List of American Muslims

This is an incomplete list of notable Muslims who live or lived in the United States.

Activism and politics

Former UN ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad with President George W. Bush at the White House

• Nihad Awad – National Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
• André Carson – Congressman from Indiana^[1]
• Robert D. Crane – former foreign policy advisor; author^[2]
• C. Jack Ellis – former mayor of Macon, Georgia^[3]
• Keith Ellison – first Muslim congressman from Minnesota^[4]
• Ibrahim Hooper – National Communications Director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
• Mansoor Ijaz – hedge fund manager and venture capitalist involved in Pakistan–United States relations and peace efforts surrounding the Kashmir conflict
• Zalmay Khalilzad – former US Ambassador to the United Nations; former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and Afghanistan^[5]
• Edina Lekovic – Communications Director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council^[6]
• Malcolm X (also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz) – civil rights activist, public speaker and Black Muslim minister^[7] Joined the Nation of Islam in 1952, before converting to Sunni Islam in 1964.
• Farah Pandith – Special Representative to Muslim Communities for the US Department of State; official advisor to President Obama on Muslim matters
• Zainab Salbi – co-founder and president for Women for Women International
• Betty Shabazz – civil rights activist and educator; widow of Malcolm X^[8]
• James Yee – former U.S. Army chaplain with the rank of Captain^[9]
• Elias Zerhouni – Director, National Institutes of Health^[10]

Armed forces

• Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan – United States Army Soldier killed in Iraq^[11]
• Humayun Khan (soldier) – United States Army Soldier killed in Iraq^[12]

Foreign military service

• Ma Dunjing – Chinese Muslim General of the National Revolutionary Army, immigrated to Los Angeles in the United States after retirement in 1950
• Ma Hongkui – Chinese Muslim General of the National Revolutionary Army, immigrated to Los Angeles in the United States after retirement in 1950

Art

Artist Shirin Neshat at the Viennale 2009

• Shirin Neshat – Iranian-American visual artist and film director. Awarded The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize in 2006, and the Silver Lion in 2009^[13]
• Shahzia Sikander – Pakistani-American artist and MacArthur Fellow^[14][15]

Business

PIMCO CEO Mohamed El-Erian at the World Economic Forum

• Mohamed A. El-Erian – CEO of PIMCO, manager of over $1 trillion in global assets^[16]
• Fuad El-Hibri – CEO of Emergent BioSolutions^[17][18]
• Shahid Khan – owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL), the English Premier League team Fulham F.C., and automobile parts manufacturer Flex-N-Gate in Urbana, Illinois^[19]
• Farooq Kathwari – CEO of Ethan Allen Global, Inc.^[20][21]
• Abdul Malik Mujahid – President of Sound Vision and community activist^[22]
• Safi Qureshey – Pakistani-American entrepreneur and philanthropist; co-founder and former CEO of AST Research^[23]

Crime

• Naser Jason Abdo – former soldier convicted of planning an attack near Fort Hood^[24]
• Sami Al-Arian – professor guilty of conspiracy to contribute services to or for the benefit of a Specially Designated Terrorist organization^[25]
• Anwar al-Awlaki – believed by US officials to be a recruiter involved in planning terrorist operations for the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda^[26]
• Daniel Patrick Boyd – convicted for conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, and conspiracy to commit murder, maiming and kidnapping overseas^[27]
• Hasan Akbar – convicted of premeditated murder in a grenade attack on fellow soldiers^[28]
• Hesham Mohamed Hadayet – Egyptian-American who killed 2 people at the El Al counter at Los Angeles International Airport^[29]
• Wadih el-Hage – al-Qaeda member serving life imprisonment in the US for his part in the 1998 United States embassy bombings^[30]
• Nidal Malik Hasan – former soldier convicted of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting^[31]
• Muzzammil Hassan – founder of Bridges TV, a Muslim television network; received sentence of 25 to life for beheading his wife^[32]
• Mir Aimal Kansi – Pakistani-American convicted and executed for the shootings at the Central Intelligence Agency headquarters^[33]
• John Walker Lindh – American Taliban^[34]
• John Allen Muhammad – executed beltway sniper^[35]
• José Padilla – convicted of aiding terrorists and litigant before the United States Supreme Court in Rumsfeld v. Padilla^[36][37]
• Dzhokhar Tsarnaev – Kyrgyzstani-American citizen who was convicted of planting bombs at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013, together with his brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev.
• Bryant Neal Vinas – convicted of participating in and supporting Al-Qaeda plots in Afghanistan and the U.S.^[38]

Entertainment

Comedy

Standup comedian Dean Obeidallah

• Ahmed Ahmed – standup comedian, actor^[39]
• Mohammed Amer – standup comedian^[40]
• Dave Chappelle – standup comedian (converted in 1998)^[41]
• Maz Jobrani – standup comedian, actor^[42]
• Aasif Mandvi – comedian, actor^[43]
• Hasan Minhaj – comedian
• Preacher Moss – standup comedian, comedy writer^[40]
• Zahra Noorbakhsh – comedian, writer, actor, co-host of #GoodMuslimBadMuslim podcast
• Dean Obeidallah – standup comedian^[39]
• Azhar Usman – standup comedian^[44][45]
• Maysoon Zayid – standup comedian, actress^[39]

Film

Actress Shohreh Aghdashloo

• Nabil Abou-Harb – filmmaker; writer and director of Arab in America^[46]
• Shohreh Aghdashloo – Academy Award-nominated Iranian-born actress^[47]
• Moustapha Akkad – film director, producer^[48]
• Mahershala Ali – actor, featured in the The Hunger Games film series and the TV series Luke Cage.^[49]
• Lewis Arquette – film actor, writer, and producer^[50][51]
• Sayed Badreya – actor, filmmaker^[52]
• Saïd Taghmaoui – actor^[53]

Music

Rapper Ice Cube performing in 2006

• Ahmad Jamal – jazz pianist^[54]
• Akil – rapper, formerly of the alternative hip-hop group Jurassic 5^[55][56]
• Ahmet Ertegün – Songwriter and founder of Atlantic Records^[57]
• Akon – R&B and hip-hop artist^[58][59]
• Ali Shaheed Muhammad – producer, DJ and rapper, formerly of A Tribe Called Quest; Sunni Muslim^[23]
• Art Blakey – jazz drummer and bandleader^[60]
• B.G. Knocc Out – rapper from Compton, California, (converted to Islam in 1999)^[61]
• Beanie Sigel – rapper^[55][62][63]
• Big Daddy Kane – rapper; 5 percenter^[64][65]
• Brother Ali – rapper; converted to Islam^[23][66]
• Busta Rhymes – hip-hop artist and rapper; 5 percenter^[23][67]
• Casey Kasem – Druze radio personality known for his top forty DJ format
• Chali 2na – rapper, formerly of the alternative hip-hop group Jurassic 5, and of Ozomatli^[68]
• DJ Khaled – rap artist and DJ^[69][70]
• Everlast – rapper from the Irish-American hip-hop group House of Pain; converted to Islam^[23][71][72]
• Freeway – rapper; Sunni Muslim^{[23][63][73][74]}
• Ghostface Killah – rapper, member of the hip-hip group the Wu-Tang Clan^[55][75]
• Ice Cube – rapper and producer^[76]
• Immortal Technique – rapper and social activist
• Jermaine Jackson – singer, bass guitarist^[77][78]
• Lupe Fiasco – rapper; Sunni Muslim^[23][55][79]
• Mark 7even – rapper, formerly of the alternative hip-hop group Jurassic 5^[56]
• MC Ren – rapper^[80]
• Mos Def – rapper; initially joined the Nation of Islam before converting to Islam^[23][55][81]
• Napoleon – former member of Tupac Shakur's rap group the Outlawz, now a motivational Muslim speaker^[82]
• Nas – rapper and 5 percenter^[55][83]
• Native Deen – rap group^[84]
• Professor A.L.I. – rapper^[85]
• Q-Tip – rapper, formerly of A Tribe Called Quest; Sunni Muslim^[23][86]
• Rakim – 5 percenter, rapper and former member of the hip-hop duo Eric B. & Rakim^[83][87]
• Scarface – rapper^[55][88]
• Raekwon – rapper, member of the hip-hip group the Wu-Tang Clan^{[89][90][91][92]}
• Rhymefest – Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist; co-writer of the single "Jesus Walks"^[93]
• Snoop Dogg – rapper; ex member of the Nation Of Islam^[23][94][95]
• T-Pain – singer, rapper^[96]
• Vinnie Paz – rapper in the hip-hop group Jedi Mind Tricks^[97]
• Yusef Lateef – jazz musician and Grammy Award winner^[23][98]
• Zeeshan Zaidi – lead singer and guitarist for The Commuters

Television

Dr. Mehmet Oz at the 2010 Time 100 Gala

• Mara Brock Akil – screenwriter, producer^[99]
• Rizwan Manji – actor^[100]
• Isaiah Mustafa – actor^[101]
• Mehmet Oz – medical doctor, talk show host^[102]
• Kamran Pasha – screenwriter, producer^[103]
• Iqbal Theba – actor^[104]

Modeling and pageants

Supermodel Iman

• Iman – supermodel and wife of David Bowie^[105]

Religion

Muslim scholar Suhaib Webb

• Suhaib Webb – Muslim lecturer and activist; Imam of the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center, the largest mosque in the New England area^{[106][107][108]}
• Hamza Yusuf – Muslim scholar^[109]
• Hassan Hathout – Muslim scholar^[110]
• Hassan Al-Qazwini – Muslim scholar^[111]
• Hisham Kabbani – Muslim sufi scholar and shaykh^[112]
• Yusuf Estes – Muslim preacher^[113]
• Souleiman Ghali – Founder of the Islamic Society of San Francisco^[114]
• Sherman Jackson – Muslim scholar^[115]
• Sadullah Khan – Muslim scholar^[116]
• Ingrid Mattson – Muslim scholar^[117]
• Warith Deen Mohammed – former leader of the largest Muslim organization, the American Society of Muslims (son of Nation of Islam leader)^{[118][119][120]}
• Louay M. Safi – Muslim scholar^[121]
• Zaid Shakir – Muslim scholar^[122]
• Siraj Wahhaj – Muslim scholar^[123]
• Omar Khalidi – Muslim scholar^[124][125]
• Amir Hussain – Muslim scholar, editor of the Journal of the American Academy of Religion

Science

• Fazlur Khan – structural engineer (designed the Sears Tower, John Hancock Center)^[126]
• Ayub K. Ommaya – neurosurgeon, inventor of the Ommaya reservoir^[127]
• Ahmed Zewail – Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry, 1999 for his work on femtochemistry^[128]

Sports

Boxing

Boxer Muhammad Ali in 1978

• Muhammad Ali – became a member of the Nation of Islam in 1964,^[129] converted to Sunni Islam in 1975^[130][131]
• Bernard Hopkins – former Middleweight and Light Heavyweight world champion^[132]
• Eddie Mustafa Muhammad – former Light Heavyweight Champion
• Matthew Saad Muhammad – former Light Heavyweight Champion^[133]
• Dwight Muhammad Qawi – former Light Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion^[134]
• Hasim Rahman – former Heavyweight champion^[135]
• Mike Tyson – Undisputed Heavyweight Champion in 1987; converted in 1994 (influenced by preacher in prison)^[136]

Basketball

NBA player Shaquille O'Neal

• DeSagana Diop – Senegalese basketball player for the Charlotte Bobcats
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – converted to Islam from Catholicism in 1968, initially joining the Nation of Islam before retaking the Shahada and converting to Sunni Islam that very summer^[23][137]
• Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf – former player for Denver Nuggets (converted in 1991, formerly Chris Jackson)^[138]
• Shareef Abdur-Rahim – retired player, named NBA All-Star in 2001–02 season^[139]
• Hassan Adams – drafted by and played for the New Jersey Nets, later the Cleveland Cavaliers, then KK Vojvodina (in Serbia).
• Larry Johnson – retired player, played for the Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks^[140]
• Nazr Mohammed – player for the Charlotte Bobcats^[141]
• Mehmet Okur – Turkish player of the Utah Jazz^[142]
• Shaquille O'Neal – player for the Boston Celtics; rapper and actor^[143]
• Hakeem Olajuwon^[144]
• Rasheed Wallace – player for the Boston Celtics^[145][146]

NFL

NFL player turned sportscaster Ahmad Rashad

• Hamza Abdullah – safety for the Cleveland Browns^[147][148]
• Husain Abdullah – safety for the Minnesota Vikings^[149]
• Oday Aboushi – guard, drafted by the New York Jets in 2013, currently with the Houston Texans.^[150]
• Az-Zahir Hakim – wide receiver formerly for the St. Louis Rams^[151]
• Ryan Harris – offensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers.^[152]
• Abdul Hodge – linebacker for the Carolina Panthers^[153]
• Ahmad Rashād – former wide receiver for Minnesota Vikings, award winning sports-caster (converted in 1972)^[154][155]
• Ephraim Salaam – offensive tackle for the Detroit Lions^[156]
• Muhammad Wilkerson – defensive end for the New York Jets^[157]
• Usama Young – free safety for the New Orleans Saints^[158]

Track and field

• Khalid Khannouchi – marathon runner

Wrestling

• Dara Daivari – Iranian American, former wrestler at the WWE^[159]

Mixed martial arts

• Muhammed Lawal – former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight World Champion

Writing

Fareed Zakaria, head of Newsweek International

• Reza Aslan – author, religious scholar^[160]
• Mona Eltahawy – columnist^[161]
• Yahiya Emerick – author^[162]
• Pai Hsien-yung – Chinese Muslim author and writer; born in China, immigrated to Taiwan then the United States; son of General Bai Chongxi
• Saladin Ahmed – author
• Ayman Mohyeldin – Al-Jazeera English journalist^[163]
• Stephen Schwartz – journalist^[164]
• Michael Wolfe – journalist^[165]
• Fareed Zakaria – author, commentator, and host of CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS^[166]

See also

• Glossary of Islamic terms in Arabic
• List of converts to Islam
• List of Islamic and Muslim related topics
• Lists of Muslims
• Lists of people by belief
• Taqwacore

References