The US special representative for the Muslim community worldwide has said Ireland’s Muslims are important to America.
Farah Pandith, the first person to hold the post, was speaking at the Newgrange Hotel in Navan during a presentation to young people from the area on Saturday 25 June.
Pandith remarked on Ireland’s historically close ties to America, saying that by virtue of being in Ireland, Muslims here are also important in the relationship.
She told the audience she was on a mission to engage the Muslim community in a different way. Since her inception of office, she has been directed by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to engage the community directly, visiting schools and mosques to listen and talk about US-Muslim relations.
She also spoke about how the US Embassy in Dublin is engaging with Muslims in Ireland, noting last year’s Muslim entrepreneurship conference held in conjunction with the Dublin Institute of Technology.
Pandith said this event was part of a wider Muslim entrepreneurship initiative by President Obama to build ties with the Muslim community around the world. She told the delegates that their entrepreneurial spirit and ingenuity is valued.
When asked about her own views on US-Muslim relations after 9/11, she reiterated what President Obama said on Capital Hill on his inauguration: “The US in not at war with Islam but will continue to pursue those with extremist views.”
She said that while the killing of Osama bin Laden was important in closing the sad chapter after 9/11, al-Qaeda and its affiliates still pose a threat to the US and its allies.
Pandith also defended the media, particularly in the US, against accusations of promoting negative stereotypes of Muslims.
“America has the right to freedom of speech as inscribed in its constitution,” she said. “Even if the government might feel uncomfortable with some of the rhetoric that comes out of the media, it can’t tell the media what to say.”
She also said there is negative stereotyping of other religions or even other Muslims, by Muslims themselves.
On a more positive note, Pandith hailed the ‘Arab Spring’ of popular uprisings in the Middle East, saying it is part of a movement of young people around the world demanding change. She called this ‘generation change’ and recognised that today’s youth are lucky to have technological tools such as social media at their disposal.
She also says it’s too early to say what the end game will be, but hopes it will lead to freedom and democracy in the Middle East.
Pandith admitted that it is difficult to deal with all countries the same way, citing the US administration’s different approaches to Libya and Syria.
