The Limits of Interfaith Dialogue

In the aftermath of September 11th, we heard about the clash of civilizations between Muslim and western societies. Rhetoric focusing on those differences fueled America’s fear of Islamic jihad and further attacks. Talk of Islamic radicalism drove political campaigns, and some argue, justified a protracted war in Iraq.

Former New York Times religion reporter Gustav Niebuhr covered the 9/11 aftermath, which included violent attacks against Muslim-Americans, and even those mistaken for Muslims. But he also saw people come together in synagogues, churches, mosques, temples, schools and town halls, struggling to understand what went so disastrously wrong. Niebuhr's new book, Beyond Tolerance: Searching for Interfaith Understanding in America, examines the accomplishments and the limits of building bridges between faiths. Niebuhr joins Word of Mouth from Syracuse University, where he is associate professor of religion and the media.

We also hear from Geneive Abdo, author of Mecca and Main Street: Muslim Life in America after 9/11. She’s currently a fellow at The Century Foundation. Her article "False Prophets" is in the current issue of Foreign Policy. In it she says the organizations at the forefront of interfaith dialogue gloss over serious differences, and are a hindrance to curbing religious violence and countering extremism.