The answer to religious extremism cannot be secularism because familial and cultural roots run too deep in the Middle East, writes Rima Merhi. “The Arab world needs experts in comparative religion who will target both the older and younger generations and educate them about different religions in a scholarly manner. Civil society in the Arab world needs to educate the masses about civil marriage, present it as an option but not an alternative to religious marriage, and advocate for change from the grass roots.”