I’m sure that the new novel, Prayers for the Assassin, was written to increase understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims, and in no way takes advantage of the fears of (non-Muslim) Americans:

The year is 2040. New York and Washington, D.C., are nuclear wastelands. Chicago is abandoned, and Phoenix is the site of a civil war battle. The nation is divided between an Islamic republic across the North, and the Christian Bible Belt in the old South. Alcohol is outlawed, replaced by Jihad Cola, and mosques dot the skyline. Veiled women hurry through the streets. Freedom is controlled by the state, paranoia rules, and rebels plot to regain free will.

Okay, ending sarcasm now. If nothing else, the map is very entertaining, with the “Nevada Free State” and “Mormon Territories.” I’m curious to see how the novel’s portrayal of the Bible Belt (which I’m guessing is a religious state) differs from that of the Islamic States of America.

By contrast, here’s a couple of links that hopefully offer an antidote to some of the polarizing media stereotypes of Muslims and misunderunderstandings of Islam:

Beliefnet quiz about Islam: see how much you know about Islam. The quiz is focused mainly on beliefs, which is a start, but there are important social and political stereotypes that prevail as well. For example, most Americans are probably unaware that only 20% of the world’s Muslims are Arabs. If you take the quiz, I’m curious to know how you scored and what you learned.

Islam is the West: an insightful and well-written article that challenges the idea that the West and Islam are engaged in a “clash of civilizations.” It argues that the relationship is much more complex and that thinking of this relationship in such polarizing terms will only destroy any opportunity we have to build on our shared past.