just publishedFinancial TimesAIDS
The struggle against extreme Islamic terrorism is not a "clash of civilizations" but a civil war within Islam. A radical minority is using violence to impose a simplified and ideological version on a mainstream with more diverse views. While the largest number of Muslims live in Asia, they are influenced by the heart of this struggle in the Middle East, an area that has lagged behind the rest of the world in globalization, openness, institutions and democratization.
More open trade, economic growth, education, development of civil society institutions and gradual increases in political institutions might help strengthen the mainstream over time.