Andrea Elliott uses the timeline of Sheik Reda Shata’s life alongside a timeline of events including immigration patterns, changes in the East and 9/11.

Elliott’s descriptions of Shata and his neighborhood contrast with her descriptions of where he came from: the industrious N.Y. versus “the Egyptian farming village where he was born.” This contrast in the beginning is important because it sets up the greater conflict of the colliding worlds for Shata. Not only does he have to adjust to his new environment, but also to new people and new problems.

The different cultures carve Shata’s faith and his approach to helping others. Elliott writes about how some more traditional Muslims may be offended by his “liberal” ways and some “liberal” Muslims may disagree with his conservative roots.

The greater conflict of the story is about Muslims living in the western world while trying to live out their faith righteously. Instead of interviewing many Muslims struggling, or not, with this issue, Elliott centralizes on Shata, the imam. The imam is the mentor for Muslims in the East and the West.

Elliott weaves in Shata’s prior schooling and experiences in mosques along with quotes from a Muslim psychiatrist, congregants and a Muslim activist. She also adds in statistics about the number of Muslims moving to the Bay Ridge area and the United States.

Throughout the piece, Elliott consistently brings up examples of how daily American life interrupts a Muslim life from what food to serve at your business to seeing non-Muslim women in clothing that reveal skin and hair.

This story is an example of a profile with a conflict arc.