Beyond Jihad and Crusade : A New Framework for U. S. Policy in the Islamic World

by Khan, M. A. Muqtedar

• ISBN13: 9780815749240
• ISBN10: 0815749244
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-06-10
• Publisher: Brookings Inst Pr

Summary

America's foreign policy in the Islamic world is marked by misunderstanding and suspicion on both sides, resulting in tragic conflicts, such as the current imbroglio in Iraq. Now one of the most widely read Muslim intellectuals in the United States, M. A. Muqtedar Khan, advances a new model for U.S. foreign policy toward the Islamic world, arguing that the key aggravating factor in America's relations with these countries is its consistent neglect of democratic aspirations in Muslim societies, favoring instead the undemocratic regimes that govern many Islamic states. Beyond Jihad and Crusade explores the roots of anti-Americanism and political violence in the Islamic world and the role of moderate Muslims struggling against extremism to promote Islamic democracy and a liberal understanding of Islam. Khan examines the critical role of American Muslims as a bridge between the United States and the islamic world. He brings insights into the current contested nature of Islamic identity, the turmoil within the Muslim world, and the contentious nature of the relationship between Islam and the Western world, helping to construct a new framework for U.S. foreign policy. Khan argues that the United States must transform its image from being an anti-Muslim, anti-Islamic actor to a "Muslim-friendly" state. This will necessitate a change not only in the parameters of American discourse but also in the tactics the United States adopts in its counterterrorism efforts. A policy sensitive to the identity issues in the Islamic world, its post-colonial realties, and the perceptions of the Muslim public will have a higher chance of winning not only the hearts and minds of the Muslim world, but also thewar of ideas against radical Islam and anti-Americanism. This is a ground-breaking and ultimately hopeful book, offering a fundamentally different perspective from current thinking on relations between the United States and th