Why Has Islam Become So Controversial in America?

What began with the right-wing political campaign against the "Ground Zero Mosque," an Islamic community center that is neither a mosque nor located at ground zero, has now become a national phenomenon. Crowds of protesters, sometimes aligned with the conservative Tea Party movement, are now rallying against proposed mosques in such locations as Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Sheboygan, Wisconsin; Bridgeport, Connecticut; and Temecula, California. What's behind this sudden and severe backlash against Muslim-American families? And where is it headed next?

So Much for American Values  The Center for New American Security's Andrew Exum calls this movement, "an affront to the principle of freedom of religion as enshrined in law through the 1st Amendment." He writes, "This about more than doing the legal thing; it's about doing the right thing by way of American values. Demonizing a minority sect is not the right thing. Neither is seeking to restrict their right to free assembly through a public campaign of intimidation."

PHOTO –AP/FILE - This July 14, 2010 file photo shows protester Greg Johnson, right, and counter protesters.