MUSLIM YOUTHS Getting in touch with their faith

Muslim youths are becoming more devout.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
CHICAGO -- As an 18-year-old Palestinian, Lena Abuelroos appeared to have bought into all the trappings of American life: She was an aspiring model, a clotheshorse and top saleswoman at an Armani Exchange in Troy, Mich.
So one July morning, when she showed up for work wearing hijab, her long, black curls out of sight beneath the folds of her veil, her co-workers were so alarmed they stopped speaking to her.
For Abuelroos, putting on hijab, or modest Islamic attire, was her way of getting in touch with the Muslim identity her family of Arab immigrants often downplayed. Her transformation mirrors that of many of the 2,000 young Muslim women and men who gathered recently for a weekend in Chicago as part of the 40th annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America, which organizers say drew tens of thousands of lay activists.
On a mission
In the basement of McCormick Place, a Chicago convention center, away from the glitz of the adult convention upstairs, young Muslims from hundreds of universities vowed to create a more pronounced Islamic identity in the United States through their Muslim students associations. Not only do they plan to become more devout than their parents, whom they described as cultural -- not religious -- Muslims, but they also are on a mission to change the negative images of Islam in America.
"The media say Muslims are this or that, and it's not true," Abuelroos said. "We have to show that we are not afraid to reveal our Muslim identity. Now I have convinced my father to go to the mosque, and my mother has also become more religious, though she will never wear hijab because she's a beautician."
The Muslim students said they feel under siege since the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on Sept. 11, 2001, and want to take a stand. But even before Sept. 11, many attended Islamic youth camps and Islamic Sunday schools to learn more about their faith.
"Our parents, who were immigrants to this country, were consumed with just making a living," said Atif Jaleel, 23, a Chicago native whose family came from Pakistan.
"I am more religious than my father because I have the luxury of thinking about my faith. I discovered Islam when I became involved in the campus mosque at the University of Illinois in Champaign," said Jaleel, who organized the weekend's student conference. "Our new awareness is also a reaction to the treatment of Muslims in this country. After Sept. 11, the older generation who ran the show thought it was best to lie low.
"As that happened, the younger generation was uncomfortable with this, especially at colleges and universities. We decided we must become active."
Widespread revival
Muslim leaders say a revival is afoot in the United States, not only for youth but also for the entire Islamic community, estimated at 6 million. Attendance is rising at the 1,300 mosques and 300 to 400 Islamic schools nationwide.
The number of Friday prayer services has increased to accommodate the influx of worshipers, and plans are under way to build more Islamic schools.
For Muslim students, the best strategy for establishing a future free of hate crimes and discrimination is to educate their classmates. Muslim student associations sponsor Islamic Awareness Week each year, which teaches the principles of Islam. Students also encourage non-Muslims to fast with them during the holy month of Ramadan.
By creating Islamic organizations on their campuses, many Muslim students said they are developing a support network to keep them from drifting into an American lifestyle filled with temptations that violate their religious beliefs, such as dating, drinking alcohol or wearing heavy makeup.
"Let's face it, everyone is attracted sexually," said Abuelroos, her dark eyelashes touched with mascara. "But you can't date because it leads to sex. The first social contact we have with boys is when we are ready to get engaged. You're supposed to dress nicely, but not in a sexual way. And being a model is definitely out because Islam revolves around modesty."