According to the first-ever Pew Global Attitudes Survey of the American Muslim community, Muslims in the United States are much more assimilated into society than Muslims in Britain and elsewhere in Europe. The detailed survey conducted by the Washington-based Pew Research Centre found that American Muslims tend to have a better standard of living than their counterparts in Europe and are more comfortable with a society in which a majority believes in God compared with secular Europe. The study found that Muslims, by and large, share American values including "outlook and attitudes." And "overwhelmingly, they believe that hard work pays off." These are all positive signs.

Charles Krauthammer wrote recently that "nothing tells you more about Hollywood than what it chooses to honor." Nominated for best foreign film this year was Paradise Now, a sympathetic portrayal of two suicide bombers. Nominated for best picture was Munich, a sympathetic portrayal of Arab terrorism. Nominated for best screenplay was Syrianna, a film that reinforces every negative perception of America, Americans and American foreign policy in the Middle East.

(The following editorial was hand-delivered on April 4, 2005 to Bishop Joseph Martino of the Diocese of Scranton on the passing of Pope John Paul II)

In an interesting series of articles in National Review, Victor Davis Hanson of the Hoover Institute at Stanford University recently reviewed the blunders of World War II that, in his estimation, were far worse than any thing that accompanied the American experience in the liberation of Iraq. We all know the story. America was…

What I am about to relate to you is a true story. It was related to me several months ago.

Yoav, a young IDF (Israeli Defense Force) soldier was stationed in the city of Hebron during Operation Defensive Shield in 2002. He was shot by an Arab sniper and left for dead. As it was four o'clock in the morning, and no imminent attack was expected; no one was awake to hear the shot and rush to his aid. It appeared as though Yoav was doomed to bleed to death before anybody would ever find him. His short life was about to come to a tragic silent end.