America & Islam: Soundbites, Suicide Bombs and the Road to Donald Trump

(Paperback)

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FINALIST, RELIGION NEWS ASSOCIATION EXCELLENCE IN RELIGION REPORTING BOOK AWARD

Donald Trumps weaponization of Islamophobia in his first campaign for U.S. president shocked the world. Yet his promise to end the Gaza war rallied many American Muslims to his side in the 2024 election. Here, acclaimed journalist Lawrence Pintak argues that Trump is a symptom of Americas fractious and contradictory relationship with Islam that stretches back centuries.

Reviews

Insightful, well-written, challenging. Pintak is both a globe-trotting journalist and a distinguished scholar. He's not afraid to challenge assumptions, group-think, and the powerful. -- Dan Rather, former anchor, The CBS Evening News
Lawrence Pintaks America & Islam provides a valuable roadmap to what he calls the dark side of Americas long relationship with the world of Islam. It provides rare access to an impressive range of Muslim voices, while addressing one of the central questions of the American experience: How did we get where we are today We ignore Pintaks findings at our peril. * Jonathan Lyons, author of Islam through Western Eyes: From the Crusades to the War on Terrorism *
In America and Islam, Lawrence Pintak presents a clear-eyed view of the fraught relationship between America and the Muslim world. Numerous American politicians seem eager to make enemies of the global Islamic community, relying on ignorance and mendacity to make their case. Pintak relies instead on the facts and first-hand reporting essential to understanding the realities of Islam. This is a timely and valuable book. * Philip Seib, University of Southern California. Author of The Future of #Diplomacy. *
In this thoughtful and well researched book, Pintak takes a close look at why a deep misunderstanding of Islam still persists in America. The result is an honest, fair, clear and timely appraisal in which Pintak deftly avoids the temptation to simplify or patronize the complex dynamics at play in Islam today. * Clarissa Ward, CNN chief international correspondent *
In this well-timed intervention, Pintak draws on decades of experience to deliver a sharply observed, critical tour of Americas problematic political debate about Islam. Expertly tracing the passage of extreme views of Islam from the margins to Trumps White House, America & Islam offers an important guide for the media, politicians and the public. * Marc Lynch, The George Washington University. Author, The New Arab Wars *
For many years, Larry Pintak has used his unique blend of scholarly exactitude, deep area knowledge and the accessibility and clarity of a seasoned foreign correspondent to illuminate the bewildering array of events that cascade from the broader Middle East. Now, he broadens his aperture to view the interaction between the United States and Islam. His unblinking focus on open bigotry toward almost two billion people and the distortion of the religion they follow will not make you comfortable. But it may make you understand that words count and that the current poisoned discourse is doing grave damage to international security and our own social fabric. America has a long history of adopting morally wrong and strategically dangerous policies, and then correcting course. Pintak shines light on the dangers and then shows a way forward. May we be wise enough to take it. * Ryan Crocker, former U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan, Lebanon and Kuwait *
This is an impressive and must-read treatise debunking Trumps racist and Islamophobic politics. Building upon a deep, decades-long knowledge of American and Middle Eastern affairs, and far from being apologetic, Pintak dismantles Americas Far-Right destructive narratives on Muslims and Islam in the U.S. and abroad, and brings back sanity to a volatile debate. * Khaled Hroub, Professor of Middle Eastern and Arab Media Studies, Northwestern University/Qatar *

Author Bio

Lawrence Pintak is an award-winning former CBS News Middle East correspondent and founding dean of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University. He is the author of seven books at the intersection of religion, media and policy and holds a PhD in Islamic Studies.