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

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Donald Trump's first term as the 45th President of the United States of America has shocked the world. His attitudes towards Islam became a key point of contention on the campaign trail, and in power Trump has continued his war of divisive words and deeds. Here, acclaimed journalist Lawrence Pintak scrutinizes America's relationship with Islam since its foundation. Casting Donald Trump as a symptom of decades of misunderstanding and demonization of the Islamic world, as well as a cause of future tensions, Pintak shows how and why America's relationship with the world's largest religion has been so fractious, damaging and self-defeating.

Featuring unique interviews with victims and perpetrators of Trump's policies, as well as analysis of the media's role in inflaming debate, America & Islam provides a complete guide to the twin challenges of terrorism and the polarizing rhetoric that fuels it, sketching out a future based on co-operation and the reassertion of democratic values.

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 journalist and scholar who has written about Americas complex relationship with Islam since 1980. He was the founding dean of The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University (2009-2016) and was named a Fellow of the Society of Professional Journalists in 2017 for outstanding service to the profession of journalism around the world.

A former CBS News Middle East correspondent with a PhD in Islamic Studies, Pintak been called the foremost chronicler of the interaction between Arab and Western media. He has won two Overseas Press Club awards and was twice nominated for international Emmys. Prior to WSU, Pintak served as director of the Kamal Adham Center for Journalism Training and Research at The American University in Cairo.

He is the host of The Murrow Interview, a series of broadcast conversations with leading figures in international affairs and global journalism and was founding publisher of the online journal Arab Media & Society. His work appears in The New York Times, ForeignPolicy.com, CNN.com, the International Herald Tribune, The Seattle Times and a variety of other publications and he is frequently interviewed by NPR, CNN, Al Jazeera English, BBC and news organizations around the world.

His books include Islam for Journalists (co-editor, 2014); The New Arab Journalist (2011); Reflections in a Bloodshot Lens: America, Islam & the War of Ideas (2006); Seeds of Hate: How Americas Flawed Middle East Policy Ignited the Jihad (2003); and Beirut Outtakes (1988). He holds a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Wales.