26 June 2007
Speedy Muslim Integration into U.S. Society Seen as Vital
Report says it would enhance security, fulfill America’s promise
Washington -- American civic life, foreign policy and national security will benefit as Muslims become more fully integrated into U.S. society, a new report finds.
Muslim immigrants to America have achieved much economic and social success, but still face challenges in participating completely in U.S. civic and political life, says the report, the product of a yearlong study by an independent 32-member task force -- representing equal numbers of Muslim and non-Muslim Americans -- that was sponsored by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
Leaders of the group, chosen from business, government, academia and nonprofit organizations, outlined their findings June 26 at a briefing co-sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington.
The group’s charge, the council said, had been “to examine the Muslim American experience and provide a road map for accelerating Muslim American engagement in civic affairs and U.S. political life.”
The report found that American Muslims are a diverse group, above the national average in education and income, who are making great contributions to the nation. In addition, as several task force members said at the briefing, American Muslims, on the whole, are much better integrated into their communities than Muslims are in European countries.
Another independent study released in May by the Pew Charitable Trusts underscored the “great success of the Muslim American population in its socioeconomic assimilation.” (See related article.)
However, the Chicago task force said, American Muslims still lack strong community institutions and the political voices they need to gain the same access to government and media enjoyed by other groups within American society.
The task force cited an urgent need to accelerate full integration into the society, saying it would “not only increase security, but enrich our policies, our society and our standing as a nation that upholds basic human values of decency and fairness and that provides hope and opportunity for all.”
The panel issued six specific recommendations. Among them:
-- It called on American Muslims to work to win over the broad American public by stressing their opposition to terrorism and extremism, boosting efforts to prevent radical activity in the Muslim American community, and better communication of those efforts. At the same time, it urged government agencies to do more to encourage American Muslims’ participation in homeland security efforts.
-- It proposed fostering closer relations with the media -- including efforts to increase the number of Muslim American journalists -- and creating a national organization focused on “educating the public about Muslim cultures and societies.”
-- It urged increased civic engagement among American Muslims, in part through development of stronger ties between Muslim and non-Muslim groups. As one specific measure, the document suggested “the country would benefit from greater cooperation among Muslim, Christian and Jewish organizations,” focusing on domestic issues rather than disagreements over U.S. Middle East policy.
Other recommendations involved building stronger Muslim American institutions, by such means as expanding engagement with universities and policy research instiutions; putting priority emphasis on developing “the next generation of Muslim American leaders”; and creating an “American diversity dialogue” among Muslim and non-Muslim leaders, coupled with a national philanthropic effort.
Farooq Kathwari, president and chief executive officer of furniture maker Ethan Allen Interiors Inc., who served as task force co-chair, said the group’s proposals to empower American Muslims were spurred by findings that Muslim Americans “who continuously speak up against violence and extremism” are often not heard in public policy discussions.
Lynn Martin, the group’s other co-chair, reiterated a point made in the formal written report, declaring, “This is not about foreign policy.”
Martin, a former member of Congress and U.S. secretary of labor in the administration of President George H. W. Bush, said: “This is also not about Muslims of the world. This is about our fellow citizens and our hope-to-be fellow citizens who are Muslims.”
But while no specific foreign policy views directly were expressed, Wilson Center President Lee Hamilton made clear that if American Muslims achieve greater inclusion, they will gain a new voice in shaping American foreign policy.
Hamilton, also a former member of Congress and co-chair of the Iraq Study Group, said: “At a time when America’s relationship with the broader Muslim world has emerged as a hugely important foreign policy priority and indeed an issue of critical importance to the world, it is essential that we step back and examine how our foreign policies can benefit from the insights of Muslims here in the United States.”
“The goal must be a Muslim American community that is fully integrated into the fabric of American society, including the discourse on our foreign policy and an America that benefits from this vibrant immigrant community in our grand tradition of openness,” Hamilton said.
The full text of the report is available on the Web site of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, which describes itself as an independent, nonpartisan organization committed to influencing the discourse on global issues.
For more information, see Muslim Life in America.
(USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
