U.S. Mid East expert: Americans stereotype Muslims

NEW YORK, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Stereotypes must be overcome before the U.S.-Muslim relations could be improved, a U.S. Middle East expert said in a recent interview.

In efforts to improve U.S.-Muslim relations, "there are a lot of stereotypes to overcome," said Isobel Coleman, director of the Women and Foreign Policy program of the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations.

"If you ask an average American, what do they think if they talk about Muslims, you come up with a lot of negative references," she told Xinhua in the interview on Friday.

"They do think about suicide bombings, terrorism and all sorts of things," Coleman said. "And the Muslims also have to overcome the stereotypes of America," she added.

Commenting on the speech U.S. President Barack Obama made at Cairo University Thursday, Coleman said: "U.S.-Muslim relations are starting from a very low point, so the first step in building respect and trust (between the two sides) is just really trying to initiate dialogue."...

We think about suicide bombings, terrorism and oppression of women and non-muslims. Sometimes a sterotype is not wrong.