This morning USA Today printed an article about a Muslim cleric named Safa al-Lami who, at tremendous risk to his own life, made a courageous individual effort to bring peace between Iraq’s Shi’a and Sunni factions. The article reads:

Safa al-Lami knew he might be on a suicide mission. He had taken a taxi into Adhamiya, one of Baghdad’s most dangerous neighborhoods. Now, wearing a white headdress that identified him as a Shiite religious leader, al-Lami planned to walk up unannounced to a Sunni mosque and ask whether he could pray alongside his Muslim brothers. In an area where militias were shooting many Shiites on sight, “I knew there was a big chance I would be killed,” al-Lami recalls. “I kept walking toward the shrine, whispering to myself: ‘Don’t be afraid.’ “

If you read the article, you can see the events that transpired afterwards. It’s really quite incredible what this man did. He’s made a major positive difference already.