roads. every year we know that this technology, it's another year where we risk a major collision or derailment. we say it year after year after year. >> that's the show for today, thank you for joining us. the news continues on al jazeera america on "america tonight" - politics and prayer in iowa. home of the oldest mosque in the americas. why the call to the polls is raising the stakes. for this community of faith. >> if we get one of those presidents, what is going to happen to us? what is going to happen to us, will they close them off? >> thanks for joining us, i'm

when. many of us are focused on holiday deadlines. nowhere is that more evidence than in iowa. six weeks from today we'll know who the winners are. "america tonight" begins are look at a campaign 2016 with what has proven to be a hot topic, islam. in iowa, we found a group of voters who fear that they will be left behind. >> this is all you might expect to hear, along the lonely roads of eastern iowa. listen more closely. and you might discover something unexpected. >> call to rare. >> it's drawn the faithful along

the cedar river. what did you think when you saw creed area river? >> i couldn't believe the corn. >> born in lebanon's bekaa valley. through to detroit. but she found her true american home. in a community that built the first mosque in americas. the mother mosque. >> it's not where most people in other parties think they'll find the mosque. families built this 'em.

>> local law says it was the lebanese christians who encourage them to come here. to join them as peddlers, small merchants. among the farmlands. over the century, they integrated the faith community. but never abandoned their own. >> they remind their friends of christianity. the son of mary will be held in honour in this, and thereafter. >> from the koran. >> chapter 3.45. >> here in cedar rapids, the faithful long lived and died in harmony. >> subdivisions were few, the cemeteries were generations

after generations. jews and boheimians honoured their dead, laying next to each other. along with the calm is the sound of success. this started as a print shop in the back of a grocery. it's hard to believe from those roots you end up with this. >> my grandfather was an entrepreneur. >> today the business was 100 in suburban cedar rapids. >> how many are these in the day. >> i can credit my grandfather for a lot of that. >> like any immigrant to america. >> the land of freedom and opportunity, and it came with nothing, and if a story can be duplicated a million times. >> they just happened to come from ... >> they came from syria. >> your story not different to

any other kid in iowa. >> i don't think so. >> me and the others couldn't drink port. >> is there a difference in a place like that. >> if you go about your normal life and never go online. or go to the news outlets, you wouldn't notice the difference. if it wasn't for that i'd say no, there's no difference. >> in this political season, there's no way for iowa muslims to stay silent. >> now we have to spend resources and some time and energy explaining about what it is. people will not listen. they don't care. they are thinking about what they see and read in the media that is underscored by the service at the islamic center in cedar rapids. >> and surrounded by family at friday prayers. >> the messenger of mercy, and

encourages worshippers to share their faith. we see people saying horrible comments that's because they don't know, we hear stories about us, but they never know who we are. this is a time we show people through our actions. >> at the islamic center. leaders say the worse. >> as the presidential candidate amp up. the embrace is for a possibility of more trouble. >> do you think. >> absolutely yes, we are. >> does it make other iowa was hate muslims. >> no doubt that raises hate, that will raise some fear.

that will raise some trouble to the muslims. and... >> and what will your community do? >> all that we will pray. >> they prayed two. hoping to keep the hate at a distance. >> does it make you angry? >> no, it makes me sad. it really does. and it makes me worry. it's very, very heart-breaking for us. it's - at my age, i'm not worried about what will happen to me. i'm thinking about my grandchildren and great-grandchildren growing up. >> what does it make you worry about? >> if we get one of those presidents, it will happen to us. they want to close the mosques, show the driver's licence and social security numbers. >> this is what makes me sad.

that is what upsets me. >> next - the dividing line in life and death. >> blacks could not be buried in the black cemetery, whites could not be buried in the whites cemetery. that's the way it was. a texas community where a black woman died in police custody, is this the most racist county in the lone star state. >> later, the games they played. on screen and off.

a decision that may spark tensions between police and a skeptical community. the death, while in custody, an american woman gaoled in a south texan community, reignited the debate over race and justice in america. a grand jury chose not to indict officials or gaolers in texas. now, the prosecutor says that charges against others could emerge. some locals charge, the reminder of long-standing suspicions that the county is the most racist. christopher putzel looks at both sides of that claim. water county texas. it's a sleepy rural area, just a

short drive from houston. the community was awakened following the arrest and death of sandra bland, who died whilst in police custody. >> you failed to signal a lane change. do you have your driver's licence. >> reporter: bland was signalled over for not indicating a lane change. an altercation ensured. >> get out. >> wow. >> get out of the car. >> for a failure to signal. >> reporter: the 28-year-old chicago area woman relocated to texas, where she was hired at texas prairie view and the university. we travelled to hampstead, and the town where bland allegedly hanged herself. we met up with hershingal smith in waller county, a county a former judge from here called the most racist in the state.

>> do you say this town is more racist than any other town. >> the reason why they have gotten so much attention, and all the rural areas have a lot of racism in it. waller county lived in the shadow of the past, out of 254 counties, only two had more lynchings between 1857 and 1950. according to the equal justice initiatives lynching report, 15 african-americans were lynched during that time period. segregation showed up in cemeteries. >> we drove by the cemetery. what is the history of the cemetery. >> blacks could not be bearing the white cemetery. whites could not be buried in a white cemetery.

blacks could not be buried in a jewish cemetery. that was the way it was. >> it was not too long ago that scl smith said his cousin was dating outside of his race. >> when i came up, black kids dating white girls was a problem, a huge problem. >> and my cousin that was coming out of the house, the window, was shot and killed, and was left dead and found dead. >> because he was dating a white... because he was dating a white girl. >> herschelle insist the problems insist. >> could you call racism a big problem. >> racism is a big problem. not just across the county, where i live, i say, is a problem. it's a problem that we need to as leaders and people in power need to look at it, deal with it and not be in denial about it

officials have acknowledged the county's racist past but believe race relations will be improving. in the joseph blandisi case, there was speculation that the trooper pulled her over because she was black. the numbers from the texas department suggest the state does not have a problem with racial profiling. for the past 15 years traffic stop statistics have been released. last year, texas troopes made more than 2.2 stops. at just over 9% the driver was black. blacks make over 11%. conversely white drivers were stopped 1.3 million times. a number greater than the 45% of the whites living in texas. despite the numbers, it is insisted that blacks are

targeted. >> you have to dot your is and cross your "t"s, i was taught you have to make sure you do everything right. you have to make sure you follow the letter of law. >> that's right. >> constable smith encountered racism as an elected official. >> what was the reaction to you becoming constable? >> the reaction was hoy did he do it, how did you let him do it? it still is. took me 2.5 years to get in the office. herschelle persevered because of what he calls a non-existent relationship between law enforcement in the black community. >> we have an opportunity to be an example to the community. we can't do this think. >> as a constable, hershingel believes that he's showing his

deputies that there's a better way. >> like i tell my deputies, there's two words - respond and react. you know, if you react, you make the wrong decision. if you find it, you think about what you do before you do it. >> right, yes. let's take this to court. >> in the case of sandra bland, experts said it's clear the trooper contributed to the situation. next - game of life. in a far-off place, a native alaskan community makes a unique connection for its future. person z

from a remote corner at the top of the world, a fresh look at technology, and what it can do in our lives. we think of video games as, at best, a distraction for the kids. from a native alaskan community comes a different approach, as jake ward found. >> reporter: we get to play at the same time time. >> just our mind. >> reporter: you fire. >> do you want to be the fox or the girl. >> reporter: you be the fox. this 7-year-old is serious about her video games. >> wait, follow my lead. hold it. >> whoa. good job, team. >> but during the hours on her xbox she's not shooting anyone >> reporter: that's awesome.

she's battling a blizzard. communicating with spirits. >> saving you from a pole bear. >> reporter: trying to protect the people. >> you have to save the village from a blizzard. >> reporter: shani is playing never alone, based on a legend from a group of alas cans that live above the arctic center. in the game they must overcome a series of obstacles that threaten to annihilate her village. >> the game is a collaboration between several native groups using technology to interest a younger generation in their own culture, it introduces that culture to a wider audience >> one day after lunch 3.5 years ago. i'll never forget the moment. sitting with the team, and we said why not video games, why

not use the greatest asset we have, our people, stories, culture. >> gloria o'neil is c.e.o. of an organization providing social services to the group. >> we went to the elders, and asked for permission. at first some of the elders like scratching her head going... >> reporter: what's xbox. >> they got it. and they were going "i wonder if this is a little crazy. >> it costs millions. nothing like it has been attempted. there was no guarantor it would make money, a key demand of the board. what if we want to make money. my response was the elders are so good that when we use their foundation, their stories, in an honourable respectful way, we'll make the best possible game.

we are taught that there's no hierarchy r >> reporter: the group tells the experts to write the script. >> the way that the elders tell the stories. they reach heights of literary and spiritual achievement, rival anything in human history. >> he set the story in an environment that was familiar to a global audience. >> the game is based on this place. >> this is the largest of a series of villages here above the arctic circle belonging to the people. their culture, stories are based on a life drawn from whaling, caribou, subsistence life that in many ways is slipping away. >> the thing that you're never

alone is a concept where the animals cue up with the choice. they respect us. james is an expert in the language. he narrates never o alone. >> when we met limb. he was in barrow, attending a summit. is the culture and language in danger in your opinion. maybe playing the game.

>> it was important to bring stories to the rest of the world. all well. whether it's literary, being at home, indigenous, know where you are or who you are... >> this is not about leaving the culture as much as imparting what is there for other cultures. >> we are a living culture, a strong culture. we are still here. we are still alive, and we are -

this game is to celebrate, is to show the people. >> to make sure the game succeeded in the competitive gaming world. they turned to industry experts. the team comprised of the game makers, a huge territory. >> never alone. >> it is not an industry that is known for cultural sensitivity. >> very stereo typical. in this case not only do you have to be the students. you have to do a lot of listening, and know that we are coming here to learn, and coming to partner, to work in collaboration, to develop something together. >> the company eline sent its artists to make sure that they have it right.

>> it was a treat for the artists to go and discovery light conditions and the different colours and changing environment and reflect it in the mood and the atmosphere, it was a fun change. >> welcome to the community. they did the adjustments and like a take away they design it. >> how has it been done, it's critically acclaimed. it's a brutal landscape. >> 2.5 million down loads worldwide, on five major platforms at this point. we are about to wrap up downloadable content. going on a continuing venture. >> we'll make our money back.

not only will we make money. huge impact in the world, in the industry. >> reporter: this year "never alone" won the bafta, the equivalent for a bafta. cook became a significant share in eline media and hopes to show case o other cultures. the nerve that the looked is an idea of taking culture. using technology to share and extend throughout the world. others are connecting with us, would you consider working with us. >> a polar bear. >> what's in it. they are trying to get me because i'm made out of meat. >> for shani's father, the fact that never alone is sparking on interest is all that matters. her and her friend ganged up.

they were the two that bid the game together. they completed it once. they continue to do it. it's an adapting economy. a better way to communicate the message to a certain audience like kids, they can learn something from. i think we are doing an awesome job. >> it's cool. >> it's the evil spirit. >> green ones are evil. white ones are nice. that is a great holiday gift. that is "america tonight". tell us what you think at aljazeera.com. you can talk to us on twitter and facebook, and come back, we'll have more "america tonight" tomorrow.

final assault. iraqi forces advancing into the ramadi, part of a major military offensive to retake the strategic city from i.s.i.l. grim milestone. driven by war, poverty and persecution. the number of refugees arriving in europe has now surpassed the 1 million