She concluded by stressing the importance of interfaith work, something that was reinforced for her after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, she said. On the first Friday after the attacks, Mogahed said she and her husband debated whether to attend their local mosque in Pittsburgh, fearing there might be protests or an angry mob.

They decided to go, and when they reached the mosque, the parking lot was full and "half of the congregation were members of other faiths who had come to show us support and solidarity," she said.

At that point, the Madison audience broke into applause. "That's applause for America," Mogahed said.

The Pittsburgh community had engaged in deep interfaith cooperation for years, laying the foundation for the response after 9/11, she said.

"In that moment of need, in that moment where we could have had a very different outcome, America's promise was kept," she said. "That is the power of interfaith cooperation."

You can reach reporter Doug Erickson at derickson@madison.com or 608-252-6149.