Inside American Islam

Top Islam expert Akbar Ahmed just visited one hundred mosques in America. We get his report.

It’s been a head-spinning couple of months for American Muslims. After quiet centuries in the country, and years of post-9.11 life that were sometimes tense but overall peaceful, suddenly Muslims in America are confronted with headlines and attitudes shouting “Islamophobia."

That’s tough to take for citizens who have quietly weathered some tough years of war and strain. Very tough.

We look at Americans, Muslim Americans, in the storm.  We hear from the leader of a team that’s visited a hundred mosques around the country and ask – what next?
-Tom Ashbrook
Guests:

Akbar Ahmed, professor of Islamic Studies at American University's School of International Service. He traveled with a team to some 100 mosques in America. The result is chronicled in his new book, "Journey Into America: The Challenge of Islam." You can read an excerpt.

Resa Aslan, author of "No god But God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam" and a contributing editor for The Daily Beast. Read his latest piece there, "The Charlatans Have Taken Over 9/11."

Post-program note:

If you are interested in finding out more about Prof. Ahmed’s notion that there are three basic identities that define American society — primordial, pluralist, and predator, or what he calls the three “p’s" — we recommend reading his piece at the Huffington Post on these ideas.