Brookings Press Blog

Newsweek/Washington Post’s On Faith looks at Akbar Ahmed’s Journey into America

Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, a leading expert on Islam and author of Journey into Islam, recently completed a tour to uncover the status of Muslims in America. With a team of researchers, he visited more than 70 U.S. cities to interview thousands of Muslims and non-Muslims from all walks of life. He presents the findings of the project in a documentary film and a forthcoming book, Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam.

- Read what the Newsweek/Washington Post’s On Faith blog had to say about the film

- Order tickets for a screening and discussion of the film at the Washington National Cathedral on October 25

- Read about Akbar Ahmed’s previous book, Journey into Islam

- Visit the Journey into America blog

Journey into America

Journey into Islam team featured on CNN.com

In 2006, Akbar Ahmed and a few students from American University embarked on a "voyage of discovery" that became the basis for Journey into Islam. Today Ahmed, the Islamic studies chairman at American University in Washington, and his group - a number of whom joined him on the first trip - are in the midst of the ir "Journey into America." CNN.com featured the new adventure today in "Muslim in America: a 'voyage of discovery'". CNN also offers a selection of photos, biographies, and video documenting the group's journey. You can also follow the group's blog, Journey into America.

- Learn more about Journey into Islam

- Read CNN.com's "Muslim in America: a 'voyage of discovery'" by Jessica Ravitz

- Follow the Journey into America blog

Requiem or Revival? The Promise of North American Integration

New book criticizes NAFTA while North American leaders defend it at annual summit

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper met recently with US President George Bush and Mexican President Felipe Calderón near Ottawa for the annual North American Summit, aiming to strengthen security and economic ties between their countries. At the conclusion of the two-day summit, the three leaders issued a joint statement in which they said, "We must build on NAFTA's success and reduce unnecessary trade barriers to ensure North America remains a competitive and a dynamic place to do business."

At the same time, NAFTA, or the North American Free Trade Agreement, is receiving a growing amount of criticism from citizens of the three member nations. More than a dozen years after NAFTA's controversial but hopeful launch in 1994, progress toward economic integration has stalled. Mexico's economy remains far behind those of Canada and the United States, and such pressing issues as energy security remain unaddressed. In the timely new book, Requiem or Revival? The Promise of North American Integration, edited by Isabel Studer and Carol Wise, scholars and policymakers from all three nations dissect NAFTA's failure to fulfill its early promise and evaluate the prospects for further integration.

- Learn more about Requiem or Revival?