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THE QUESTION
Confronting Religious Extremism and Terrorism
In response to the terrorist attacks in India, how would you advise President-elect Obama and his new foreign policy team to confront religious extremism and terrorism?
Posted by
Sally Quinn and Jon Meacham on December 3, 2008 3:27 AM
FROM THE PANEL
One President Can't Change the World
Unfortunately, the most important part of the battle against extremism -- fostering a culture that frowns on bigotry, intolerance, and narrow-mindedness -- is something President-elect Obama has little control over, except in our own country.
Posted by Pamela K. Taylor, on December 8, 2008 6:33 AM
Call on Religious Leaders to Advise
The President-elect, along with his foreign policy advisers, needs to clearly understand that many of the world's conflicts are fueled by systematically flawed religious ideologies which are either obvious or subtle.
Posted by John Bryson Chane, on December 8, 2008 5:41 AM
It's About Time: A President With a Subtle Turn of Mind
As far as I can see, Obama doesn't do what some neoconservatives do: happily appropriate a darling of "liberal" Christians to their own, often militaristic, course.
Posted by William Tully, on December 8, 2008 5:07 AM
Politics and Religious Fundamentalism
I don't think a religious problem can be solved by politicians or by enacting laws.
Posted by Arun Gandhi, on December 7, 2008 4:26 AM
Act Now to Heal Religious Hatred, End "Religious" Terrorism
The new Administration should work to strengthen those in every religious community -- beginning with those in American mosques and Muslim organizations -- who oppose religious violence. And treat terrorism as a crime to be policed and punished, not defeated by war that breeds more terrorists.
Posted by Arthur Waskow, on December 5, 2008 8:20 AM
Kill Terrorists and Examine Terrorism
There is no room for appeasement when it comes to terrorists and there is no substitute for real understanding in the prevention of future terror.
Posted by Brad Hirschfield, on December 5, 2008 7:42 AM
Don't Overreact!
Terrorists count on their targets to overreact. Terrorism is designed to provoke outrage and calls for reprisals. Don't fall for it.
Posted by Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, on December 5, 2008 7:40 AM
Making Men A Bit Less Devilish
President Elect Obama is smart enough to recognize that the problem with terrorists' beliefs is not that they are religious, but that they are false and wicked. Terrorists must be opposed intellectually and morally, but Obama must pick the right arguments.
Posted by John Mark Reynolds, on December 5, 2008 6:27 AM
Islam Not the Enemy; God Not the Issue
Barack Obama would do well not to attack terrorism as a religious problem or an extremist one. Fortunately, he already seems to have adopted the argument that "soft power" (meaning the use of influence, persuasion, and negotiation) will do far more good than the Bush administration's rigid adherence to hard power, meaning bombs. Whatever happens, this is yet another area where God should be left out of the equation.
Posted by Deepak Chopra, on December 3, 2008 9:03 AM
How Do You Confront Utter Madness?
One thing that the Obama administration could and should stop doing is acting as if the only violence that counts is terrorism in which westerners die.
Posted by Susan Jacoby, on December 3, 2008 8:20 AM
Terrorism is a Weapon
Terrorism is a weapon, used by evil people. It is particularly evil when terrorists do so in the name of religion
Posted by Charles "Chuck" Colson, on December 3, 2008 8:08 AM
Stop Associating Terrorism With Faith
The term "terrorism" is a broad generalization that risks conditioning the social psyche into an instant negative association with religion, which could lead to a lack of faith.
Posted by Matt Maher, on December 2, 2008 9:42 AM
We Need a Deeper Understanding, Wiser Rhetoric
The White House should avoid emphasizing the religion factor. Religion-driven terrorists hope to achieve, in addition to chaos, an intensification of inter-religious conflict. The more their religion is mentioned, the more heroic and martyrial they feel, and the more energized to further their terrorism.
Posted by Willis E. Elliott, on December 2, 2008 1:30 AM
FEATURED COMMENTS
arty2: Ol' John Brown, that abolitionist firebrand, preferred to do God's work with a sword. He must have loved the smell of hot blood.
Muslims a...
ehgarnsey: My hope is that the new administration will add the world's pernicious religious extremism to its hefty list of issues to confront and get a...
timmy2: Religious extremism is enabled by religious moderation.
The truth is, that the religious extremists are the only ones who have religion righ...
