Islam
Islam is a great spiritual tradition that, in the wake of Sept. 11, has become enormously unpopular and suspect among some Westerners, particularly in the U.S. It’s a credit to America’s heritage of religious tolerance that, according to recent polls, the vast majority of Americans still view Islam favorably, despite its image as a religion at war with Christians and Jews. That image has very little to do with the theology or practices of Islam, and everything to do with political realities, such as the lack of democratic governments in the Middle East, some of which are nonetheless supported by the United States.