One of the biggest problems in the Islamic world is that the dialogue between "tradition" and "modernity" has evolved into an all-or-nothing struggle between secularists who believe any recognition of Islam in the public sphere is a challenge to Western modernity and traditionalists who see any importation of "modernity" as a threat to traditional Muslim teaching (shades of our own fundamentalist idelogoues, no?). But there is a small group of political leaders who are trying to find a "middle way" that blends "modernity" with the traditional values. Probably the most prominent exponent in the Islamic world today is the prime minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The modern Turkish republic was established in the 1920s based on the belief that rigid secularization in the public sphere was essential to help Turkey "modernize", creating a disjunct with the strong Islamic core values of the majority of Turks. As Turkey has democratized in the past fifty years, there have been attempts to reinsert a public role for Islam in the public sphere. This has created a great deal of social and political upheaval in the 1970s, 80s and 90s between strict secularists and traditionalists who wanted to turn the clock back to before the 1920s, but that struggle seems to be moving towards an accomodation. I think PM Erdogan might be evolving the kind of blend that could offer that "middle solution."  Basically his model is that of the Christian Democratic parties in Western Europe that evolved after 1945 - parties that compete for power within a democratic framework and promote "traditional" values in society. I think this is what Erdogan wants to achieve in Turkey.  He is definitely not a fundamentalist - he would not be pushing reforms through the Turkish parliament to help gain acceptance for Turkey to become a full candidate for membership into the European Union if he was. But he believes there are values in Islam that should be recognized as being valid within the public sphere. His party may not necessarily be the most politically progressive party in Turkey, to be sure, but not completely reactionary either (and Erdogan has been good at promoting social improvements based on Muslim values of aid to the poor and destitute so there is a progressive element to his party.)   Hopefully when the Kerry administration takes office in January they will look at what Erdogan is trying to accomplish in Turkey and support his efforts and help move him in a further progressive direction.