American foreign policy sins are numerous, and some are even unforgivable - like the invasion of Iraq, based on false accusations, which has resulted in much death and destruction. But to judge America by its neo-conservative foreign policy would be like judging Islam by what some radical, violence-prone Muslims have done around the world - it would be grossly unfair.

There is more, much more, to America than its imprudent foreign policy in the Muslim world.

America contributes to maintaining the global order and has created and sustained some of the most important institutions of the international system, such as the United Nations and the World Bank. In recent years, US foreign policy has resulted in billions of dollars of tsunami relief in Southeast Asia, earthquake assistance in Pakistan, and economic and development aid across Muslim lands. The United States is the biggest foreign aid donor to the Muslim World.

In the past, the United States has also intervened militarily on behalf of Muslims in Bosnia, Somalia, Kosovo and Kuwait.

On the domestic front, the United States is one of the best places to live on the planet, according to many. People from all over the Muslim world apply, in the millions, for visas to come to the US - even after 9/11 - in search of a better future. Yet hardly any indigenous American Muslims are seeking to migrate to predominantly-Muslim countries to improve their lives. The United States, and not any one of the fifty five Muslims nations, is the number one choice of Muslims for permanent relocation.

I have been living in the United States since 1992, when I arrived here from India. America took in a young man from a developing nation and after eight years of schooling, graduated an active Muslim scholar who has testified to the US Senate on foreign affairs, debated Bill Clinton in person and Vladimir Putin in writing, advised Prince Charles, held prolonged chats with Sadiq Al Mahdi, shaken hands with King Abdullah and Emir Hamad bin Khalifah, and had dinner with Benazir Bhutto. This afternoon, I had lunch with the grand Mufti of Egypt, Shaykh Ali Gomaa, in a castle in the south of England. Even when I was a poor graduate student, and now as an active scholar, I have been truly living my dream.

Because of the political and religious freedoms I enjoy in the United States, I am able to practice Islam at the highest level � that of fikr, or reflection. I publish extensively, lecture and communicate my ideas widely through the media. Muslim scholars have always maintained that true happiness comes from the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge and I found this to be the case in America.

My life as a public intellectual is enabled by America's intellectual environment, its great universities and, above all, its open public sphere in which I participate wholeheartedly, without fear or hesitation.

I am neither alone nor the most important beneficiary of American culture. America has in recent years produced and/or nurtured many good and extraordinarily insightful Muslim thinkers like Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Fazlur Rahman, Ismael Farruqi, Khaled Abou el Fadl, Sherman Jackson, Asma Afsaruddin, Sohail Hashmi, Azizah al Hibri, Taha Al-Alwani, Sulayman Nyang, Louay Safi, Akber Ahmad, Maher Hathout, Abdullah an-Naim, Ingrid Mattson and Amina Wadud, to list but a few whose names come to mind readily.

America has also produced noteworthy Muslim spiritual leaders who enjoy widespread appeal, way beyond America's borders. The likes of Shaykh Hamza Yusuf are creating a uniquely American tradition in Islamic spirituality. American Muslim initiatives such as the American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences have not only inspired research in the Muslim world but have become the gold standard in Muslim scholarship.

Today, one can talk about an American tradition in Islamic thinking. Like America itself, it may be short on history but it is also rich, powerful, with global reach and profound impact.

American foreign policy may have perpetrated many injustices against Muslims, but its gifts of scholars and scholarship to Islam and Muslims that has allowed Islamic thinking to re-emerge and thrive is indeed priceless.

The Dixie Chicks???!!! Censorship and suppression???!!! Get real -- the comments of some, not all, of them mainly sold more records and got more pub and props than perhaps their musical abilities may have warranted. I own a couple of their albums -- good music, whacky politics. But they seem singularly unsuppressed, similarly to Mr. Khan. Of course, no suggestion here that either party should risk a booking to appear in public fora in, say, Syria, Saudi, Iranian, or similar context.

>Censorship and suppression???!!! <

Where have you been? They may have won grammys but they banned on virtually every country station in the US, including the public destruction of their soundtracks and death threats. That doesn't sound like vibrant debate to me. There are several examples of US suppression of unpopular views, this is just a minor one of them.

>Of course, no suggestion here that either party should risk a booking to appear in public fora in, say, Syria, Saudi, Iranian, or similar context.<

You're showing both your lack of intelligence and knowledge of other nations. I would wager you haven't set foot in any of the nations mentioned yet seem very cognizant of Mr.Khan's fate were he to go there. Granted they aren't bastions of liberty, but then again neither is the US. He would easily get published but then get laughed out of the room for such a poor and obvious puff piece. An "intellectual" of such caliber could only find shelter in the sycophantic strata of what passes for discourse in America these days.

Assalamu Alaykum! It is obvious that many of the readers are irritated by Dr. Khan's acknowledgement of his personal debt to America. I am sure that many Muslims have expanded their horizons by going to America but do not acknowledge it. That is fine, that is who they are.

But to trivialize Dr. Khan's extraordinary contributions is petty, to say the least.

This article has been published by many Arab and Muslims newspapers and magazines. I googled Dr.Khan in the news section of google.com to see where else this article was published and discovered an article in the Frontline magazine that admires his work.

I also saw Dr. Khan on CPAN being extremely critical of US foreign policy while testifying in the US Senate, you can see for yourself here: http://www.senate.gov/~foreign/hearings/2006/hrg060718a.html

It is sad that we mock our own scholars, specially at a time when we need them the most.

>It is obvious that many of the readers are irritated by Dr. Khan's acknowledgement of his personal debt to America.<

I'm not irritated at all, I just feel this article reads like a bad and shallow resume.

>I am sure that many Muslims have expanded their horizons by going to America but do not acknowledge it. That is fine, that is who they are.<

You have no means of quantifying that determination. The same could be said of Americans who have never traveled outside of their country yet make silly and bizarre statements like "nuke 'em" etc. I don't live in the US, nor am I a Muslim. Where do I fit in?

>It is sad that we mock our own scholars, specially at a time when we need them the most.<

If Mr.Khan is considered a scholar in your community, you're in deep trouble.

I don't know which community you live in, but yes here in the US he is considerred a very prominent voice on Islam and on US foreign policy, Muslim organizations recgonize that, US government does it and so do many Muslim communities world wide.

Last year we invited him to come and speak at our mosque and had to wait for four months to find space in his calender and mashallah he delivered a fascinating lecture on Ijtihad and the need to reform usul al fiqh.

Dr. Khan is critical of the many hypocrisies in our community, as he is critical of US policies. Unfortunately there are many in our community he cannot take any criticism.

America has been wonderful to most Muslims who live here. He is right, Muslims are still eager to migrate to the US. I respect him for acknowledging his debt to our country.

DMW, there is no point in arguing with people who niether consider facts nor reality and persist on asserting irrational opinions as substitutes for facts. Only this Sunday CAIR Philadelphia hosted Dr. Khan, for a second of a two part lecture series which was highly appreciated. My brother and his wife attended the event and called me to tell me how much they enjoyed the lecture.

I have just finished reading his book American Muslims and I think it is one of the best marriages of reason and revelation that I have read, and I have read the mother of all such books -- Kitab Fasl al Maqaal by Ibn Rushd.

>in the US he is considerred a very prominent voice on Islam and on US foreign policy, Muslim organizations recgonize that, US government does it and so do many Muslim communities world wide.<

Somehow I doubt that very much.

>Dr. Khan is critical of the many hypocrisies in our community, as he is critical of US policies. Unfortunately there are many in our community he cannot take any criticism.<

I barely see any criticism of US excesses in his article. Perhaps he and his supporters are just averse to critical inquiry? If you love your country help make it a better place, and that isn't likely when one heeps fawning praise without a hint of critique.


>DMW, there is no point in arguing with people who niether consider facts nor reality and persist on asserting irrational opinions as substitutes for facts.<

You consider people who ask tough questions "irrational." Mr.Khan's writing resembles that of a court jester and I would be more then happy to reevaluate his views were he to inject some substance in them. I was sent an article by the NYT on the divide between immigrant Muslims(educated professionals, some of whom are deluded elitists) and their indigenous co-religionists(more into grassroots social activism) in the US. I think there are class issues here which need to addressed before the likes of Mr. Khan can claim credibility.

Now you cite the NYT, the newspaper that publishes his articles, I remember seeing one by Dr. Khan in the NYT on Muslim identity. Long before 9/11 even when he was a graduate student Washington Post was profiling him as an important voice on Islam; See for your self: http://bridget.jatol.com/pipermail/sacw_insaf.net/1999/000223.html

So what if I cite the NYT? I'm referring to a specific article which I believe elaborates well the difference between the two groups of Muslims I mentioned earlier.
The article you link to is outdated and barely makes a case for Mr.Khan.

>>... divide between immigrant Muslims(educated professionals, some of whom are deluded elitists) and their indigenous co-religionists... I think there are class issues here which need to addressed before the likes of Mr. Khan can claim credibility.<<

My friend, you hit the nail on the head. I hate to point out my brothers' faults. Truly we all have them, but this elitism is an illness that terribly divides our communities. Some people assume that unless someone has the prefix "Dr." before their name, they have nothing worthwhile to contribute, much less be worthy of serving on the Board of any Islamic organization.

"they have nothing worthwhile to contribute, much less be worthy of serving on the Board of any Islamic organization. "

good thing they showed up in America, otherwise all these so called indigenous co-religionists would still be wallowing in disbelief and jahaliyya like they were 50 years ago.

Opportunity it seems comes at costs. America contributes to any order that enhances its own. Nothing inherently wrong in that. Everyone does it. I think that being grateful for it is just silly.

Why do muslims turn against each other all the time?

One thing i admired about the jews, is their unity and acceptance of each other.

Though we all face mecca when we pray, our hearts are so scattered.

We just don't know how to celebrate our differences .

Most people in iraq and Afghanistan want US forces there, thats a fact. Next time you speak about Iraq and Afghanistan, remember that US forces are backed by those respective population. Maybe in Iraq its lessening but Muslims should not appear to care about these countries more than its inhabitants. I may detest US policies, but I respect public opinion. I did not live under Saddam or the Taliban.

>Most people in iraq and Afghanistan want US forces there, thats a fact. Next time you speak about Iraq and Afghanistan, remember that US forces are backed by those respective population.<

Bullsh*t alert!
http://www.opinion.co.uk/Documents/FINALTables.pdf

>I did not live under Saddam or the Taliban.<

But you don't live under occupation imposed under Bush, Blair and Olmert either, yet boast that its better. You're a strange fellow.

Who boasted that its better? Its not for me to say its better, its for the Iraqis and Afghans. They have an elected government that speaks for them. Who do you represent, or are you so hateful of Bush and Blair that you just oppose them? Fine, but remember the Iraqis and Afghans have represented governments who both are asking the US forces to be there.

Anyways the problem in both Iraq and Afghanistan is radical Islamist who people keep voting for and get themselves in trouble.

>Who boasted that its better? Its not for me to say its better, its for the Iraqis and Afghans.<

You did imply it by making the bizarre claim that the majority Iraqis and Afghans want American invaders on their home soil.

>They have an elected government that speaks for them.<

Please, these "governments" have about as much legitimacy the Vichy regime of France during World War 2. They are US propped up client regimes consisting of warlords and sectarian death squads.

>fine, but remember the Iraqis and Afghans have represented governments who both are asking the US forces to be there.<

Not they do not. All evidence points to the contrary. To quote one Iraqi :
"Let me clear it up for any moron with lingering doubts: It’s worse. It’s over. You lost. You lost the day your tanks rolled into Baghdad to the cheers of your imported, American-trained monkeys. You lost every single family whose home your soldiers violated. You lost every sane, red-blooded Iraqi when the Abu Ghraib pictures came out and verified your atrocities behind prison walls as well as the ones we see in our streets. You lost when you brought murderers, looters, gangsters and militia heads to power and hailed them as Iraq’s first democratic government."

>Anyways the problem in both Iraq and Afghanistan is radical Islamist who people keep voting for and get themselves in trouble.<

More pro-US fiction. Iraq is the seat of the oldest civilization on earth. They invented government. The problem in Iraq and Afghanistan are the Anglo-American terrorists and their brutal occupation, not the people who want them out. You've simply painted terrorists with the resistance and the people who don't vote your way with the same brush. Bush and Blair have killed far far more then these "radical islamist"(a stupid misleading term) boogey men of you, yet show up whenever the excuse(in a formerly secular country like Iraq no less) is needed.

Who is behind these sectarian killings, the US? Or is it not the Islamist? Who came from Iran itching for revenge on the Sunni community on iraq? The US or the Khomeinist Islamist? Who is behind those suicide bombings on Iraq?

These governments were elected by the people who are tribal, don't believe in democracy, have an Islamist political orientation of Islam, supress women and have voted for corrupt political parties whose only affiliation with religion is a beard and a hijab. Let the people learn, now meanwhile don't claim to speak for them cause the Shias in Iraq voted for these puppets and so have the Sunni Kurds. In Afghanistan its the Taliban who are fighting the government, its that who you represent?

Face it, some of our problems are US and others but a large part of it is in ourselves.

Don't give me that reductionist fascist neoconservative spin, with your fables of Iraqis and Afghans wanting American invaders on their soil. I'm not going to waste time with your "Islamist" scare crow distractions. I've already refuted it and wont go over it with you again. Read the history of US involvement in Latin America and it all becomes clear. Different continent, same tactics. The “alleged” sectarian violence is consistent with what we have seen in previous CIA-run operations in El Salvador and Nicaragua. Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Negroponte are alumna of those conflicts (which, according to Cheney, succeeded quite admirably) so it’s probable that they would apply what they have learned about counterinsurgency to the ongoing war in Iraq. The El Salvador experiment proved that the masses can eventually be terrorized into compliance.
In Iraq, terror is being used as a substitute for security, because the United States has no intention of providing the manpower or funding needed to maintain order. Even Kurdish dissidents have testafied that American occupation forces are actively training these monsters. Balkinizing the country and playing "we're caught in the middle but have to stay to prevent the Iraqis from killing each other."
They created the problem, and now are offering to solve it. Same crap that went into the invasion. They build up Saddam into a monster threatening to take over the world, and then in search of phony glory, went in and destroyed the iraqi society, expecting to earn the honor of saving the world. This is like those firemen who committed arson in hopes of being called to put out the fires, and become heroes. Heroism, first and foremost requires honesty.

For those who deluded enough to believe bigmo's preposterous claims about Iraqis and Afghans partying like its 1999, a new video was released today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_ZCGhd8jnU&eurl=http://leninology.blogspot.com/
The video, shot in Ramadi by an American soldier, shows US Marines firing on anything that moves including civilians. This is interspersed by various obscene, bestial noises such as "wooohoooo" and "dude, I fuckin shot that guy up in the car!" I hear they're making real progress over there, no doubt its the global "islamist" conspiracy(theory) to make these heroes of civilization look bad.
And Americans wonder why they are hated around the world.

"American foreign policy may have perpetrated many injustices against Muslims, but its gifts of allowing Islamic thinking to re-emerge and thrive is indeed priceless." This is where the thread started, and reflects the best intentions of the altmuslim - reasoned and useful discussion of important matters in a world that includes, and must continue to include, different POV, beliefs, values, and so on. Obviously this thread has outlived its usefulness when the saboteurs of BTW's ilk succeed in switching the train onto their desired tracks.