A different view of the Islamic world: Caspian countries defy stereotypes →

Brenda Shaffer in The Harvard Gazette

“Part of what Shaffer hopes to do is get people, and especially U.S. policy-makers, to see the world in these functional terms rather than make assumptions on the basis of cultural, ethnic, or religious identity. As far as the Caspian region goes, she believes that shift is crucial.

“‘These are countries that can contribute to our energy security, to nuclear nonproliferation, to antiterrorism,’ she says…”