www.amperspective.com Online Magazine
Executive Editor: Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Chronology of Islam in America
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
1178-1799 1800-1899 1900-1999 2000-2002
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Muslims explored North America at least 300 years before the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus, according to many researchers.
Dr. Barry Fell, a noted New Zealand archaeologist and linguist of Harvard University showed detailed existing evidence in his work, "Saga America" that Muslims were not only in the Americas before Columbus arrived, but very active there as well.
Ivan Van Sertima, in his renowned work, "They Came Before Columbus" confirms that there was definitely contact between the ancient and early African people with the Native Americans.
Columbus logged on October 21st, 1492, that he was sailing past Gibara on the coast of Cuba he saw a mosque. He also logged that remnants of other masjids have been found in Cuba, Mexico, Texas and Nevada.
[This chronology is based on books, magazines relating to Muslims in America as well as media reports. Most of the chronology from 1178 to 1990s is based on the following sources: They Came before Columbus by Ivan van Sertima; Islam in America before Columbus by Hisham Zoubeir; Islam in Latin America:Timeline of Muslim Exploration of the Americas by Islamic Path and “the glimpses of Muslim life in American history€ť by Fareed H. Nu'man. Editor]