Wednesday November 7 6:21 PM ET

Clinton Encourages Islam Debate

By LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - As part of its war against terrorism, the U.S. must encourage debate between the Islamic factions who hate Americans enough to murder them and those who don't, former President Clinton said Wednesday.

``This is partly a Muslim issue, because there is a war raging within Islam'' between extremists and moderates, Clinton told several thousand students and fellow alumni at Georgetown University. ``We need to reach out and engage the Muslim world in a debate.''

The freedom-of-speech theme is part of a recipe for the nation's war on terrorism that Clinton has delivered around the world since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The first step, he said, is to support and ``win the fight we're in,'' against the al-Qaida network and its leader, Osama bin Laden, for the attacks that left thousands dead in New York and Washington.

Then, he said, the U.S. must help spread democracy, reduce poverty, boost health care systems and bolster education in emerging democracies and other nations that have harbored terrorists.

Such measures are ``a lot cheaper than going to war,'' Clinton said.

Part of the answer, he said, is urging Muslims to speak up, even in fundamentalist countries.

Rather than obey governments that demand that the downtrodden vent anger at the West, ``people need to actually say what it is they believe.''

The result, he said, would likely be a global community of people with shared values.

``This battle fundamentally is about what you think about the nature of truth, the value of life and the content of community,'' Clinton said.

President Bush's administration has been careful to say that the military, diplomatic and financial war on terrorism is not a war on Islam. Clinton said he was speaking as ``just a citizen'' and fully supports the White House's effort.

The former president also tried to reassure students who had gathered to listen that ``it's gonna be OK.''

Clinton said that terrorism has never succeeded on its own. ``Those attacked historically have found ways to save themselves.''

``I know it scares you,'' Clinton said. ``But you have to recognize that unless this is something different than has ever occurred in human history, we will figure out how to defend ourselves and civilization will endure.''

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-- Anonymous, November 07, 2001