force in American politics and and succeeded in having some of its favoured candidates elected at both and federal level, the influence of the group on public policy has been limited A case study of the influence of the New Christian Right in twelve states found "no evidence of extensive success in achieving the move ment's substantive goals (Green, Rozell and Wilcox 2003, p. 4). Bruce also points out that the group has not succeeded in reducing the number of abortions, making divorce more difficult, restoring male hege- mony or putting religious ceremonies back into state schools (2002, p. 214) Bruce argues that the success of the New Christian by Right in politicising sociomoral issues is explained the greater openness of the American political strture. This provides opportunities for well-organised minorities to have a public impact, but equally there is enormous resistance to theocracy within America, so that while they may win in the short term they often lose further down the track. ISLAM AND THE WEST While there are as many forms of Islam as there are of Christianity, it is fundamentalist Islam that has domi