Since the 9/11 attacks, more Americans have adopted a negative view of Islam. Before the attacks, 40 percent of Americans had a positive view on Muslims, but that number has dropped to 10 percent in the last decade.
Now, followers of that ancient religion have turned to modern technology to help explain their beliefs and attract new members.
Fatuma Mahmud, 15, learned to speak Arabic specifically so she could read and understand the Koran.
“It’s the holy text of Muslims,” she said. “We read it all the time for our prayers.”
Mahmud’s refugee parents brought their religion with them to Seattle, when they fled violence in Eritrea.
“We pray 5 times a day,” she said.
The Alfera family is contributing to the growth of Islam in our area. From two parents come three new practicing Muslim children. Likewise, the local Islamic community estimates there are roughly twice as many Muslims now in the Seattle Metro area as 20 years ago.
Now, a new ad campaign hopes to build on that growth.
whyislam.org is running radio ads, steering people to its website to learn about Islam and to read stories from people who converted to the faith.
The success of the Islam campaign is not yet determined, but there is a comparison to judge it by. The Catholic church ran its own ad campaign last year and it’s credited for bringing 6,000 Catholics back into Western Washington churches.
A local Catholic spokesman estimates there are up to 600,000 Catholics in the Puget Sound area -- more than 10-times as many Muslims.
“There’s other religions around here, too,” Mahmud said. “We’re OK with each other, we don’t fight and stuff like that.”
The Alfera family lives in a diverse neighborhood, happy to call people of all religions their neighbors and friends.