Understanding Islam: An Introduction was developed by an esteemed group of Islamic scholars, led by Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University in Washington, D.C. The BBC calls Ambassador Ahmed “the world’s leading authority on contemporary Islam.” In 2006, Ambassador Ahmed won the “Purpose Prize Award” with Dr. Judea Pearl for their work on interfaith dialogue. Ambassador Ahmed is the author of Journey into Islam: The Crisis of Globalization published by the Brookings Institution Press in 2007.