Islam, the fastest growing and perhaps the most misunderstood religion on earth

"A fifth of humankind follows Islam, the fastest growing and perhaps the most misunderstood religion on earth."
"Some 1.3 billion human beings-one person in five-heed Islam’s call in the modern world, embracing the religion at a rate that makes it the fastest growing on Earth, with 80 percent of believers now outside the Arab world. For these people Islam is an intimate personal connection to the same God worshiped by Jews and Christians, a source of strength and hope in a troubled world.
"The term itself, Islam, is an Arabic word meaning “submission to God,” with its etymological roots firmly planted in salam, or peace. That may come as a surprise to many non-Muslims, whose perceptions of the faith have been skewed by terrorists, many from the Middle East, whose unspeakable acts in the name of Islam have been condemned by leaders everywhere."
The above verse with Arabic text and the excerpt are taken from the January 2002 issue of the National Geographic Magazine which published an article called World of Islam by Don Belt, a Senior Editor of NGS. The article is very objectively written which should alleviate misconeptions in the minds of some people.