US to use “Modernist” Islam to divide Ummah
A strategy for the West to counter Islamic extremism by supporting Islamic moderates has been put forward in a report funded in part by a conservative American foundation.
It says that the West should help religious “modernists” in the Islamic world in order to prevent a “clash of civilisations.”
The report, called “Civil Democratic Islam: partners, resources and strategies”, was drawn up by the Rand Corporation with financial help from the Smith Richardson Foundation, a conservative trust fund which hands out more than $120 million a year to universities and other research organisations.
It is a sign perhaps that some American conservatives, many of whom want to press democratic reform in Muslim countries, realize that a focused approach is needed.
It is a contribution to a debate well under way in the West. The latest manifestation of this debate was a recent speech by the former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr George Carey, who wondered why Islam was “associated with violence throughout the world.” His conclusion is not dissimilar to that of this report.
The United States and its allies need to be more discriminating in the way they perceive and interact with groups who call themselves Islamic
Cheryl Benard, Rand Corp The recommendations have also come as the Bush administration is proposing to use the G8 summit in the American state of Georgia in June to push the issue of democratic and social reform in the Middle East. The summit will coincide with the handover of power in Iraq to an interim Iraqi government.
The Bush initiative has raised suspicions in Arab countries and among some of America’s European allies who do not want anything imposed from the outside.
**It says that Muslims disagree on what to do about this and identifies four essential positions in Muslim societies: Fundamentalists who “reject democratic values and contemporary Western culture.”
Traditionalists who “are suspicious of modernity, innovation and change.”
Modernists who “want the Islamic world to become part of global modernity.”
Secularists who “want the Islamic world to accept a division of religion and state.”
The report says that the modernists and secularists are closest to the West but are general in a weaker position than the other groups, lacking money, infrastructure and a public platform. **
It suggests a strategy of supporting the modernists first. This would be done by, for example, publishing and distributing their works at subsidised cost, encouraging them to write for mass audiences and for youth, getting their views into the Islamic curriculum and helping them in the new media world which is dominated by fundamentalist and traditionalists.
It goes onto the say that traditionalists should be supported against the fundamentalists by publicising the traditionalist criticism of extremism and by**" encouraging disagreements" between the two positions.** It says that “in such places as Central Asia, they (traditionalists) may need to be educated and trained in orthodox Islam to be able to stand their ground.”
A third strategy would be “to confront and oppose the fundamentalists” by, among other things, challenging their interpretation of Islam and revealing their links with illegal groups and activities.
Support for the secularists would be cautious and very selective, for example by encouraging “recognition of fundamentalism as a shared enemy.”
The Rand approach is more overtly political and has definite diplomatic gains in mind.
Rand strategy to Counter Islamic resurgance.
American think tank has decided to use some intellect and produced a strategy to counter islamic revival in the Muslim world, in particular they suggest in their plans to use the differences between the Muslims to their benefit is something all Muslims should be very wary of.