Not long after the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, the First Amendment to the Constitution was adopted. It states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
In examining the foundational values upon which our nation was established, we find that, at its core, the life that brought the pioneers to America in search of democracy and religious freedom contains aspirations and ideals that Muslims can accept, identify with and share with other Americans.
Both the religion of Al-Islam and America started with freedom of religion as the first right. Therefore, the religion of Al-Islam has a natural relationship with American philosophy and with the spirit that is found in the U.S. Constitution.
The First Amendment is rooted in the fact that from the very beginning there was the fight for religious freedom followed by the fight for all of the other freedoms. Realizing that mankind was created to have independence and freedom of worship, Pilgrims came to these lands because they were persecuted and couldn’t exercise their religious rights in Europe.