I enjoyed my breakfast with Mohammed. We met at a cheap diner with bitter coffee and worn Formica in the city. A former student who has become a friend, he lives in New Jersey, just across the river from Manhattan.  He’s a quiet and calm twenty-something, with the cat-like walk of an athlete. His degree was paid for by a soccer scholarship, and he just finished his MBA.

Mohammed did not always go by his first name, which was given in Nigeria, but lived most of his live by a moniker less foreign to American ears. During his senior year in college, something changed. He realized that he was hiding, took a deep breath, and embraced his given name, Mohammed.

My friend is a devout Muslim. According to US government estimates, there are 7 million Muslims living in the United States, about two percent of the total population. Mohammed goes to Mosque and professes his faith, gives to the poor, prays daily, and keeps Ramadan. Some day, he hopes to visit Mecca, keeping the pilgrimage that is the final pillar of Islam.