Free Republic

In an article in the current National Journal called "The Post Al Qaida Era," I write that the Obama administration is taking a new view of Islamist radicalism. The president realizes he has no choice but to cultivate the Muslim Brotherhood and other relatively "moderate" Islamist groups emerging as lead political players out of the Arab Spring in Egypt, Tunisia and elsewhere. (The Muslim Brotherhood officially renounced violence decades ago, leading then-dissident radicals such as Ayman al-Zawahiri to join al Qaida.) It is no longer the case, in other words, that every Islamist is seen as a potential accessory to...

As opinion polls registered strong opposition to plans for an Islamic center near Ground Zero, President Obama on Wednesday issued a statement marking the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, calling the holiday "a reminder that Islam has always been part of America and that American Muslims have made extraordinary contributions to our country." Obama said Ramadan is a time "when Muslims around the world reflect upon the wisdom and guidance that comes with faith, and the responsibility that human beings have to one another, and to God." He noted Ramadan's call for prayer and sacrifice and almsgiving,...