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 The suspect, a young Muslim who grew up in the Chattanooga area,
also died in the gunfight on Thursday, the last day of Islam's holy
month of fasting.
It was the latest reminder to American Muslims of the need to find
ways to keep teenagers and young adults from being drawn to
ideologies promoted by such groups as Islamic State, the militants
also known as ISIS who control part of Syria.
"When they talk about Syria, when they talk about Tennessee ... what
will they say about the American Muslim community?" Azeez asked the
2,000 congregants at the rented hall in Sacramento, California, on
Friday.
He went on to rail against extremists, whom he said usurp the spirit
of Allah for their own purposes.
The FBI is investigating the Chattanooga shooting as an act of
terrorism, though law enforcement officials said it was premature to
speculate on the gunman's motive.
Hours before the attack, the suspect, Mohammod Youssuf Abdulazeez,
had texted his close friend a link to a long Islamic verse that
included the line: "Whosoever shows enmity to a friend of Mine, then
I have declared war against him."
 Mainstream Muslim leaders around the world are concerned about the
radicalization of young people, vulnerable to fiery rhetoric that
frequently distorts the religion's true teaching.
In Britain, a well-known cleric developed a 900-page anti-extremism
religious curriculum to be taught in Muslim schools. About 700
Britons are estimated to have traveled to Syria and Iraq, many to
join ISIS.
In the United States, imams and other leaders regularly visit high
schools and colleges, but finding the right message and approach has
proved to be a delicate tightrope walk between religion and
politics.
In Chicago, anti-extremist activist Ahmed Rehab lectures at schools
and mosques, rebutting radical ideas point by point with Islamic
theology. He said militant groups at best misread the Koran and at
worst distort it when they say that Islam condones their violent
behavior.
"When we're able to root our arguments that are counter-extremist in
the authentic message of Islam, I think it's more effective," Rehab
said.
Yasir Qadhi, a professor at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee,
and the AlMaghrib Institute educational organization, also
emphasizes religious teachings to show that Islam condemns
terrorism. But he goes step further, engaging his students in
discussions of political issues facing Muslims in the United States
and elsewhere, even though that can invite controversy.
"Simple condemnations are not going to get to the hearts and minds
of these people," Qadhi said. It is important to acknowledge that
young people are attracted to groups like ISIS because they are seen
as standing up for oppressed Muslims, he said.
The cleric recognizes that his listeners may feel angry about
Israeli-Palestinian relations or other flashpoint issues. He said he
uses history and theology to combat extremism.
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It's a stance that has earned Qadhi death threats from ISIS as well
as some far-right Americans, with both sides saying he is too
sympathetic to the other.
PRACTICAL POLITICS
In Sacramento, Muslim leaders educate young people about broader
social issues, including poverty, access to healthcare and racism,
said Basim Elkarra, executive director of the Sacramento Valley
chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Through a leadership program run in cooperation with the state
legislature, high school students learn about political engagement,
such as lobbying, drafting legislation and what it's like to serve
as an elected official.
"It's giving people an outlet," Elkarra said, "giving them a voice
and the tools to make a difference."
Sacramento Muslims have also set up a hotline for people to call if
they become anxious or stressed, said Irfan Haq, president of the
Council of Sacramento Islamic Organizations.
A key problem, several imams said, is that people who become
radicalized tend to stop coming to their mosques, preferring instead
the company of militant recruiters and radical clerics, who have a
sophisticated online presence.
In Arizona, for example, leaders at the Islamic Community Center of
Phoenix knew Elton Simpson, one of two men killed by police while
attempting an attack at an anti-Islam event near Dallas in May.
Simpson had argued with the mosque's imam over teachings he
perceived as too liberal.
Then he disappeared.
"It doesn't match with the ideology and they stop coming," said
Usama Shami, chairman of the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix.
"And then you don't know what they are doing."
(Editing by Frank McGurty and Tiffany Wu)
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