(skilled/unskilled) 18.00%

5- Unemployed 05.50%

6- Refugees (without green cards/landed immigrant status) 03.00%

4-REFERENCES

a- Statistical Techniques

1- Bendat J.S - Measurement and Analysis of Random Data. John Wiley & Son. New York 1966

2- Brunk. H.D. - An Introduction to Mathematical Statistics. 2nd Ed.. Waltham. Mass. 1965

3- Graybill. F.A. - An Introduction to Linear Statistical Models. Vol.1, McGraw Hill Co., New York 1961

4- Kendall, M.G. - The Advanced Theory of Statistics. Vol. 1. New York 1958

5- Lee. C.K. - Optimal Estimation. Identification and Control. M.I.T. Press. Cambridge. Mass. 1964

6- Mood. A. M. - introduction to the Theory of Statistics. 2nd Ed. New York 1963

7- Spiegel. Murray R. - Theory and Problems of Statistics. McGraw Hill Co. New York 1961

b- World Muslim Population

1- Castello-Cortes. Ian - World Reference Atlas. McMillan Canada, Toronto 1994

2- Dunbar. Nelia/Rajewski, Brian - Countries of the World - Year Book 1995, Vol. 1&2

Gale Research Inc., Detroit, Mi 1995

3- The Foreign-Born Population in the US - 1990 Census of Population (1990 - CP-3-1)

4- Hutchinson G.E. - An Introduction to Population Ecology. Yale Uinv. Press. New Haven, Conn. 1978

5- Johnson. Otto - Executive Editor. Almanac Atlas Year Book 1994 - 47th Edition

Houghton Mifflin CO. New York 1994

6- McEvedy, Colin/Jones. Richard - Atlas of World Population History. Facts on File. New York 1995

7- Pianka. E.R. Evolutionary Ecology. 4th Edition. Harper & Row New York 1988

8- Strickberger. M.W. - Evolution. Univ. of Missouri - St Louis, Jones and Bartlett Boston 1990

9- US Statistical Abstracts. Bureau of Census. Dept. of Commerce. 115th Ed. Washington DC 1995

10- Weeks. Richard V - Editor, - Muslim Peoples: a World Ethnographic Survey. New York 1978

c- Muslim Immigration

J - Ancestry of Population by state. Bureau of census. Dept. of Commerce. Washington DC 1990

2- Anderson. James M. / Smith. Iva A. Ethnic Groups in Michigan, Detroit 1983

3- Barrett David - Christian Courier No. 2638. Sept. 27 J996 St. Catherine's, On, Can.

4- Beige. Barbara 1. The Encyclopedia of Religion, Vol. 7 McMillan Publishing Co. New York 1987

5- Bijlefeld. Willem A. - Islam. Grolier Electronic Publishing. Inc. Toronto 1992

6- EI-Koly. Abdo - The Arab Muslim in the United States New Haven 1966

7 - Ellio. .lean L. - Minority Canadians: Immigrant Group Scarborough. On. 1961

8- Haddad. Yvonne Y. , /Haines, Byron/Findly. Ellison - The Islamic Impacl Syracuse 1984

9- Haddad. Yvonne Y. . Editor - The Muslim of America, Estimate of Muslims Living in

America (Carol L. Stones) Oxford Univ. Press. New York 1991

10- Immigrants Admitted by Country of Birth: - 1954 - 93. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Dept. of Justice. Washington DC 1995

I 1 - Madelung.. Wilfred/Nasr. Seyed Hossein - The Encyclopedia of religion Vol. 13 McMillan

New York 1987. p. 243-5. p. 257.

d- American Muslims

1- Abu-Laban. Baha - The Canadian Muslim Community: The Need for a New Survival Strategy,

The Muslim Community in North America. Edmonton 1983

2- Aswad. Barbara C. - Arabic Speaking Communities in American Cities. New York 1974

3- Hagopian. Elaine/Paden. Ann - The Arab American. Wilmette, IL. 1969

4- Kettani. M. Ali - Muslim in Europe and Americas. 2 Vols. Beirut 1976

5- Kettani . M. Ali - Muslim Minorities in the World Today, London 1986

6- Lovell. Emily Khaled - Islam in the United States: Past and Present. The Muslim Community in

North Americ,1. Edmonton 1983

7- Mansour. Ibrahim - Muslims in America. Rose EI-Youssef (Arabic) Cairo Egypt.

No. 3490. May I. 1995 p. 20-22

8- Martin. R.C. -Islam: A Cultural Perspective, New York 1982

9- Waugh. Earle H./Quereshi. Regula B. The Muslim Community in North America Edmonton 1983

Appendix - A

Statistical Techniques- Sampling, Regression, Correlation and Estimation

1- Sampling:

A system of statistical analysis in which samples are assumed to give a reasonably accurate

picture of the whole population. Sampling is the process of taking a sample. If repeated samples arc drawn from a probability distribution and the value of some statistic is calculated for each sample. the resulting set of values will define a new probability distribution known as the sampling distribution of the statistic. There arc many types of sampling. i.e. area, bulk. cluster. direct. extensive. indirect. intensive, inverse. line. I otter)' .mixed. multiphase. Probability , proportional ,quota, route, representative... etc.

2- Regression:

Regression analysis is a study of the relationship between two or more variables. The variable under study is called the dependent variable. The one or more variables whose variations may be causing changes in the dependent variable are called independent variable. Thus the independent variable would be the "cause" and the dependent variable the "effect" The regression analysis furnishes estimates of the parameters for expressing the relationship in mathematical form. and provides a measure of the reliability of the relationship. The regression line or curve of one variable on another is often called a trend line or trend curve and is often used for purposes of estimation. prediction or forecasting.

3- Correlation:

In general statistical usage correlation refers to the departure of two variables from independence. In this broad sense there are several coefficients. measuring the degree of correlation, adapted to the nature of the data. ] n a narrower sense correlation refers to the degree of dependence of two continuous variables. It is the degree of relationship between variables. which seeks to determine how well a linear or nonlinear equation describes or e:\..plains the relationship between variables. If all values of the variables satisfy an equation exactly we say that the variables are perfectly correlated or that there is perfect correlation between them. The ratio between one variable and another is called "Correlation coefficient". It is varying from + I for perfect correlation to -I fm perfect negative correlation. being zero for complete absence of correlation.

It is important to distinguish between the two ideas behind the two techniques of "Regression" and "Correlation". In regression a cause -and-effect relationship exists. A value of one variable is dependent on the value of another. In correlation. neither variable is a consequence of the other. instead both are the consequences of common elements. Correlation does not prove causation.

4- Estimation:

The theory of statistical estimation is usually concerned with assessing of value or importance and making useful opinion. It is necessary to form estimates of the parameters involve specifications of a given sample from a population. Usually. many different estimates of a given parameter can be derived. If the mean of the sampling distribution of a statistic equals the corresponding population parameter. the statistic is called all unbiased estimator of the parameter. otherwise it is called a biased estimator. The corresponding values of such statistics are called unbiased or biased estimates respectively. If the sampling distributions of two statistics have the same mean ( or expectation),the statistic with the smaller variance is called all efficient estimator of the mean while the other statistic is called an inefficient estimator. The corresponding values of the statistics are called efficient or inefficient estimates respectively. If we consider all possible statistics whose &1mpling distributions have the same mean. the one with the smallest variance is sometimes called the most efficient or best estimator of this mean. An estimate of a population parameter given by a single number is called a point estimate of the parameter. An estimate of a population parameter given by two numbers between which the parameter may be considered to lie is called an interval estimate of the parameter. A statement of the error or precision of an estimate is often called its reliability.

Notes: Net Reproductive Rate (NRR): A statistical parameter expressing a population's prevailing fertility when duly weighted by its mortality. When computed for the female part of the population only and for female births, it represents the ratio of live female births in successive generations, so that a population, stable in size will have a NRR (or replacement rate) of 1, and a rate higher than unity signifies a true biological increase in population numbers, while a rate less than unity indicate that the population is not biologically holding its own and will decrease in size.

NRR of the entire population (Ro) is the sum of al its individuals (survivorship) multiplied by their Fecundity at each age x.

Ro = E lx mx

Ix = survivorship, which represent that proportion of individuals who survive from age 0 to x out of a group, who were all born during the same period.

mx = fecundity, which represent the average number of offspring produced by an individual of age x.

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Notes: Net Reproductive Rate (NRR): A statistical parameter expressing a population's prevailing fertility when duly weighted by its mortality. When computed for the fSrijJale part of the population only and for female births, it represents the ratio of live female births in successive generations, so that a population, stable in size will have a NRR (or replacement rate) of 1, and a rate higher than unity signifies a true biological increase in population numbers, while a rate less than unity indicate that the population is not biologically holding its own and will decrease in size.

NRR of the entire population (Ro) is the sum of al its individuals (survivorship) multiplied by their Fecundity at each age x.

Ro = Elx mx

Ix = survivorship, which represent that proportion of individuals who survive from age 0 to x out of a group, who were all born during the same period.

mx = fecundity, which represent the average number of offspring produced by an individual of age x.

prepared by : Dr. Youssef A.H. Mroueh