"Voice of America" Needed to Reach Arabs and Muslims, American Diplomat Says

NewsBusters.org
2008-10-31

By Kevin Mooney

U.S diplomacy has suffered in the Middle East because policymakers
dismantled critical instruments of communication in the late 1990s
under the mistaken assumption that ideological struggles had ended
with the Cold War, a former ambassador to Syria and Israel argues in a
new book.

Outlets like the Voice of America (VOA) are critically important to
America’s strategic interests and policy aims in the Muslim and Arab
world where moderate elements are open to persuasion despite previous
diplomatic missteps Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian points out in
"Danger and Opportunity: An American Ambassador’s Journey Through the
Middle East." [1]

To keep pace with media outlets like Al Jazerera, the major Arab
satellite TV station, it is imperative to have articulate and fluent
Foreign Service officers who can explain and defend U.S. policy in an
effective way, Djerejian pointed out in an interview.

Although differing interests and objectives will remain evident in
some areas, there is enough common ground that presents diplomats with
important opportunities, he suggested.

"The Voice of America" is vitally important as it relates to the
struggle for ideas in the Muslim world between moderation and
extremism," he said. "The manner and content of the American message
is critical. And while 80 percent of the perceptions people have of
America throughout the Middle East are shaped by policies, there is
another critical 20 percent open for diplomacy to promote widely
admired values."

Extensive surveys show that strong majorities in the Muslim world have
great admiration for deeply ingrained American principles like
individual liberty, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, equality
of opportunity and the rule of law, he explained.

Unfortunately, the U.S. has not helped itself in Arab-Muslim world by
virtue of lending support to dictators, even as it promotes the idea
of democracy, Djerejian acknowledges. The experiences of the current
Bush Administration also demonstrate that democracy promotion must go
beyond elections.

"If democracy promotion is focused too much on elections alone, the
principle of unintended consequences comes into play," Djerejian
said. "We saw this with the Palestinian election in 2006 where the
administration did promote elections and Hamas came out as the
winner. This has very real and negative consequences."

Although there is an appetite for democracy and greater political
autonomy, it will look very different from what Americans are
accustomed to and must be built from the ground up, he argued.

"It is important to understand that Islam is not a monolith, it is a
very differentiated society," Djerejian said. "You have Sunnis and
Shiites and it’s a complex landscape. Understanding the culture is the
first key step in any new U.S. administration."

Radical Islamists seek to brand the U.S. as a secular society that
denies God and religion but there is ample room to push back against
false impressions with a carefully calibrated communications campaign,
he explained.

"First you must distinguish between secularism and secularization,"
Djerejian said. "The U.S. is branded as secular society that excludes
God and religion but this totally false. We are a very religious
country. What we have is a division between church and state and
that’s secularization. But freedom of religion is inculcated into our
body politic."

Another main topic explored in the book concerns the relationship
between reason and Islamic law. At one time Muslim scholars relied
upon what is termed "Ijtihad" to reach legal decisions in those
instances where Sharia was silent or unclear. This practice was
abandoned sometime in the 10th century.

"This gets back to the struggle of ideas now taking placed between
moderates and radicals," Djerejian said. "A great majority of Muslims
are moderates who believe in rationale interpretation. They believe
religious doctrine can be modified to fit the requirements of the
contemporary period. Ijtihad is another word for hope."

With regard to Iraq, the ambassador supports a "new diplomatic
offensive" that would directly engage neighbors like Syria and Iran. A
"strategic dialogue" could yield important dividends in his
estimation.

"We should not fear engaging our enemies and our adversaries, unless
we are so insecure about our own ability to conduct negotiations," he
said. "We could make surprising headway."

In the case Syria, "strategic dialogues" have worked in the past, he
recalls. Syria was actually a partner during Operation Desert Storm in
1991 and also helped to secure the release of U.S. hostages in Beirut,
he pointed out.

There is already a strong reform movement at work in Iran that is
putting pressure on the regime, Djerejian said.

Moreover, the real power brokers is the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei not
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the incendiary president, he explained.

"The Iranian leadership has to be aware and sensitive to the political
divisions in their own society," the ambassador said. "There is a huge
opportunity here and we can negotiate from a position of strength."

Source URL:
8/10/31/voice-america-needed-reach-arabs-muslims-a merican-diplomat-says

Links:
[1] Ambassadors-Journey/dp/B001FXSOJ0