As befits a religion embracing some 1.4 billion people around the world there are many faces of Islam. It is enjoying a vigorous revival and yet has never been less understood nor more feared by outsiders.
Islam is not a homogeneous religion or monolithic culture. It fully reflects the great human diversity to be found in the 45 countries where it is practised, ranging from Europe through north Africa, the Middle East, to south and east Asia where the majority of Muslims live. There is an urgent need to know more about Islam, so that stereotypes arising from atrocities committed in its name do not obscure this variety nor determine public attitudes and policy.
In a contribution to that task this newspaper has selected a project by Mary FitzGerald entitled "Under the Crescent - The Faces of Islam" as the inaugural journalistic fellowship to honour Douglas Gageby, editor of The Irish Times from 1963 to 1974 and 1977 to 1986. Her reports begin today and will continue in a major series, published every Friday, exploring the tensions and complexities of Islam.
She points out that it is a faith with no central authority or formal clergy, which nevertheless offers a comprehensive account of ethical and social life. Many of its adherents, old and new, are living through traumatic social and political change. They increasingly resent the way in which political, economic and cultural hegemony is laid down by western powers and institutions. They demand recognition and respect for their cultural differences. And yet even these generalisations come up against deep disagreements between traditionalists, fundamentalists and modernisers in the Islamic world - not to mention secularist voices who resent intolerant religious intrusion in their lives.
We need to understand the various faces of Islam as we learn to live with a more culturally diverse Ireland in a more heterogeneous Europe. Most of the estimated 15 million Muslims now living in the European Union are full citizens of its member states and are here to stay. They must adapt to traditions of tolerance, liberal values and to advances in social equality - and have their own contributions to make to that process. It is an urgent task to encourage such mutual adaptation through better understanding and vigorous public argument. Europe will in coming decades be more open to influence and involvement with the world of Islam, irrespective of how well this adaptation takes place. Better that it be well informed than based on ignorance and misunderstanding.