Excerpt:
Saleem Shabazz wants people in Longview to understand that his religion means peace, and that its God-centered followers are focused on doing good works.
On Thursday, Shabazz will begin the first of a five-part lecture series at the Longview Public Library about his faith: Islam.
"This is of great importance because there's still a little bit of nervousness and distress on behalf of the public at large concerning what is or isn't Islamic behavior," Shabazz said. "I hope this type of thing helps."