The Issue:
Former and current Muslim heads of state in Asia and senior American military officers have called on the West to renounce excessive violence, torture and other controversial civil liberties abuses in conducting the “war on terrorism.” As an alternative, Asian leaders recommend expanding private and governmental humanitarian and civil society programs to overcome extremist ideologies.

AAI Link: Development for Peace in Sulu

Pakistan:
In Islamabad, President Perves Musharraf addressed the media to praise the emergency international earthquake relief effort to assist three million homeless Pakistani men, women and children stranded in the freezing mountains of the conflict- and terrorist-plagued Northwest Frontier Province and in Jammu and Kashmir. According to the December 27 London Daily Times, Musharraf stated, "All organizations are working harmoniously in the earthquake-hit areas. They have set an ideal example of how love and sympathy of humanity at large transcends boundaries of nationality, religions, ethnicity and politics." Speaking at a dinner reception on the occasion of Christmas, President Musharraf greeted Christians, particularly those who are working in the quake-hit areas of the NWFP and Jammu and Kashmir. "We are touched by your dedication, warmth and compassion for quake survivors. We salute all of you for you are sacrificing so much for us," he said, praising the international community and NGOs. "We must not allow the theory of clash of civilizations, which is in [contradiction] to what we have witnessed in the quake-affected areas, where people from around the world have joined hands in alleviating the sufferings of quake survivors," he said. "We should not allow a minority of extremists to drive a wedge between humanity".

AAI Link: Inter-Faith Pakistan Relief Effort

Indonesia:
Echoing President Musharraf's statements on the profound impact on overcoming religious extremism through inter-cultural cooperation and inter-religious understanding, Indonesia's recent former President and respected Muslim scholar, Abdurrahman Wahid, wrote an in-depth and editorial in the December 30 Wall Street Journal. Wahid made an impassioned plea, warning that, "Osama bin Laden has obtained a religious edict from a misguided Saudi cleric, justifying the use of nuclear weapons against America." Wahid called for international solidarity against the "terrible danger that threatens humanity" posed by the perverse ideology of the, "Wahhabi/Salafi minority fundamentalist religious cult." He warned, "It is time for people of good will from every faith and nation to set aside our international and partisan bickering, and join to confront the danger that lies before us."

He succinctly recommended: "Those who seek to promote a peaceful and tolerant understanding of Islam must harness a number of actual or potential strengths, which can play a key role in neutralizing fundamentalist ideology."
They include:

1. Human dignity, which demands freedom of conscience and rejects the forced imposition of religious views;
2. Mobilize immense humanitarian resources to bring to bear on this problem, once it is identified and a global commitment is made to solve it;
3. Leverage targeted and carefully dispersed resources to support honest non-corrupted individuals and organizations that truly embrace a peaceful and tolerant Islam;
4. Appeal to 1,400 years of Islamic traditions and spirituality, which are in contradiction to fundamentalist ideology; as well as local and national Islamic culture, traditions and pride;
5. The power of the female spirit, and the fact that half of humanity consists of women, who have an inherent stake in the outcome of this struggle;
6. Form a global network of united like-minded individuals, organizations and leaders to promote the universal human desire for freedom, justice and a better life.

US Military Leaders Condemn Torture:
On December 12, United Press International reported that three dozen highly respected US retired military officers with combat experience in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq expressed their support for Congressional anti-torture legislation. They voiced opposition to White House efforts to undermine it by exempting the CIA from the proposed ban.

"We are an enormous power for the good, or we were, and I think we should be," said retired Marine Maj. Gen. Fred Haynes, a veteran of the fierce World War II battle on Iwo Jima. "The minute we begin to hack on (prisoners), we begin to lose moral ascendancy. Once you get into a fight, a situation where lives are on the line, that noble thought has to be uppermost, because it's common human decency," Haynes said. "If you lose that, you open the door to maltreatment of our own men."

Former Central Command Chief General Joseph Hoar rejected the Bush administration's argument that new techniques are needed to effectively interrogate al-Qaeda members. "Who are we?" asked Hoar. "Our president speaks with these throwaway lines about democracy and freedom and then we do things like this. It makes no sense to me." UPI concludes the debate between the senior warriors and the Administration's civilian leadership [most of whom have not participated in war] hinges on a primary issue: "Whether the fight is to break the spirit of the enemy, or to preserve [the nobility of] the American spirit."

What is at Stake?:
The current international struggle is proving that even the world's greatest martial power cannot overcome hatred and fear by adopting a campaign of brutality coated with lofty rhetoric. As stated in the martial arts classics, the greatest warriors are those whose courage and physical prowess are tempered with the awesome respect from adversaries and allies rooted in uncompromising honor and clear vision. Democracies in the East and West cannot succeed if we fail to reestablish the integrity and international trust of our universal values and our promotion of human dignity.

International contempt and hatred for the West has increased since the Abu Ghraib prison atrocities in Iraq. Tragically, it has been spread by the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld unapologetic public posturing on brutal prisoner handling policies abroad and the violation of fundamental civil liberties of ordinary Americans at home. In effect, the so-called "conflict of civilizations" has spread to within US government policies. The consequence of the growing culture of violence and "governance by fear" is gradually bleeding the international community - all faiths and cultures -- with growing dysfunction and tragic consequences. It is imperative that the global network of determined like-minded visionaries from both the private humanitarian sector and international security forces put aside their differences to reclaim the moral high ground. Only through an uncompromising commitment to honor can sustainable peace and development be achieved.