I happened upon an interesting, quick read by Sarah Viren of the Houston Chronicle, about Muslim youths in America and there was one part in particular that points towards one of the main reasons/openings for Muslim youths — living in any Western culture — to end up on the fundamentalist side of Islam;

In the Muslim community, Ghani said, many teens are socially rudderless. They have a hard time identifying with the imams, or mosque religious leaders, because these men are often new immigrants who don't understand American culture. Adult mentors born here, including teachers and counselors, frequently know little about Islam.

There are other lesser insights that make it a worthwhile read as well.

Joe Crowley   10 29 06