28 January 2002

Muslim Leader Speaks on Rising Voice of Moderation

Washington -- Rejecting Samuel P. Huntington's theory that Islam and the West are on the brink of a "clash of civilizations," a prominent Muslim scholar offers a more positive outlook on relations between the Muslim world and the United States.

"There exists a healthy and eager segment in Muslim countries interested in dialogue and constructive engagement and in serving as a bridge between our society and the Muslim world," said Salam Al-Marayati, executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC). "It is the rising voice of moderate Muslims."

MPAC, a non-profit organization headquartered in Los Angeles, has hosted several events highlighting the voice of moderate Islam, including an all-day conference in December, which drew roughly 1,000 participants.

Speaking at a State Department Open Forum in Washington January 28, Al-Marayati stressed that he is "only one voice of many who represent the rising voice of moderation."

"The moderate voice is not an elitist or a Westernized voice. It is not a lonely or persecuted voice. It is not purely a secular voice. It is a voice of the Muslim mainstream grounded in the Koranic verse, 'We have willed you to be a community of moderation,' (Ch. 2, v. 143) and in the admonition of the Prophet Muhammad to stay away from extremes," he said.

He said that terrorism must be addressed as a sociological phenomenon, and not as a phenomenon rooted in religion or race. Al-Marayati challenged the views of Samuel P. Huntington, who claims in his 1996 book, "The Clash of Civilizations," that there are inherent, unbridgeable differences between the West and the Muslim world.

Expressing dismay at the way Islam has been linked to the terrorist attacks of September 11, Al-Marayati said, "It is popular of late to quote verses out of context from the Koran to somehow argue that warmongering and terrorism are central to Muslim belief and practice."

"Islam has no room for terrorism," he said. "Those who perpetuate violence in the name of Islam distort and abuse the texts in the name of their cause, but the texts themselves are not to blame and should not be the subject of scrutiny since legitimate Muslim scholarship utterly rejects the aberrant interpretations."

The statements of extremists, as well as media coverage of the Muslim world, have distorted the image of Islam, Al-Marayati said.

"When 500,000 Muslims rallied in Pakistan last October for peace and moderation, it was a footnote in the press reports," he explained. "In that rally, statements against terrorism and for tolerance were made, yet attention remained fixated on the few who burned effigies."

Al-Marayati asserted that in fact there are many in the Muslim world who want to promote a dialogue, not confrontation, between civilizations.

"After September 11, Muslims from around the world expressed shock and remorse over the terrorist attacks, ranging from a moment of silence during a soccer match in Iran to candlelight vigils throughout the occupied territories in Palestine," he said. "Statements of solidarity with the American people coupled with condemnations of the terrorist attacks were sent from practically every Muslim country."

Al-Marayati advocates a dual-track approach to counter-terrorism policy: "one that brings the culprits to justice and another that deals with the inequities of the world to eliminate social and economic factors that create an environment of resentment, frustration and anger which flares on occasion in violent fashion."

Al-Marayati's speech was one of several recent talks hosted by the State Department. Former Secretary of State Dean Rusk established the Open Forum series in 1967 during critical policy debates on America's involvement in the Vietnam War. The lunchtime program is open to the public and continues to feature speakers of diverse views on foreign affairs.