A History of the U.S.- Muslim Engagement Report
Contributors, Pillars, & Recommendations
ChangeTheStory.net was prompted by deep conversations between the staff at Intersections and the staff to the U.S.- Muslim Engagement Project, an initiative of Search for Common Ground and the Consensus Building Institute. The project was launched in January 2007, when a distinguished and diverse group of American leaders met to discuss the challenges and opportunities in U.S. relations with the Muslim world: core questions of where relations now stand, obstacles to improving them and how those obstacles could be overcome.
Through a carefully facilitated dialogue process, that included research, analysis and deliberation, the Leadership Group has formed a clear and strong consensus on a strategy to enhance U.S. security by working more intensively and directly on the underlying causes of tension with key Muslim countries and communities. The strategy is described in a Report titled "Changing Course: A New Direction for U.S. Relations with the Muslim World".
It is profound respect for the process used in creating this comprehensive report that motivated the creation of ChangeTheStory.net, and especially its fourth pillar, which focuses on improving mutual respect and understanding. Shifting the operative narrative in this country about the Muslim world is key to improving relationships among Muslim and non-Muslims in the U.S. A fundamental principle in such a shift is that relationship building cannot occur in isolation from a corresponding shift in U.S. foreign policy.
The Report, therefore, focuses on new directions in U.S. foreign policy, a vital ingredient as we seek to change the story in local settings. Below are some of the key tenets of the Report, often using words from the Report. All excerpts appear in italics and are used with permission.
Underlying Assumptions
“Creating partnerships for peace with Muslim countries and communities is one of the greatest challenges—and opportunities—facing the United States today. Conflict, misunderstanding and distrust plague U.S. relations with Muslims in many countries, imperiling security for all. Maintaining the status quo raises the specter of prolonged confrontation, catastrophic attacks and a cycle of retaliation. Despite these divisions, the vast majority of Americans and Muslims around the world want peace, amicable relations, good governance, prosperity and respect. Policies and actions – not a clash of civilizations – are at the root of our divisions.” (p.i)
The vast majority of Americans and Muslims abhor violence and desire to live in peace. And the overwhelming majority of victims of extremist violence are Muslim. Public opinion research clearly shows that majorities of Americans and Muslims around the world have many interests and values that are not in conflict.
Yet, as the Report states, “A chasm of misperception and misinformation divides Americans and Muslims around the world. This chasm could be bridged by a major expansion of efforts and resources devoted to improving mutual trust. There is a critical need for us to learn about our many common values, to overcome stereotypes and misperceptions, and to discuss areas of difference and disagreement with respect.” (p.43)
Changing Course: A Comprehensive Strategy
The Report calls for a new strategy that has four closely linked and synergistic pillars. By making coordinated progress on all four pillars, “the U.S. can build strong and mutually beneficial relationships with Muslim counterparts… The need for more collaborative, multilateral approaches is a theme that cross-cuts all four pillars. Efforts on any one of the pillars will be helpful, but coordinated action on all four pillars offers the greatest potential for improvements in U.S. security and U.S.-Muslim relations.” (p.17)
Pillar 1: Elevate diplomacy as the primary tool for resolving key conflicts involving Muslim countries, engaging both allies and adversaries in dialogue. Specifically:
- Engage with Iran to explore the potential for agreements that could increase regional security, while seeking Iran’s full compliance with its nuclear nonproliferation commitments.
- Work intensively for immediate de-escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a viable path to a two-state solution, while ensuring the security of Israelis and Palestinians.
- Promote broad-based political reconciliation in Iraq, and clarify the long-term U.S. role.
- Renew international commitment and cooperation to halt extremists’ resurgence in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
- Provide top-level U.S. leadership to resolve regional conflicts and to improve coordination with international partners (p.18).
Pillar 2: Support efforts to improve governance and promote civic participation in Muslim countries, and advocate for principles rather than parties in their internal political contests. Specifically:
- Build the capacity of government institutions to deliver services, and of citizens to participate in governance.
- Advocate consistently for nonviolence, pluralism, and fairness in political contests.
- Use U.S. leverage with authoritarian governments to promote reforms in governance.
- Assess the value of engagement with political representatives of armed and activist movements case-by-case, based on their principles, behavior, and level of public support.
- Support political transitions and the consolidation of reforms in countries at critical ‘turning points’ (p.26).
Pillar 3: Help catalyze job-creating growth in Muslim countries to benefit both the U.S. and Muslim countries’ economies. Specifically:
- Support policy reforms to secure property rights, facilitate transactions and promote investments.
- Partner with governments, multilateral institutions, and philanthropies to make education a more powerful engine of employment and entrepreneurship.
- Use public-private investment partnerships to reduce risk, promote exports, and fund enterprises.
- Use trade agreements to reward economic reform and spur investment.
- Manage energy interdependence and diversify resources (p.36).
Pillar 4: Improve mutual respect and understanding between Americans and Muslims around the world.
- Use public diplomacy to reinforce changes in policies and actions.
- Dramatically expand cross-cultural education, people-to-people and interfaith exchange.
- Promote greater depth and accuracy in news coverage and programming.
- Invest in cultural diplomacy through arts and entertainment programs, to deepen mutual understanding and challenge stereotypes.
- Involve the Muslim-American community as a bridge (p.43).
It is this fourth pillar that ChangeTheStory.net addresses specifically. Critical shifts in U.S. foreign policy are necessary for genuine dialogue in local settings and so the Report offers an important starting point for a level playing field in transforming the narratives we carry of each other, Muslim and non-Muslim alike. But it is the application of these new narratives in the day-to-day lives of ordinary Americans that will make possible a cultural “tipping point” so that lasting change can occur. ChangeTheStory.net has been inspired by this Report and serves as a tangible manifestation of the Report’s principles in action.
“The Leadership Group recognizes that improving understanding alone will not transform relations….(p.43) Expanded efforts to connect lay believers through Web-based as well as face-to-face dialogue, and through action projects, will be critical for promoting broad-based and sustained respect and understanding…International cooperation should not be limited to explicitly interfaith efforts. Organizations focused on youth actions, social service projects, and/or volunteerism, also have an important role to play in building interfaith respect and understanding. International volunteer service that leads to greater interfaith understanding can empower U.S. volunteers while building global peace and stability. Social service projects—with Jews, Christians, and Muslims working side-by-side to serve those in need—are a powerful way to break down barriers between the communities.” (p.49)
A Call for Action
The Report contains a comprehensive section on recommendations for implementing the recommendations: “Implementing this strategy will require a sustained, coordinated effort by a range of public and private institutions, including the President and Executive agencies; Members of Congress; business and investment leaders; philanthropic institutions and development agencies; and educators, faith leaders, the news media, and citizens.
The next U.S. President and Administration must provide immediate and sustained leadership to improve U.S.-Muslim relations. We recommend that the next President take these steps:
- Speak to the critical importance of improving relations with the global Muslim community in his 2009 inaugural address.
- Take key actions immediately to demonstrate a commitment to improving relations, including:
- Immediately organizing a whole-of-government effort, with Presidential leadership, to define and implement a strategy for improving relations with key Muslim countries and communities.
- Immediately re-affirming the U.S. commitment to prohibit all forms of torture.
Within the first six months of the Administration, co-convene a business government summit on economic reform, growth, and job creation in the Middle East to accelerate current reform and investment initiatives.
Work with leaders in Congress, educational, cultural and philanthropic institutions in the U.S., and counterparts in Muslim countries, to create and fund a global initiative for teaching, learning, and exchange among citizens in the U.S. and Muslim countries.
It will also be important for a wide range of private actors to coordinate their activities more closely, while maintaining their separation from the government. To do so, we recommend that the new Administration and leading business, educational, philanthropic, faith, and media organizations co-convene forums on U.S.-Muslim relations, and create new platforms for action, making special efforts to involve Muslim-American leaders.” (p.iv-v)
Further in-depth study of this document can open many avenues for dialogue and work across lines of faith and culture. But both the Report and ChangeTheStory.net can only be the beginning of this paradigm shift. Sustained transformation in the way we relate to one another will only be possible when there is a cultural tipping point and large numbers of people realize that it is in our mutual best interest to change the story. Such a tipping point begins with each one of us.
