SYMPOSIUM: THE FUTURE OF SOCIAL CONSERVATISM American Culture and the Muslim World

This is a particularly difficult period for Americans, as we struggle with internal economic and fiscal challenges even as we continue to take stock of our place in the post-9/11 world. But take stock we must. And as we do so, one of the most elusive challenges that we face is coming to terms with the cultural dimension of our encounter with the Muslim world. Even now, as we skirmish over issues such as abortion and gay marriage here at home, Americans fail to appreciate how our cultural values affect our relations with Muslims around the globe—and with the Muslims in our midst, many of whom are fellow citizens. This is in part because cultural forces are downplayed or ignored as relevant concerns by our intellectual and foreign policy elites. This neglect is regrettable, for while there are some aspects of American culture that Muslims find problematic or repellant, there are others that they find—or might find, if made aware—appealing, even admirable. Our unwillingness or inability to address any of these cultural phenomena renders America all the more ineffective at addressing the Muslim world. This essay aims to begin righting this imbalance by exploring some cultural differences—as well as some similarities—between Muslims and non-Muslims.