“We have rarely had more heat, and less light, regarding terrorism and the role of religion. Todd Green’s Presumed Guilty moves us through this treacherous terrain in a thoughtful fashion, filled with great stories, and without unnecessary jargon. We learn how to talk about religion and the role it does (and does not) play in terrorism, how to speak with Muslims about terrorism, and how to understand that the larger context of terrorism has nothing to do with Muslims. It is strongly recommended for members of the media, policy makers, and anyone interested in interfaith conversations.”
Presumed Guilty: Why We Shouldn't Ask Muslims to Condemn Terrorism
All of us should condemn terrorism–whether the perpetrators are Muslim extremists, white supremacists, Marxist revolutionaries, or our own government. But it's time for us to stop asking Muslims to condemn terrorism under the assumption they are guilty of harboring terrorist sympathies or promoting violence until they prove otherwise. Renowned expert on Islamophobia Todd Green shows us how this line of questioning is riddled with false assumptions that say much more about "us" than "them."
Green offers three compelling reasons why we should stop asking Muslims to condemn terrorism:
1) The question wrongly assumes Islam is the driving force behind terrorism.
2) The question ignores the many ways Muslims already condemn terrorism.
3) The question diverts attention from unjust Western violence.
This book is an invitation for self-examination when it comes to the questions we ask of Muslims and ourselves about violence. It will open the door to asking better questions of our Muslim neighbors, questions based not on the presumption of guilt but on the promise of friendship.
Download the free Discussion Guide
- Publisher Fortress Press
- Format Paperback
- ISBN 9781506420592
- eBook ISBN 9781506420608
- Dimensions 5.5 x 8.5
- Pages 250
- Publication Date September 1, 2018
Interviews
CBC Radio Interview (Canada) - October 23, 2017
Organization for Defending Victims of Violence - June 5, 2018
The Intercept - June 18, 2018
Zainkahn.org - August 29, 2018
Reviews
Featured in the Christian Century BookMarks
"Seventeen years after 9/11, Muslims are still 'presumed guilty'" review on Religion News Service
Review in America magazine
Endorsements
Todd Green’s Presumed Guilty moves us through this treacherous terrain in a thoughtful fashion, filled with great stories, and without unnecessary jargon.
Omid Safi | Director, Duke Islamic Studies Center
Essential reading for anyone still asking Muslims to coddle bigots with reassurance.
“Green’s book is essential reading for anyone still asking Muslims to coddle bigots with reassurance. He makes a clear case for why all people should be afforded the assumption of basic human decency.”
Dalia Mogahed | Director of Research, Institute for Social Policy and Understanding
A nuanced perspective on the history and place of Muslims in America.
“Todd Green offers a nuanced perspective on the history and place of Muslims in America and a crucial corrective against the rampant and dangerous stereotyping of this group of fellow Americans.”
Rabbi Jill Jacobs | Executive Director, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
Timely, necessary, and an incredibly useful book.
“In Presumed Guilty, Todd Green slowly and methodically destroys the dangerous myth that Muslim equals terrorist. In its place, Green not only shows us how Islamophobia harms everyone, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, but also offers a guide for building better interfaith understanding. Presumed Guilty is timely, necessary, and an incredibly useful book.”
Moustafa Bayoumi | Author of "How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Being Young and Arab in America"
As Todd Green demonstrates, all of us–as people of different religions and worldviews–are responsible for condemning oppression.
“As Christians we are called to live out the greatest commandment: to love God and neighbor. In a time of rising Islamophobia and bigotry, this means we must defend our Muslim neighbor against the twin falsehoods that Islam inspires or condones terrorism, and that Muslims are solely responsible for its repudiation. As Todd Green demonstrates, all of us–as people of different religions and worldviews–are responsible for condemning oppression, violence, and terrorism as detrimental to human flourishing, just peace, and the well-being of creation.”
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton | Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Lucid and personal, scholarly and accessible.
"Lucid and personal, scholarly and accessible, Todd Green reminds his readers that the humanity of Muslims come before the crimes committed in their name by some. The implication that most Muslims are held guilty by association by sections of the media, policy makers, and some governments for the unspeakable terrorist crimes most Muslims deplore is to dehumanize the world’s second largest religious community. Presumed Guilty counters the false and damaging narratives of Islamophobia informed by a Christian perspective with clarity and humanity. A must read.”
Ebrahim Moosa | Professor of Islamic Studies in the Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Foreword by Eboo Patel
Introduction
Part 1: Assuming Islam Is the Cause of Terrorism
1. The True Roots of Terrorism
2. Monitoring, Managing, and Maligning Muslims
Part 2: Ignoring Muslims Who Condemn Terrorism
3. Muslims Speak Out
4. Muslims Take Action
Part 3: Diverting Attention from Western Violence
5. The Sins of the Fathers
6. A Written Memorial
7. Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story
Conclusion: Assuming the Best of Our Muslim Neighbors
Suggested Further Reading
Foreword by Eboo Patel
Introduction
Part 1: Assuming Islam Is the Cause of Terrorism
1. The True Roots of Terrorism
2. Monitoring, Managing, and Maligning Muslims
Part 2: Ignoring Muslims Who Condemn Terrorism
3. Muslims Speak Out
4. Muslims Take Action
Part 3: Diverting Attention from Western Violence
5. The Sins of the Fathers
6. A Written Memorial
7. Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story
Conclusion: Assuming the Best of Our Muslim Neighbors
Suggested Further Reading