Many religious and political discussion forums are taking place across America and around the world in an attempt to foster understanding and tolerance between Christians, Jews and Muslims.  I, too, am a proponent of the concept of understanding.  To be able to co-exist with Muslims, Christians and Jews and the West in general must possess more than a surface or media-generated understanding of the Islamic mindset.  What I have observed coming from these forums thus far clearly indicates that we are failing to grasp even the basics principals necessary to understand Islamic thought and reasoning.