It's Not Just a Religious War!

DEBUNK CONSPIRACY THEORIES IN U.S., ARAB/MUSLIM WORLDS

By Ziad Asali
Orlando Sentinel,
OpinionAugust 12, 2007
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/views/orl-holy1207aug12,0,5839793.story

Those who define the war on terrorism as a religious conflict between Islam on the one hand and Christianity and Judaism on the other play right into the hands of al-Qaeda and the Iranian leadership.

The ultimate success of the Sept. 11 planners was to initiate such a religious conflict and define themselves as the true Muslims who are fighting the infidel Christians and Jews. A holywar is what al-Qaeda wants in order to achieve power and it should be denied that, as should be its claim of representing the rest of the Arabs and Muslims. Its adherents should be isolated, discredited and defeated. They need to be confronted politically, economically, religiously, ideologically and militarily.

Their main argument is that the Christian West, primarily America and Israel, hates Muslims and is out to dominate, humiliate them and occupy their land. They contend that this is a modern-day Crusade, citing Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq and other conflicts as proof.

Palestine has been the ultimate symbol of religious, racial, economic, cultural and physical confrontation that stirs passions, and the extremists are doing all they can to own it. Conversely, no single event would harm extremists more than the resolution of the Palestine/Israel conflict.

The West has engaged in discourse about these issues on two levels. Officially, there are repeated private and public expressions of respect for Islam as a religion. Publicly, however, leading media and religious voices have depicted Islam as a religion of intolerance, fanaticism and violence that is incompatible with democracy.

Both approaches overemphasize the religious dimension of the conflicts at the expense of others. The main issues underlining these multiple conflicts are political with religious and other dimensions, and it would be a tragic oversimplification to lump all these issues as one global religious conflict.

It is, however, exceptionally important to debunk the "Christian and Jewish Crusade" argument. Recently, the United States engaged in armed conflict to rescue the Muslims in Bosnia against Christian Serbia, forcing the return of Muslim refugees against major opposition, and remains engaged in peacemaking there.

Currently, the United States is supporting Muslim Kosovo's independence against the opposition of Christian nations. The tsunami of 2004 mobilized a generous and effective American campaign to relieve the suffering of Muslim Indonesians. All these refute the anti-Muslim crusade argument.

It is the challenge of policymakers to come up with more such future examples. No image can substitute for policy, and an effective public diplomacy for Arabs and Muslims must contain multiple facets.

The first is challenging charges of American Christian racism against Muslims and Arabs, coupled with articulate highlighting of the positive contributions America has made to their lives. This has to be part of a larger message that calls for mutual understanding, respect and cooperation. Strident American voices of Islamophobia and racism undercut this strategy.

Second, a serious public discussion of the genuine grievances of the Arab people should deepen our understanding of their problems, their quest for ending the occupation of their lands and for dignity, economic opportunities and good governance.

Third is an honest explanation of the American system in Arabic to the Arabs, reflecting this country's values. Concepts such as the rule of law, separation of powers, freedom of speech and civic participation should be presented as palpable examples that viewers and readers can relate to. Tough issues such as racism and poverty need to be discussed, along with the efforts to deal with them.

In short, real America should be presented as it is rather than the America of Hollywood. Demystifying the American system undercuts conspiracy theories and opens up avenues for understanding and empowerment.

Fourth, a credible effort to resolve the Palestinian/Israeli conflict is to be coupled with tangible relief. As the political partnership between Palestinians and Israelis grows, an immediate package of substantial financial aid should be delivered with great fanfare. A billion dollars, as part of the budget of the war against terrorism, should be considered for massive reconstruction projects in the West Bank and humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Like-minded people of integrity and vision should work together to defuse conflicts and foster understanding. Let this be the only true conspiracy.

Ziad Asali is the president of the American Task Force on Palestine, a Palestinian-American organization advocating the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel as a critical U.S. national