US needs to do some soul-searching

It's no secret that anti-American sentiments have gained strength in many parts of the Muslim world since the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And Pew Center and Gallup surveys show that relations between the West and the Muslim nations have deteriorated over the years. US President Barack Obama realized this and tried to mend relations with the Muslim world. But his move lost its effectiveness after he dramatically escalated the controversial drone attacks in several Muslim countries.

One foreign policy expert in Washington, a Muslim, told me that he felt sad when Obama repeatedly proclaimed during last year's presidential campaign that he was a Christian, implying that he was not a Muslim as some Americans have suggested. It is apparent that while condemning attacks such as the bombings in Boston, Washington also needs to do some soul-searching to see whether some of its foreign policies have contributed to the radicalization of young people in Muslim countries as well as the US.

Homegrown Muslim radicals are becoming a big problem for the US. The Boston bombings, the shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009 in which US Army Major Nidal Hasan killed 13 people and injured more than 30, and the attempted attack on Times Square by Pakistani-American Faisal Shahzad are examples of radicalization of Americans.

There is nothing to defend those behind the Boston bombings, but the US could find the reasons why young Muslims are becoming increasingly radicalized by reviewing its foreign policy and rectifying it if necessary to minimize the chances of such attacks in the future.

The author, based in Washington DC, is deputy editor of China Daily USA. E-mail: chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily 04/27/2013 page5)