Turkish Prime Minister Abdullah Gul has gone on record saying Islam and democracy are compatible. His statement is significant because he is a citizen and a top official of a country where secularism has been officially preached for decades. Most of his predecessors tried to eliminate Islam from the domain of politics in his country.

Turkey was one of the first Muslim countries that tried to separate religion from politics, and for decades both army officers and civilian politicians have spared no effort in trying to keep Islam out of the public domain. In an interview with the German daily Die Welt, the Turkish premier said, "From the very first day, we spoke transparently and showed that our party is a pragmatist one. It is very important for us to ensure the freedom of expression and thought of the Turkish people. We have taken lessons from the past."

It is very important to take lessons from the past to prevent any damage to the people.

Gul's remarks are not coming from what the West labels as "fundamentalists". He is the prime minister of a Muslim country which is secular by virtue of its Constitution.

There are many other Muslim intellectuals and politicians who have the same idea and argue that Islam and democracy are compatible. But, unfortunately, the predominant Western attitude toward Islam is not that of understanding; it is based on confrontation which stems from prejudice.

Of course, there are many Western politicians and intellectuals who are keen to understand Islam and wholeheartedly support the idea of dialogue among civilizations, but at this stage they are almost on the sidelines. They must take center stage and prepare the ground for mutual understanding between Islam and the West in order to pave the way for peaceful coexistence among all nations.

The West must try to understand Islam because it will not be able to destroy it.