But the failure of all the dictators to ease the poverty, bring victory to the battlefield, improve the economy, and generally elevate the standard of life for the people brought only frustration. This frustration was subsequently used by the extremists to agitate the people against the government and to expand their support.

Moreover, the liberal educational policy adopted in the Arab states permitted the underprivileged children, who were influenced the most by very conservative ideas, to attend colleges and universities. As a result, these students were easily attracted to and recruited by the extremist movement. Later, they infiltrate government offices and all other facets of life, and gave rise to ultra conservative notions.

THE SOLUTION

The problem of extremism cannot be resolved unless specific measures are taken. They include:

1. The moderate Islamic voice must be accepted, adopted and promoted by the local governments, as well as the international community, in order to counteract the vehement propaganda of the extremists. It is a known fact that the moderate Muslims far outnumber the extremists. By advocating the moderate position, the extremist movement will find itself an outcast in the Muslim community.

2. Some Western countries are attempting to apply the policy of "divide and conquer" among the Muslim community. On one hand, they help the extremist, and on the other hand, they are supporting the local government. This must be stopped. This policy will not succeed in the Muslim community since all Muslims consider themselves a part of a single foundation. The result of a “divide and conquer" policy will be a severe backlash, and it will bring hate and violence to the countries that initiate this policy.

3. It is imperative that we stop labeling the extremists with the prefix of Islamic and/or Muslim. These two prefixes antagonize the Muslim community and strengthen their suspicions towards the West's intentions, while at the same time, increase sympathy and solidarity towards the extremists. Labeling a Muslim Shi'ite or Sunni will also be counter-productive, since Muslims look upon the whole community as one. And they feel that the West is attempting to put a wedge among the Muslims. 4. Increase or enhance education among the public through publications and use of the media to explain that the ideology of the extremists is far from the fundamental teachings of Islam.

5. Recognition of the extremists gives them a political identity and increases their influence among the masses. Refusing to acknowledge them will reduce their influence and effectiveness in the community. As history has demonstrated, (both in Egypt and in Israel and Palestine), when the government aids and recognizes the extremists as an entity, the extremists will grow stronger and then will work against the government that helped to create it. An example of this is the extremists in the Egypt that killed Sadat, and Hamas which was aided by the Israel and now is beyond the control of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

6. Isolate the head of state of the countries that sponsor and support extremism without applying embargoes that punish the people. Applying embargoes that hurt the common citizens will backlash and gives the extremists yet another opportunity to attack the West, allowing them to state that the West is trying to kill and destroy the Muslim people.

7. Comprehensive peace in the Middle East is essential to curb terrorism and extremism not only in the region, but throughout the world. This will improve the economic conditions in Middle East countries and give the governments time to focus on their individual domestic problems. It will also eliminate the slogans the extremists are using, either to show the ineffectiveness of their government to solve the domestic problems or to achieve a just solution to the Palestinian problem.

8. Another essential point to curb terrorism and extremism is the necessity to eliminate corruption among the governing Muslim leaders. This is a man source of discord among the people and an important tool in the hands of the extremists, who use its existence to gather support from the masses.

9. Cut the source. It is obvious that the sources that supply military and financial support to the extremist are known to the Western and Middle East Intelligence organizations. If the source is restrained and thwarted the extremist movement will suffer, and their growth and influence will be minimized to the point of ineffective

ness.

III. THE THREAT EXTREMISM POSES TO THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY

One could accurately say that the misconceptions and misunderstandings that plague the Islamic community are almost entirely the result of the extremist movement within Islam. The perception of Islam as a violent, intolerant, anti-western re

ligion has been created by the minority extremist component of Islam and then perpetuated by the attention that they receive in the Western media and by other Western power blocks.

Islam, in spirit and in practice, is a religion of inclusion, of peace, and of mercy. Its followers are taught to be kind and tolerant to all people, regardless of race, color, ethnicity, or religion. Perhaps more than any other faith, Islam can be said to propound a truly universal philosophy that is accepting of all people, religions, and ideas. The Koran, the holy book of Islam, could not be more explicit in its command, “There shall be no compulsion in religion.” This single line embodies the spirit of Islam-a faith that acknowledges and strengthens the nobility of the individual, while simultaneously embracing the importance and power of community.

Extremists have distorted this true image of universalism in the eyes of the world. In the United States, their acts of violence and fanatic intolerance have tragically marred the perceptions Americans have of Islam. Though the doctrines they espouse are wholly incompatible with the teachings of Islam, and run contrary to the very foundations of the faith and its traditions, these terrorists have managed to partially succeed in their goal to alienate Americans from the Muslim community-thus making leaders on both sides mistakenly believe that cooperation is, at best, a difficult venture. They have succeeded in making the American people unnecessarily wary of any association with Islam. This alienation and wariness is extremely harmful to both America and its Muslim communities—and to the Islamic world as a whole.

No good can ever come from blatant misconceptions of truth. The fear that has been generated by these extremist entities has given rise to an alarmist atmosphere in this country towards Islam and its followers. This fear has found a foothold in every aspect of American society-from the government down to the American people. Moreover, there has been no significant attempt by anyone in a visible public office to emphasize the fact that these extremists are acting contrary to Islam. Extremism, by definition, is a force contrary to freedom, liberty, and justice. Islamic extremism is no different than any other form of ideological extremism. They believe that they are justified in attempting to force their belief system on others. In their eyes, moderate Muslims, who cringe at the blood and pain caused by such extreme elements, are considered renegades of Islam-nonbelievers and enemies of the religion. Within this extreme movement, as with all types of extremism, there is only room for one set of thoughts, one opinion, one vision. Extremism poses its greatest danger to the Islamic community stifling its diversity and its multifaceted and multinational character. It is a threat to the freedom and liberty of the community, and thus to the very community itself; for what community can truly survive staunch intolerance and lack of free thought?

Islam is struggling with this extremist movement world-wide. In this country however, the difficulties faced by moderate Muslims are particularly unique. There is no question that moderate Muslims make up the vast majority of Muslims in this country and world-wide, with followers of extremist movements a fraction of the population. Yet, the amount of attention received by each group is inversely proportionate to its size. The media and other sources of public information concentrate excessively on the extremist element of Islam, and give little to no time to the moderate Muslim voice.

While this can be explained by pointing out that it is the extreme element who poses a conceivable danger and therefore somehow deserves the majority of the media attention, this answer does not take into consideration the full scope of the problem. It is this attention that Muslim extremists have been able to draw, to the exclusion of all else, that presents America and American Muslims with their most significant problem.

Unless the moderate Muslim voice is given sufficient attention and is allowed time and a significant forum, it is unreasonable to expect that voice to be able to overcome any extreme Muslim element present in this country. Moreover, the continued focus on Muslim extremists without properly placing them in the context of the larger Muslim community, will further alienate American Muslims by reinforcing a belief that America is only interested in weakening Islam. Allowing this belief to perpetuate would be, at best, an invitation for further misunderstandings on all sides an event that would be detrimental to all.

In summary, Islam, perhaps the most misunderstood religion in the world, has suffered as much as its people from ignorance and foreign occupation. Islam, like the rest of the world, faces a new challenge, the rise of extremism; however, this challenge is not exclusive to Islam; it is being faced by every nation and every religion. It is a phenomenon which is altering the thought and action of every part of the world. It is a phenomenon which can conceivably lead to the fall of governments, deviate mankind from the course of God, and destroy many of the most cherished

democratic ideals. Islam is not a militant religion, but a religion of peace, mercy, and love for all people. Unfortunately, like everything else, when man uses something he distorts it. The religion of Islam is no exception. However, true Islam joins Judaism and Christianity in its call for love, mercy and justice.

As Americans we must never forget the value we place on freedom and liberty, and at no time can America, in its possible responses to extremism, allow the Muslim community in this nation or abroad to suffer any injustices. We must remember to place extremism in the context of the broader community. To do otherwise would only place this great nation in the same category as those very extremists we are trying to fight. Intolerance and injustice at the hand of any entity-even for an admirable cause—is repugnant to all that we as Americans, and I as a Muslim, hold to be true.

Senator KYL. Thank you very much for your testimony, and I must say that, for the record, we will have the complete written testimony that you have provided, and it is one of the most thoughtfully written and well-documented presentations that I have ever read with respect to Islam, and we very much appreciate having that as a part of our hearing record. So thank you very much.

Mr. ASHMAWY. Thank you.

Senator KYL. Our last witness, Steven Emerson, produced the award-winning documentary "Jihad in America," which provided a snapshot to the American people of the activities and operations of radical Islamic groups in the United States. Since that time, Mr. Emerson has continued his extensive research on the infrastructures, modes of operation, fundraising, recruitment, and criminal activities these radical groups use to support their activities as well as their connection to terrorist organizations. It is this portion of his research which Mr. Emerson will share with us today, and, again, I want to say that for our record you have provided us with an amazingly complete and well-documented statement which will be very important for future scholars as they review the record of this hearing and the subject as we deal with it in the future. So thank you very much for being here, Mr. Emerson.

STATEMENT OF STEVEN EMERSON

Mr. EMERSON. Good afternoon.

First of all, personally I would just like to state that I knew Seif Ashmawy for more than 5 years. He appeared in the film "Jihad in America." And when I found out a month ago that he had been killed in a car accident, it was a very, very disturbing day for me, and it has been since. And I am very pleased and quite touched by Omar's appearance here today. I think Seif would be very proud of what he has done here this morning and how he has delivered himself in such purpose and poise. I for one am touched myself. I just wanted to say that for the record.

The issue, as I see it, is the preservation and the maintenance and the emboldenment of a moderate Islam versus the growth of radical Islam. I have dedicated the last several years to sort of exposing the extremists. Unfortunately, those very extremists have issued threats against me as well. And I want to make the statement and I want to affirm what Omar said, that radical Islam does not equal mainstream Islam. The vast majority of Muslims do not support violence, but there is an extremist wing. And to the extent they are able to hide under the veneer of a false moderation or hide

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under the veneer of a mainstream umbrella, they unfortunately tar the genuine moderates.

In the United States today, in the past 5 years since the World Trade Center, the whole panoply of radical Islamic movements has sprung, from the A to Z, from Hizbollah to Hamas, to Islamic Jihad. I have here a chart, a map, that shows a partial listing of the concentrations of different radical Islamic groups in the United States, and you will see, obviously, that the comprehensive inclusion of Islamic Jihad, Hamas, the Gamaa Islamiya, the Muslim Brotherhood, the National Islamic Front, all of these extremist movements have established strong networks of supporters, sometimes command and control, sometimes funding operations, very extensive political operations that essentially have rendered the United States a major center of militant Islamic activity worldwide. Hizbollah has got operations in cells in Chicago, in Boca Raton, in Texas, New Jersey, Illinois, the Gamaa Islamiya in California, North Carolina, in Baltimore. The Muslim Arab Youth Association, which is effectively the de facto arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, has got chapters throughout the United States.

Hamas is the strongest organizational militant group in the United States with representation throughout virtually every other State, not necessarily in a formal form but certainly in terms of support. Millions of dollars have been raised through various networks, some legal, some not legal, but primarily there have been many legal mechanisms established during the last 5 years, primarily tax-exempt foundations, for "charities" that fund innocentsupposedly innocent, that is-religious and social programs of militant Islamic movements. The problem is that money is fungible, and the second problem is that sometimes the moneys get diverted from these charities.

For law enforcement, however, it is very difficult to trace the dollars that go into these groups, and out of the groups into the hands of the militants in the Middle East.

We in the United States should be very clear. We face not only a threat of violence from these groups present in the United States, but we allow our own allies to be attacked, to be violently attacked, from the safety of the United States. To the extent that moneys raised in the United States and support accrued in the United States enables suicide bombings in Israel or attacks on foreigners in Egypt or slaughtering of young Algerian moderate women who refuse to wear the veil, that is a terrible statement about what is going on in the United States.

We need to be very clear. The United States has great freedoms, and I am not suggesting here for one moment that we curtail any of the freedoms. Even the freedom to be an extremist is allowed. But I do believe that that line that is crossed into actual support of terrorism needs to be more aggressively pursued, and that means more intelligence and more resources, resources for the FBI, resources for the INS, and more hearings like this in Congress.

I do believe that some groups may not be legally prohibited, but to the extent that we can expose their activities, they will not be able to operate in the sunshine, and that sunshine, as Louis Brandeis once said, is the best disinfectant.

In the United States today, there are various problems associated with the operations of these groups. The most telling investigation today is in Tampa, FL, where the FBI, together with Customs, INS, the IRS, and other agencies, are investigating the creation and operation of the Islamic Jihad Command and Control Organization. It operated without any scrutiny and unimpeded for 5 years, between 1990 and 1995, under the unwitting and witting blessing of the University of South Florida in Tampa. It operated under "an academic research center" at the university. It allowed terrorists to come into the United States. It raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Islamic Jihad, and it promoted the Islamic Jihad by organizing the largest counterterrorist conferences ever held in the United States, in St. Louis, Chicago, and elsewhere.

In sum, I think that the United States has become, to coin a phrase, occupied fundamentalist territory. I believe that moderates are overwhelmingly represented by their numbers, but unrepresented by the leadership of the organizations. It is time, and I hope an opportunity, for people like Seif Ashmawy's son, young Omar, to assume the leadership in the moderate Muslim community.

Thank you.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Emerson follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF STEVEN EMERSON

INTRODUCTION

The subject of today's hearing, the foreign terrorist threat in the United States, is one of the most important issues we face as a society today. With the advent of chemical and biological weapons, we now face distinct possibilities of mass civilian murder the likes of which have not been seen since World War II. The specter of terrorism carries with it the threat of violence aimed at targets merely because of their religious, ethnic or national identities. The threat of terrorism, particularly in the age of instant telecommunications, also carries a major psychological dimension-through an electronic multiplier effect that has the ability to inject fear and fright into the hearts and minds of tens of millions of Americans.

At the outset it is important to note several points about these hearings:

One. Foreign terrorists and extremists are no different than home grown terrorists and extremists. Terrorism is terrorism-no matter who carries it out. The threat from domestic terrorists who see the United States government from a paranoid lens is no less problematic than foreign terrorists who view us in the same manner. As evidenced by the Oklahoma City bombing, bombings of abortion clinics, and other acts of terrorism, the ultra right wing militia, the Christian Identity Movement, Arian Nations, and neo-Nazis are intent on inflicting murder and mayhem against innocent civilians.

Two. The absence of bombs going off more regularly should not lull us into a false sense of security. The presence of foreign terrorist groups means that they have the capabilities of launching attacks here and the ability, which they exploit to their maximum advantage, of using the United States as a springboard to launch attacks against our allies and friends. It is a matter of vital national interest to hold hearings on the presence of foreign terrorist groups on American soil. There are various groups in the United States tied to international and foreign acts of terrorism. This includes the offshoot of the militant Jewish Defense League known as Kahane Chai, the Irish Republican Army and militant Sikhs, among others.

Three. Terrorism does not develop in a vacuum. It requires intellectual, financial, and often religious sustenance and nurturing. The bombing of the World Trade Center for example, and the Oklahoma city bombing, sprang from a much larger communal constellation of like minded believers and supporters. The physical act of terrorism may appear to come out of the blue but in fact is almost always predicated in larger movements that justify such acts of terrorism as legitimate. And yet, by virtue of the great freedoms enshrined in our laws and constitution, most activities of extremist groups, including known terrorist fronts in the United States, are legal and protected. While some activities were made illegal in the 1996 Anti-Terrorism