Urgent & Open Letter May 22, 2009
President Barack Hussein Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
First
of all, congratulations on your victory in November. Like so many
others throughout the world, we find ourselves both hopeful and
inspired. Your election is proof of America's continued promise as a
land of opportunity, equality, and freedom. Your presidency presents a
historic opportunity to chart a new course in foreign affairs, and
particularly in the troubled relationship between the United States and
the Muslim world.
We are heartened by your promise to listen to
and understand the hopes and aspirations of Arabs and Muslims. By
shutting down Guantanamo Bay and forbidding torture, your
administration will inspire greater confidence between the United
States and the Muslim world. Last month, in your first major
interview, millions of Arabs heard your call for mutual respect on one
of the Middle East's most watched television channels. They were
encouraged to find that you hold a resolution to the Israel-Palestinian
conflict as an urgent priority, as evidenced by the appointment of
Senator George Mitchell as your envoy. Reaching out to the people of
the region so early on in your presidency is a step of no small
significance. But it is a step that must be followed by concrete
policy changes.
Improving relations between the United States
and Middle Eastern nations is not simply a matter of changing some
policies here and there. For too long, U.S. policy toward the Middle
East has been fundamentally misguided. The United States, for half a
century, has frequently supported repressive regimes that routinely
violate human rights, and that torture and imprison those who dare
criticize them and prevent their citizens from participation in
peaceful civic and political activities. U.S. support for Arab
autocrats was supposed to serve U.S. national interests and regional
stability. In reality, it produced a region increasingly tormented by
rampant corruption, extremism, and instability.
In his second
inaugural address, President Bush pledged that the United States would
no longer support tyrants and would stand with those activists and
reformers fighting for democratic change. The Bush administration,
however, quickly turned its back on Middle East democracy after
Islamist parties performed well in elections throughout the region.
This not only hurt the credibility of the United States, dismayed
democrats and emboldened extremists in the region, but also sent a
powerful message to autocrats that they could reassert their power and
crush the opposition with impunity.
In order to rebuild
relations of mutual respect, it is critical that the United States be
on the right side of history regarding the human, civil, and political
rights of the peoples of the Middle East. There is no doubt that the
people of the Middle East long for greater freedom and democracy; they
have proven themselves willing to fight for it. What they need from
your administration is a commitment to encourage political reform not
through wars, threats, or imposition, but through peaceful policies
that reward governments that take active and measurable steps towards
genuine democratic reforms. Moreover, the US should not hesitate to
speak out in condemnation when opposition activists are unjustly
imprisoned in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, or elsewhere. When
necessary, the United States should use its considerable economic and
diplomatic leverage to put pressure on its allies in the region when
they fail to meet basic standards of human rights.
We recognize
that taking these steps will present both difficulties and dilemmas.
Accordingly, bold action is needed today more than ever. For too long,
American policy in the Middle East has been paralyzed by fear of
Islamist parties coming to power. Some of these fears are both
legitimate and understandable; many Islamists advocate illiberal
policies. They need to do more to demonstrate their commitment to the
rights of women and religious minorities, and their willingness to
tolerate dissent. However, most mainstream Islamist groups in the
region are nonviolent and respect the democratic process.
In
many countries, including Turkey, Indonesia, and Morocco, the right to
participate in reasonably credible and open elections has moderated
Islamist parties and enhanced their commitment to democratic norms. We
may not agree with what they have to say, but if we wish to both preach
and practice democracy, it is simply impossible to exclude the largest
opposition groups in the region from the democratic process. At the
same time, to reduce the future of the region to a contest between
Islamists and authoritarian regimes would be a mistake. Promoting
democratic openings in the region will give liberal and secular parties
a chance to establish themselves and communicate their ideas to the
populace after decades of repression which left them weak and
marginalized. More competition between parties of diverse ideological
backgrounds would be healthy for political development in the region.
In
short, we have an unprecedented opportunity to send a clear message to
the Arab and Muslim world: the United States will support all those who
strive for freedom, democracy, and human rights. You, Mr. President,
have recently relayed such a message in your inaugural address when you
said: "To
those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the
silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history,
but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist."
We
are fully aware that, with a worsening global economic crisis, and
continuing challenges in Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan,
political reform and progress toward democratic reform in the Middle
East will need to compete with a whole host of other priorities on your
agenda. Policy is often about making difficult choices. However, as you
work on other Middle East priorities, we urge you to elevate democratic
reform and respect for human rights as key considerations in your
engagement with both Arab regimes and Arab publics.
In
conclusion, we are writing this letter to raise our profound belief
that supporting democrats and democracy in the Middle East is not only
in the region's interests, but in the United States' as well. Perhaps
more importantly, what we choose to do with this critical issue will
reveal a great deal about the strength of American democratic ideals in
this new era - and whether or not we will decide to respect and apply
them in the Middle East.
Signatures: 1350 (450 from the US, 900 from overseas)
Coordination Committee:
Radwan A. Masmoudi
Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy
Shadi Hamid
Project on Middle East Democracy
Geneive Abdo
The Century Foundation
Larry Diamond
Ctr. on Democracy, Dev. & Rule of Law, Stanford University
Michele Dunne
Carnegie Endowment for Int. Peace
Jennifer Windsor
Freedom House
American Scholars, Experts & Organizations:
Tamara Cofman Wittes
Saban Center, Brookings Institution
Francis Fukuyama
The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
Matt Yglesias
Center for American Progress
Mona Yacoubian
U.S. Institute of Peace
John L. Esposito
Georgetown University
Reza Aslan
UC Riverside
Morton H. Halperin
Formerly Office of Policy Planning, Department of State
Will Marshall
Progressive Policy Institute
Randa Slim
Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Neil Hicks
Human Rights First
Joe Stork
Human Rights Watch
Robert R. LaGamma
Council for a Community of Democracies
Jack DuVall
Int. Center on Nonviolent Conflict
Robert A. Pastor
Center for Democracy and Election Management, American University
Jean Bethke Elshtain
University of Chicago
Peter Beinart
Council on Foreign Relations
Bob Edgar
Common Cause
Rachel Kleinfeld
Truman National Security Project
Robert Kagan
Carnegie Endowment for Int. Peace
Dokhi Fassihian
Democracy Coalition Project
Dina Guirguis
Voices for a Democratic Egypt
Andrew Albertson
Project on Middle East Democracy
Nathan J. Brown
George Washington University
Marc Gopin
Ctr for World Religions, Diplomacy, & Conflict Resolution, GMU
Graham E. Fuller
Simon Fraser University, Vancouver BC.
Rabbi Michael Lerner
Network of Spiritual Progressives
Farid Senzai
Institute for Social Policy and Understanding
Frank Kaufmann
Inter Religious Federation for World Peace
Ammar Abdulhamid
Tharwa Foundation
Arsalan Iftikhar
Islamica Magazine
Richard Bulliet
Columbia University
Seth Green
Americans for Informed Democracy
Joseph Montville
Toward the Abrahamic Family Reunion
Joseph K. Grieboski
Institute on Religion and Public Policy
Jim Arkedis
Progressive Policy Institute
Asma Afsaruddin
University of Notre Dame
Anisa Mehdi
Arab-American Journalist
Mohammed Ayoob
Michigan State University
Peter Mandaville
Center for Global Studies, GMU
Omid Safi
University of North Carolina
Sulayman S. Nyang
Howard University
Naiem A. Sherbiny
Ibn Khaldun Ctr. for Development
Louay Safi
ISNA Leadership Development Ctr.
Najib Ghadbian
University of Arkansas
Aly R. Abuzaakouk
Libya Human and Political Dev. Forum
Robert D. Crane
The Abraham Federation
Sally Painter
Global Fairness Initiative
Steven Brooke
Independent Academic
Sheila Musaji
The American Muslim
Hashim El-Tinay
International Peace Quest Inst.
Antony T. Sullivan
Near East Support Services
Clement Moore Henry
Dept. of Government, U of Texas at Austin
Ahmed Subhy Mansour
The International Quranic Center
Yvonne Haddad
Georgetown University
Shahed Amanullah
altmuslim.com
Hakan Yavuz
The University of Utah
Ibrahim Kalin
Georgetown University
Mumtaz Ahmad
Hampton University
Charles Butterworth
University of Maryland
John P. Entelis
Fordham University
Nahyan Fancy
DePauw University
Jeffrey T. Kenney
DePauw University
Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad
Minaret of Freedom Institute
Jamal Barzinji
International Institute of Islamic Thought
H. Ali Yurtsever
Rumi Forum
Abubaker al Shingieti
American Muslims for Constructive Engagement
Nayereh Tohidi
California State University, Northridge
Nancy Gallagher
University of California, Santa Barbara
Safei Hamed
Alliance of Egyptian Americans
Ali Akbar Mahdi
Ohio Wesleyan University
Nader Hashemi
University of Denver
Nader Hashemi
University of Denver
Timothy Samuel Shah
Council on Foreign Relations
Sondra Hale
Islamic Studies, UCLA
Lester Kurtz
George Mason University
Mehrdad Mashayekhi
Georgetown University
Fatemeh Haghighatjoo
University of Massachusetts, Boston
Salah Aziz
American Society for Kurds
Ali Banuazizi
Boston College
Mehrangiz Kar
Harvard University Human Rights Program
Tamara Sonn
College of William & Mary
Salam Al-Marayati
Muslim Public Affairs Council
Stephen Zunes
University of San Francisco
Mike Ghouse
World Muslim Congress
David A. Smith
University of California, Irvine
Ziad K. Abdelnour
US Committee for a Free Lebanon
Samer Libdeh
Center for Liberty in the Middle East
Javed Ali
Illume Magazine
Selahattin Oz
Georgetown University
Amin Mahmoud
The Alliance of Egyptian Americans
Maher Kharma
Islamic Society of Annapolis
International Scholars & Organizations:
Saad Eddin Ibrahim
Ibn Khaldoun Center
Anwar Ibrahim
People's Justice Party, Malaysia
Emad El-Din Shahin
Dept. of Government, Harvard University
Radwan Ziadeh
Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Harvard Univ.
Atef Saadawy
Al-Ahram Democracy Review
Obaida Fares
Arab Foundation for Development and Citizenship
Mona Eltahawy
Commentator and public speaker, Egypt
Usman Bugaje
Action Congress, Abuja, Nigeria
Dogu Ergil
Ankara University, Turkey
Mohamed Elshinnawi
Journalist/Consultant
Mohammad Fadel
University of Toronto Faculty of Law
Jamal Eddine Ryane
Global Migration and Gender Network, Amsterdam
Najah Kadhim
International Forum for Islamic Dialogue-London-UK
Maajid Nawaz
The Quilliam Foundation, London, UK
Sameer Jarrah
Arab World Center for Democratic Development, Jordan
Ihsan Dagi
Insight Turkey
Santanina T. Rasul
Former Senator, The Philippines
Can Kurd
Kurdish PEN Club / Germany
Muna AbuSulayman
UNDP Goodwill Ambassador in KSA
Saoud El Mawla
The Islamic Council for Dialogue, Justice and Democracy, Lebanon
Amina Rasul-Bernardo
The Philippines Council on Islam & Democracy
Sayyed Nadeem Kazmi
The britslampartnership Ltd, UK
Muhammad Habash
Islamic Studies Center, Damascus, Syria
Boudjema Ghechir
Algerian League for Human Rights
Kais Jawad al-Azzawi
Al-Jareeda Newspaper, Baghdad, Iraq
Rola Dashti
Kuwait Economic Society
Zainah Anwar
Sisters in Islam, Malaysia
Jafar M. Alshayeb
Writer and Advocate, Saudi Arabia
Daoud Casewit
American Islamic Scholar, Morocco
Anwar N. Haddam
Mvt. for Liberty & Social Justice, Algeria
Ashur Shamis
Libya Human and Political Dev. Forum
Hamdi Abdelaziz
Journalist & Human Rights Activist, Egypt
Dalia Ziada
The American Islamic Congress, Cairo, Egypt
Abdulkhaleq Abdulla
Dept. of Political Science, United Arab Emirates
Wajeeha S. Al- Baharna
Bahrain Women Association for Human Development
Abdullahi Mohamoud Nur
Community Empowerment for Peace and Integrated Development, Somalia
Brendan Simms
The Henry Jackson Society: Project for Democratic Geopolitics, London, UK
Alan Mendoza
The Henry Jackson Society: Project for Democratic Geopolitics, London, UK
Ashraf Tulty
Justice & democracy for Libya
Hadi Shalluf
International Criminal Court, Paris
Aref Abu-Rabia
Fulbright Scholar
Omar Affifi
Hukuk Elnas
Jacqueline Armijo
Zayed University, United Arab Emirates
Sliman Bouchuiguir
Libyan League for Human Rights
Mohammed Mahfud
Al-Kalima Magazine, Saudi Arabia
Walid Salem
Panorama, East Jerusalem
(Names are listed in the order they were received. Organizations are listed for informational purposes only.)
For the complete list of signatures to date, please click here. |
