Islamic Clerics Set the Record Straight on the 'Religion of Peace'

Ken Timmerman

In Cairo, journalist Ken Timmerman met with some of Egypt's most prestigious Islamic authorities and found that the U.S. has yet to make a dent in changing minds in that strategic corner of the world.

"My interviews with these scholars made it clear that Westerners concerned by the violence in the Middle East need to understand that the two parties to this conflict do not use the same logic, nor do they believe in the same moral code... Those of us who have been brought up in the Judeo-Christian tradition have been taught that respect for life is one of God's most basic commandments. But according to these Islamic scholars--and they are not alone--the search for 'justice' legitimizes the wanton targeting of innocent civilians." Timmerman's article, reproduced below, is proof-positive that the United States' public diplomacy apparatus remains dysfunctional after more than a decade of neglect..."

A Religion of Peace?
Wall Street Journal - Europe
4 November 2002

Read the entire article on the Insight Magazine website.