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.

>Obviously this thread has outlived its usefulness when the saboteurs of BTW's ilk succeed in switching the train onto their desired tracks.<

Saboteurs? Four years too late for that.

Islamists (whatever that is).. we have to keep in mind, are a valid political body within the global Islamic movement. Whether its huminatirian, economic or political .. muslims need an to find our own way. Not because we are exclusive from everyone else .. but because we are muslims and because it is necessary for our develpoment as an Ummah.

Things flourish in the USA. Education, sport, medicinem, RELIGION ... the mililtary industrial complex, the CIA, the Bush presidency, conservative evangelism, zionism. Things also suffer in the USA .. immigrants, blacks, native americans, international trade, kyoto .. so what?!

Wrong is wrong. It is part of history that nations rise and fall based on the interplay of alot of things. Maybe even the great Islamic ideas that will impact on the growth of humanity in our time will flourish in the USA. SubhanAllah. So what?! Why kiss up to the American social order .. when it is incidental in the evolution of humanity? Allah favours whom HE wills. Do we get to now imagine that the American system is magically the doyern of humanitys efforts?

This excellent article points out the beautiful thing about being an American: personal freedom and democracy. Khan is superb example of the 'American Dream' ... someone having nothing and being able to build something with their lives.

"Things also suffer in the USA .. immigrants, blacks, native Americans" ...
Is this system of ours perfect? Of course not! - no human system can be - but it's the best thing anyone has came up with. One thing: all the poor people in this country have the chance at a better life and millions of them have gotten it. There is not a single institution in America not touched by Blacks, Immigrants and Native Americans.

We here in America absolutely believe in and love our freedom (our greatest strength and weakness btw). We believe in it so much that we will sometimes try (with our own blood) to protect it in other countries (Europe and Korea) and establish it in others (Japan, Iraq, Vietnam) ... I guess it works out better some places than others! I am thinking recently that this is our great mistake: thinking that everyone could benefit by democracy and freedom. Perhaps there are some parts of the world not yet ready for this blessing.

But as an American Christian this one thing I am truly proud of ... a Muslim can prosper and practice his religion with total impunity in the United States. He is not going to get persecuted or jailed by this government or by Christians. By in large, he will be judged by who he is and the contributions he makes to this society - this is truly beautiful and I wish the rest of the world were like this.

--"our great mistake: thinking that everyone could benefit by democracy and freedom"

most Muslims & Arabs want democratic goverence,even if they disagree w/us on method & approach .So its not about the "what" but about the "how" which unfortunately many of us Americans fail to understand.

And this points to a larger problem: for a long time [generally speaking], a gap has existed btwn America's international relations-- especially in policies toward the mideast & latin america--& policies @ home.Where general tolerance & pluralism existed only to be disturbed by negative periodic episodes in the domestic scene, America's policies abroad has been frequently criticized as (1) "imperialistic" and "expansionist" at times, as for eg in "Manifest Destiny" [post-Revolution US comprising the intial constitutent 13 States believed it had a moral & legal "right" to expand westward,regardless of effect on Indians & "Monroe Doctrine" establishg the whole of Western Hemisphere (read Latin Amer) as an exclusive "sphere of influence" for American policymakers(i.e. backyard).]. This political behavior differed only silightly from the European imperial powers of the day who had begun to colonize large tracts of territories & peoples in Asia and Africa. Similarly,expanding economic involvement & establishment of mlitary posts in the Far East & Latin Amer also bear resemblances to European behavior that immediately preceded or worked in conjunction w/their imperial ventures--Panama Canal in some ways compared to Suez Canal; in the same the US built military installations in Philippines, Britain built ones in India, Portuguese in Mozambique, so forth--in part to secure vital trade routes, domestic resources/labor, intl prestige, or a combination. (2) "unilateral": such as the war/occupation in Iraq.Alongside these, exist charges of dishonesty & double-standards,particularly when it relates the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Even domestic experience of Arabs, Muslims, and other minorities are neither all +ve nor all -ve.Muslims & Arabs have managed quite well in terms of education & careers overall,but have also lagged behind in terms of public receptiveness--as contrasted 2 other groups.Partly this is due to a century of pop-culture stereotypical and distortd imagery in such major production icons as Hollywood (for eg see Reel Bad Arabs by Jack Shaheen).Since my childhood in the 80s,I also remember watching many sitcoms & shows featuring episodes in which a stereotypical Arab/Muslim character is carcuriaturized in a deriding & condescending manner.Even news items frequently beamed particularizd selective imagery.The backlash in America that Arabs/Muslims have faced didnt begin after 9/11-earlier examples include passage of the Secret Evidence. Act during the Clinton Adminstration.W/ 9/11 the backlash has gotten more pervasive & intense.Somewhat related to this is that many Arabs/Muslims have complained that the domestic component of foreign policymaking towards crucial areas like the MidEast havent been as pluralistic as non-political aspects of American life b/c of lobbying.Many Arabs/Muslims see this phenomenon as a
contributing part of cycle in the MidEast that can come to haunt them here.

Arab/Muslim world has its own share of faults & missteps.So do Muslims & Arabs here.But our contributions should be
particularly significant for us, b/c of our superpower status--our "primacy" so to speak--& the fact that we pride ourselves on being "a city on a hill." As for Western Europe & Japan,they endured some form of military presence/occupation, but the assistance & relatively much more respectful treatment they received through the Marshall Plan cannot be found in the Arab/Muslim world.Rather virtually all of the Arab/Muslim world had already been for long colonized or had received very deep penetrating political & economic interference by the Europeans, experiences known in a collective sense as "protectorates" or "mandates"--an interference that for the most part (except for a rare occasions) Americans didnt object much to, due to the rising threat of fascism & nazism, Cold War strategic considerations l8r.In fact some in academic community have argued that after WWII, America replaced European "protectors" or "regents," and it suggested at that time that American influence was healthier than Soviet interference.In retrospect, European involvement,& Cold War rivalries were generally more harmful 2 devlpmt in modern history than positive.After the Soviet Union receded & dissolved,initial hopefulness for democracy & modern devlpt also receded & dissolvd as American policymakers began what many Arabs & Muslims saw as "flexing muscle," esp beginning w/"Desert Storm" & installing permanent bases 4 the 1st time in mideast in the context of America's declaration of a "New World Order".And seeing that "business-as-usual" exists,optimistic Arabs & Muslims who @ 1st saw new hope in America's public renunciation w/ supporting autocracy felt betrayd & lied 2, & those who initially skeptical had their doubts confirmd, when US policies appeard 2 them as send out contradictg/ constrastg msgs: for eg, refusg 2 recgnize a democratically-electd govt brought about by what intl & independent monitors had declard as 1 of the freest & fairest elections in Palestine, & continuing 2 praise reform efforts throughtout region which many have dismissd as "cosmetic" or even reversals in the wake of what they now reflect on as "backslidg".

Ur msg, M'z S.?

my msg is a very complicated one, as u can see. But I'll try to summarize some important pts:

1. The US has a lot of potential to be a creative, +ve force. In general contrast 2 US relations w/W Euro & Israel since post-WWII & Cold War, the absence of this potential led 2 counterproductive foreign policy towards Arab/Musilm world & latin amer, w/few exceptnal incidents. Counterprodtv policies toward Arab/ Muslim world were justified 1st in terms of Cold War strategy, then "regional security" & preservg 'strategic alliance' w/Israel.

2.There seems to be gap/inconsistency between how we conduct ourselves politically and socially INSIDE the US (pluralism, respect 4 human rights/ law, etc) and how we conduct ourselves internationally (eg. the image of us as a domineering bully & policy towards the issue of despotism seen as arbitrary, unevenhanded, mind-boggling, & destablizg). W/ post-9/11 stripping of civil
rights, the long history of Arab/Muslim stereotyping & demonizing in media & popular culture, the increasing reliance of our political system on interest groups/ lobbyists and & their effect on policymaking in crucial issues [eg, esp towards Arab/Muslim world &
Palestinian-Israeli conflict] etc, one can be led to conclude that the gap/ inconsistency is being reduced in a way
where domestic environment resembles intl involvement. As many Arabs/Muslims see it,this gap/inconsistency particularly affected them -vely to begin with.But reduction of gap/inconsistency hasn't improved things either, due 2 variety of complex US and foreign factors; Arabs/ Muslims still see themselves as unfairly -vely targetd,but now in a way where targeting has expanded to include
Arabs/Muslims living in the US. Both
"trends" seem 2 create impression among Arabs/Muslims worldwide that U.S. employs double standards, mixed msgs, etc.To them, both trends also confirm impression that US seeks hegemony in the region @ expense of fosterg domestic accountability,devlpt, & relationship where allies r 2 act as "partners" (rather than the common impression of
"master/vasal").

3.Noting pts above, it would b great fallacy 2 assume that America's failure 2 help establish democracy & reform in the region is attributable to Arab/Muslim hostility to these 2 concepts or 2 notion of not being "ready" (as in not intellectually sophisticated enough to grasp & accept. mayb probs r more of logistics & organizational variants).Its equally a fallacy to assume that by extension Arabs/ Muslims want 2 remain
"backwards" b/c "they hate American/ Western culture(s) and freedoms".Yes, differences exist even in cultural terms. And its so easy for many of us & for Arabs/Muslims to confuse religion w/ culture or w/other aspects of human experience in the region and among Western-based Arabs/ Muslims.Solutions and processes 4 creating democracy would fail if by an exact cookie-cutter approach.It'll take effort,commitment, time,& adaptation.Realzg these important pts should ideally serve as a humbling factor in how we view the "Arab/Muslim other" & help 2 implement cooperation not imposition, & mutual respect not disdain.

The enormous complexity of the above pts,& the enormous complexity of contexts of historical & present contexts, make it such that I feel for so long we've been diggin a hole 4 ourselves that continues 2 grows in breadth & depth. This DOESNT EXCUSE Arab/Musilm contributions 2 their own predicaments. Nor would it b accurate 2 assume that we can fix the problems thru Pub Diplo primarily or exclusively,4 it may not b as a much of a prob 4 others to understand US foreign policy than for them 2 air grievances about policies which r then snubbed off.Finally,we must not over-indulge in American excptinlism (& maybe also begin to reconsider discussions on "primacy"),nor should b apathetic b/c such attitudes can facilit8 blind/distortd sense of self & others affectg action.