Hana Levi Julian
A7 News
Controversial U.S. Special Envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference Rashad Hussein is back in the spotlight over an interview published Monday in the English-language edition of the Arabic international daily Asharq Al-Awsat.
Commentary magazine's political columnist Jennifer Rubin first raised the alarm over the interview, charging in an Internet post that in a “foreign, Arabic publication,” Hussein “skewers, without justification or basis in fact, the Bush administration.” However, within 24 hours, Rubin was posting an update to inform readers that “no doubt alarmed by the Rashad Hussein interview, the State Department has provided a transcript and an audio recording of the interview that departs in significant respects from the interview that was printed at the Asharq Al-Awsat website.”
The Arab version was indeed quite different than that which the U.S. Government later provided to Commentary, leading Rubin to “wonder whether there is utility in speaking to such publications if the words of our special envoy are simply converted to anti-American and pro-Palestinian talking points.”
It was not clear whether the State Department would ask for a retraction.
Numerous political commentators pounced on the transcript posted on the Asharq Al-Awsat website, which called into question the issue of who the American Muslim envoy was really representing. A sampling from the site follows:
Q: Do you think it will be easy to overcome the hostility in the Islamic world towards certain US policies, especially in light of the actions taken under the previous US administration?
A: We are concerned about this but we are determined to move forward, without looking to the past and the negative effects of this, in order to erase the hostile feelings caused by the administration of former President George W. Bush. There is now a suitable opportunity to overcome the past, and open a new page in relations between the US and the people in the Islamic region.
However, the State Department's transcript and audio recording of the interview revealed a different response entirely:
“What we are really concerned about and moving forward on, is implementing new areas of cooperation. Just to give you an example, to be fair to the previous administration, the envoy to the OIC was something that President Bush announced towards the end of his administration, so we are looking to go forward and really build on that and to make sure that the cooperation between the envoy and Muslim communities around the world is based on a whole range of issues, and some of those I've discussed with you.”
Other examples between the inflammatory attitude displayed on the Arabic site, and the actual words spoken by the American Muslim envoy, can be seen below. On the Asharq site, the following was posted:
Q: What is your strategy to heal the rift in relations between the people of the Islamic world and the United States of America?
A: “U.S. President Barack Obama's speech from Cairo was clear in drawing up the policy that will be followed by the U.S. administration towards the Islamic world, and putting an end to the ongoing conflict over the issue of Palestine that has caused wide hostility among the Islamic people.”
Q: Do you think the Israeli settlement building in Jerusalem complicates your mission to improve US relations with the Islamic world?
A: Of course, there are fears that any action or provocation will negatively affect feelings, and as a Muslim I know full well that the Al Aqsa Mosque was the first Qibla [direction in which Muslims pray] and is the third holiest site for Muslims and is revered by Muslims. President Obama is committed to calming the situation in the city of Jerusalem, and finding solutions that are both acceptable to the Palestinians and the Israelis.
There is also a clear position by the president to reject any settlement building in east Jerusalem, and there is a statement to this effect from the US administration, which has many ways to settle the conflict in the region that has lasted for 60 years. However, it is not easy for this to be settled overnight so we must bridge the differences between the conflicting parties. Over the last few days we have heard good news to the effect that indirect negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis have begun, so I think we are making progress in this regard, and we must not take a step backwards.
The State Department audio transcript subsequently released to clarify matters indicates a much milder comment on how America plans to repair the "rift in relations between the people of the Islamic world and the United States of America":
“The main thing which is going to improve relations between the United States and Muslims around the world is first of all when we make it clear that we have created a framework of cooperation, and that our cooperation will not simply be based on one or two issues such as violent extremism, and that the United States makes it clear that we recognize that this is an issue where Muslims reject violent extremism and terrorism. That is the first step.
"But another step will be to really show results in a number of areas and those include working towards resolving the political conflicts... The United States is working tirelessly on a solution with the parties involved on the Middle East issue, but we've also implemented programs in the area of education where we've increased exchanges, in the area of health we're working on polio eradication, we've cooperated before Hajj on H1N1.The President just held an entrepreneurship summit as you know, and we have many forums for interfaith dialogue. So we think that as we continue to develop these areas and Muslims and all people around the world see progress, then we'll have a good basis for restoring positive relations.”
Nevertheless, it is still clear, as Rubin points out, that Hussein takes an apologist stance in dealing with the Muslim world, and sidesteps the issue of whether there is a link between Islam and terrorism. Hussein also chooses to narrow his focus to the PA-Israel conflict, and avoids discussing the real threat to the region and the world posed by Iran's headlong rush towards the nuclear technology that will enable the Islamic Republic to achieve an atomic weapon of mass destruction.
No comments:
Post a Comment