Ayaan v Barak

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Somali born former Dutch parliamentarian, forceful voice for human rights, and prominent critic of Islamic culture, especially as regards the treatment of women, argues that President Obama's understanding of Western/Islamic relations is flawed. She instead suggests that Samuel Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations" model is more appropriate to the current situation and should form the basis for our policy toward the Islamic world. The fundamental point at issue is whether patient tolerance will lead to a positive change in Muslim attitudes toward the West, or whether those attitudes are so deeply ingrained in the culture that persistent acquiescence to Muslim demands will simply be interpreted as weakness. It's an interesting debate. Check her out here.