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Young
Americans Discuss Challenges, Solutions for Post-9/11 American-Muslim
Relations |
Posted:
9.13.06
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Five years after the Sept. 11 attacks, young Americans are tackling
a discord between America and the Muslim world.
Printer-friendly version: PDF
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 A
2005 poll conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life
found that significant numbers of Americans hold negative views
about Islam.
Though opinion has become more positive since polls taken soon
after the 9/11 attacks, about one-third of Americans think Islam
encourages violence and about one-quarter hold an unfavorable
opinion of the estimated 1.5 million to 8 million Muslims living
in the United States.
"There are terribly unconscionable views being held [about
Muslims], but it's not a crazy group," said Seth Green, a
26-year-old Yale law student and founder of Americans for Informed
Democracy, a nonprofit group that organizes conferences on world
issues for youth.
Green thinks the relationship between America and Muslims around
the world has deteriorated not only because of Americans' fears
after 9/11 but because many in the Muslim world see the war in
Iraq and images of abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison as proof that
the West is immoral.
"It's a group that sees a very false picture. When that
can be overcome, there's a real opportunity for partnership,"
said Green.
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A new role
for the 9/11 generation |
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Young people like Green are emboldening 16-to-26 year olds of
what he calls the "9/11 generation" to create a dialogue
between cultures and religions, and shatter stereotypes of Muslims
as fanatics and opponents of democracy.
"Because our generation interacts so much with the rest
of the world, we realize correctly that most of the world is just
like us, and [the Muslim world is] as much under threat by terrorism
as we are," said Green.
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Muslim world
feels terror threat |
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Most of the world's 1 billion Muslims live in the Middle East,
South Asia and Northern Africa -- regions that have been victimized
by terrorism at higher rates than the rest of the world.
"I think [the Muslim world has] a lot of reason to believe
that a partnership is possible if we're willing to put our hand
across for the friendship," Green said.
 Zeeshan
Suhail, a 25-year-old member of Americans for Informed Democracy
originally from Pakistan, suggests that students can write blogs
and editorials in school newspapers about Muslim culture as ways
to create understanding.
"Muslims should reach out to Christians and Jews -- and
the contrary as well -- because if they don't start that dialogue
on a one-on-one level there's going to be that mistrust and misperception
of traditions, of religion, of background, of culture," said
Suhail.
He believes the growing number of young people in the Muslim
world -- a recent Brookings Institution publication reported that
half of Arabs are under the age of 20 -- can affect a change by
virtue of their numbers.
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The power
of exchange programs |
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 Student
exchange programs sponsored by the U.S. Department of State expect
to bring more than 1,000 students from this young Muslim generation
to the United States this school year -- including 100 from Iraq
-- to learn about American society and to teach other Americans
about their culture.
"Now students know that there are Muslims that aren't extremists
or terrorists," said Benjamin Gaylord of the American Councils
for International Education, a nonprofit group that runs exchange
programs.
"When we talk about cultural exchange, it's really about
dispelling stereotypes in very practical ways by just having a
face rather than an anonymous image."
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Can young
people change the world? |
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Still, some young people question the effectiveness of these
"grassroots" programs.
"It's 20 percent bottom up, and 80 percent top down,"
said Ryan Korn, an 18-year-old college freshman from New Jersey
who believes the real authority in rebuilding relationships with
the Muslim world resides with politicians and policy.
"It's something I believe that government needs to take
responsibility for and actually start working on themselves, no
matter how many people are clamoring for it," he said.
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Young people
as ambassadors |
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 Other
American students, like Kareem Elbayar, a 23-year-old student
of Egyptian heritage from Los Angeles, feel they can do their
part at home.
"Muslims should be going back to their home communities
and saying 'Well, look, it isn't so bad for us. This image you
see of the United States is not the right image,'" he said.
"That's something I will resolve to do more when I go back
to Egypt and when I see my family -- just do my part as an ambassador
for the other end of this misunderstanding.
"I feel inspired to sit down and write an op-ed. That's
something I'm going to try and do."
--By
Adnaan Wasey, NewsHour Extra
Do you have an opinion about the relationship between Americans
and people in the Muslim world? Or have you participated in a
student exchange program? You can share your experience with our
readers! Click
here to submit your story.
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