An action that started off as immoral cannot in the midst of its course suddenly turn into a moral action. The immorality of this war did not just begin in March 2003, when our commander in chief misled the American people into a war that was not justifiable by any universal standards.

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The most fundamental problem in U.S.-Muslim world relations today is our inability to view current events through the prism of historical, socio-political, and-economic conditions in the region, such as the history of colonialism or the reality of authoritarianism in the Middle East.

When it comes to the Muslim world, there is a dogged insistence among policy makers and the American public alike to view Islam itself as the source of current tensions between the U.S. and the Muslim world. The most dangerous aspect of this illogical premise that blames Islam for the tensions and violence in the Muslim world is that it paints a picture that is inaccurate, bleak and hopeless.

The maxim I hear far too often goes something like this: If the Muslim world’s frustration with the West stems from its incompatibility with Western values and modernity, if it stems from Muslims’ obstinate refusal to embrace universal notions of democracy, human rights and gender equity, then there is no hope for them. There is nothing we can do for them except advise them to reform their religion.

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