“Her message however does have one fundamental philosophical problem. She seems to think that at some level just countering the geopolitical ideology and radical rhetoric of the extremists will result in winning the hearts and minds of Muslims and reducing the anti-Americanism that is swelling the ranks of Jihadis everywhere. This assumption is a recipe for failure.

“Just because the Jihadis are wrong in claiming that Islam teaches violence and demands that every Muslim wage Jihad against all non-Muslims, it does not necessarily mean that US policies of supporting dictators (in Pakistan and Uzbekistan), maintaining close ties with monarchs and emirs, attacking countries on false assumptions, bringing death and devastation to entire nations and practicing torture, are right. If she listens closely to Muslims, and actually looks at the consequences of US policies in the Muslim World, Iraq for example, she will realize that US image in Muslim eyes will not be restored until there is a palpable change in US policy.”

Muqtedar Khan, Middle East Online, 12 September 2005