25
March 2011
Past Event
How Should the U.S. Respond to the Prospect of Islamist Governments?

How Should the U.S. Respond to the Prospect of Islamist Governments?

Past Event
Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters
March 25, 2011
Default Event Image
25
March 2011
Past Event

1015 15th Street, N.W., 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20005

Speakers:
Nina Shea,

Directer, Center for Religious Freedom

Ed Husain,

Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations

Hedieh Mirahmadi,

President, World Organization for Resource Development

Hillel Fradkin,

Hudson Senior Fellow and Director, Center on Islam, Democracy and the Future of the Muslim World

With the fall of governments in Egypt and Tunisia and unrest in Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, and Oman, policymakers are considering the future political landscape in these and other Middle Eastern countries. Recent press reports indicate that the Obama administration is preparing for the prospect of Islamist governments.

Is it possible to work with Islamist groups to further democracy in the Middle East? To what extent should the United States accept the rise of Islamist political forces? What will be the interplay between Islam and democratic ideals? Would Islamist-led governments accept women and non-Muslims as equal under the law? Would they allow freedom of religion and expression?

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