Over the last few years, the Islamic world has produced more female presidents and prime ministers than both Europe and North America combined.

Religion, it must be understood, is not faith. Religion is the story of faith.

My biography of Jesus is probably the first popular biography that does not use the New Testament as its primary source material.

A majority of Israelis want to give up the West Bank for peace, and obviously the same thing is desired by the Palestinians. The strong voice of the president of the United States will have a major impact on public opinion, not only in this country, but also in Israel and also in Palestine.

The Islamic Reformation is already here. We are all living in it.

But perhaps the most important innovation in the doctrine of jihad was its outright prohibition of all but strictly defensive wars. “Fight in the way of God those who fight you,” the Quran says, “but do not begin hostilities; God does not like the aggressor” (2:190). Elsewhere the Quran is more explicit: “Permission to fight is given only to those who have been oppressed ... who have been driven from their homes for saying, 'God is our Lord' ” (22:39; emphasis added).

God doesn't make you a bigot. You're just a bigot.