Posted on 07/29/2004 5:25:34 PM PDT by Indy Pendance
WASHINGTON - U.S. Muslim groups' representatives said Wednesday that they should have had more input on the Sept. 11 commission's final report, which they say fails to lay out a comprehensive plan to win the hearts and minds of Muslims overseas.
"Why would they fail to consult a key group who could help them understand what's going on in the Muslim world?" said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations.
The groups, reacting to the commission's final report, called the recommendations a "step in the right direction," but ultimately inadequate in addressing terrorism's root causes. Many Muslims abroad resent Americans because they think U.S. actions don't match the rhetoric of freedom, they said.
"The report describes a message of standing for freedom and opportunity. Step number one to push any message is that we ourselves should live up to it," said Maher Hathout, a senior adviser for the Muslim Public Affairs Council. He noted as an example the alleged abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison.
The groups cited the report's failure to explore the impact of U.S. policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well as whether the war in Iraq (news - web sites) has made the Middle East and United States safer or at greater risk to terrorism.
In its final report, the panel of five Republicans and five Democrats recommends reshaping foreign policy with a "preventive strategy that is as much, or more, political as it is military." To reach unanimity, commissioners avoided the contentious issue of Iraq. They also took no position on Israeli-Palestinian relations.
Al Felzenberg, Sept. 11 commission spokesman, said the panel did not meet with any advocacy groups, but it privately interviewed academics who specialize in the Muslim community. Commission staff also traveled to the Middle East to investigate details of the plot.
Khaled Medhat Abou El Fadl, a visiting professor at Yale Law School who specializes in Islamic law, also testified in December before the commission. He discussed U.S. Muslim immigrants and their fears of unlawful detentions after the attacks, although he did not address conditions abroad.
"We'll be doing a great deal more outreach" now that the final report is out, Felzenberg said.
The commission's report says the United States should work to spread a message of freedom and opportunity in the Arab and Muslim world so terror groups cannot find sanctuary in "lawless places" such as Pakistan, Afghanistan (news - web sites) and Saudi Arabia.
"We should offer an example of moral leadership in the world, committed to treat people humanely, abide by the rule of law, and be generous and caring to our neighbors," the report states. "If we heed the views of thoughtful leaders in the Arab and Muslim world, a moderate consensus can be found."
One step to building consensus, the advocacy groups said, is to stop identifying the 9/11 problem and its aftermath as "Islamist" terrorism, which appears to unfairly attack Islam or "Islamic" religion as a whole. In the final report, "Islamist" refers to the extremist groups bent on harming the United States.
"'Islamist' is one of those hot-button terms that are ill-defined or not defined at all," Hooper said. "They're basically saying this is a label for Muslims we don't like or agree with."
The finest thing you can do for the future of the USA is teach your children and grandchildren to shoot well.
I would like to know who set up Ibrahim Hooper or CAIR as the official spokesment of Muslims in America -- besides AP, I mean?
Islamofacists don't hate us because of anything we have done. They hate us because of what we are. We are undeniable proof that the Muslim law/culture/economic system and religious beliefs of Muslim superiority are false. Our very existence is living testimony that Mohamed was a false profit.
Of course. The beards, the drab outfits. It was clearly Amish terrorism.
Well, maybe we could make like Saddam and offer money to the families of the homicide bombers and jihadists everywhere. That ought to win their hearts and minds.
I believe the moslems have already had enough of an input into 9/11.
"If we heed the views of thoughtful leaders in the Arab and Muslim world, a moderate consensus can be found."
Why, why yes, yes of course, and so I heed the words of Osama bin Laden and I see the future clearly no consensus
necessary.
Now John F he wants us to have a consensus, with france, and
Germany,and god knows who else. America isn't consensus.
one point, though: it is a good thing that many muslims dont want this to be seen as a 'muslim' act. they want to distance themselves from it. the actions of 9/11 were intended (in my humble opinion) to drive a wedge between the west and the moderate muslims that the extremists want to pull to their side. wouldnt it be good if in fact we could drive a wedge between moderates and extremists?
the less popular support the terrorists have among muslim communities, the weaker they are and the more visibile they become.
"We should offer an example of moral leadership in the world, committed to treat people humanely, abide by the rule of law, and be generous and caring to our neighbors,..."
This really p!sses me off! Who the hell in this world do they think treats people "humanely ... is "generous and caring" to its neighbors, if it isn't the United States of America?
These damn people and their outrageous crackpot "religion" are really starting to upset me.
This is not a popularity contest. The "insurgent" animals have no heart - only venom. So there is nothing to win. They only understand one thing - brute force. It is us or them and the sooner the better!
Hooper is a spin-meister pure and simple. The idea is to turn a savage attack by Muslims into a failure by Americans to understand the Islamic world. In other words it's suppose to be America's fault the towers came down.
Not suprisingly that kind of insane, reverse, logic works on liberals.
all, all muslims want you to die.
Spot on.
"The finest thing you can do for the future of the USA is teach your children and grandchildren to shoot well."
Given the Islamic historical record I have to agree.
WTF does this have to do with the mission of 9/11 Commission.
"win the hearts and minds" of your fellow religionists your damn selves.
"Why would they fail to consult a key group who could help them understand what's going on in the Muslim world?"
Because the 9/11 Commission was not charged with "understanding what's going on in the Muslim world" but with understanding what happened on 9/11.
The groups, reacting to the commission's final report, called the recommendations a "step in the right direction," but ultimately inadequate in addressing terrorism's root causes.
Which are... let me guess... not enough charity funds flowing there, too much US footprint, and Israel Israel Israel..
Many Muslims abroad resent Americans because they think U.S. actions don't match the rhetoric of freedom, they said.
Yes that's why they screeched like banshees when the US proposed to oust a bloody dictator who had gotten more Muslims killed than just about anyone else in hundreds of years.
"The report describes a message of standing for freedom and opportunity. Step number one to push any message is that we ourselves should live up to it," said Maher Hathout, a senior adviser for the Muslim Public Affairs Council. He noted as an example the alleged abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison.
Abu Ghraib prison abuse was wrong. Um, who doesn't agree with that? We need "Muslim input" to know that?
The groups cited the report's failure to explore the impact of U.S. policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Gee how did I know that was coming....
as well as whether the war in Iraq (news - web sites) has made the Middle East and United States safer or at greater risk to terrorism.
What a weird complex question they have constructed. How on earth to evaluate whether the war in Iraq has made "the Middle East and United States" safer or at greater risk to terrorism?
More importantly, why should I care?
News flash: I care whether it's made the United States safer. Lumping "the Middle East" in with it does not fool me.
Al Felzenberg, Sept. 11 commission spokesman, said the panel did not meet with any advocacy groups, but it privately interviewed academics who specialize in the Muslim community.
Well, that was probably dumb enough (depending on which "academics" these were).
One step to building consensus, the advocacy groups said, is to stop identifying the 9/11 problem and its aftermath as "Islamist" terrorism,
????
Yes Mr. Orwell. Repeat after me - The 9/11 terrorists were NEVER Islamists. Doubleplusungood.
which appears to unfairly attack Islam or "Islamic" religion as a whole.
Silly me seems to me it just attacks (fairly) Islamist terrorists. If you bristle at the characterization, why would that be? Is the shoe fitting?
In the final report, "Islamist" refers to the extremist groups bent on harming the United States.
So who recognizes themselves in that description?
"They're basically saying this is a label for Muslims we don't like or agree with."
Well, in particular, we don't like or agree with them because they are bent on harming the United States.
Got a problem with us not liking that, a-hole?
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