How can Americans of different backgrounds – who seem polarized on many Middle East issues – come together to support civil rights?
The attacks of September 11, 2001, starkly revealed that Americans can no longer ignore problems festering in the Middle East. Americans have a vested interest in helping Middle Easterners develop open societies, and not just in Iraq. People across the political and religious spectrum can appreciate the fundamental importance of civil rights, and can put aside policy disagreements to provide non-violent support to those struggling for basic freedoms in the Middle East. By focusing on common values and grassroots efforts by individuals rather than governments, we may even be able to heal some of the rifts exposed in recent years.
