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What About Muslim Moderates?

[Wall Street Journal] R. James Woolsey and Nina Shea - The Bush administration is building bridges to well-funded and self-publicized organizations that claim to speak for all Muslims, even though some of those groups espouse views inimical to American values and interests. After years of pursuing similar strategies - while seeing home-based terrorists proliferate - the British government is now more discerning about which Muslims it will partner with. Stating that "lip service for peace" is no longer sufficient, the British are identifying and elevating those who are willing to take clear stands against terrorism and its supporting ideology. On the eve of his departure from office, Tony Blair gave a television interview taking on those he once courted - British Islamists who have been quick to level charges of Islamophobia and oppression against Britain and the U.S.: "The reason we are finding it hard to win this battle [against terror] is that we're not actually fighting it properly. We're not actually standing up to these people and saying, 'It's not just your methods that are wrong, your ideas are absurd. Nobody is oppressing you. Your sense of grievance isn't justified.'" The Bush administration is now actively considering whether its public diplomacy should reach out to Muslim Brotherhood groups. By choosing those whose definition of terror does not include the murder of Jews, honor killings and lethal fatwas against Muslim dissidents and reformers, the U.S. government makes them look strong - particularly in the shame-and-honor culture of the Middle East - and strengthens their hand against the real moderates and reformers. Mr. Woolsey, co-chair of the Committee on the Present Danger, was Director of Central Intelligence 1993-1995. Ms. Shea is the director of the Center for Religious Freedom of the Hudson Institute.
2007-07-10 01:00:00
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