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Almost a decade after 9/11, Americans remain conflicted about the Muslim faith. A series of roiling controversies this summer has compounded tensions, leaving people in North Texas and beyond particularly on edge about the place of Islam in American life.
"Muslims keep saying we need to understand them, but where is the concern for our feelings?" said Judy Kersh, a 60-year-old Dallas business analyst. "People are tired of having to walk carefully because they may offend someone."
A study last month by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life found that the share of Americans with a favorable view of Islam has fallen to 30 percent from 41 percent five years ago. A more recent ABC/Washington Post poll found 49 percent with an unfavorable view of Islam, again showing a worsening of feeling over previous surveys.
The ABC poll showed 66 percent of Americans oppose plans to locate an Islamic cultural center near Ground Zero.
The debate over the center has turned into a national touch point both politically and culturally. It has been accompanied by a flood of anti-Muslim activity, including an attack on a Muslim cabdriver in New York and the vandalism of mosques in Nashville and Phoenix. A Florida pastor threatened to burn Qurans this week in commemoration of the 2001 terror attacks. Last month, the pastor of Dallas' First Baptist Church called Islam an evil religion that encourages pedophilia.
President Barack Obama addressed bubbling American resentment toward Islam at a news conference Friday.
"At a time when the country is anxious generally, and [has] gone through a tough time, then ... suspicions, divisions can surface," he said. "And so I think that plays a role."
This palpable undercurrent has made Muslims like Aisha U-Kiu more cautious. A native of Pakistan who grew up in Irving, she rejiggered a tight SMU law school schedule and took off from work to celebrate the end of Ramadan on Friday. The Eid al-Fitr holiday extends through the Sept. 11 weekend this year.
"We just didn't feel comfortable going out to dinner that night," she said of a group of 60 who planned a feast at an Indian restaurant.
U-Kiu, who considers North Texas a supportive environment for Muslims, attributed the heightened suspicion to news coverage and timing.
"There is overwhelming political change, the withdrawal of troops from Iraq – it's a sensitive time," she said. "Islam is the fastest-growing religion in America, and maybe Americans aren't as comfortable with this change."
Religious leaders worry that the fears are boosting a new breed of intolerance.
"We no longer attribute good will to those with another point of view but paint them as evil and deserving of punishment for holding their perspective," said Bishop Kevin Farrell of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas.
The Rev. George Mason, pastor of East Dallas' Wilshire Baptist Church, has spent years working with Christians, Jews and Muslims. But he, like Farrell, sees a deep polarization in American society and worries that interfaith advocates are preaching to the choir.
"My sense is that there haven't been a lot of minds being changed," he said. "Instead, mind-sets have been confirmed."
And then there's politics.
Imam Zia Sheikh of the Islamic Center of Irving blamed some of the current tension on the election year.
"Unfortunately, political opportunists are using the Ground Zero cultural center issue as a hot-button topic to gain votes," he said, "and this has become a challenge, as hate crimes are increasing."
Some experts believe that Muslims will gain much fuller acceptance as years go on, following a pattern set by other groups. William Lawrence, dean of the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, noted that a 19th-century wave of Catholic immigration met with considerable prejudice from Protestants and that Mormons met with outright persecution in that same century.
But time and increased familiarity with individuals of those faiths eased tensions.
"The diversity of the Muslim population is going to become increasingly apparent," Lawrence said. "More Americans will see that not all Muslims look alike, think alike, enjoy the same foods, or anything else."
Short term, though, Lawrence said, relations are bound to be inflamed, especially when a pastor makes national news by threatening to burn Qurans.
"Here's a man who, by any standard, has almost no following," Lawrence said. "He's got a church of 50 members. But we live in a 24/7 news cycle. Not only are we dealing with somebody who is pandering to fears. We're dealing with a person who can create his own market for pandering to fears. That's different."
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