WORDE educates policymakers and law enforcement officials about the differences between mainstream Islamic ideologies, and radical ideologies promoted by violent extremists. Our programs are designed to facilitate US government efforts to identify credible Muslim partners, and engender mutual trust between the government and Muslim communities.
Choosing Muslim partners carefully is necessary to avoid empowering groups that propagate draconian and extreme interpretations of Islam. In many countries, violent and non-violent extremist groups have sophisticated public-relations campaigns which portray themselves as being “moderate” Muslims. In reality, many of these groups promote hatred and intolerance. They also support militant jihad and challenge existing political establishments by advocating for Sharia-based Islamic states based on their narrow interpretation of Islamic law. Careful examination of these groups will confirm that they will not serve US interests in the long-run.
Our programs provide policymakers and law enforcement officials the tools to identify partners that have consistently supported shared values. These values include religious freedom of all persons – Muslims as well as non-Muslims, non-violence in conflict resolution, and respect for the government’s rule of law and its ability to provide social justice. Across the world, millions of Muslims uphold these shared values and have the capacity to counter radical narratives, promote social cohesion, conduct development and humanitarian assistance work, and mediate peaceful conflict resolution. Our goal is to raise the public profile of these Muslim individuals and institutions.