This article noted that interest in Islam had grown in the wake of the September 11 attacks, and that after Russia, the number of Muslims in China was also going up day by day.
“There are said to be 20 million Muslims in China, the country of Mao…A rapid rise in Islam among young Chinese has been recorded of late, and the 20 million Muslims living in the country have welcomed Ramadan with great joy.
… The number of Muslims in Western countries, and America in particular, is rising day by day. There are currently more than 10 million Muslims living in the USA. France has a Muslim population in excess of 6.5 million, making it the country’s second largest religion after Christianity… In addition to France, people living in countries such as Britain, Germany, Holland, Belgium and Austria are converting to the Islam they have studied and researched.
… The most interesting development as members of different faiths convert to Islam has taken place in Iraq. Soldiers from countries that were sent to support the U.S. occupation have become Muslims. Korean troops are noteworthy among these. South Korean troops have been photographed wearing white caps after having converted to Islam, thus plunging them into the world spotlight.
…As we know, reports about Russians converting to Islam have recently been carried by the Russian media themselves. A report based on the Mosnews web site stated that some 20,000 Russian citizens had converted to Islam between January and October. According to the report, 12,450 people converted to Islam in 2002 and 15,300 in 2003, rising still further this year, while young women aged between 17 and 21 represented 75% of these Muslims. According to figures for 2003, Muslims make up 15% (23 million) of the population of Russia. Two million Muslims live in the capital, Moscow, alone.
