A Muslim leader’s memoir of his problems to forge an American Muslim identity

Haroon Moghul was thrust into the spotlight after 9/11, becoming an undergraduate leader at NY University’s Islamic Center forced into appearances everywhere: in TV, before interfaith audiences, in print. Moghul was learning to be a prominent voice for American Muslims even as he struggled with his romantic relationship to Islam. In high school he was hardly a believer and entirely convinced he would hell. He about how exactly to Be a Muslim: An American Tale occasionally drank. He didn’t pray frequently. All he desired was a partner.

But mainly because he discovered, it wasn’t very easy to leave religion behind. To be true to himself, he needed to forge a unique American Muslim identification that reflected his values and personality. How to Be a Muslim reveals a man dealing with the crushing pressure of a world that concerns Muslims, fighting his beliefs and looking for intellectual forebears, and suffering the starting point of bipolar disorder. This is actually the story of the second-generation immigrant, of what it’s like to shed yourself between cultures and how exactly to grab the pieces.