Apology accepted

The Pope has apologized in person for offending Muslims. The ball is now in the court of Muslim leaders to show the world that we want to be part of it.

To many Westerners, the problem is often not what Muslims do, but what Muslims don’t do. Witness how angry the Americans were because Muslim leaders failed to condemn clearly and unequivocally the attacks of September 11.
Among other things, Muslim leaders are failing to condemn the genocide in Darfur (today is a day of worldwide protests against the atrocities there but the Muslim world is conspicuously absent from marking it), and are hesitant to call terrorism in Iraq by its real name.

This post is not about why things are the way they are, but about how to help change that perception. The Pope’s apology to the Muslim world this morning is a good place to start.

Many Muslim leaders have fanned the flames of angry mobs by (rightly) condemning the pope’s speech and demanding an apology. That was a popular thing to do as most leaders want to be seen as protectors of the faith. But the real test of leadership comes from the way they respond to the apology.

Responding publicly and favorably to the pope and to his call for dialogue, in the same urgency and energy they used to condemn his speech would be the right thing to do.

Failing to do so will further prove to the western world that we are not real partners in the conversation among civilizations. We should all remember that if we want to be heard, we have to work hard towards building our reputation.
Only after that can real influence follow.