More than one-and-a-half billion Muslims of all races, nationalities, and ethnicities live in the world today, but the birthplace of Islam is the Middle East. Islam is a religion based on the revelations given to the Prophet Muhammad. These teachings are contained in the Quran, Islam s holy book. Like other religions, Islam preaches peace and love for others. Also like other religions, Islam s teachings are often interpreted differently by different people. These people may use violence towards other Muslims and non-Muslims alike to spread their version of Islam around the world. Because these people often make headlines, not everyone understands that these people don t represent the majority of Muslims. But the first step towards tolerance and peace is understanding. In this book, we ll explore the culture and everyday lives of Muslims in the Middle East. It is more important today than ever before to understand Islamic culture in order to create greater acceptance among people of all faiths.