TEHRAN The number of Muslims and mosques has been rising in the United States during the past years. In fact, conversions, immigrations and the new generation of Muslims have greatly contributed to the expansion of Islam in that country. This provided a topic for an interview between the overseas service of the IRIB and Ibrahim Hooper, the director for national affairs of U.S. Council of Islamic Relations.

Asked to make an assessment of the rise in the number of mosques and Muslims taking part in congregational prayers in the United States, he said, "According to the polls conducted by some religious institutions, there are more than 1200 mosques in the U.S., which shows an increase of almost 25 percent in comparison to 1994. Also, the number of people participating in Friday prayers has increased by 95 percent compared with 1994. Presently, the Muslim population in the U.S. stands at seven million."

As regards the main reasons for the growth of Islam in the West, especially in the U.S., Hooper noted, "The major reason is the spiritual crisis in the West. After the industrialization, or as the Westerners call it the modernization of the world, the Westerners lost their faith in religion. They are now witnessing Islamic movements in some countries and evaluate these movements as successful. On the other hand, there is a spiritual vacuum in the West. Therefore, it is clear that non-Muslims ask themselves, what is Islam? What are the principles of Islam? And what qualities make Islam different from other religions? Another reason for the expansion of Islam in the U.S. is the immigration of Muslims to this country, and the immigration of non-Muslims to the regions where Muslims live."

Considering that some people believe that mosques should only be involved in spiritual activities and have nothing to do with politics, he was asked to express his view in this regard.

"This idea is not right at all. Islam is actually based on politics. In Islam religion and politics complement each other, and Muslims never consider them to be separate. Muslims, like other societies, should take part in all social and political activities. Mosques are not just places for worship and spirituality, but they are also places for discussing political and social issues with the aim of removing the problems facing Muslim community," Hooper pointed out.