On April 13, 2011, J. Scott Carpenter, Keston Family fellow and director of Project Fikra: Defeating Extremism through the Power of Ideas at The Washington Institute, testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia. The following is an excerpt from his prepared remarks.
"Publicly, it is important for the administration to send a clear message to the political elite and voting publics in Egypt and Tunisia that we support transitions producing governments that show, through action, their commitment to the universal freedoms of speech, assembly, thought, and religion, and to a free press; that encourage religious liberty and practice and enforce religious tolerance for all minorities; that support the rights of people to communicate freely, including through the internet, without interference; and that combat extremism in all its forms, including those based on religion. In the case of Egypt, we must clearly state that we also support a government that fulfills its international obligations...."