Religious Diversity in America: The Muslim Experience A Summit and Public Forum at the Washington National Cathedral October 23, 2012 Guiding Ideas for the Way Ahead Religious freedom and tolerance are perhaps America’s most admirable—and yet most consistently violated—principles Intolerance and bigotry are persistent threats that can target any group, depending on the circumstances prevailing in society. Since 9/11, bias toward American Muslims has been fueled by fear of terrorism, general ignorance about Islam as a religion and tradition, and a lack of knowledge and personal familiarity many Americans exhibit toward their Muslim neighbors and fellow citizens. Anti-Muslim bigotry is further amplified by the actions of (often well-funded) individuals and groups that disseminate anti-Muslim views to the public, organize anti-Muslim events, and seek to exclude Muslims from American civic life. To be effective, actions to combat intolerance against American Muslims must be part of a larger effort to make American society resistant to bigotry in general. In this light, Muslims must be actively engaged in resisting bigotry against non-Muslims, just as many Jewish groups and Christian groups have come to the defense of Muslims. Ultimately, religious tolerance is an inadequate goal; it should be pursued as a step toward achieving greater acceptance and appreciation of America’s religious diversity. Cooperation across faiths is essential to counter religious intolerance; no one group (including Muslims) can successfully combat bigotry without the active support of others. A targeted group acting alone to defend itself may deepen its isolation and accentuate perceptions among the public that the group is not fully a part of American society. Traditional interfaith dialogue plays an important role. But at least as important is cooperation among people of different faith traditions to achieve common social goals, without an explicit religious component. In countering religious intolerance, we must distinguish between fear and bigotry. Fear of Islam (or any religion) is often a rational response to misinformation and a lack of understanding. To CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF THE PRESIDENCY & CONGRESS

Guiding Ideas for the Way Ahead

Download PDF Report

Upload
jeffrey-thomas
View
16
Download
2

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Religious Diversity in America: The Muslim Experience

A Summit and Public Forum at the Washington National Cathedral

October 23, 2012

Guiding Ideas for the Way Ahead Religious freedom and tolerance are perhaps America’s most admirable—and yet most consistently violated—principles Intolerance and bigotry are persistent threats that can target any group, depending on the circumstances prevailing in society. Since 9/11, bias toward American Muslims has been fueled by fear of terrorism, general ignorance about Islam as a religion and tradition, and a lack of knowledge and personal familiarity many Americans exhibit toward their Muslim neighbors and fellow citizens. Anti-Muslim bigotry is further amplified by the actions of (often well-funded) individuals and groups that disseminate anti-Muslim views to the public, organize anti-Muslim events, and seek to exclude Muslims from American civic life. To be effective, actions to combat intolerance against American Muslims must be part of a larger effort to make American society resistant to bigotry in general. In this light, Muslims must be actively engaged in resisting bigotry against non-Muslims, just as many Jewish groups and Christian groups have come to the defense of Muslims. Ultimately, religious tolerance is an inadequate goal; it should be pursued as a step toward achieving greater acceptance and appreciation of America’s religious diversity. Cooperation across faiths is essential to counter religious intolerance; no one group (including Muslims) can successfully combat bigotry without the active support of others. A targeted group acting alone to defend itself may deepen its isolation and accentuate perceptions among the public that the group is not fully a part of American society. Traditional interfaith dialogue plays an important role. But at least as important is cooperation among people of different faith traditions to achieve common social goals, without an explicit religious component. In countering religious intolerance, we must distinguish between fear and bigotry. Fear of Islam (or any religion) is often a rational response to misinformation and a lack of understanding. To

CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF THE PRESIDENCY & CONGRESS

address such fear, we should provide accurate information and encourage direct interaction between non-Muslims and their Muslim neighbors and fellow citizens. The more non-Muslim Americans know their Muslim neighbors, the less likely they are to be afraid or suspicious. Stereotypes are essentially incomplete stories about particular social groups. The most effective means of countering a stereotype is to complete the story so that people have a complete—rather than biased and slanted—view of the group. Reaching youth is critical. Colleges and universities constitute a catalytic sector, with tremendous potential for ripple effects throughout society. Storytelling is a powerful means of communicating ideas, including ideas about accepting and appreciating religious diversity. All forms of media should be utilized to engage audiences with stories (beyond just news and information) about the importance of religious tolerance and understanding. Social media platforms provide an especially effective means of reaching wide audiences. Many groups and individuals used such platforms to spread fear of Muslims and other groups, sometimes with great success. A social media strategy is an essential part of the any comprehensive solution for countering bias against Muslims today.