: Is a US-Muslim World “Imam Exchange” a Good Idea?

Responding to calls for more contacts between America and the Muslim world, the US State Department has allocated $500,000 for an Imam exchange program that hopes to “enhance understanding about the place of Islam in American society.” “We’ve found that this type of exchange can be very effective in breaking down stereotypes,” said State Department spokesman Stephen Hart. One of the program’s main backers is Imam Yahya Hendi of Georgetown University, a former Muslim chaplain in the US Navy and a strong believer in inter-cultural exchange. “We have to have more exchange of ideas,” says Hendi. “We have to have more people come to America to know America from within.” Doubters include Middle East pundit Daniel Pipes, who worries about a “real danger that [the money] will fall into the wrong hands.” Despite Pipes’ objections, the program is set to begin soon.

Zahed Amanullah is associate editor of altmuslim.com.  He is based in London, England.