A Call for Understanding: Observation of the Middle East

September 15, 2012 by Michael W. Rawlings

President Obama at the State Department. Pete Souza/White House

This commentary is intended to help anyone who is struggling to understand what has happened in the Middle East this past week.  A book used in leadership development for U.S. government officials working in international affairs with Muslim countries is Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf’s, “What’s Right with Islam Is What’s Right with America: A New Vision for Muslims and the West”.

It is the chosen reading of Dr. Kamal Beyoghlow, Professor of National Security Strategy and Middle East and North Africa Studies at the National War College. Dr. Beyoghlow also teaches at the Federal Executive Institute delivering lectures including “Understanding and Building Relationships with the Islamic World”, as well as teaching U.S. government leaders across defense, intelligence, and other agencies. This book is a place to start for a quick tutorial. Websites are readily available online with maps and statistics of world religions, and these assist in personal study.

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