Jonah Blank

Jonah Blank is a writer for U.S. News & World Report. In the following viewpoint, he argues that most followers of Islam—called Muslims—are not terrorists or extremists. On the contrary, Blank maintains, Muslims living in the United States tend to be political moderates who embrace American values. According to Blank, those who follow Islam—the second-most commonly practiced religion in the United States—are not all Arabs, as many believe, but also include native-born blacks and immigrants from South Asia.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Blank, how many of America’s Muslims are of West European background?
2. Why do many mainstream Muslim leaders want to distance themselves from the doctrines of Louis Farrakhan, according to the author?
3. When does anti-Muslim violence tend to...