This link is not necessarily bigoted, because there is a fundamental relationship between "values" and "laws" on the one hand, and "culture" and "diversity" on the other. Indeed, more than a debate over "Islam" and the "Muslims," Europe needs a serious dialogue with itself over this relationship, for it is facing a crisis.



RAMALLAH - President-elect Barack Obama's defiantly positive campaign for change has inspired hope not only in the millions of Americans who voted for him, but also in the billions of others worldwide who could not. Across the Middle East, as elsewhere, expectations are building that his presidency will herald a new era for America's role in the world.