Khaled Abou El Fadl talked about his book The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists, published by HarperSanFrancisco. He argued that it is possible to interpret the Quran, or any other major religious text, in many different ways, and that problem is with the interpreters and not the religion. He says that Islamic fundamentalists cannot possibly know what Muhammad’s views on contemporary issues would be and that it is possible for an Islamic state to be democratic. Following his remarks, Professor Abou El Fadl answered questions and comments from members of the audience. Former Representative Bereuter (R-NE) introduced the author and moderated the event.