Democracy is the answer to all of their problems. First acknowledge the substantial material problems....
1) Decreasing fresh water supplies in a region where population is growing.
2) Economic disaster with unemployment near or over 40% (Aged 15-35 can't afford to get married).
Now the religious problems....
1) Islam is fixed in the grasps of radical leaders and all creativity and imagination is suppressed. (between 12 and 150 million radicals within the region).
2) Islam's emphasis on the Sunni Tribe constantly makes tribal identity a priority in government and in all manners of politics creating resenments, hatreds, corruptions, and slaughter. Voting will give the majority their power, which means the larger tribes within these "Frankenstein's Monster" nations will continue to do what they do. However, there will be far less rage from the tribes towards each other and far less reason to rebel violently against another tribe's dictator.
3) Half the population is denied to contribute to society (women). No civilization where half their population is denied proper contribution can ever compete with a civilization that employes 100% of its population. The more globalized this world gets, the more inconvenient the situation for the Middle East becomes. This is why Western cultural "intrusion" (Levis and Hollywood banned in Iran, for example) merits a proper defense of Islam for the radicals who think they can turn back the clock or remain fixed in time.
In historical terms, only democracy has shown the agility to deal with such problems. In the absence of answers, radicals will look for scapegoats and foreign devils to take the blame for what Muslims do to Muslims everyday in the news. Without a healthy avenue of protest (picket signs and elections), people will resort to revolution and violence and eventually terror. Frustrated by the complete inability to exert any discernible degree of control over their immediate circumstances, frustrated adherents of Radical Islam, goaded by Radical Islamic Clerics, will resort to terrorism as the only avenue to effect religious, social, political, and economic change.
It really is simple....either we find a way to support the affected countries (most of them) in finding their won solutions to these problems or Americans will continue to grow up and fight these problems with violence.
There have been over 120 democracies created since 1900. They have occurred throughout Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia. Only the Middle East went without democracy thanks to the prescriptions of colonialism and the later Cold War. Months after Iraqis conducted their first successful elections without international (American) troops maintaining security (Sept 2010), Tunisia sparks off the Arab Spring (Dec 2010). One by one Muslim countries in the MENA rebelled against their dictators and chanted "democracy." Even Muslims know that democracy is their best chance to reverse their civilization's path to ultimate failure. They have to take charge of their destinies and this will only happen under democracies.
Why is it that when it comes to democracy people praise the ability and the health of being able to choose the future (or try to anyway), but it becomes a bad word in relation to Democracy? Is it because people think of Bush and Iraq? It's no reason to deny and pretend it's bad for the Middle East, especially with it being what the rest of the world has and is doing. There is another problem though. Lebanon tried democracy and created proper representation from the tribes into a working government after WWII. They ultimately failed into civil war, which may have far more to do with the fact that it is yet another Frankenstein's Monster creation and marks a deeper trouble that democracy can't fix. Witness Iraq, where democracy exists. The population is carved into three distinct tribes and is the source of historical hatred that needs sorted out. In terms of nation, Iraq should be three separate countries. Of course, if Islam was healthier and was more tribal friendly and accepting, the Shia, Sunni, and the Kurds wouldn't seek blood as often as they do to settle scores that have nothing to do with modern times.
So there appears to be plenty of problems underneath the terrorism and slaughter. Democracy is the only bumpy path left untested. What does democracy offer? Creativity, economic freedom, religious flexibility, political outlets, healthier media, answerable leaders who worry about election time and therefore have a reason to do what they are supposed to (at least appear to do so).