Tarin to Lead Working Group at U.S.-Islamic World Forum in Qatar

June 9 -11, 2013 in Doha, Qatar

June 9, 2013


Free speech, particularly freedom of religious (or anti-religious) speech, continues to be a major issue of global contention for Muslims.

With this in mind, Haris Tarin, Director of MPAC's Washington, DC, office, and Asma Uddin of the Becket Fund will lead a "Defamation of Religions Resolution" working group at the U.S.-Islamic World Forum in early June. They will examine its history, motivating factors and recent developments, as well as explore why and how free speech remains a controversial topic with changing contours and disputed boundaries. The working group will also explore the impact of free speech and religious freedom on social change by looking at how they have been used and are being negotiated in changing Muslim societies.

The Saban Center at Brookings and the Government of the State of Qatar annually convene this forum under the auspices of Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani, Prime Minister of Qatar. During the three-day forum, speakers and participants address critical issues with respect to the Arab and Muslim world by providing a high-level and visible platform for thoughtful engagement, dialogue and the development of public-private partnerships and initiatives.

Since its inception, the forum has built a network of relationships between leading policy and opinion leaders in the U.S. and the Muslim world, and has developed a reputation as both the premier convening body for American and Muslim world leaders and a catalyst for positive action. Past participants have included President Bill Clinton; Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey; Commander of the U.S. Central Command David Petraeus; Secretary General of ASEAN Surin Pitsuwan and Secretary General of the OIC Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu.

Highlights from the 2012 U.S.-Islamic World Forum can be viewed here.




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