Lawrence Pintak

America & Islam: Soundbites, Suicide Bombs and the Road to Donald Trump

Finalist, Religion News Association 2020 Award for Religion Reporting Excellence.

Donald Trump’s presidency shocked the world. His attitude towards Muslims became a key point of contention on the campaign trail, and proved to be a harbinger of his broader war of divisiveness and discord. Here, acclaimed journalist Lawrence Pintak scrutinizes America’s relationship with Islam since its foundation. Casting Donald Trump as a symptom of centuries of misunderstanding of Muslims and demonization of the Islamic world, as well as a cause of future tensions, Pintak shows how and why America’s relationship with the world’s largest religion has been so fractious, damaging and self-defeating.

“Insightful, well-written, challenging. Pintak is both a globe-trotting journalist and a distinguished scholar. He's not afraid to challenge assumptions, group-think, and the powerful.”

Dan Rather, former anchor, The CBS Evening News

"For many years, Pintak has used his unique blend of scholarly exactitude, deep area knowledge and the accessibility and clarity of a seasoned foreign correspondent to illuminate the bewildering array of events that cascade from the broader Middle East."

Ryan Crocker, former U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan, Lebanon and Kuwait

“In this thoughtful and well researched book, Pintak takes a close look at why a deep misunderstanding of Islam still persists in America. The result is an honest, fair, clear and timely appraisal in which Pintak deftly avoids the temptation to simplify or patronize the complex dynamics at play in Islam today.”

Clarissa Ward, CNN chief international correspondent

Lawrence Pintak, PhD

Lawrence Pintak, PhD is an award-winning journalist, scholar, and media development expert who has reported from four continents and led projects in the Middle East, South Asia, Africa, and the Caucasus that support the independence and viability of journalism. He served as dean of the Graduate School of Media and Communications at The Aga Khan University in East Africa, founding dean of The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University, helped found Pakistan’s Centre for Excellence in Journalism, and directed the Arab world’s leading media training center in the years leading up to the Arab Spring. A former CBS News Middle East correspondent, Pintak is the author of five books at the intersection of media, democracy, and international relations, and was named a Fellow of the Society of Professional Journalists in 2017 for “extraordinary service to the profession of journalism” around the world. He holds a PhD in Islamic Studies.