After Terror

After Terror presents sustained reflections by some of the world's most celebrated thinkers on the most pressing question of our time: how can we find ways to defuse the ticking bombs of terrorism and excessive interventions against it? It offers an antidote to the fatalistic global holy war perspective that afflicts much contemporary thought, focusing instead on the principles, issues, and acts needed to shift course from alienation and conflict to a path of sanity and goodwill among cultures and civilizations. The central aim of the book is to advance contemporary thinking on the causes and implications of 9/11 and thus provide the essential elements of a blueprint for humanity. It features 28 original essays by some of the world's leading public figures, scholars, and religious leaders, including Benjamin Barber, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Jean Bethke Elshtain, Amitai Etzioni, Bernard Lewis, Martin Marty, Queen Noor, Joseph Nye, Judea Pearl, Jonathan Sacks, Ravi Shankar, Bishop Desmond Tutu, E.O. Wilson and James D. Wolfensohn. After Terror attests to the power of dialogue and mutual understanding and the possibility of tolerance, respect, cooperation, and commitment. Without ignoring the dangers of the modern world, it points to a future in which people can celebrate both the fundamental sentiments and interests that we share and the diversities that make us human.

Acknowledgments x Contributor Biographies in Brief xii Part I Introduction 1 1 Toward a More Civil Twenty-first Century Akbar Ahmed and Brian Forst 3 Part II The Nature and Sources of the Problem 13 2 The Simple Power of Weakness, the Complex Vulnerability of Power Zbigniew Brzezinski 15 3 Dialogue and the Echo Boom of Terror: Religious Women's Voices after 9/11 Diana L. Eck 21 4 Closing Chapters of Enmity Rajmohan Gandhi 29 5 Benjamin Franklin's Gift of Tolerance Walter Isaacson 36 6 God's Word and World Politics Archbishop Desmond Tutu 39 Part III Pathways to Dialogue and Understanding 45 7 The Role of the Media in Promoting Tolerance Shashi Tharoor 47 8 Civilization, Human Rights, and Collective Responsibility Sergio Vieira de Mello 55 9 Endless Enemies or Human Security Jody Williams 66 10 Dialogue among Civilizations and Cultures President Seyed Mohammed Khatami 72 11 Transnational Moral Dialogues Amitai Etzioni 79 12 In Other People's Shoes Dame Marilyn Strathern 85 13 A Universal Language, without Boundary or Prejudice Sir Ravi Shankar 90 14 Dialogue among Civilizations Kofi Annan 94 15 The Productive Airing of Grievances Lord George Carey 98 16 All of Man's Troubles Edward O. Wilson 106 17 Turning Enemies into Friends Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks 112 18 Security through Dialogue Queen Noor of Jordan 119 19 The Power of Dialogue: Redefining "Us" Tamara Sonn 131 20 On Clash, Morality, Renaissance, and Dialogue Judea Pearl 138 21 The Just War Tradition and Cultural Dialogue Jean Bethke Elshtain 145 22 Celebrating Differences on our Melting Pot Planet Prince El Hassan bin Talal 149 Part IV From Concern to Action 155 23 Clash or Dialogue of Cultures? Bernard Lewis 157 24 The Fellowship of Dialogue James D. Wolfensohn 159 25 Hard Power and Soft Power Joseph S. Nye Jr 166 26 Global Governance in an Interdependent World Benjamin R. Barber 171 27 Getting to Peace: Awakening the Third Side William L. Ury 179 28 Risking Hospitality Martin Marty 186 Index 191