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Dr. Charbel E-H Moussa tries to solve the conundrum of Middle East turmoil in his ambitious book "The Ultimate Peace: America's Challenge in the Middle East."

The author lived in his native Lebanon until age 16. Although he eventually relocated to Australia, and then Germantown, his intense interest in the issues of his homeland continues.

"I have a passion," he says about studying the region.

Moussa holds a combined bachelor of medicine and doctor of philosophy degree from The University of Sydney. He is an assistant professor in the Georgetown University School of Medicine, where he teaches a class on bioterrorism. "The Ultimate Peace" is his third book, preceded by "From Wars to Peace: Lebanon in a Mediterranean System" (2000), a history of the Lebanese civil war, and "Lebanon in the New World" (2002), which discusses how U.S. foreign policy plays a role in the Middle East. He plans to publish a fourth, "The Psychology of Radical Islam," in about a year.

The Western world's failed policies have fueled Moussa's fascination.

"There is a lot of ill-perception from our policymakers' stance toward the Middle East," he says, pointing out that approaching the region through a Western lens is clearly not working.

Somehow the fundamental gap between how the West and the Middle East approach the relationship of religion and government must be bridged.

"In Western societies, separation between religion and the state is very highly desirable, whereas in Islamic societies, politics and governance have to stem largely from religion," Moussa writes. "This is a fundamental political and cultural difference between the West and Islam. In Islam, no matter how liberal the system is set to be, religion will still dominate the scene of political behavior."

Political issues are embedded in the Quran, so the practice of Islam is impossible without having control of the government too, Moussa says.

Similarly, aspects of Western society are not understood in the Middle East.

"Strict religious practices in Islam blind so many Muslims from seeing that life is ‘fun' in the eyes of Westerners," the author writes.

Among many other topics, the book covers the role of the U.S. in policy-making, the origins of the schism between Sunni and Shiite Muslims and, of course, terrorism.

"The main objective of 9/11 and other terrorist attacks is to instill fear that can kill Western values from within," Moussa writes.

Understanding the culture is key to change in the Middle East, says Moussa. Americans are incredibly mobile and do not have the same connection to land that Middle Easterners do.

"Everybody's attached to the land and they think their dignity and honor is attached to Islam," Moussa says.

Moussa believes education for all sides involved in the conflict is key to making progress. For Americans, this means making more of an effort to learn about the Middle East through studies and visits. It also means not relying solely on the media for information on which we base our impressions.

"Familiarity helps acceptance and tolerance," he says.

As far as military involvement, Moussa says the U.S. should intervene only when a country's people are frustrated and unable to help themselves. Now that we have helped free the Iraqi people from a dictatorship, it is time for the U.S. to leave. If the Iraqi people choose civil war, that's their choice.

Moussa does not believe that a way of life or a political system can be forced.

"The idea of a free society based on democratic principles and ideals cannot be disseminated by force and invasion," he writes.

"The Ultimate Peace: America's Challenge in the Middle East" is available for purchase online at www.amazon.com.

Dr. Charbel E-H Moussa will be signing copies of the book from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 2, at Waldenbooks, 701 Russell Ave., Gaithersburg. Call 301-921-9248.