The next audience question was about Muslims and money.

"Are Islamic rules against borrowing and lending keeping Muslims from becoming middle class Americans?"

Hendi said that's another misunderstanding people have about modern Islam. He said nothing in Islam prevents Muslims from being American citizens, homeowners, professionals and business owners.

Mattson explained that Islam prohibits the charging of interest, but that most Islamic scholars have ruled that even that is permissible in economies where there are no alternatives. She also said "Muslims are developing alternative lending schemes" that help the very poor.

The next question was from the On Faith online audience: "If I converted to Islam and then changed my mind, would I be allowed to leave?"

"Yes you would have the right to leave the faith," Hendi said, acknowledging "there has been abuse of that in Islam."

Jackson said a few Islamic countries still have laws against apostasy -- which includes leaving the faith and also converting to another faith. But once again, he said, most Muslims don't agree with those laws or support them.

He also said such questions are unfair to Muslim Americans.

"Muslims in America today are under such pressure," he said. "Any time such a question is asked, one feels this pressure to apologize," for the acts of all Muslims everywhere.

"Among American Muslims, apostasy is not a capital offense."

Ahmad said that many Muslims, like many Christians and Jews, have a very open and liberal view of Holy Scripture.

"The Koran says there is no compulsion in religion" and he takes that seriously, he said.