Despite great strides made by American Muslims in demonstrating their patriotism for this country, there sadly persists a level of stigma about Islam in the United States. Following the horrific terrorist attacks on American soil on September 11, 2001, a general backlash against the Islamic faith as a whole occurred in the U.S. As a result, some Americans still associate Islam with the violent extremists responsible for those abhorrent acts.
Lieutenant Commander Ruthie Ayesha Muhammad, an American Muslim and retired U.S. Navy officer, seeks to dispel the negative myths that question American Muslims' loyalty to our country, by highlighting American Muslims' contributions to the United States Armed Forces in her first book, American Muslim Patriots, Islam and U.S. Military History. In it, she outlines the history of Muslims in the American military and recounts the tales of a number of great Muslim patriots, many of whom fought and died for America. Through stories from her own experience and the experiences of others, Muhammad honors the memories of those Muslim military heroes and compels her readers to look beyond superficial prejudices. In doing so, one should see that duty to country is a quality determined not by religious belief or skin color or background, but by character.