What is the Strategy of Enlightened Moderation?
“The 9/11 Commission Report calls for the provision of long-term and comprehensive support to the government of Pakistan for its commitment to combating terrorism through “enlightened moderation.”
Before going through the contents and motives of the proposed strategy, we must make an effort to understand its genesis and the literal meanings of both terms modifying the subject of the strategy: “enlightened” and “moderation.” In an elementary sense one is enlightened if he/she is well informed and aware of the implications and ramifications attaching to any given issue or proposition. In some of its uses, the term also has a connection with the “enlightenment,” which was an eighteenth century
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This has caused many non-Muslims to believe wrongly that Islam is a religion of intolerance, militancy and terrorism. It has led increasing numbers of people to link Islam to fundamentalism; fundamentalism to extremism, and extremism to terrorism.
Terrorism and violence committed by the perpetrators are in fact a manifestation of the “battle of the minds” or the “war of ideas.” The best way to fight this war with an objective of achieving a comprehensive success is through affording better education and establishing enlightened, moderate and non-violent societies. Poverty, lack of education, lack of power and disunity have been identified as plights of the Muslim world, and the “Strategy of Enlightened Moderation” aims at addressing all these deficits to eliminate terrorism and violence from their roots. The stark challenge that faces anyone with compassion for the common heritage of mankind is determining what legacy we will leave for future generations. The special challenge that confronts Muslims is to drag ourselves out of the pit we find ourselves in, to raise ourselves up by individual achievement and collective socioeconomic emancipation. Something has to be done quickly to stop the carnage in the world and to stem the downward slide of