The Future of Islam

A Misunderstood Majority; A Radical Minority

Islam is a flashpoint in global affairs. The world’s 57 Muslim-dominated nations count 1.5 billion followers, and millions more Muslims live in Europe and the United States. The influence of Islam has grown rapidly, particularly since al-Qaeda terrorists perpetrated the September 11, 2001, attacks – a defining event in contemporary history. It is a mistake, however, to view terrorist attacks by radical militant Islamists as a reflection of the teachings of mainstream Islam. The religion does not preach violence. A more accurate view is that mainstream Islam regards terrorist attacks as the metastasis of a lunatic fringe.

The mainstream majority of the world’s Muslims, 93%, believes the Quran expressly forbid terror attacks. Some 7% of Muslims use Islam to justify terrorism or killing civilians. Many adherents in the mainstream majority of Islam are critical of the US, Europe and Israel, but they emphatically condemn violence. Yet many people in the West express the belief that most Muslims are radicals. Much of the blame lies with the media. Western publications rarely address nuances of Islamic culture. Western media distorted...