Muslims in Western Politics: Policy Brief

1. Muslims in Western Politics: Policy Brief Shabana Baksh Emily Lupu Jeffrey Guyan

2. Executive Summary • Rise of Islamophobia has created breeding grounds for extremism • Necessary to reorganize interfaith efforts at the Federal Level • Acceptance, or at least comprehension of minority groups will increase social capital • Islam is here to stay!

3. Statement of the Issue • How should the United States of American respond to the investment of interest in combating the threat of religious tension, extremism, and intolerance?

4. Background • America is a culmination of American born Muslims and immigrants, diversity! • Struggles of nationalism, inter-generational issues, politics of religious misunderstandings emerge Muna Ali explains, “Muslim Americans in the post-September 11th environment fear that their religious faith is under attack and that their loyalty to America is under suspicion”.

5. Background (cont.) • Post 9/11 public revolved around Islam and radicalism • Islamophobia is born! • Exclusion of Muslims from mainstream political & social processes, stereotyping, hate crimes • Exclusion of any minority group affects social cohesion of nation • Ex: Anti Sharia legislation outlawing “religious law” targeting Muslims

6. Statement of Importance • Confusion, miscommunication, lack of tolerance among religious and minority groups is a threat to social cohesion • We must promote greater tolerance and integration!

7. Pre-existing Policies • May 2012 Department of Education coordinated President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge • “Teaching Respect for All” initiative that UNESCO launched in January 2012 with Brazil and the United States -- to develop teaching materials and curricula for anti-racism. • USIP (United States Institute of Peace) is an independent, non-partisan conflict management center that was created by Congress to prevent and reduce international conflict without resorting to violence.

8. Pre-existing policies • The USIP currently supports the “Muslim Initiative”, which was designed to “help mobilize moderates, marginalize militants, and bridge the U.S/Muslim-world divide.”

9. Policy Options • Reorganizing Interfaith Education: Educational Standards • Basic Religious Education to Political Leaders/Policymakers • Religious/Cultural studies to be made a mandatory part of the national curriculum

10. Reorganizing Interfaith Education • Educational Standards • Increased Funding to organizations peacefully promoting Islam, or other religions • Council on American Islamic Relations, Council on Islamic Education • Required educational interfaith programs • Enhance the understanding of religious diversity • Information panels, interfaith conferences, youth engagement events, media coverage and publications • Proposing an “Education Interfaith Advisory Panel”

11. Education Interfaith Advisory Board • Scholars, specialists in religious studies and interfaith coordination • Develop guidelines and benchmarks for teachers and educators • Establish curriculum promoting tolerance and non discrimination • Techniques on how to counter Islamophobia • Already in effect overseas- United Nations Educational, Science, and Cultural Organization in Europe

12. Disadvantages • With all policies there are downfalls-no policy is perfect • Congress may resist increase of funds to combat minority tension and religious intolerance • Cooperation will be needed from various Departments (Labor, Homeland Security) • Some may beg the question that this violates freedom of religion- that the gov’t is becoming entangled with religion • Failure for the gov’t to recognize how to fight extremism will lead to greater instability

13. Basic Religious Education to Political Leaders/Policymakers • John L. Esposito contends, “Policymakers, particularly since 9/11, have demonstrated an inability and/or unwillingness to distinguish between radical and moderate Islamists.” • Providing basic informative knowledge on the topic of Islam (and other religions) directly to policy makers and political leaders, through training sessions, or religious workshops. • For example, Muslims for Liberty (M4L) is a group of Muslim libertarians that strive to challenge Islamophobia by enlightening Islamophobes in the political sphere. • The members of Muslims for Liberty visit conservative, libertarian, and center-right political groups, giving presentations on Islam and American Liberty.

14. Basic Religious Education to Political Leaders/Policymakers • Vital to maintain engagement and dialogue with people who misunderstand or spread misinformation about Islam, Muslims, and religions in general • Religious leaders and educators must reach out to those creating and enacting policies by educating and correcting the prevalent misconceptions about Islam and other religions. • In short, creating an active bi-partisan organization that is able to communicate with individuals in the political realm through religious learning workshops, by presenting information in a basic informative format is necessary

15. Disadvantages • Some will discourage this type of policy due to the perceived notion that religion is being “imposed” upon their professional careers. • Some may also state that they do not want to participate in religious learning workshops, and will have the freedom to opt out. • These types of workshops can also cause rising tensions if the mediator is not neutral and able to arbitrate the workshops in a professional manner to avoid conflicts.

16. Religious/Cultural studies to be made a mandatory part of the national curriculum • In the post-9/11 world teaching children and young adults about the Islamic religion and Islamic culture (along with other religions and cultures) will assist in the creation of a more tolerant and learned society. • There is no National Curriculum for public schools in the United States , instead there are state curriculums, this potential policy could be an exception because of its importance in this post-9/11 world. • This would be especially useful at a time when some religions and cultures ( particularly Islam/ and Islamic cultures) are associated with terrorism, jihadism, and the oppression of women.

17. Disadvantages • If it is going to be a national curriculum it will have to take all the different state curriculums into account ( each state has its own educational standards that cater to the current educational needs of the populace), and it will probably face some opposition from citizens who feel that they are being forced to learn about beliefs that are contrary to their own and a select few may even feel threatened by the presence of Islam and other unfamiliar cultures in the classroom. • Islam is already the subject of so much fear, and distrust in the United States, so getting support for a policy that deals so heavily with other cultures/ religions will be quite difficult.