By establishing Zaytuna College, say Muslim leaders, the nation’s Muslims are following a trail that’s been blazed by other religious groups, particularly mainstream Protestants, Catholics and Jews. Combined, all three groups control or have affiliations with hundreds of colleges and universities.
“I think this is a very positive and natural development for the American Muslim community,” says Ibrahim Hooper, communications director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington, D.C-based civil rights organization.
“It tells me that Muslims are coming of age,” says Safaa Zarzour, secretary general of the Indianapolis-based Islamic Society of North America, an organization that provides such services as chaplains for the U.S. military and technical support to Muslim schools, communities and organizations. “This is one more thing that makes Muslims part of the mainstream of America. It is an important part of the development of our community. This is a natural next step as far as I am concerned.”
