American Crescent: A Muslim Cleric on the Power of His Faith, the Struggle Against Prejudice, and the Future of Islam and America (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Brad Crawford (Author)
Key Phrases: sacred journey, secret evidence, American Crescent, Prophet Muhammad, Imam Ali (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In this inspiring narrative, one of this country’s most important Muslim leaders reveals the story of his life and his faith, and why Islam is good for America. As the religious leader of the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, Michigan, Imam Hassan Qazwini serves the largest Muslim congregation in the United States. His dramatic journey to these shores began in 1971, when his father’s anti-Baathist views forced his family to flee from Saddam’s Iraq to Kuwait and then to war-torn Iran. Then, in 1992, with his father’s blessing, he left for the United States, a place where young Muslims were seeking spiritual guidance and where his children could grow up in the peace Qazwini had been denied.

First in California and then in Michigan, Qazwini saw a shocking new world in which leaders were openly mocked, women’s bodies were on display in public, and Christian symbols were disparaged without consequence. He also saw a land in which the lack of a common faith necessitated a great effort to create a shared community. By counseling American Muslims–and sharing his religion with those of other beliefs–he came to feel at home in the country he already loved, and he became a trusted advisor to local and national politicians.

Then, after 9/11, Osama bin Laden gave him “a new full-time job.”
American Crescent vividly describes Qazwini’s efforts to show Americans how those who destroyed the World Trade Center had hijacked Islam as well, and that most Muslims were appalled by their actions. Yet he also takes the Bush administration to task for championing the prejudicial Patriot Act (after Muslims supported George W. Bush in the 2000 election) and deplores its conduct in the Iraq War.

Throughout American Crescent, Qazwini offers a revelatory look at the tenets and history of Islam, defending it as a faith of peace and diversity, and challenging stereotypes and misconceptions promulgated by the media. Iran, he points out, has a higher percentage of women in its parliament than the United States does in both houses of Congress. “If you want to learn about Islam,” he writes, “turn off the TV.”

At once a fascinating personal story and a heartfelt plea to integrate Islamic teachings into the tolerant traditions of America, this book is an important contribution to our understanding of all those who live among us, at a time when it matters most.

About the Author

Imam Hassan Qazwini is descended from seven generations of prestigious Islamic scholars. He was born in Karbala, Iraq, in 1964 and moved to the United States in 1992. He serves as the spiritual leader of the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, Michigan, regularly meets with presidents and other politicians, and has appeared on CNN, NPR, and the BBC and in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, the Detroit Free Press, The Detroit News, and a wide range of other media outlets.

Brad Crawford, the co-author of American Crescent, is the author of Compass American Guides: Ohio and the co-author of My Sister Is Missing: Bringing a Killer to Justice. A graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, he freelances full-time from Cincinnati, Ohio. His website is www.bradcrawford.net.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Random House (October 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400064546
• ISBN-13: 978-1400064540
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #715,632 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Immigrant's Tale, October 21, 2007

By	Marcello - See all my reviews

For many Americans, Muslims are a mysterious abstraction. Imam Qazwini's "American Crescent" helps to personalize and humanize the Muslim story by offering a well-written, accessible and engaging account of his family's journey through the centuries, from the shores of the Caspian sea to the shores of America. And what's most intriguing is how much Qazwini's story resembles those of so many other immigrants to America. Switch around some names and places and this book could easily be telling the story of an Irish, German, or Chinese immigrant.

Needless to say, Imam Qazwini is a far cry from the crazed stereotypes promoted by some anti-Muslim authors, commentators and religious leaders. Qazwini is nothing if not reasonable -- he's probably too conservative on some social issues for some liberals, and too strident on some foreign policy issues for some conservatives. In many ways, he most closely resembles a typical midwestern American. And his story is a welcome addition to the story of Islam, and to the story of America.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Muslims and the American Dream, November 18, 2007

By	B. Thomas McCloskey (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I highly recommend this book for insights into Islam and how it relates to the American Dream. Imam Qazwini comes from a long line of Imams and his father currently serves a very famous mosque in Iraq in Karbala. The Imam tells a fascinating story of being a Shiite Muslim whose family spent time in Kuwait and Iran while Sadam Hussein had them on an "enemies list." They end up in California where he struggles to learn English and adapt to the American way. Later he is called to head a community in Dearborn MI where in a relatively short time he has built up an amazing Islamic Center which responds to the needs of families with a variety of outreach programs, with a particular focus on the youth.

He has been recognized by President Bush as a leader of "moderate Arabs" in this country and he gives some background as to how he and his colleagues have responded to the current war in Iraq and the Patriot Act. He has spoken to a variety of groups across Michigan in the "post-9-11 era" trying to explain that terrorists have "hijacked" a religion which does not have violence as a founding principle.

This book makes a good companion peace to Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf's "What Right With Islam Is What's Right With America." The latter is a Sufi Muslim with a storefront mosque a few blocks from the World Trade Center in NY who has served extensively as an ambassador of his faith to the American public since 9/11. Both Imams return to basic principles of Mohammed and contend that there are many things in his teachings and that of Islam that are completely compatible with American institutions and practices. They give some context to the history of Islam as it has evolved over time and in different cultures. Both would agree that the radical "Wahhabist version of Islam" coming from Saudi Arabia has done much to isolate it from the development of western civilization and portray it as the "enemy of the people" among civilized nations.
Qazwini's story is a very important voice in the immigrant experience of America and it shines a bright light on issues that are vital to our growth as a nation.

Do yourself a favor and read this fascinating and timely story.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A much needed voice in America, December 7, 2007

By	Joffer H. Hakim "jhakim" (Franklin, Michigan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Imam Qazwini's book "American Crescent" is a much needed voice in America. Through the story of his life, he is able to relate to readers the importance of his faith and how his faith has shaped his life. Serving as the Imam of the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn Michigan, arguably the largest Mosque in America, has given Imam Qazwini a prominent position in which to spread his message of tolerance and understanding. His book promotes those two ideals without fail. Imam Qazwini shows how you can be unabashedly American without sacrificing his Muslim faith or ideals. He reminds us that America is built on the concept of religious freedom, and is one of the reasons that America is the greatest country on Earth.

From his humble beginnings to his having to flee Saddam Hussein's tyrannical reign in Iraq to his landing in Southern California to his becoming the leader of a huge congregation in Dearborn, this book will captivate you and hold your interest. You will find yourself relating your life to his, regardless if you are Muslim or not. Once I started reading it, I was unable to put it down. I look forward to reading it again and again.

If people are genuinely interested in understanding Islam and how a Muslim lives his life in this country, this is the book to read. The Islam depicted on television is as foreign to Muslims as it is to non-muslims. Real Islam, as practiced by Imam Qazwini, is beautifully illustrated in his book. I recommend this book without reservation.