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Paul M. Barrett's well-wrought and engaging new book, American Islam, seeks to change perceptions by providing an intimate group portrait of Muslim Americans as they struggle to combat the threats, prejudices and stereotypes that have dogged them since 9/11. Barrett, a longtime Wall Street Journal reporter who's now at BusinessWeek, uses his journalistic skills to insinuate himself into the lives of his subjects -- no easy task in a time of heightened suspicions.-- Review: Being a Muslim American ( Feb. 18, 2007).

Paul Barrett, author of "American Islam: The Struggle for the Soul of a Religion," was online to field questions and comments about his book.

The transcript follows.

Formerly a reporter at Wall Street Journal, Paul Barrett is an editor at BusinessWeek.

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Wheaton, Md.: Do you consider Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist organizations?

Paul Barrett: In a word, yes. Those organizations are other things as well (e.g. political movements, social service agencies) but they have been responsible for horrific terrorist attacks on civilians.

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Oslo, Norway: We keep hearing how mainstream Muslims do not support terrorism but never see these mainstream Muslims publicly speaking out against terrorism. Can you explain this?

Paul Barrett: Mainstream Muslim organizations such as the Islamic Society of North American repeatedly have condemned terrorism. In the past, some of these statements have been qualified because Muslims are hesitant to be seen condemning Hamas and Hezbollah. Since the London bombings of 2005, ISNA and other American Muslim groups have issued statements that are more blunt -- a welcome if somewhat belated development.

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Monroe, Mich.: Now that Louis Farrakhan's health is in decline, do you foresee the Nation of Islam casting off its race-based version of Islam in favor of a more moderate and mainstream Sunni ideology? Wallace D. Muhammad broke from the NOI for that purpose following the death of his father Elijah Muhammad. Do you have any insight on the next generation of NOI leadership? Do you foresee another split after Farrakhan's death?

Paul Barrett: Good question. I think the more likely development is that the Nation of Islam will continue to dwindle in numbers and influence until it is irrelevant. This process is already well under way, as African-American Muslims increasingly move toward conventional Islam.

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Zurich, Switzerland: There was a book out last year called While Europe Slept about Muslims in Europe. Now, I work in Europe as a journalist and travel a lot and the place described in the book was unrecognizable to me. It struck me as ... I don't want to use the word racist, but at best, xenophobic fear mongering. The equivalent of if one looked at disenfranchisement in Latino and African-American ghettos in the U.S. -- far worse than anything in Europe -- and extrapolated from that the end of American civilization. I found it repellant and thought it fed two prejudices at once, the first against Muslims and the second against Europeans! In the course of your research, what did American Muslims have to say about xenophobia directed against them? Did any allude to the issue of such alarmists as the author of that book?

Paul Barrett: American Muslims do face prejudice. Opinion polls show that significant portions of non-Muslim Americans say they'd prefer not to live next door to a Muslim, or think that Muslims should have to carry special security identification. That said, most of the Muslims I interviewed here understand they are better off and better integrated into mainstream society than Muslims in Europe. I think it's important not to confuse the situations in Europe and the U.S. -- they are quite different.

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Lexington, Ky.: Do you offer any plans for combating radical Islam within the U.S.? What is being done to counter the extremists?

Paul Barrett: The first and most important line of defense against radicalism within American Islam is American Muslims. I discuss this at length in my book. The chapter "The Activist" is about a Muslim immigrant who travels to the radical fringe (in Knoxville, Tenn., of all places) and then is brought back to his senses by fellow Muslims, who browbeat him into seeing that his view of the religion and American society are flawed. Such debates and conflicts are happening throughout American Islam, as suggested by my subtitle, "The Struggle for the Soul of a Religion."

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Oakton, Va: This may be off-topic, but can you explain the difference between a Sunni Muslim and a Shi'ite Muslim? Is it tribal backgrounds or a different sect; like the difference between a Baptist and a Lutheran?

Paul Barrett: That's not off-topic at all. The division began early in Islamic history in conflict over the succession to Muslim leadership after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. The majority Sunni determined that subsequent leaders should be chosen from among the Prophet's companions and later from other prominent Muslims. A much smaller group threw their allegiance to the blood relatives of the Prophet, saying only such descendants of Muhammad could be rightful inheritors of his role. Bloodshed ensued. Down through the ages the rivalry intensified as Shiites complained of being oppressed by the majority Sunni, and Sunni accused Shiites of developing a cultish and illegitimate version of the religion. Today doctrinal and ritual differences persist, but the animosity has taken on a "tribal" nature, to use your word, in some parts of the world. In the U.S. there is certainly some tension between Sunni and Shiite, but it generally doesn't take a violent form and many American Muslims manage to maintain civil relations across the sectarian divide. Sunni and Shiite have more cause to cooperate in the U.S. as immigrants and members of a religion minority than they have reason to feud.

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Islamophobia: Just a comment about the fact it makes me mad. I'm the son of an Irish immigrant who saw T-shirts celebrating the Irish Republican Army sold at Irish festivals in the early 1990s. It sickened me and I said as much to the vendors. I think of that when I read about people demanding Muslim organizations condemn terrorism. No one, as best as I can remember, ever made similar demands of Irish-American organizations during The Troubles.

Paul Barrett: This comment is well worth considering, in my view. I don't have much to add.

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Harrisburg, Pa.: Do recent converts to Islam, especially within the African-American community, integrate well with people born into Islamic culture and who are from or descend from Islamic countries? How well do these various Islamic factions recognize and appreciate the workings of the other factions?

Paul Barrett: Good question. There's a lot of tension between African-American and immigrant Muslims. Historically immigrants have viewed black Muslims as illegitimate, in part because of their association with the Nation of Islam, a group that followed a quasi-Islamic theology mixed with science fiction and racial separatism. But even as many American blacks have moved away from the NOI some prejudice has persisted, much to the frustration of African-Americans, who resent the bias for obvious reasons. Economics plays a role, too -- immigrant Muslims as a group are very prosperous, well-educated, and able to operate in mainstream American life. African-American Muslims as a group are much less well-off. This discrepancy generates resentment in both directions. There has been some progress in bridging this gap in some places, but the gap persists.

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Minneapolis: Does the U.S. have any intelligence-gathering inside of U.S. mosques or other Muslim centers, so that we would know about clerics advocating violence?

Paul Barrett: Yes, the FBI monitors what is said in some American mosques, as has become clear from investigations that subsequently become public. The breadth of this monitoring isn't clear to me.

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Chevy Chase, Md.: Why do some mosques in the U.S. appear to be growing more conservative, or even fundamentalist, on such issues as the status of women?

Paul Barrett: New immigrants sometimes bring with them ideas originating in the broad fundamentalist revival that has swept the predominantly Muslim world in recent decades. These ideas also are conveyed via literature published in the Persian Gulf and via imams trained in that region. When these fundamentalist ideas collide with the views of Muslims already well settled in this country, division frequently results. This too is part of "The Struggle for the Soul of a Religion," as my book title puts it.

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Warrenton, Va.: Part of the problem with American Muslims is that the U.S. has a "melting pot" ideology -- we welcome a lot of immigrants, but we expect them to accept and assimilate to our dominant culture and values. Many Muslims appear not to do this because of all the head coverings, lack of makeup, etc. This has been an increasing problem in recent years with immigrants in general -- a perceived lack of assimilation into American culture and hence a greater suspicion and distrust of immigrant groups. Immigrants to America in the early 20th century were much more assimilation-conscious.

Paul Barrett: I'd differ a bit and point out that in almost every generation there has been tremendous concern that the present decade's new arrivals will never fit in. Take a look at photos of the Lower East Side of New York from the turn of the 20th Century -- the images look like they're from an Eastern European schtetl. How will these strange people ever assimilate, American Christians wondered. How will the Catholics, with their allegiance to the Pope in the Vatican, ever become "real Americans"? Well, the Jews sent their children to college and assimilated quite nicely -- as did the Catholics -- without necessarily giving up their religious attachments, though some did move toward secularism. I think we need to be patient and see where Muslims end up over time. Many of them already are more assimilated than you might think. As a group they're better educated and more prosperous than Americans generally.

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Alexandria, Va.: My experience with Muslims have been great. I visited Egypt, I studied Arabic and Muslims were wonderful to talk with. I visited a Virginia Mosque and was treated with respect. Whenever I travel, like at airports, I seek out Arabic Muslims to speak with and they invariably are glad to speak with you and they will help also with their language. In September I went to an Muslim Iftar at the end of Ramadan at the House of Representatives and it was delightful. This is from a non-Muslim, a Catholic.

Paul Barrett: As Americans get to know Muslims better, more people will have experiences like yours, although it sounds like you deserve special applause for serving as a one-person diplomatic mission!

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Merritt Island, Fla.: A large number of Black American Muslims converted to Islam while imprisoned, the most famous of whom was Malcolm X. Unfortunately many of these groups are extremist Black nationalist Muslims, i.e. Nation of Islam. Has the Bureau of Prisons made any effort to bring in more moderate Muslim Imams to counterbalance the extremist and nationalist ideology of prison-based Imams?

Paul Barrett: The Bureau of Prisons, and state prison systems, have belatedly realized that they have allowed militant Muslim prison chaplains to operate within their institutions. My reporting revealed that in years past, many prison officials turned a blind eye to the activities and rhetoric of dubious prison chaplains -- more out of laziness than any affirmative desire to encourage the chaplains. Wardens simply wanted to cross off one of their problems and assumed that if inmates were at Muslims services or in Islamic classes, they were accounted for. Since I first wrote about this problem in 2003 for The Wall Street Journal, more attention has been paid. Some chaplains have been fired or eased out. The inspector general of the Dept. of Justice (which oversees the Bureau of Prisons) has issued a report confirming and elaborating on some of the problems I reported. I think there is more vigilance today but the issue deserves continued attention. Having said all that, I want to stress that for many inmates, probably the vast majority, religion is a constructive influence in prison and after release -- Islam can and does play a constructive role in the reconstruction of broken lives.

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Minot, N.D.: Do you believe the Bush Administration's policies, statements and actions have contributed to anti-Muslim sentiment in America?

Paul Barrett: Mistakes, as the politicians say, have been made. In my book, I discuss the following:

After justifiable investigations, prosecutors have brought cases to court that didn't deserve to be put in front of juries. Vast programs aimed at interrogating, and in many cases deporting, Muslims have not led to significant terrorist catches. Our law enforcement authorities need to be vigilant but far more sophisticated and selective in how they monitor for threats. One side effect of the hyping of peripheral cases has been exacerbation of anti-Muslim attitudes, I believe. I can't prove that but it seems logical. Equally and possibly more important, the Bush administration's silence in the face of anti-Muslim statements by conservative radio figures and certain evangelists on the Christian right almost certainly has encouraged those preachers and media types to express bigotry, which has been picked up by their listeners.

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Ypsilanti, Mich.: Who is viewed as the most respected Sunni or Shiite Muslim scholar and/or Imam in the United States? Have they issued any statements or fatwas to repudiate al-Qaeda's ideology?

Paul Barrett: Islam is decentralized to an extreme degree. There is no one scholar or even group of scholars who could be described in the terms you suggest. However, organizations such as the Islamic Society of North America (and its affiliates) have issued broad statements denouncing terrorism and the acts of al-Qaeda. These statements often rely on fatwa, or religious rulings.

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Monroe, Mich.: Jewish Americans have substantial political representation in the United States. With the controversial comments directed at Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) and his swearing in with Thomas Jefferon's Quran, as well as the misinformation concerning Barack Obama's elementary schooling, do you really believe Muslim Americans will ever yield the political power of their Jewish counterparts?

Paul Barrett: I'm not sure whether Muslims ever will equal Jews in terms of political influence, but I'm quite confident Rep. Ellison will not be the only Muslim elected to Congress. We will see many more Muslim politicians rising through the ranks in coming decades. In states like Michigan Muslims are already a potent political force. Muslim votes in Florida helped elect George W. Bush in 2000, after Bush courted those votes very specifically.

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Ann Arbor, Mich.: There have been numerous arrests of American Muslims, many of which have been tossed out by the courts. Why do you think the extremist jihadi ideology has not taken hold in the American Muslim community? I find it quite remarkable and admirable that American Muslims seem to have resisted the jihadis' call to arms.

Paul Barrett: Some arrests have led to busted cases, as you suggest, others to deportations. In an earlier answer, I pointed out that the Justice Dept. has hyped a number of questionable prosecutions. Some investigations, however, have led to convictions. It's not legal to seek training in militant camps in Afghanistan or Pakistan, or to make plans to blow up bridges or subway stations in this country -- and I think most Americans would support the investigation and prosecution of such acts. But your observation is correct that the vast majority of American Muslims have resisted the jihadi call to arms.

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Washington: For the record, there are Muslims fighting against terror: Out of the 1.4 million service men and women serving actively in the American military, an estimated 3,700 are Muslim, according to the Department of Defense.

Paul Barrett: I haven't reported that number myself, but certainly there are Muslims in the military, as there are Muslims in law enforcement and most other branches of government.

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Philadelphia: What is military life like for Islamics who join our armed forces? Do they feel any prejudice among their fellow soldiers?

Paul Barrett: The experiences of Muslims in the military varies, as do the experiences of American Muslims generally. There is no one answer. Many Muslim soldier and sailors have had to endure some degree of prejudice from ignorant colleagues, according to interviews I've conducted. But the majority of Muslim military personnel don't regret their service and see it in much the same light that other Americans view such service. They are patriots.

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Huntsville, Ala.: I apologize that I have not read your book yet, which I believe you "wrote" but did not "wrought." Does it address issues of Muslims attempting to impose their religous beliefs on others -- as in the Minneapolis airport case? Does it address Muslim's attacking Jewish centers, or running over people at UNC or in Nashville? Not many Jewish or Irish-Catholics immigrants were killing their fellow countrymen in 1900 in the name of their religions.

Paul Barrett: My book addresses the sort of extremism you allude to, and I encourage you to buy it and read it (sorry for the self-serving plug). Jews haven't been a source of much violence in the U.S., but feuds among Christians certainly have flared into bloody confrontations at certain moments. Abortion clinic bombings also come to mind in this context.

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New York: The American Muslims I know are patriotic and believe in America. I'm not so sure about the Imams, many are trained abroad and carry the hate and misogyny of radical Wahabbi Islam. When will American Muslims stand up to the ignorance and hatred in their own faith?

Paul Barrett: Several chapters of my book describe conflicts within American Islam -- concerning attitudes toward religiously inspired violence, for example ("The Scholar") -- of just the sort you suggest. The problem of foreign-trained imams importing unsavory attitudes is one Muslims are struggling with, but Muslims are only now beginning to train imams in this country. Developing a native-born clergy could take decades.

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Fairfax Va: I am a reasonably well-traveled person, having spent much time in Europe, Mexico and Morocco, and I've thought of myself as being open-minded to all people and their beliefs. It is with great discomfort, therefore, that I realize that I am now harboring prejudicial thoughts against Muslims which I would never have believed of myself not too many years ago.

I can't help but think that there is something fundamentally wrong with a religion which teaches that the God in whom they believe actively calls for the death of people who don't believe as they do. In other words, I'm an infidel and could be killed for no other reason? I cannot comprehend why anyone would want to believe in a God who has such a message. I know that hundreds of year ago, Christianity did some pretty awful things in the name of God, but hasn't the Muslim civilization progressed beyond that time?

And let's not even talk about the 40 virgins. (I wonder what Muslim women look forward to. Maybe being freed of Muslim men?)

Paul Barrett: The only response I can offer in this medium is this: All religions and holy texts can be -- and have been -- interpreted in unsavory ways. In my chapter "The Scholar" I discuss different approaches to interpreting the Islamic tradition. There are approaches that will seem very appealing to non-Muslims, and others that are distinctly less appealing.

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Ann Arbor, Mich.: Are there any books or authors you would recommend to people seeking a better understanding of Islam?

Paul Barrett: I strongly urge you to read the work of Khaled Abou El Fadl, the subject of the chapter of my book called "The Scholar."

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Bowie, Md.: I look forward to reading your book. Will you be traveling for book signings in the D.C. area?

Paul Barrett: I did a reading at Politics & Prose on Jan. 29. Sorry you missed that. But C-SPAN recorded and broadcast it recently. I believe you can dig that out from the Internet. Thanks for your interest! I hope you enjoy the book.

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Arlington, Va.: I know three Muslim immigrants pretty well -- an Afgani office colleague (woman), an Iranian woman friend and an Egyptian male friend. The only outward sign of their religion is possibly not drinking alcohol nor eating pork. They all seem perfectly American to me. The one distinguishing characteristic between them all is that they do not pass judgment on the behavior of others. We have mutual friends who drink heavily, are secular, are Jewish, are gay etc and none of that seems to be a problem. As long as people are like that, it doesn't really matter what they believe in, does it ?

Paul Barrett: This sounds like one snapshot from a promising collage.

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Nokesville, Va: When we discuss combating "stereotypes" of Muslims, would you disagree with evangelical Christians who argue that one thing Islam is not about is tolerance of other religious points of view. Is it in some way hypocritical of Muslims to expect great freedom of religion/respect for their religion when many Islamic countries show no tolerance for Christianity or other faiths?

Paul Barrett: There are Muslims who are quite tolerant of adherents of other religions. You can meet some of them in my book (see chapters "The Scholar," "The Mystics"). There are also Muslims who are intolerant ("The Webmaster"). There are Muslims who once were intolerant and now are much more tolerant ("The Activist"). It's a complex picture.

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Pittsburgh, Pa: I understand that Sufism has more popular appeal the United States than it does in many other places in the world. Did you encounter any Sufism in your research? If so, how did they seem situated within America's current animosity toward Islam?

Paul Barrett: I devoted an entire chapter to Sufism ("The Mystics"). The Sufis I met were notable for their ecumenical outlook.

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Washington: Do you think Americans as a group will ever truly understand Islam, or at least show more tolerant attitudes towards Muslims? As a young Muslim American, I am discouraged by how prevalent Islamophobia is in public, political, and private realms. Will this be a lingering effect of the 9/11 era?

Paul Barrett: At one time many Jews and Catholics (not to mention blacks, gays, and others) have asked similar questions. I think Muslims will -- and already are -- finding their place in American society. That is not to deny the pessimism you feel. But I think there also is reason for hope. As Americans get to know Muslims, Islamophobia tends to diminish.

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Paul Barrett: I've enjoyed this chat. A lot of terrific questions. Many thanks to those who took the time to weigh in. Best regards, Paul Barrett.

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