lims can do this.
Arabs are illiterate, two-thirds of them women. One-third of the broader Mid-
dle East lives on less than two dollars a day. Less than 2 percent of the popula-
tion has access to the Internet. The majority of older Arab youths have
expressed a desire to emigrate to other countries, particularly those in Europe.
States and its friends help moderate Muslims combat the extremist ideas?
sage is, what it stands for.We should offer an example of moral lead-
ership in the world, committed to treat people humanely, abide by
the rule of law, and be generous and caring to our neighbors. Amer-
ica and Muslim friends can agree on respect for human dignity and
opportunity. To Muslim parents, terrorists like Bin Ladin have noth-
ing to offer their children but visions of violence and death. America
and its friends have a crucial advantage--we can offer these parents
a vision that might give their children a better future. If we heed the
views of thoughtful leaders in the Arab and Muslim world, a moder-
ate consensus can be found.
tion and contempt for indiscriminate violence. It includes respect for the rule of
law, openness in discussing differences, and tolerance for opposing points of view.
friends, do not respect these principles, the United States must stand
for a better future. One of the lessons of the long Cold War was that
short-term gains in cooperating with the most repressive and brutal
governments were too often outweighed by long-term setbacks for
America's stature and interests.
regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and American actions in Iraq are dom-
inant staples of popular commentary across the Arab and Muslim world.That
does not mean U.S. choices have been wrong. It means those choices must be
integrated with America's message of opportunity to the Arab and Muslim