The following are excerpts from a discussion of American Muslims on fighting terrorism, which aired on Al-Jazeera TV on July 18, 2005.

Kamal Nawash, Chairman of the Free Muslim Coalition Against Terrorism: When Muslims enter a mosque, for example, and blow it up, or go and behead people while reading the Koran - these people believe their Islam permits this. You talk about the war on terror. The only way we can overcome these terrorists is with ideology. We Muslims must show the Muslim terrorists that their way is wrong. We must draw the line. You asked me if it is enough... You know, most Islamic organizations, when a terrorist attack takes place, send an e-mail to the press saying it is wrong. CAIR wanted to put ads on TV and in newspapers. But why on TV? Who is your audience? You want the American people to hear that you are against terrorism? The problem is within our community. We have a problem all over the world. Throughout the Islamic world, we must acknowledge that we have a problem of fanaticism, we have a problem of terrorism, and it is our responsibility. It is our responsibility to stop this. One last thing, Hafez: The day of the Abu Ghureib incident, the day of the Koran incident - when they dumped it in the toilet - the day the war with Iraq started, Muslims everywhere demonstrated, shouted, and did everything. Why don't we see the same when Muslims kill innocent people in Iraq, Britain, and America? We must speak in the same loud voice. We must act to convince the terrorists that we do not stand by them, and that such things cannot happen.

Maher Hathout, Advisor for CAIR: Even when we strongly protested the Koran desecration, part of our claim was that this would give a chance to the fanatics and fundamentalists to recruit people like them for more terrorism.

When CAIR runs an ad on TV, both Muslims and non-Muslims see it, and it creates a kind of general atmosphere that rejects terrorism.

We go from mosque to mosque and from city to city to say that this violates Islam. I myself have written a book titled Jihad Versus Terrorism, which deals with the meaning of Jihad versus the meaning of terrorism.

Nawash: If you ask the American people, their answer will be clear. If you ask them, for example, if Muslims in America are doing enough - most of them will say "No." Many of the institutions in America... The government does not talk with most (Islamic) institutions in America. It does not cooperate with them, and does not want to cooperate with them. Our institutions in America have utterly failed, and we must be clear and say it honestly.

Maher: We are in constant contact with the FBI at the level of Mueller, the level of the leadership. We also have a dialogue with the (Office of) Homeland Security. Moreover, two months ago we met with the man responsible for security in England. They came and listened to us, and we told them exactly what they are saying now: that Muslims in Britain have been pushed aside and placed in a sort of ghetto, and that this is an unhealthy atmosphere, which will not lead to an open ideology.