American Muslims should reject Islamic extremism, embrace their role in American society, and promote a democratic future throughout the Muslim world, argued Ahmed H. al-Rahim of the American Islamic Congress at the September 24 Center seminar "Muslim American Politics after September 11." Referring to his own experience as an Arab immigrant growing up in Texas, al-Rahim described the anti-American politics that infects—and goes unchallenged in—almost all mosques in the United States. The "dark side" of multicultural doctrine has allowed Muslim "hate speech," he said, and such condescending indulgence must stop. Muslim leaders and organizations should be held to the same standards as their Christian and Jewish counterparts.

Al-Rahim stressed that Islam is not monolithic and that there is no one "Islamic position" on most issues. American Muslims must break free from the radicalism imposed on them by foreign money and foreign imams, and speak with more independent, nuanced voices. They should be satisfied with smaller mosques so that they are free to assert their own convictions, to condemn hate speech, and to create Muslim cultural centers and university chaplaincy programs untarnished by Wahabi or Iranian extremism. Rather than being apologists for human-rights abuses in the Muslim world, Muslim Americans should work to end those abuses. They should, moreover, use their perspective and experience as a religious minority in this country to promote the rights of religious minorities in Islamic countries.

Center president Hillel Fradkin moderated the lively exchange that followed. Among those participating were Roberta Baruch of the American Jewish Committee, Laura Blumenfeld and Caryle Murphy of the Washington Post, Noemie Emery and Claudia Winkler of The Weekly Standard, Robert Leiken of the Nixon Center, Lou Marano of UPI, Paul Rodriguez of Insight, and Ashok Sajjanhar of the Indian Embassy.