Almost daily, we hear distressing stories of sectarian violence in Iraq. This has caused many Americans to realize that Islam, like other religions, is not a monolithic faith. With more than 1.2 billion followers worldwide, Islam naturally encompasses tremendous diversity in its followers. Islam guides its faithful to seek peace, justice and unity, yet Muslims have...

[This is an abridged version of a paper presented at “Changing Societies and Transatlantic Relations,” co-hosted by the Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Transatlantic Relations and the Robert Schuman Foundation and held in Washington, D.C. October 27-28, 2005] The paper was published in: “Changing Identities–Evolving Values Is There Still a...