Across several American cities, growing Muslim populations are translating demographic strength into political and cultural influence. A sweeping report from RealClearInvestigations examines communities from New Jersey to Michigan and Minnesota, raising questions about assimilation, Islamic political activism, and the growing influence of Sharia principles in American public life.

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From RealClearInvestigations:

Founded by Alexander Hamilton as the first industrial city in America, Paterson, N.J., is now home to America’s largest Palestinian community and largest proportion of Muslim residents. Today, New Jersey’s third-largest city is effectively run by its 30,000 Muslims, some of whom say they don’t need to learn English because it’s like living “back home” in an Arab city.

Paterson holds an annual Palestinian flag-raising ceremony, during which residents chant, “Free Free Palestine!” And in 2022, it renamed a five-block stretch of Main Street “Palestine Way.”

In June 2023, Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh signed a sister city agreement with the mayor of Ramallah, a city in the West Bank and the seat of power of the Palestinian Authority, which officially celebrates the killing of Israelis. And last year during a ceremony kicking off Ramadan, he declared his city the “capital of Palestine in the United States of America” and the “fourth-holiest city” in Islam. “We are 100% halal!” Sayegh gushed, meaning pure and lawful under Islam. The mayor even agreed to hang a sign at the city entrance that reads: “Welcome to Little Palestine.”

Paterson is far from the only community examined in the report. In Hamtramck, Michigan, Muslim officials hold significant positions throughout municipal government, and the city has changed policies to accommodate Islamic practices. Mosques are permitted to broadcast the Islamic call to prayer, schools serve halal meals, and the city has faced an ongoing election-fraud scandal involving members of its Muslim-majority council.

The report also points to growing political influence beyond the local level. Muslim political organizing has become increasingly consequential in New York and Michigan. In New York City, activists have worked to develop what Linda Sarsour called a “cadre of political leadership,” while Muslim political organizations are backing candidates for state and federal office. In Michigan, Muslim voters have emerged as an increasingly important constituency, while Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed has drawn scrutiny over his views on Israel and other issues.

Critics argue that the issue is not Muslim Americans participating in politics—a right guaranteed to every American—but whether Islamic religious and political movements hostile to American constitutional principles are gaining institutional power. The report notes that Muslim leaders reject such criticism as anti-Muslim prejudice and argue that their communities are simply participating in American civic life.

America’s commitment to religious liberty protects Muslims just as it protects Christians, Jews, and people of other faiths. But religious liberty does not require Americans to ignore ideologies that conflict with constitutional government or threaten Israel and the Jewish people. As Islam’s influence grows in American politics, let’s pray for discernment among voters and leaders, protection against radicalization, and a renewed commitment to the biblical and constitutional principles that have shaped our nation.

Share your prayers for America’s communities and leaders in the comments.

(Excerpt from RealClearInvestigations. Photo Credit: RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)