Radio Free Islam.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)

Foreign affairs: The U.S. is sending a message to the Muslim world that America isn't so bad. Meantime, malicious lies undercut any good will attempt we make.

This week, a series of State Department-produced documentaries began airing in several Muslim countries. They're part of a "wide range of communications initiatives and exchange programs so that Americans and Muslim nations can achieve a better understanding of each other's policies and values," according to a State Department spokesperson.

The documentaries show Muslim life in the U.S. They seek to improve America's image in the Muslim world and counter anti-American feelings.

But no matter how good its intentions, the public relations campaign may be a waste of resources. Most people in the world know that living in the U.S. is almost always better than staying at home. Look at the steady stream of both legal and illegal immigrants, including many of the more than 2 million Muslims living in America.

Taxpayers' money would be better spent on a Voice of America-style program that could inspire Muslims living under oppressive regimes to rise against their oppressors. Call it Radio Ali.

It's too soon to know if the State Department's "Muslim Life in America" public relations project will have any positive effect. But some Muslims who saw the preview screening this week in Jakarta, ...