Here is a great op-ed written by John Esposito, one of my former professors at Georgetown.
His piece addresses the wide-spread and unnecessary backlash against the planned Cordoba House, an Islamic and interfaith community center that is to be built blocks from Ground Zero. Esposito’s views to me seem like common sense, but sadly, there are many in the U.S who still adhere to the fear of Islam that is so destructive to our supposedly tolerant and democratic society.
JORDAN DENARI DUFFNER 
I’ve read several of Esposito’s books. Always a good read, always well-reasoned. I enjoyed that article as well. In particular, his insistence that Islamaphobia be given no more tolerance than anti-Semitism was right on. You got to study under him? So lucky!
Yes, he taught a freshman seminar call “Islam and the West” for 16 students and I was lucky enough to get in! It’s great that despite his busy schedule he was able to take out some time for us little freshman 🙂