The common Western misconception that intellectual and political Islamism is by definition an impediment to modernization is fueling tensions between the Muslim world and the United States and Europe.

At the heart of the misunderstanding of Islam lies a common misconception that the intellectual and political trend known as Islamism is a necessary impediment to modernization. Within the Islamist dominion, al-Qaida is placed in the most contemporary of periods which itself is divided into three "generations." The three generations break down as follows:

Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaidas No.2, makes a point to regularly mention in his broadcasts the Muslim lands that need to be "liberated." The list includes the usual suspects for every respectable jihadist: "Palestine," Kashmir and Chechnya. But interestingly, the list includes two tiny Spanish enclaves located in Morocco: Ceuta and Melilla.

Of the 42 groups designated by the U.S. State Department as "foreign terrorist organizations" in its 2007 Country Report on Terrorists, 22 – half of the organizations – hail from the Middle East and North Africa; more if one includes the so-called Greater Middle East. And this is not a complete list by any means.

The year 2007 was marked by the affiliation of regional insurgent groups with al-Qaida, who along with its associated networks remained the greatest terrorist threat to the United States and its partners in 2007, according to the 2007 Country Reports on Terrorism released by the U.S. State department Wednesday.

Is al-Qaida now targeting Iran? As is well known, al-Qaida is a radical Sunni organization while the Islamic Republic of Iran is a revolutionary Shiite regime. Sunnis and Shiites have been fighting each other in Iraq, and animosity between the two communities has been growing in Lebanon. The recent denunciation of Iran by bin Laden deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, raises the possibility of direct confrontation between al-Qaida and Tehran inside Iran.

The U.S. print and electronic media are facing serious and damaging criticism in the wake of self-inflicted blunders in the midst of a heated fight for the Democratic presidential nomination, as well as the misguided pontificating on U.S. foreign policy issues, especially relating to the Middle East.

What the Arab papers said on April 4:

The smart insidious strategy of Islamist organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood and the Tabligh has succeeded in alienating some European Muslims not only through classical propaganda methods but also through innovative cultural weapons.

What the Arab papers said on March 4: