CNN Interview About "Hope not Hate"

CNN Interview About "Hope not Hate"

by Stephen Frazier interviews Mustapha Tlili and Seth Green
CNN

STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: Another reality following the September 11 attacks is continuing strong anti-Muslim sentiment in this country. So several town meetings were held across the United States in an effort to change that. For more on these gatherings, which are called Hope not Hate, we're joined now by Mustapha Tilili of the World Policy Institute, who moderated the meeting held in New York, and Seth Green of Americans for Informed Democracy who moderated two town meetings, one in Washington and one in Miami.

Gentlemen welcome.

TD

Mr. Tilili, let me start with you. It's two years on now. And we were hearing right afterwards, an awful lot of stories of attacks on mosques, attacks on individuals. Surely that is beginning to ease off now, or is it?

MUSTAPHA TILILI, WORLD POLICY INSTITUTE: I think it is easing off. What is really heartening is to see that the families of the victims are today taking the lead. And we have seen now -- we have seen that New York, taking to lead the call for positive action for hope to undertake action to win the hearts and minds of the Muslim world. And I think this is promising.

FRAZIER: When you were moderating the meeting in New York, were there any anecdotes from people who attended that surprised you, stories of atrocities or stories of hope?

TILILI: There were all really stories of hope. And this what was remarkable. What was also remarkable is the fact that it was Friday night, students usually -- Friday evening, have better things to do. But in this case, we have expected maybe 100, 150 participants in the auditorium.

But the auditorium was filled. Not a single seat was available. They came from all over the three state area. And these are students who are very much aware of the affairs of the world. And they participated in a very thoughtful manner.

We had expected or rather we feared that they would be some disturbances. But in fact, it was one of the most civilized meetings that I ever moderated. And I have moderated quite a few in my life.

FRAZIER: All right, well...

TILILI: And... FRAZIER: ...as some of -- you heard some laughing there as you were talking, Mr. Tilili. I think that was Seth Green speaking as a recent student himself about your comment about students attending on a night when they might have date night.

What was your experience, Mr. Green, in Miami?

SETH GREEN, AMERICANS FOR INFORMED DEMOCRACY: Well, our experiences were amazing, both in Miami and Washington, D.C. On a Friday night, I can tell you that students do have something better to do called partying. And in Washington, D.C., we had a 300 person auditorium. And we ended up having students literally lining the floor because we had far more than 300 show up.

And I mean, it's really just incredible. And just to say the reason, I think, when I talk to people afterward is that both on the American non-Muslim and the Muslim side, people are so eager to discuss these issues. And so many people I talked to have said that post September 11, relations have become so politicized, they haven't felt comfortable discussing these tense issues with one another.

So you create this apolitical forum. And people are so excited about conversing, that they come. And I can tell you afterward, people were so invigorated that this is going to happen again and again.

FRAZIER: All of these meetings are scheduled for places where you might expect a lot of tolerance. University settings usually. International studies programs usually.

Wouldn't they be better held in a place like Shea Stadium? Go ahead, Mr. Tilili, go ahead.

TILILI: Certainly, yes. I think we are -- we have to consider now how to go beyond, precisely the elites and the students who are in international affairs programs and so on. And to also see where we can -- what we can do in the Muslim world and how to bring the two sides together, because it's not enough that we do things here. And I think -- in the Cold War if you recall, during the Cold War, there were attempts at trying to bring the two civil societies together through world assemblies or views that brought together youth representatives from the Soviet world at the time and youth from the Western world.

I think we have to maybe think over that and attempt to do something of that sort, bring Muslim youth and American youth in a world forum, where we could finally build something that would last and that would be precisely the expression of hope.

FRAZIER: Mr. Green, you're a Princeton undergrad before you embarked on your Marshall Scholar studies. And the professor at Princeton most known for this kind of issue is Bernard Lewis, whose book about Islamic culture is called "What Went Wrong." Is that helpful or a harmful thing?

GREEN: The book or the... FRAZIER: Well, the analysis which sounds negative because of that provocative title?

GREEN: Well, I'm not familiar with the analysis of this book in particular, but I can tell you that things have gone terribly wrong in recent times. In the post September 11 climate, newspapers from Paris to Islamabad were reading we are all Americans. And I can tell you as someone that lived in highly Pakistani neighborhood of London just after the attacks, the outpouring of sympathy.

And over the past two years, we have seen that sympathy evaporate. And by the time I left England in June, I saw a reversal of that good will. So certainly a lot has gone wrong. And I think that the key is to begin a dialogue that can promote mutual understanding and respect at this very tense time.

And I can tell you that students around the world are dying to engage in this dialogue.

FRAZIER: Well, congratulations to the two of you for initiating that dialogue. Good luck as you attempt to pursue it and continue it. Mustapha Tilili, Seth Green, thanks for joining us.

GREEN: Thank you.

TILILI: Thank you.