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U.S. Relations with the Muslim World
Compiled By The National Defense University Library
Updated 5 March 2013

On June 4, 2009, President Barack Obama delivered a speech in Cairo, Egypt aimed at launching an initiative to improve U.S. relations with the Muslim world.  The address sought to enhance American credibility, promote tolerance and pluralism, and to articulate American interests on key issues of concern in the Muslim and Arab worlds.  The President claimed responsibility to use his power to "fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear," and urged Muslims to reject the "crude stereotype" of America as a "self-interested empire."

This page brings together a collection of resources examining the evolution of U.S. policy towards the Muslim world since September 2001.  It features a collection of statements from the Obama Administration, along with key statements from the Bush Administration covering America's reactions in the wake of 9/11 and the launch of the Global War on Terrorism.  Also included are key Congressional hearings and major reports from the Government Accountability Office, Congressional Research Service, and the State Department.  Research & Analysis and Additional Resources spotlights critical articles and reports from think tanks, non-governmental organizations, and academic centers that specialize in the analysis of America's engagement with the Muslim world.

Official U.S. Government Statements
U.S. Congressional Hearings
Government Accountability Office, Congressional Research Service, and State Department Reports
Research & Analysis
Additional Resources

Official U.S. Government Statements

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U.S. Congressional Hearings

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Government Accountability Office, Congressional Resesarch Service, and State Department Reports

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Research & Analysis

  • [Jan 13] Engaging with Islamists: A New Agenda for the Policy Community
    Mona Kanwal Sheikh. Norwegian Atlantic Comittee
  • [20 April 12] An Opening for a New Narrative in U.S.-Muslim World Relations
    Daniel Byman and Benjamin Wittes. Brookings Institution
  • [Spring 11] Ten Years after September 11: An Analysis of Public Opinion in the Muslim World
    Katherine Didow and Jinnyn Jacob. Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
  • [Aug 11] Disconnected Narratives between the United States and Global Muslim Communities
    Anne Hagood and AMB Marc Ginsberg. Brookings Institution
  • [Aug 11] The Role of Entrepreneurship and Job Creation in U.S.-Muslim Relations
    Ahmed Younis and Mohamed Younis. Brookings Institution
  • [Summer 11] The Trust Deficit: Seven Steps Forward for U.S.-Arab Dialogue
    Mina Al-Oraibi and Gerard Russell. Washington Quarterly
    This article presents seven principles for progress in U.S. efforts to win the war of ideas in the Middle East. 
  • [Dec 10] The United States and Political Islamism: From Demobilization to Deradicalization?
    Moataz A. Fattah. Institute for Social Policy and Understanding
    This publication calls for the Obama Administration to develop a multi-layered and multi-faceted policy approach towards Islamists and Islamist groups.  Citing the risks associated with forming a one-size-fits-all policy approach towards such a complex phenomenon, the author recommends a strategic shift away from demobilization and centered instead on deradicalization, democracy promotion, and peacebuilding.
  • [Fall/Winter 10] Adrift in Arabia
    Efraim Karsh. Journal of International Security Affairs
    Presented by the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs, this article presents an alternative viewpoints on the Obama Administration's efforts to transform America's relations with the Muslim world.
  • [Oct 10] How to Improve the United States' Image in the Muslim World
    Azeem Ibrahim and Mehmet Celebi. Institute for Social Policy and Understanding
    This report finds that Muslim publics typically share a great deal of America's values, yet tend to be alienated by U.S. actions and the perception that the U.S. poses an international military threat.  Claiming that improved U.S. relations with the Muslim world will lead to reductions in young recruits for terrorist organizations, the report calls for the development and implementation of evidence-based public diplomacy and democracy promotion practices.
  • [4 Aug 10] Assessing Decision-Making on the NYC Islamic Center: Continuing Our Tradition of Religious Liberty
    Melissa Rogers. Brookings Institution
    This publication analyzes the decisions of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission regarding the controversial planned construction of an Islamic community center.
  • [June 10] Transformative Partnerships in U.S.-Muslim World Relations: Empowering Networks for Community Development and Social Change
    Peter Mandaville. Brookings Institution
    Produced by the Brookings Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World, this publication highlights the importance of bringing together leaders, community organizers, and young people from the U.S. and the Muslim world to tackle key issues for Muslim populations, including challenges surrounding development, justice, and economic security.
  • [25 May 10] Obama's New Beginning with the Muslim World - One Year On
    Marina Ottaway. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
    One year following the President's major address in Cairo, this article assesses the actual steps the U.S. has taken to build better relations with the Muslim world.  While there is evidence that the administration is making some strides, at the time of publication there was no indication of a clear policy.
  • [Feb 10] Engaging Religious Communities Abroad: A New Imperative for U.S. Foreign Policy
    R. Scott Appleby, Richard Cizik, and Thomas Wright.  The Chicago Council on Global Affairs
    Religion has been rapidly increasing as a factor in world affairs, for good and for ill, for the past two decades. Yet the U.S. government still tends to view it primarily through the lens of counterterrorism policy. The success of American diplomacy in the next decade will not simply be measured by government-to-government contacts, but also by its ability to connect with the hundreds of millions of people throughout the world whose identity is defined by religion. Religious communities are central players in the counterinsurgency war in Afghanistan, development assistance, the promotion of human rights, stewardship of the environment, and the pursuit of peace in troubled parts of the world, but the United States lacks the capacity and framework to engage them. President Obama’s historic speech in Cairo on June 4, 2009, with its promise to engage with Muslim communities, was an important step in the right direction. Now, we must develop a strategy to engage religious communities of all faiths when relevant to pressing foreign policy challenges and build the institutional capacity to support it
  • [Jan 10] After Cairo: From the Vision of the Cairo Speech to Active Support for Human Dignity
    Andrew Albertson, Barak Hoffman, and Tuqa Nusairat, eds.  Project on Middle East Democracy
    The election of President Obama offers a genuine opportunity to repair the badly damaged image of the United States in the Middle East. In the first six months of his presidency, Middle Eastern publics held surprisingly positive views of Obama. Nevertheless, they remain skeptical of American policy.  Public opinion polling demonstrates broad support in majority Muslim countries for the human dignity goals President Obama raised in his Cairo speech. However, substantive actions will be needed in order to shift perceptions of American policy, and the administration has yet to follow through on the vision of the Cairo speech. Post-Cairo initiatives have been limited, largely symbolic, and slow to emerge.  The opportunity to durably shift opinions of the U.S. is fading. The perception is mounting that President Obama has said the right words, but is unwilling or unable to offer substantive new policies to support the aspirations of people in the Middle East
  • [Nov 09] The United States and the Muslim World: How Engagement Will Improve Relations
    Emile Nakhleh. Dubai School of Government
    Throughout most of the present decade, many Muslims have become increasingly troubled by the state of relations between the United States and the Islamic world, and even more concerned about the future of these relations. Polls by numerous organizations bear out the fact that America’s standing in Arab and Muslim countries in the past half decade has reached an alltime low. Yet the election of Barack Obama seems to herald a warming of Muslim-American relations.
    This brief analyzes the changed American approach toward engagement with the Muslim world, based on the assumption—documented by numerous polls—that disagreements between the Muslim world and the United States have been driven by policies, not values. It calls for a robust policy of US engagement with a variety of actors in the Muslim world, including Islamist parties and grassroots organizations, and outlines the changing dynamic between mainstream Islamist/nationalist groups and the “radical paradigm” as exemplified by al-Qa’ida. The brief concludes by examining the factors that have driven the rise of radicalism, and urges US policy makers to find “common ground” with mainstream Islamic parties and engage with their legitimate representatives
  • [Nov 09]  The Opportunity of the Obama Era: Can Civil Society Help Bridge Divides between the United States and a Diverse Muslim World?
    Hady Amr. Brookings Institution
    This paper provides a broad analytical framework for examining civil society initiatives aimed at improving relations between the U.S. and the Muslim world, strategic recommendations for how these kinds of initiatives can be better implemented in the future, and specific tactical lessons for policymakers, funders, and the practitioners of such “bridging the divide” projects, be they in the United States or the Muslim world
  • [Sep 09] A New Way Forward: Encouraging Greater Cultural Engagement with Muslim Communities
    Cynthia P. Schneider. Brookings Institution
    During his inaugural address and his recent speech in Cairo, President Obama advocated, “a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect” in America’s relationship with Muslims around the world. This paper presents recommendations for the use of cultural engage-ment as a strategy to advance the Presi-dent’s aspiration for better relations with Muslims around the world
  • [5 June 09] Obama's Cairo Speech Stresses Common Interests but Fails to Identify the Common Enemy
    Lisa Curtis and James Phillips. Heritage Foundation
    This article argues that President Obama's June 4, 2009 speech failed to acknowledge the ideological underpinnings of Islamist extremism.
  • [4 June 09] Beyond Cairo: Translating "Important" Obama Message into Policies
    Edward P. Djerejian. Council on Foreign Relations
  • [4 June 09] President Obama Speaks to the World's Muslims: An Early Assessment
    Robert Satloff. Washington Institute for Near East Policy
    Contains key observations on the themes and implications of President Obama's June 4, 2009 speech and notes the references that were not present in the speech.
  • [4 June 09] Obama's Message to Muslims Resonates, But Challenges Await
    Steven A. Cook. Council on Foreign Relations
  • [1 June 09] Change We Can Believe In? The Muslim World, America, and Obama's Promise
    Navtej Dhillon, Laurence Chandy, and Geoffrey Gertz. Brookings Institution
    Provides a definition of the "Muslim world," as well as details relating to current and potential U.S. ties with the Muslim world. 
  • [June 09] The Meaning of Obama's Speech in Cairo
    Fawaz A. Gerges. Institute for Social Policy and Understanding
    Connects President Obama's speech on U.S. relations with the Muslim world with U.S. policies on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the place of Islam in America.
  • [29 May 09] Obama's Four Cairo Challenges
    Stephen R. Grand. Brookings Institution
  • [14-16 Feb 09] 6th U.S.-Islamic World Forum
    Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution and the Foreign Ministry of the Government of the State of Qatar
    "Overview: The U.S.-Islamic World Forum is designed to bring together key leaders in the fields of politics, business, media, academia, and civil society from across the Muslim world and the United States.  It seeks to address the critical issues dividing the United States and the Muslim world by providing a unique platform for frank dialogue, learning, and the development of positive partnerships between key leaders and opinion shapers from both sides."
  • [Jan 09] Speaking Clearly: What Should President Obama Say to the Middle East?
    Project on Middle East Democracy
    As President-elect Obama prepares to take office, there are generally high expectations worldwise about the policies of the new Administration.  Many in the Middle East remain skeptical of the future of U.S. policy toward that region.  Project of Middle East Democracy asked a dozen respected foreign policy experts to provide advice on what President Obama should say to the people of the Middle East in a major policy address to the Islamic world 
  • [Sep 08] Changing Course: A New Direction for U.S. Relations with the Muslim World
    Report of the Leadership Group on U.S.-Muslim Engagement, Convened by Search for Common Ground and the Consensus Building Institute
    Assesses the current state of U.S. relations with the Muslim world and provides a new strategy for U.S.-Muslim relations, along with guidelines for the strategy's implementation.  Key contributors to the project included Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, former members of Congress, a former Under Secretary of Defense, and Muslim, Christian, and Jewish religious and cultural leaders.
  • [June 08] Mightier than the Sword: Arts and Culture in the U.S.-Muslim World Relationship
    Cynthia P. Schneider and Kristina Nelson. Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution
  • [April 08] Precision in the Global War on Terror: Inciting Muslims Through the War of Ideas
    Sherifa Zuhar. Strategic Studies Institute
    Studies the effectiveness of American strategic messages in the Muslim world and argues that messages that promote reforms within the Muslim faith, in an effort to minimize aspects identified as "extremist," and that declare there is a "war within Islam" in which the U.S. should promote ideological moderates risks alienating Muslims and discouraging Muslim populations from supporting U.S. efforts.
  • [Feb 08] Religion and its Impact on Foreign Policy in the United States and Germany: Similarities and Differences
    Kirsten Verclas. American Institute for Contemporary German Studies, Johns Hopkins University
    Assesses how the impact of religion on Western foreign policies affects the West's relationships with Islamic states.
  • [Feb 08] Religion in World Affairs: Its Role in Conflict and Peace
    David Smock. United States Institute of Peace
  • [Feb 08] In Search of Moderate Muslims
    Joshua Muravchik and Charlie Szrom. American Enterprise Institute
    Seeks to define "moderate Islam" and provide strategies designed to encourage the Muslim majority to act against the goals and ideologies of terrorists.
  • [Jan 08] Islam and the West: Annual Report on the State of Dialogue
    World Economic Forum
    Uses the results of a population perception survey, a dialogue activity survey, and a media content analysis to benchmark the state of the dialogue between Muslim-majority countries and the West in the areas of international politics, citizenship and integration, religion, ethics, and ideology, education and intercultural understanding, and economic and social development.
  • [Jan 08] Bridge the Gap, or Mind the Gap? Culture in Western-Arab Relations
    Maurits Berger, et al. Netherlands Institute of Itnernational Relations - 'Clingendael'
  • [Dec 07] Engagement with the Muslim Community and Counter-Terrorism: British Lessons for the West
    H. A. Hellyer. Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution
    Details Britain's lessons learned on the development of strategies to reduce the vulnerability of Muslim communities in Western societies to the threat of radicalization.
  • [23 May 06] Choosing Words Carefully: Language to Help Fight Islamic Terrorism
    Douglas E. Streusand and LTC Harry D. Tunnell IV. Center for Strategic Communications, National Defense University
    Examines the potential detrimental impacts of the words chosen in America's strategic communications with the Muslim world.  Provides lists of terms to avoid in U.S. messages, as well as a list of proper and effective expressions to use when discussing the global Islamic terrorist movement.
  • [Nov 05] Alhurra, the Free One: Assessing U.S. Satellite Television in the Middle East
    Anne Marie Baylouny. Strategic Insights
    Evaluates U.S. efforts to win the hearts and minds of Arabs and Muslims through the launch of the American satellite station Alhurra, which seeks to promote an U.S. perspective in the Middle East.
  • [Fall 05] The Military Utility of Understanding Adversary Culture
    Montgomery McFate. Joint Force Quarterly
  • [5 Aug 05] Strengthening U.S. Public Diplomacy Requires Organization, Coordination, and Strategy
    Stephen Johnson, Helle C. Dale, and Patrick Cronin. Heritage Foundation
    Argues for the reinforcement of U.S. public diplomacy efforts through the promotion of regional and local media initiatives that combat extremism and through engagement with opinion leaders in the Muslim world.
  • [May 05] A New Beginning: Strategies for a More Fruitful Dialogue with the Muslim World
    Craig Charney and Nicole Yakatan. Council on Foreign Relations
    Provides guidance on the development of strategies to project a more favorable image of America in the Muslim world and to shift Muslim attitudes about America.
  • [04] The Muslim World after 9/11
    Angel M. Rabasa, et al. RAND Corporation
  • [7 Oct 03] A New Strategic Direction for U.S. Public Diplomacy in the Arab and Muslim World
    Transcript of a Council on Foreign Relations event
  • [July 03] An Initiative: Strengthening U.S.-Muslim Communications
    Phyllis D'Hoop, ed. Center for the Study of the Presidency
    Analyzes the principle sources of anti-Americanism in the Muslim world and argues for the enhancement of U.S. public diplomacy efforts, with the objective of strengthening U.S. national security.

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Additional Resources

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Updated on 05/20/2013 03:55:17 PM NDU Security Policy & Privacy Notice Send Comments