Like most Americans before 9/11, I spent little time thinking about the Muslim religion and its implications for America. Of course I was aware of the many acts of terrorism that had been carried out against Americans and American interests that restarted in 1979 with the kidnapping of our diplomats and citizens in our embassy in Tehran, but I never really connected these dots until 9/11. I vaguely had associated the many terrorist bombings and mass murders with our support for Israel or our support for the Shah. Then I went through a stage where I understood that we had...