Islam is undergoing a revival across the Muslim and Arab worlds that has some people -- both outside and within the faith -- concerned. Is this resurgence the harbinger of a wider militancy and terrorism? Or is it one of those periodic movements in which the faithful try to reconnect with their spiritual roots?

In the West, this resurgence is being viewed with alarm. History tells us that all major religions undergo periodic revivals. Yet, some fearmongers would have us believe that Islam is becoming militant and is turning every Muslim into a potential terrorist.

There is a xenophobic and militant strand in every religion that turns violent when it perceives itself to be under attack. But the majority of the faithful have nothing to do with that small minority within their faith.

The Irish Republican Army did not have Vatican endorsement when it terrorized the Protestant population of Northern Ireland. Nor did the Unionists have the backing of the Anglican Church when they did the same to Northern Irish Catholics. Militant Jewish settlers do not represent Judaism, nor does the saffron-clad Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh represent mainstream Hinduism.

The Sept. 11, 2001 attacks were not caused by Islam, but by a minority within the religion. Members of that minority believe the West is out to destroy their religion and to control their destiny.

If Islam were an inherently violent religion, as some politicians, commentators, and Christian preachers are fond of saying, why is it the fastest growing religion in the West? You would think, given the lousy press Islam receives, that the rolls of Muslims would be declining.

It is amusing to see political demagogues and xenophobic preachers paint the entire 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide as part of a huge conspiracy to destroy Western civilization. If there were such a conspiracy, it neglected to include me and most other Muslims.

A recent entrant into the field of Muslim-bashers is Herman Cain, the former Godfather's Pizza chief executive officer and current GOP presidential candidate. Appearing on Fox News Sunday recently, he defended the right of American communities to ban Islamic mosques. He contends that Muslims are trying to inject Islamic sharia law into the United States.

What these self-appointed purveyors of hate do not know, or choose to ignore, is that Islam, like other major religions, is not a monolith. Vartan Gregorian's 2003 book Islam: A Mosaic, Not a Monolith addresses some of the questions about Islam and Muslims. The book is not an effort to whitewash the historic excesses of some Muslims, but to explain the plethora of rich, and sometimes conflicting, opinions among Muslims.

Here is a recent example -- not from Mr. Gregorian's book -- of excess by a Muslim leader against his own people. In Tajikistan, the government of President Emomali Rahmon has passed a bill that forbids young people under the age of 18 from attending midday Friday prayers.

Mr. Rahmon's excuse is that children should be in school and not in the mosque at that time. His real fear is that young people would become radicalized in the mosques and demand changes to his autocratic regime.

Friday is a holy day for Muslims. They are required to attend early afternoon prayer services in the mosques. In Muslim countries where the weekly off day is Sunday, Friday is a half-day of work so people can attend services.

Mr. Rahmon, in a fit of throwing out the baby with the bath water, would eliminate that traditional practice because of his political fears.

Yet man has a boundless capacity to preserve religion under duress. History is replete with examples. Despite decades of the Soviet Union's religious oppression, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are flourishing in Russia.

The vast majority of Muslims around the world practice their faith in peace, as they have done for 1,400 years. The recent resurgence should be viewed not with alarm, but with the understanding that it is not directed against other religions or the West. It is an attempt by Muslims to reconnect with their spiritual roots.

An important caveat, however, is that Muslims should, at the same time, isolate, curb, and contain the militant strand that exists among them.

Dr. S. Amjad Hussain is a retired Toledo surgeon whose column appears every other week in The Blade.

Contact him at: aghaji@bex.net.

First Published July 25, 2011, 4:15 a.m.