By Muqtedar Khan
American foreign policy sins are numerous and some are even unforgivable — like the invasion of Iraq, which was based on false accusations and has resulted in much death and destruction. But to judge America by its neo-conservative foreign policy would be like judging Islam by what some radical, violence-prone Muslims have done around the world. It would be grossly unfair.
There is more, much more to America than its often imprudent foreign policy in the Muslim world.
America contributes to maintaining the global order and has created and sustained some of the most important institutions of the international system, such as the United Nations and the World Bank. In recent years, the United States has provided billions of dollars for tsunami relief in Southeast Asia, earthquake assistance in Pakistan and economic-development aid across Muslim lands. The United States is the biggest foreign-aid donor to the Muslim world. The United States also has intervened militarily on behalf of Muslims — in Bosnia, Somalia, Kosovo and Kuwait.
On the domestic front, the United States is one of the best places to live on the planet. People from all over the Muslim world apply, in the millions, for visas to come to this country in search of a better future (even after 9/11). Yet hardly any indigenous American Muslims are seeking to migrate to predominantly Muslim countries to improve their lives. The United States, and not any of the 55 Muslim nations, is the No. 1 destination of Muslims choosing to relocate.
[…] America has in recent years produced or nurtured many extraordinarily insightful Muslim thinkers like Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Fazlur Rahman, Ismael Farruqi, […], to list but a few whose names leap readily to mind. America also has produced noteworthy Muslim spiritual leaders who enjoy widespread appeal, far beyond America’s borders. [more]
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The Islamic Workplace 
inpursuitofjustice
March 26, 2007
“America contributes to maintaining the global order and has created and sustained some of the most important institutions of the international system, such as the United Nations and the World Bank.”
How is contributing to maintaining the oppressive global order a good thing? America’s contribution to the World Bank and other such international organizations is another one of its sins.
Rafik
March 26, 2007
I am not trying to defend the U.S.’s actions globally. The point that Muqtedar is trying to make is still valid: Muslims in the USA have fared a lot better than Muslims in Europe as well as Muslims in most Muslim countries, i.e. Tunisia, Libya, etc.
inpursuitofjustice
March 26, 2007
Sure, I agree. I just thought it was important to point out that the World Bank is not a charity organization but another tool of neo-colonialism.