Last month, during a public discussion on American Muslims, Carl Ernst spoke about the history, in America, of “minorities being targeted by irrational hatred.” “This is a deep well of bitterness,” he said.

Members of the public are invited to attend a free screening of WRAL's documentary "Faith, Fear and Freedom," followed by a panel discussion on North Carolina's growing Muslim population, on Thursday, April 18.

There are an estimated 26,000 Muslims in North Carolina. While that’s less than one percent of the state’s population, it also reflects a 30 percent increase in the number of Muslims living in the state over the past decade.