By Jim Shelton, Register Staff/Photos by Brad Horrigan, Register Photographer

NEW HAVEN - Right now, at this moment, the idea of what it means to be Muslim and American is being formed at places such as Masjid al-Islam on George Street.

It's happening during prayers. It's happening during sermons. It's happening during dinners and holiday services.

It's also happening amid an international war on terror and chilling incidents such as the attempted Christmas Day bombing of a Northwest Airlines jet bound for Detroit.

"This is the backdrop of how we're seen," says Jimmy Jones, president of the masjid and a well-known local figure. "It's a very difficult time for young Muslims. We're having only limited success in helping them."

Greater New Haven has a number of mosques, Islamic centers and Muslim places of worship, including the New Haven Islamic Center in West Haven, the Muhammad Islamic Center in Hamden (which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year), and Masjid al-Islam.

Jones says Masjid al-Islam has a core group of 200 families who worship there.

"People don't belong to mosques the way they belong to churches," he notes. "There are no membership rolls. If you're new and you come to pray, we don't ask you why you're here."

There are five daily prayer sessions.

"It's become an unintentional block watch," Jones says. "Muslim families are walking or driving here five times a day. Our primary worship service is Friday prayers. We get about 200 people. We have a sermon that encourages people to be good Muslims and good citizens, and do the things that make for a civil society."

Yet, all too often in the past decade, Jones has found himself defending or explaining his faith in the face of terrorism and religious extremism.

"Each time something happens, I get a sinking feeling in my stomach," he says. "I think, 'Here we go again,' and I hope it wasn't a Muslim."

Jones urges his fellow Muslims to be "unequivocal in the fact that we're against terrorism," while also pointing out to the non-Muslim community that every major religion has had extremists who distorted their faith's principles.

"There is no warrant for it, not in Islam, in Judaism or in Christianity," he says.

Jim Shelton can be reached at (203) 789-5664 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .