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Front Page AM 3/2/12

Islam is the world’s second largest religion, but Moslems only comprise less than one percent of the U.S. population, meaning many Americans aren’t that familiar with the faith.  This lack of familiarity has fostered misconceptions, misunderstandings, and, in some cases, prejudice.  We spoke with a Tennessee imam working to change that.

(1.) DR. OSSAMA BAHLOUL 2-WAY -- On February 21st, reports emerged American soldiers had burned copies of the Koran, the Moslem holy book, at an airbase in Afghanistan. The riots and violence that followed in that country resulted in several deaths, including U.S. military personnel.  This incident and its repercussions highlight the lack of understanding on both sides and the necessity of promoting that understanding.  The same day the Koran-burning story broke, Dr. Ossama Bahloul was at Murray State to address that very issue.  Dr. Bahloul is imam of the Murfreesboro Islamic Center in Tennessee, and thanks to controversy over the Center's new facility, he's gained experience promoting greater understanding between American Moslems and the wider community.  Dr. Bahloul conducts "Islam 101" presentations at colleges and churches.  Before his lecture, Dr. Bahloul and I sat down to talk about spirituality, tolerance, and his work bridging the two.

Todd Hatton hails from Paducah, Kentucky, where he got into radio under the auspices of the late, great John Stewart of WKYX while a student at Paducah Community College. He also worked at WKMS in the reel-to-reel tape days of the early 1990s before running off first to San Francisco, then Orlando in search of something to do when he grew up. He received his MFA in Creative Writing at Murray State University. He vigorously resists adulthood and watches his wife, Angela Hatton, save the world one plastic bottle at a time.
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