The United States Ambassador to the United Nations discussed instability in the Middle East as “the defining issue of our time” during a Wednesday speech in Gaston Hall.
“There is a crisis within Islamic civilization between those who adhere to a moderation of faith and [those who believe] only an extreme view of the Quran is true to Islam,” Zalmay Khalilzad said. “This struggle is about what it means to be a Muslim. In a rapidly changing world, religion can be a solace and a vulnerability.”
Khalilzad denounced Islamic extremists as “a minority phenomenon … gaining global prominence largely because of terrorist tactics” in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
Khalilzad became the latest high-profile speaker to deliver the annual Oscar Iden Lecture, which focuses on American foreign policy and international diplomacy. Former speakers include George H.W. Bush, Newt Gingrich and Paul Wolfowitz.
“As a common theme [to the Iden Lectures], we select individuals who have been movers and shakers of American foreign policy during the course of their careers,” Casimir Yost, director of the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, which sponsored the event, said.
School of Foreign Service Dean Robert Gallucci praised Khalilzad’s diplomatic experience, citing his recent ambassadorships to Iraq and Afghanistan.
“None of the past speakers can claim to have had tougher jobs,” he said.
According to Ben Chang (SFS ‘94), deputy spokesman for the ambassador, Khalilzad chose to focus on the Middle East crisis because of his personal experience as an Afghan-American and his extended service in the region.
Khalilzad suggested “six pillars” for a Western strategy to engage the Middle East crisis, focusing on three: strengthening our internal capabilities to lessen our vulnerability to attacks, staying on the offense against terrorist groups and cooperating with allies in the region to marginalize extremist political forces.
“These six pillars have all been echoed [by the U.S. government] … and are not necessarily new,” Chang said.
The challenge for America, Khalilzad said, was to promote Western values without precipitating an Islamic backlash.
“When we prevailed in previous struggles … it was the triumph of a concept of humanity that celebrated the dignity of every individual,” he said.
In response to a question about the effectiveness of multilateralism, Khalilzad stressed that the U.S. must be willing to listen to other countries in order to do things in the common interests.
Kheng Lim (SFS ’11) thought that the lecture was a good “reinforcement” of ideas he had heard, but was not as controversial as he expected.
