Most American Muslims blend into mainstream culture

From Recordnet.com

STOCKTON - Mohammad Saeed fits the profile of the average Muslim American.

He was born in Pakistan, immigrated to the United States in 1968, married and raised a family here. Now semiretired from working as a plant supervisor for a steel manufacturing company and fixing up rental properties around town, Saeed, 59, is in decent financial shape.

"Mainstream Muslims are a peaceful people working for their own families and for the country," said Saeed, vice president of the Stockton Islamic Center. "We don't want to be lumped in with extremists."

His lifestyle and attitudes about American culture mirror much of a national survey of Muslim Americans released last month by the Pew Research Center, based in Washington.

Pew pollsters found Muslim Americans to be a diverse group that has integrated into the larger society, become mostly contented with their lives here and formed moderate opinions on many religious and cultural issues. Researchers say the 108-page report, "Muslim Americans: Middle Class and Mainstream," is the country's first major study of adherents of the Islamic faith.