“‘Woven into the fabric of our country’: Islam in early America”

Muslims, it turns out, have been coming to America since its founding.  But how and why?

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/anxiousbench/2015/03/woven-into-the-fabric-of-our-country-islam-in-early-america/

Here, by the way, is a passage from History of the Church 4:306, attributed to Joseph Smith (with my emphasis):

I attended the City Council, and presented a bill for “An ordinance in relation to Religious Societies.”

Ordinance on Religious Liberty in Nauvoo.

Sec. 1. Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Nauvoo, that the Catholics, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Latter-day Saints, Quakers, Episcopals, Universalists, Unitarians, Mohammedans, and all other religious sects and denominations whatever, shall have free toleration, and equal privileges, in this city; and should any person be guilty of ridiculing, and abusing or otherwise depreciating another in consequence of his religion, or of disturbing or interrupting any religious meeting within the limits of this city, he shall, on conviction thereof before the Mayor or Municipal Court, be considered a disturber of the public peace, and fined in any sum not exceeding five hundred dollars, or imprisoned not exceeding six months, or both, at the discretion of said Mayor or Court.

Sec. 2. It is hereby made the duty of all Municipal officers to notice and report to the Mayor any breach or violation of this, or any other ordinance of this city, that may come within their knowledge, or of which they may be advised; and any officer aforesaid, is hereby fully authorized to arrest all such violators of rule, law and order, either with or without process.

Passed March 1, 1841.

I’m quite proud of the fact that Joseph Smith and the early Latter-day Saints had exceptionally affirmative things to say about Islam, and that they were firm in supporting religious freedom for Catholics — an unpopular minority among many Americans in the early nineteenth century — and, yes, for Muslims.