Claiming that as result of increased terrorist activities globally in the early 2000s, specifically the Bali bombing, the government imposed a strict ban on residents of 23 nations from entering their territory without explicit permission from the island’s attorney general’s office.

Dawah is an Arabic word traditionally meaning to invite individuals and communities to come "back to God", however in the 20th century it has become the foundation for a number of social, political and cultural activities worldwide.

[9] The growing globalisation of the world has also “facilitated interest in religious alternatives” such as Islam in many South Pacific nations including American Samoa.

[10] Islamic missionary activity has been conducted in the South Pacific since the 1970s and has resulted in a “small but steady stream of local converts” due to the conditions of an increasingly globalised world.

[11] The first convert joined Islam in 1985 in neighboring Western Samoa, as a result of Muslim immigrants from abroad sharing their beliefs with the local people.

[13] The first President of RISEAP, Tunku Abdul Rahman, stated their mission to encourage Muslims to continue their religious pursuits in the Pacific nations where they are minorities.

[18] In December 2002, action was taken to ban nationals from 23 countries from entering American Samoa without explicit approval from Fiti Sunia, the territory’s attorney general’s office.

[5] As a part of this regulation, any visitor to the islands with a Middle Eastern appearance or Muslim sounding name received thorough examination before arrival and could be refused entry altogether.

[2] This decision was enforced after Governor Tauese Sunia claimed that a credible security threat was made, speculating that American Samoa could be targeted for terrorist activities because of its status as a US territory.

[5] The action to ban these nations was put in place because officials claimed they did not have the supplies to manage and enforce “anything less sweeping and make it effective”.

[19] It is widely believed that this sweeping action by American Samoan officials was prompted by the Bali bombing, an explosion which killed 202 people, organized and carried out by a terrorist organisation named Jemaah Islamiya and occurring two months prior to the decision in October 2002.

[28] Several Christian groups have also attempted to influence the government and the populace in general to support restricting the practice of Islam in the territory or even ban it outright.