http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/12357263

The need to communicate : how to improve U.S. public diplomacy with the Islamic world

"The Brookings Project on U.S. Policy Towards the Islamic World is designed to respond to some of the most difficult challenges that the United States will face in the coming years, most particularly how to prosecute the continuing war on global terrorism while still promoting positive relations with Muslim states and communities. A key part of the Project is the production of Analysis Papers that investigate critical issues in American policy towards the Islamic world. A special focus of this series is on exploring long-term trends that confront U.S. policy-makers and the possible strategies and options they could adopt. A central challenge that America faces in its relations with the Islamic world is that of public diplomacy. While U.S. power is at its greatest historic heights, global esteem for the United States is at its depths. Polling has found anti-American sentiment to be particularly strong in Muslim countries and communities across the world, while the continuing violence in the Middle East has only further hardened attitudes. Thus, rather than being viewed as a victim of terrorism, the United States has become widely perceived as arrogant and anti-Muslim. Perhaps most illustrative is that what the United States calls a "war on terrorism" is broadly interpreted as a "war on Islam" by the world's Muslims. This credibility gap is worrisome not just in itself, but also because it presents real complications for the success of our foreign policies, ranging from seeking cooperation in the pursuit of terrorists to supporting the expansion of democracy. Whether America is able to reverse this trend and better convey its policies and values abroad could be a critical determinant in winning the war on terrorism. As such, we are pleased to present "The Need to Communicate: How to Improve U.S. Public Diplomacy with the Islamic World." An astute observer of regional trends, as well as an experienced professional in the field of communications, Hady Amr uses his first-hand knowledge to shed new light on this critical issue. We appreciate his contribution to the Project's work and certainly are proud to share his analysis with the wider public."--P. iii.

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