"Mystics, Modernists, and Literalists"

Biographical

Akbar Ahmed is a professor in American University’s School of International Service in Washington, D.C.

Ahmed is on the advisory board of Muslims for America. His biography is available on the organization’s Web site.

Cultural

Ahmed's essay was part of a Wall Street Journal forum titled, A Symposium: What Is Moderate Islam? Six prominent thinkers weighed in on this question.

Listen to Jon Stewart interview Ahmed on The Daily Show. Ahmed discusses issues facing Muslims in America, including the vision of religious tolerance America's forefathers embraced.

Islamoc.co is Ahmed's Web site relating to his books, Journey into America and Journey into Islam. The site's purpose is to further discussion and increase understanding of Islam in America.

The trailer for the film version of Journey into America provides an overview of Ahmed’s project.

View photos of Ahmed's journey.

"If your religious beliefs are in conflict with the law, which takes precedence?" This question is posed in the Journey into America questionnaire. Read about respondents' answers.

Ahmed is a poet in addition to his other roles and talents. His book of poetry, Suspended Somewhere Between, is the subject of "Poetry, faith, and the Muslim soul," an article by Frankie Martin in The Washington Post.

Ahmed is influenced by the works and thought of Rumi, a 13^th century Sufi poet.

Bibliographical

Ahmed writes in further depth about modernist Islam in his article "Inside America's Mosques" for Foreign Policy magazine.

In its "On Faith" section, The Washington Post has archived several essays by Ahmed.

Politics and Prose Bookstore in Washington, D.C., hosted Akbar Ahmed to speak about Journey into America.Ahmed's detailed talk about his project provides an in-depth look at his project and views.

Selected additional articles by Akbar Ahmed are available on the Islam for Today Web site.

Ahmed speaks about U.S. Muslims in a U.S. Catholic interview.

In this article in The Guardian, Ahmed places Islam within the context of the principles of America’s founders. Ahmed believes it is urgent for Americans to understand Islam.