Press Release: US State Department
Karen Hughes, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs
Remarks at the U.S.-Arab Economic Forum
Houston, Texas
June 26, 2006

...Here in America, we need to do a better job of educating our young people about the world, learning more about other countries and cultures, learning languages such as Arabic so we can better communicate with and understand each other. With education also comes the ability to decide for yourself and that's what we want. Because I believe most people with educated open minds will choose liberty over tyranny, tolerance over extremism, and hope over hate. Open minds also inspire people to stand for their rights: the right to live in freedom, to participate in choosing their governments, to live in just societies that are governed by the rule of law and whose officials are not corrupt. Open minds are what will ultimately allow us to prevail in the war of ideas.

Our opponents want closed minds. They say their way or no way. Death to anyone who disagrees with them, no matter what faith or what religion. Together we must confront the violent extremists and their ideology of tyranny and hate. They seek to portray the West as in conflict with Islam, because that's the window into which they recruit. They can only flourish in environments that foster anger and misunderstanding. Yet their world view is wrong. Islam is a part of America. As an American government official, I represent almost seven million American Muslims who live and work and practice their faith freely here in our country. Together we must undermine the extremists by providing platforms for debate, by empowering mainstream voices of tolerance and inclusion, and by demonstrating our respect for Muslim cultures and contributions to our society and to world society. We can also undermine the extremists by building a world of greater opportunities...