The struggle between reformist and conservative Muslims is the context in which Islamic terrorism must be understood before generalizations are made.

Though all Muslims shouldn’t be painted as terrorists, it is also important to note that Islamic terrorists are still Muslims — just a minority that follow a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam. This fundamentalism is the backdrop to the violence waged in the name of Islam and represents the conservative forces that are corroding Islam.

Following any attack carried out by an Islamic group, a common response is that these groups are not “real” Muslims or they are extremists. We saw this recently following shootings in Paris on Jan. 7 where 12 people were gunned down at the Charlie Hebdo offices.

But the claim that these attackers are not real Muslims or that they are extremists is part of an intellectually lazy way of thinking. It is the product of our hyper-politically correct culture that enshrines a commitment to not offending anyone. Basically, it isolates all Islamic terrorists into one category and leaves another category for all of the other moderate and peaceful Muslims. This is a shallow level of analysis that — although true — fails to produce a crucial distinction about Islam that is necessary to understand the nature of Islamic terrorism.

Islam is the world’s second-largest religion with 1.6 billion followers. Practiced in a variety of ways, Islam has a large diversity in its followers, with the two major denominations being Sunnis and Shiites, each with their own subdivisions.

The related theology of two subdivisions within Sunni Islam — Wahhabism and Salafism — are fundamentalist forms of Islam that emerged in the 18th century and are predominantly responsible for the carnage we see today around the world.

Salafism advocates a puritanical interpretation of Islam by promoting a utopian vision of a pan-Islamic empire that resembles that of the 13th century Islamic empire. Wahhabism is an ultra-conservative form of Salafism and can be more readily tied to Islamic terrorism around the world due to it’s more radicalized nature.

In the contemporary context, fundamentalist Islam has been at the genesis of groups like al-Qaida, the Taliban and Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. This form of Islam is inherently incompatible with modern society because it promotes a fascist, expansionist conception of society that conflicts with liberal democratic principles of individualism, pluralism and secularism.

Fundamentalist Islam promotes a national identity formed around Sunni Islam. However, this vision is predicated on the assumption that all Muslims are Sunnis.

It should be noted that there are peaceful Muslims who practice fundamentalist Islam. However, the unfortunate reality is that this division of Islam also has the capacity to produce violent groups seen around the world.

When Islamic terrorism occurs that can be traced back to fundamentalist Islam, the perpetrators are often described as extremist rather than fundamentalist Muslims. This seems insignificant, but there is a crucial difference between the two terms. “Extremist” is generally accurate, however it is also vague. This vagueness has the damaging effect of stopping the analysis before two important conclusions.

Firstly, fundamentalist Islam — the primary engine to Islamic terrorism — is also widely practiced in many Middle Eastern countries. Secondly, fundamentalist Islam is not detrimental only to the West; this brand of Islam also antagonizes other minority Islamic sects such as Shiites.

By dispensing with the term extremist, we can avoid marginalizing Muslim groups that would otherwise be allies in the fight against fundamentalist Islam. Specificity allows for the discussion to focus on the Wahhabist and Salafist groups and avoids demonizing other sects that oppose the conservatism of fundamentalist Islam.

A broader issue that affects Muslims is the struggle between conservative and reformist Muslims. However, if Islam is to survive in modern society, then the reformists must ensure that Islam can evolve.

A relevant parallel is the constitutional making of a country. A general rule for creating an effective constitution is striking a balance between rigidity and flexibility. Too rigid and it will become irrelevant with time. Too flexible and it becomes a body of regular laws.

Islam’s issue in today’s world is striking a delicate balance of rigidity and flexibility. Whereas the fundamentalists cling to an ideology of strict conservatism, reformists are witnessing the changing world and realizing that Islam needs more flexibility.

The path to peaceful coexistence lies in a form of Islam that is able to embrace liberal traditions of pluralism and secularism. Whereas reformist Muslims have reached this conclusion, conservative forces refuse to and are thereby holding Islam back.