Really EXCELLENT conversation tonight on On Point with Tom Askbrook (listen here) of the following experts on regional (Middle East) feelings toward of Obama's foreign policy and some fp advice:
Ayad Allawi , former Iraq PM
____ Ali Reza, CSIS Turkey Project Director
Rami Khouri, Editor Daily Star (Lebanon newspaper)
Here are some points that stuck out in my mind on moderate Muslims, Shariah, and how Islam is used as a political tool.
On Moderates:
Moderate Muslim does not mean pro America or that that person is happy in their current state. Moderate Muslims actually have very similar grivances to extremists - social, political, economic - but do not use similar tactics. The US must reach out to them by changing out policies that in places support dictators and hence extremist agendas, if not terror groups will continue to prey on these moderates due to shared grievances.
On Shariah:
When Muslims say they want shariah, they mean they want justice, governance, a standardized system of law. Shariah has received a bad name here (mostly bc media here who know nothing about Islam #1 confuse it with tribal law which is really the body which sanctions honor killings and other horrific punishments and #2 because many pervert real shariah and media here accept this as the real shariah instead of questioning its legitimacy.)
****Key point on Islam in political movements:
As civil rights strugglers, MLK, turned to religion, as Desmond Tutu did for anti apartheid movement, so do Muslims turn to religion to frame and support their struggles for rights, justice governance and freedom.
When social and political systems don't address grievances, people turn to religion for help.
Khouri's advice for Obama: Don't just talk about common ground, talk about what average Muslim talks about on a daily basis - what they want: system of law, good governance, civil and political rights, rights as citizens.
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