In a post-9/11 world, many Americans conflate the mainstream Muslim majority with the beliefs and actions of
an extremist minority. But what do the world's Muslims think about the West, or about democracy, or about extremism
itself? Who Speaks for Islam? spotlights this silenced majority. The book is the product of a mammoth six-year
study in which the Gallup Organization conducted tens of thousands of hour-long, face-to-face interviews with residents
of more than 35 predominantly Muslim nations -- urban and rural, young and old, men and women, educated and illiterate.
It asks the questions everyone is curious about: Why is the Muslim world so anti-American? Who are the extremists?
Is democracy something Muslims really want? What do Muslim women want? The answers to these and other pertinent,
provocative questions are provided not by experts, extremists, or talking heads, but by empirical evidence -- the
voices of a billion Muslims.