Doha, Qatar
We heard from Georgetown's John Esposito at the gorgeous Diplomatic Club here last night. Professor Esposito has written a new book with Dalia Mogahed entitled, Who Speaks For Islam? The authors argue that we need to let the data drive discussions and opinions of what Muslims actually think, since so many politicians, pundits and reporters around the world speak for Islam incorrectly or incompletely.
Esposito and Mogehed worked with the Gallup World Poll, which conducted tens of thousands of interviews with Muslims in 35 nations. He underscores the need to resist the painful, fear-mongering stereotypes of Arabs, Persians and Muslims perpetrated by some in the U.S. and Europe who knowingly "choose to play the extremist card."
He reports on many views Muslims have of America and Americans, some of them quite negative but more of them neutral to positive. When asked about what they like or do not like about the United States, respondents had much to say on both counts. What was profoundly disturbing, however, was that when Americans were asked what they knew about Muslims 57 percent responded either "nothing" or "don't know." I thought we were supposed to learn the painful lessons of 9-11 about the damage done by our ignorance of the world and how it works.
p.s. Yes, Porcini's at the Ritz is considered by some to be the best restaurant in Qatar. Yet, I found it less interesting and inviting than the Indian restaurant Chingari, where I sampled curried hammour (a type of grouper found in the Arabian Sea), Tajine's in the Old Souk where I had camel stew, or the Bukhara Qatar Tennis & Squash Club where I tried the local mutton.
We heard from Georgetown's John Esposito at the gorgeous Diplomatic Club here last night. Professor Esposito has written a new book with Dalia Mogahed entitled, Who Speaks For Islam? The authors argue that we need to let the data drive discussions and opinions of what Muslims actually think, since so many politicians, pundits and reporters around the world speak for Islam incorrectly or incompletely.
Esposito and Mogehed worked with the Gallup World Poll, which conducted tens of thousands of interviews with Muslims in 35 nations. He underscores the need to resist the painful, fear-mongering stereotypes of Arabs, Persians and Muslims perpetrated by some in the U.S. and Europe who knowingly "choose to play the extremist card."
He reports on many views Muslims have of America and Americans, some of them quite negative but more of them neutral to positive. When asked about what they like or do not like about the United States, respondents had much to say on both counts. What was profoundly disturbing, however, was that when Americans were asked what they knew about Muslims 57 percent responded either "nothing" or "don't know." I thought we were supposed to learn the painful lessons of 9-11 about the damage done by our ignorance of the world and how it works.
p.s. Yes, Porcini's at the Ritz is considered by some to be the best restaurant in Qatar. Yet, I found it less interesting and inviting than the Indian restaurant Chingari, where I sampled curried hammour (a type of grouper found in the Arabian Sea), Tajine's in the Old Souk where I had camel stew, or the Bukhara Qatar Tennis & Squash Club where I tried the local mutton.