Egypt’s president, Mohamed Morsi, is visiting the United States for the first time since taking office, and in an interview with the New York Times shortly before departing Cairo, he provided insights not only about his style of leadership but also about how Egypt has changed since the 2011 revolution that marked the end of Hosni Mubarak’s lengthy rule.

The causes of these demonstrations are not some act of Islamophobia but the agitation of revolutionary Islamist groups that work systematically every day to build anti-Americanism, hatred of the West, and the loathing of Jews and Christians.

In today’s globally connected world, there is a great need to establish cooperative relationships and promote a shared sense of humanity. The United States can lead in this effort by supporting a growing segment of its own population - young Muslim Americans.

When the Arab Spring confronted the White House and State Department with the need to choose between embracing change and loyalty to the region's old guard the Obama administration chose change, albeit in the slowest and most cautious manner possible.

Turkey's recent activism in major regional issues is symbolic of its neo-Ottomanism, which is the essence of its new ideological approach to foreign policy. Turkey has risen to global prominence as a major Muslin state in the Middle East. But there is little evidence so far to suggest that Turkey's influence can spread beyond this sphere.