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AMERICAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND
POLITICIANS
ARE INTERESTED IN ISLAM
The interest of the American people in Islam is shared
by government administrators. Often, speeches made by government
officials and politicians praising Islam and urging people to find
out the truth about it have drawn people toward Islam.
America's foreign relations often require forging close
relationships with Muslim countries, despite various disagreements
between them. For this reason, the American public has been talking
about Islam and Muslims. Thus 9/11 can be accepted as a turning
point in American history. With this tragic event, Islam has become
a matter of discussion and study as never before in America, and
Muslims have come to gain a share of influence in the country.
For the first time, Muslims living in America in the
1990s, under the first Bush presidency (1988-1992), began to have
some influence on American politics. Under Bill Clinton (1992-2000),
direct relations were established between the White House and the
Muslim community. George W. Bush's administration (2000- ) has established
the closest relations so far with American Muslims. The well-known
Middle East expert Daniel Pipes describes this situation as follows:
And since September 11, the president and his team
have devoted intensive efforts to explaining what role Islam did
and did not play in the recent tragedy. "Islam" now trips off
the tongues of American statesmen, politicians, and diplomats
with an almost dizzying frequency. 1
According to Pipes, no matter how new the present situation
may be, the present Bush administration's interest in Islam is not
new. The reports we hear today and the matters that capture our
attention are the product of a certain policy over the past decade,
one that may be characterized by four main points: There is no clash
of civilizations, terrorism is not Islamic, Islam is compatible
with American ideals and adds to American life, and Americans must
learn to appreciate Islam. 2
This approach outlined by Pipes is very important from
the point of view of showing the White House's attitude toward Islam,
for it is positive and thus is a starting point that will bring
the American people and Islam closer together. This may be the beginning
of profound changes in world history and in the make-up of societies,
as well as the impetus for basic changes in the relations between
societies.
THE AMERICAN ADMINISTRATION: "THERE IS NO TERROR
IN ISLAM"
Some analysts have said that this policy conceals a
hidden agenda and is no more than a show designed to get the Muslim
world on its side. There certainly may be some truth in this, for
America is pursuing this policy for its own national ends. But there
is another obvious fact: No matter what the facts may be, this policy
will enable Islam to become known by more people and will allow
the West to correct its erroneous opinion about Islam. Signs of
this are already visible.
Samuel Huntington's 1993 thesis about a "clash of civilizations"
between the West and the Islamic world has never been accepted by
the American administration. This is an important advance. The White
House countered this claim at the outset and, in subsequent events
that brought it head to head with some Muslims, made it clear that
it had no negative feeling about the Muslim world or Islamic values.
America has never targeted Islam in reaction to the
aggressive behavior of some circles that call themselves Muslims
but have no connection with Islamic morality; on the contrary, it
has stressed that there is no place for terror in Islam. This attitude
was maintained in both the Clinton and Bush administrations. For
example, during his 1994 tour of Indonesia, Clinton said:
We have had problems with terrorism coming out of
the Middle East … this is not inherently related to Islam, not
to the religion, not to the culture. 3
In a Department of State report prepared during the
Clinton administration on the fight against terror, America said
that there was a clear line separating Islam and terror:
Some Muslims, and others, believe that the U.S. has
seemed, at times, to link terrorism with Islam. This is not U.S.
Government policy… Islam and the West are not in confrontation.
While we may have political differences with some countries whose
populations are mostly Muslim, most Americans and most Muslims
share fundamental values such as peace, justice, economic security,
and good governance… Terrorism is not a principle of any major
religion, including Islam. There are over one billion Muslims
in the world. Among that number, one finds a few extremists who
misuse Islam as a justification for their violent criminal acts.
4
The same view was stated several times by variously
ranking members of the government. In a speech made in Tashkent,
Uzbekistan, John Beryle, acting assistant secretary for the American
State Department's Bureau of Newly Independent States, explained
his government's attitude toward Islam:
The United States abhors terrorism and we reject
extremism, but we have great respect for Islam… I draw this distinction
forcefully, because so many people fail to draw it at all. Some
believe that the United States opposes Islam, that the Cold War
has been replaced by a clash of civilizations. Others, including
some in my own country, believe that terrorism is somehow related
to Islam. They are both wrong. The distinction I want you to understand
is this: the United States opposes those who use terrorist methods.
We do not oppose any religion. We distinguish our friends from
our enemies on the basis of actions, not beliefs… Americans recognize
Islam as one of the world's great faiths. It is practiced on every
continent. As Westerners, we acknowledge Islam as a historic civilizing
force among the many that have influenced and enriched our own
culture. The legacy of Islam, which reached into our civilization
via the conquest of Spain at just about the same time it arrived
in Uzbekistan, brought us, as it brought you, a rich scientific,
artistic, and cultural heritage, as well as a tradition of tolerance.
Beryle continued his speech by quoting Surat al-Baqara:
62 and Surat al-Ma'ida: 69, and concluded:
Those who have faith, and those of the Jews, the
Christians, and the Sabaeans - whosoever has faith in God and
the Last Day and works wholesome deeds - their wage awaits them
with their Lord, and no fear shall be upon them, neither shall
they sorrow (Surat al-Ma'ida: 69). These are the words of tolerance.
They stand as a striking demonstration that tolerance is part
of the foundation of Islam, that fundamental Islam should be a
force for tolerance, that extremism is not truly Islamic… I wonder
whether there is any other nation on earth in which so many people
have been converted to Islam over the past several decades. Islam
in the United States is becoming more widespread, better known,
and more influential. For five years now the end of Ramadan has
been celebrated with a feast in the White House. A similar tradition
was established in the Pentagon and this year included the first-ever
Muslim chaplains to serve in the U.S. military. The Secretary
of State, Madeleine Albright, held her second annual Iftaar Dinner
at the State Department on December 21. Similar celebrations occur
all across the U.S. Muslims are becoming an important and respected
part of the American mosaic… And finally, from the Koran, Sura
2, ayat 256: "Let there be no compulsion in religion." 5
This attitude of the American administration did not
change after the events of 9/11. Some days after the attack, President
Bush visited the Islamic Center in Washington and stressed in his
speech that Islam and terror could not be mentioned together because
Islam was a religion of peace:
The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam.
That's not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists
don't represent peace. They represent evil and war. When we think
of Islam we think of a faith that brings comfort to a billion people
around the world. Billions of people find comfort and solace and
peace. And that's made brothers and sisters out of every race -
out of every race. America counts millions of Muslims amongst our
citizens, and Muslims make an incredibly valuable contribution to
our country. Muslims are doctors, lawyers, law professors, members
of the military, entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, moms and dads. And
they need to be treated with respect. In our anger and emotion,
our fellow Americans must treat each other with respect. 6
Words like these have been repeated time and again
after 9/11 by high-level officials. For example, White House press
spokesman Ari Fleischer, when asked whether this attack had been
the result of a clash of civilizations between Islam and Christianity,
said: "This attack had nothing to do with Islam. This attack was
a perversion of Islam." 7
American State Officials Praise Islam
The fact that American state officials recognize that
there is no connection between Islam and terrorism shows that they
know what kind of religion Islam is. As they get to know Islam,
they naturally come to admire it and often mention it in their speeches.
This has been noticeable especially in the last three presidential
administrations. So, the idea put forward by theorists after the
Cold War that Islam would be America's next target has come to nothing.
But there is an important point here: Some of the American
government's decisions with regard to the Muslim world must be examined
in the light of the advantages that it hopes to gain as a nation
from its international policy and strategies. These decisions must
not be confused with the American administration's and people's
interest in Islam. This book examines the following topics: the
approach of American state officials and the general public toward
Islam in the last few years, the fact that Islam is always a topic
on the public agenda, and the resulting rapid rise of Islam. This
is certainly a remarkable historical development that, when considered
from these aspects, should make every Muslim happy, enthusiastic,
and excited.
As we said earlier, the American government's approach
toward Islam began in the 1990s and reached its high point during
the Clinton administration. Clinton was the first to commend Islam
and its moral teachings in his speeches, and the first to issue
invitations to the White House on Islamic holidays. Under Clinton,
for the first time invitations were arranged at the administration's
top level for Muslims to attend an iftar meal. Subsequently, this
became a tradition. When Clinton spoke about Islamic morality, one
of the topics that he dwelt upon was the compatibility of Islamic
moral values with those of the West. Clinton believed that "Devotion
to family and to society, to faith and good works-are in harmony
with the best of Western ideals."8 In another speech he said;
That is why we welcome Islam in America. It enriches
our country with Islam's teachings of self-discipline, compassion,
and commitment to family. 9
And on another occasion, he said that Islam was highly
regarded by America:
America is made stronger by the core values of Islam-commitment
to family, commitment to family, compassion for the disadvantaged,
and respect for difference. 10
Hillary Clinton, who began the tradition of inviting
Muslims to the White House, once stated during one of these gatherings
that she admired the following things about Islam:
Universal values - love of family and community,
mutual respect, education, and the deepest yearning of all - to
live in peace - values that can strengthen us as a people and
strengthen the United States as a nation. 11
The Secretary of State at the time, Madeline Albright,
in an article that she wrote for State Magazine, "Learning
More about Islam," drew attention to a very important point and
said that the American people must learn about Islam.12 As a result
of her comment, State Department officials prepared a report on
how people could familiarize themselves with Islam:
Our society can solve it through education, people-to-people
exchanges, and by encouraging responsible reporting in the mass
media and accurate portrayal in the movie industry. 13
The decision of the Clinton administration that the
people should be taught the truth about Islam is extremely important.
As we shall see in the following pages, priority has been given
to this, especially since 9/11, and newspapers, television, and
other media outlets have presented news, programs, and inquiries.
President Bush's approach to Muslims began with his
election campaign. Known to be a religious person, Bush received
support from a significant section of American Muslims during his
campaign. For this reason, he is constantly engaged in dialogue
with Muslim communities. The 9/11 attack has become a vehicle by
which he has been able to assert more often the closeness he feels
toward Muslims, and frequently to remind his fellow citizens to
understand Islam correctly and establish good relationships with
Muslims. During one speech, he stated that:
The Islam that we know is a faith devoted to the
worship of one God, as revealed through The Holy Qur'an. It teaches
the value and importance of charity, mercy, and peace. And it
is one of the fastest growing religions in America, with millions
of American believers today… The Holy Qur'an says: "Piety
does not lie in turning your face to the East or West. Piety lies
in believing in God." (2: 177) 14
The American Government's Iftar Invitation
Another important development that shows the coming
together of the American administration and American Muslims is
the iftar invitation, which has become a tradition in the last few
years. Each invitation provides the opportunity for dialogue between
the two groups. The tradition of hosting of Muslims in the White
House was started by Hillary Clinton, who received them to offer
them Eid congratulations. For the first time in 2001, Muslims were
invited to an iftar meal in the White House that the president had
organized.
As stated earlier, these iftar invitations began in
the State Department with the participation of the then-Secretary
of State, Madeline Albright. It is often said that these invitations
were very important for developing relations between Muslims and
the American people, a project on which Albright laid great importance.
In Ramadan 2000, at the second iftar meal, she described these efforts:
I am very, very pleased to welcome you all to the
Department of State. And as many of you know, we had a similar
Iftaar Dinner here last year for the first time, and tonight we
continue what I hope will become a tradition that lives on for
many years to come...
The month of Ramadan and the daily fast are powerful
reminders for Muslims of the centrality of God and of the potency
of the message conveyed through the Prophet Mohammed...
I am pleased that since last year the State Department
has inaugurated a new website entitled "Islam in America." Its
purpose is to help people everywhere learn more about the positive
force that Islam has become in American life and about the growing
role of Muslim Americans as they are there to play a role in ensuring
the security, prosperity, and freedom of our land.
Equally vital are the international exchange and
people-to-people programs we conduct with Muslim-majority nations.
These efforts bring distinguished Muslim visitors to our shores
to exchange views and promote understanding...
We are strongly encouraging young Muslim Americans
to apply to the Foreign Service as part of our overall effort
to attract talent and promote diversity, and we have had a lively
discussion at my table on that subject.
Together, during the past few years, we have made
an important beginning in providing that answer, not only through
these dinners but also through our religious freedom roundtables,
open forums, conferences, and seminars. We have established and
expanded a dialogue, but obviously much more remains to be done.
It is vital for Muslim Americans to know and have access to American
policymakers. It is even more vital to become policymakers. 15
As we see, the State Department regarded it as its
duty to build a bridge between the Muslim community and the American
people and administration. This played an important role in the
rising interest in Islam. This speech was very important, for it
showed what an influential position Islam had gained in America.
Ten years earlier, American Muslims had lived a cloistered social
existence encountering many difficulties in their daily lives, but
now they have been invited by the Secretary of State to be directors
of American policy.
These iftar invitations have continued under her successor
Colin Powell. During his short address on November 29, 2001, at
a State Department iftar meal, he stressed the following basic points:
Ramadan is a time of prayer and fasting for followers
of the Muslim religion. This year, it is also a time of reflection
for all Americans. Less than three months after the tragedy of
September 11th, we were all examining our lives and reaffirming
the importance of family, faith, and country. In fact, this year
marks the first Ramadan for many non-Muslim Americans who have
been made aware of the great significance of this period for the
first time in their lives.
But there remains much ignorance and confusion about
Islam, and that presents an opportunity for those of us who are
not Muslim to learn from those of you who are. I hope that all
of you here will seek out opportunities to talk with non-Muslims
throughout your communities about your faith; to help all of us
learn from, understand, and appreciate one another; and that you
will encourage others in turn to talk to you about their faith.
And I heard some wonderful stories at my table about
how you are doing that, reaching out to Christians and Jews, and
letting everybody know we are all -- we are all creatures and
children of a benevolent God, and we must come to understand that
to love one another is being faithful to our God.
I was very moved by some of the conversations that
we had at our table, as we talked about discrimination, we talked
about profiling, as we talked about how we have to be sensitive
to each other and to be sensitive to the diversity that we all
represent. This touched me deeply, because I am a minority. I
have been profiled. I will never forget my background; I will
never forget what those who came before me did so that I could
be in this position today ... I will always be sensitive to the
issues that have been raised this evening… 16
The Defense Department also has hosted iftar meals.
This tradition, which goes back officially to 1998, consists of
an iftar meal ordinarily arranged by the deputy secretary of defense
and attended by Muslims working in the department and the army.
At the 1999 iftar meal, the then-Deputy Secretary of Defense, John
Hamre, said:
I am very honored to be invited to be here tonight.
A little over a year ago I was invited to address the first Iftar
celebrated here at the Department of Defense. The fact that you
would ask me back for a second time is a tremendous honor. I am
very grateful. As I said last year, I am a Lutheran in my own
religious background and not a Muslim, so I cannot fully appreciate
how important this Night of Power is for all of you. But I can
understand why this Night of Power is deeply important to you,
because I am a religious person myself. I can understand how moving
it is, in this season of dedication, that all of you have spent
the entire day focusing on your relationship with God.... I believe
that vision in our Constitution springs directly from our shared
religious values. There is not a word in the Constitution for
which a good Muslim would not fight…. It is the same ideal expressed
in the Holy Koran: "O mankind, I created you from a single pair
and made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other,
not that ye may despise each other." 17
Hamre's address was notable for his declaration of
personal religiosity, the closeness and love he showed toward Muslims,
and for quoting the Qur'an. The Defense Department's third iftar
meal was held on November 30, 2001, and attended by the Deputy Secretary
of Defense, Paul Wolfowitz. He began his address with the words
As-Sallamu alaykum, which he learned while serving as ambassador
to Indonesia, and continued:
Each time faithful Muslims gather in prayer and in
peace, you reclaim your faith and reaffirm the great gift that
Islam has been to humanity through the centuries.
Mohammed said that those who provide a fasting person
with something to eat will be blessed as though they themselves
had fasted. As we gather tonight in this spirit of generosity,
we are mindful of the great blessings that we enjoy. We are thankful
to share them with others. 18
Hillary Clinton first invited Muslims to the White
House for the Ramadan Eid in 1996, and on every subsequent occasion
gave significant messages to those in attendance. Among those who
attempted to explain what Ramadan means for Muslims was Huma Abedin.
Mrs. Clinton said that she personally learned a lot from this woman,
and frequently mentioned the special importance she placed in establishing
dialogue with Muslims. At the 1999 reception, she even said she
prayed for this:
I have been told that a common Muslim prayer tells
us: "No struggle is easy unless you make it easy for us. And only
you, my Lord, can make a hardship easy to overcome." With God's
help, and with the kind of determination, courage, and hope that
is lived out in the lives of all of you and millions of others
around our country and throughout the world, I believe that we
can do more together to help build a more peaceful, prosperous,
and hopeful future in which all of God's children can live in
peace and fulfill their God-given promise. 19
This tradition begun by Hillary Clinton was continued
by Bill Clinton during his final year as president, when he personally
received Muslim guests for the Ramadan holiday. The meal began with
quotations from the Qur'an. Bill Clinton also quoted from the Qur'an
in his address, and frequently expressed his interest in Islam:
And I thought it was particularly moving that the
Imam read the passage from the Koran that said that Allah created
nations and tribes that we might know one another, not that we
might despise one another.
There's a wonderful passage in the Hebrew Torah,
which warns people never to turn aside the stranger, for it is
like turning aside the most high God. And the Christian Bible
says that people should love their neighbor as themselves. But
it's quite wonderful to say that Allah created the nations and
tribes that they might know one another better, recognizing that
people have to organize their thoughts and categorize their ideas,
but that does not mean we should be divided one from another...
Let me say, also, that there is much that the world
can learn from Islam. It is now practiced by one of every four
people on Earth. Americans are learning more in our schools and
universities. Indeed, I remember that our daughter took a course
on Islamic history in high school and read large portions of the
Koran, and came home at night and educated her parents about it,
and later asked us questions about it…
I ask all of you to help with that, to share the
wellsprings of your faith with those who are different, to help
people understand the values and the humanity that we share in
common, and the texture and fabric and fiber and core of the beliefs
and practices of Islam...
The Koran also teaches, in addition, to the fact
that we should do unto others as we wish to have done to us, and
reject for others what we would reject for ourselves, but we should
also make a commitment to live in peace… 20
Under the present Bush administration, for the first
time in American history a president organized an iftar meal. This
meal was attended by the ambassadors of Muslim countries and the
heads of Muslim organizations. In his address, the president commended
Islam and called for dialogue and understanding among different
faiths:
Ramadan is a time of fasting and prayer for the Muslim
faithful. So tonight we are reminded of God's greatness and His
commandments to live in peace and to help neighbors in need… All
the world continues to benefit from this faith and its achievements.
Ramadan and the upcoming holiday season are a good time for people
of different faiths to learn more about each other. And the more
we learn, the more we find that many commitments are broadly shared.
We share a commitment to family, to protect and love our children.
We share a belief in God's justice and man's moral responsibility.
And we share the same hope for a future of peace. We have much
in common and much to learn from one another. 21
All of these iftar meals and the addresses given at
them are very significant for the relationship between Muslims and
the American administration, and indicate that Muslims have begun
to influence American society and culture. The relations between
Americans and Muslims are not limited to these invitations and various
talks, for Muslims are now an inseparable part of America and active
at every level of social life. A most significant example of this
is their position within the American army.
1. Middle East Quarterly, Winter
2002.
2. Middle East Quarterly, Winter 2002.
3. The President’s News Conference, U.S. Government Printing
Office, Jakarta, November 15, 1994; http://www.gpo.gov
4. “US Government Views on Terrorism,” Fact Sheet, December
7, 1999.
5. Department of State Beyrle’s Speech in Tashkent, February
8, 2000.
6. President’s Speech, Islamic Center of Washington, September
17, 1999.
7 . “Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer,” September 17,
2001; http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010917-8.html
8. News Conference with King Hassan II of Morocco, March 15, 1995;
www.gpo.gov
9. “President Clinton’s Ramadan Message,” USIA,
November 27, 2000.
10. “President Clinton’s Message Celebrating Eid Al-Fitr
2000”, US Department of State, December 22, 2000; 11. http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/islam/s122200.htm
11. Mofid Deak, “First Lady Hosts Third Annual Eid Celebration,”
USIA, January 22, 1999.
12. Madeleine Albright, “Learning More about Islam,”
State Magazine, September 2000.
13. “US Government’s Views on Terrorism,” Fact
Sheet, December 7, 1999.
14. “President’s Message for Ramadan,” November
15, 2001.
15. Remarks by Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright at Iftaar
Dinner, December 19, 2000.
16. Secretary Powell Hosts Iftaar at the State Department, December
29, 2001.
17. John. J. Hamre, “2nd Annual Pentagon Iftar Celebration,”
The Pentagon Friday, January 1, 1999; http://www.defenselink.mil/speeches/1999/c19990115-depsecdef.html
18. Remarks as delivered by Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz,
The Pentagon, Washington DC, December 30, 2001.
19. “Eid Al-Fitr Celebration Remarks by First Lady Hillary
Rodham Clinton,” The White House, January 21, 1999; http://www.amaana.org/ISWEB/ramadan.htm
20. “Eid Al-Fitr Celebration Remarks by First Lady Hillary
Rodham Clinton,” The White House, January 21, 1999; http://www.amaana.org/ISWEB/ramadan.htm
21. “President Hosts Iftaar Dinner,” November 19, 2001;
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/11/20011119-14.html
    
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