Thank you for contacting me to voice your concerns regarding Daniel Pipes' nomination to the United States Institute for Peace (USIP). I appreciate the time you have taken to share your views with me, and I welcome the opportunity to respond.
Like you, I do not want anyone serving on the Board of USIP with a bias against any religion. The purpose of USIP is to promote international peace and to resolve conflicts among the nations and peoples of the world. Its bipartisan board should reflect a multiplicity of ideologies and opinions.
After a thorough review, I have found no evidence that Daniel Pipes is biased against Islam. It is my understanding that he has devoted most of his life to an appreciation and understanding of Islamic culture. He earned two degrees in medieval Islamic history from Harvard, traveled widely in the Muslim world, and lived for three years in Egypt. He has been forthright in his denunciation of Islamist extremism and relentless in calling attention to the threat posed by the likes of bin Laden, but in this he is joined by most of the Islamic world.
Again, thank you for contacting me. Please don't hesitate to call or write if you have specific points about Mr. Pipes you wish to bring to my attention, or on any other issue. Thank you for your email. To contact me on this or any other subject, please go to http://talent.senate.gov/contact/index.html
Sincerely,
Senator Jim Talent