"Just as the 99% of Soviet citizens who supported the Soviet regime in 1985 was no indication of what the people inside the USSR really thought, the army of true believers that we think we see in the Arab world is an illusion"

This quote by Natan Sharansky is a tip that we ought to not take what we see at stated value. In 1985, 99% of Soviet people appeared to support the Soviet regime, however this was not a precise reflection of what individuals inside the USSR truly believed. Similarly, the Arab world may appear to have an army of real believers, however this is likely an illusion. Sharansky is alerting us to be cautious of what we think we know and to look deeper for the truth. He is suggesting that we should not take what we see on the surface area as a sign of what is really going on. We must be open to the possibility that what we believe we understand may not be the complete story.