Dear Journalist,

“All Muslims are terrorists.” While clearly a stereotype, many Americans are convinced it’s true. Just as some also believe that Muslims silently approved of 9/11 and are against the War on Terror, that Muslims pray to a different God than Christians and Jews, and that Islam oppresses women. Misconceptions abound. In her new book, WHY I AM A MUSLIM: AN AMERICAN ODYSSEY (Thorsons Element, March 2004), attorney and practicing Muslim Asma Gull Hasan distinguishes the facts from the myths. She explains how the Qur’an and the core values of American society are strikingly similar, and why she, and more than a billion people in the world (seven million in America alone), are Muslim.

Part memoir, part guide, WHY I AM A MUSLIM presents Islam as it is seldom seen on the evening news. Asma Hasan puts a fresh face on Islam, and rebuts the terrorist image of Muslims perpetuated by Osama bin Laden, Al Jazeera, and the fear-mongers. Her hope – that non-Muslims will appreciate Islam as a religion of peace, and understand that Muslims are not the enemy after all.

A first generation American, Asma Hasan says that to her, being a Muslim is not merely a matter of birth, but a matter of choice. Born in Chicago of Pakistani parents, Asma was raised in Colorado , where she attended Catholic school. She graduated from Groton and Wellesley , and studied law at NYU. Asma considers herself an all-American girl, and she looks the part. What differentiates her from most 20-something professionals is her commitment to a faith that, is more often than not, vilified in her own country. But she has never been ashamed to be Muslim – not after 9/11, not now.

Asma Hasan gives voice to a new generation of Muslims. She has appeared on CNN, Politically Incorrect, NPR, and Fox News, and her articles have been published in The New York Times, The Denver Post, and The San Francisco Chronicle, among others. She is also the author of AMERICAN MUSLIMS: THE NEW GENERATION (Continuum, 2000).

Thank you for considering WHY I AM A MUSLIM. We look forward to speaking with you soon.

Best regards,

Linda Phelan, 508-652-0030, lphelan@comcast.net
Leslie Rossman, 510-658-7520, lrossman@pacbell.net
Open Book Publicity