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Greetings!
We have some office space available for sublease at the CSID offices in Washington DC. If you know any person(s) or organization(s) who is/are looking for office space in DC, please let them know so that they can contact me as soon as possible. Please forward this announcement to anyone who might be interested.
OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE FOR SUBLEASE
PRIME LOCATION & FURNISHED office space available for sublease at CSID main office in DOWNTOWN WASHINGTON DC (1625 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 601, Washington DC). Space available from 1 to 5 office rooms (fully furnished) and rent is between $2,000 and $6,000 per month. Rent includes use of board room, kitchenette, and conference rooms (up to 100 people). Ideal location and flexible terms.
EXCELLENT LOCATION - next to Johns Hopkins Univ., SAIS, Brookings, Carnegie Endowment, and USIP. Three blocks from DuPont Circle metro.
For further information, please contact Dr. Radwan Masmoudi at (202) 265-1200 or at masmoudi@islam-democracy.org
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| CSID Workshop in Bahrain:
Islam and Democracy - Towards an Effective Citizenship Twenty-Five Activists from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain Participated in a Workshop on Islam and Democracy
On Friday, January 23, the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID), in coordination with the Socio-Cultural Renewal Society in Bahrain, concluded a three-day workshop, which included lectures by Radwan Masmoudi (President, CSID) and Aly Abuzaakuk (CSID Director of Programs). Twenty-five activists from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain participated in
this workshop. The participants were introduced to a one of its kind
education book on "Islam and Democracy: Toward Effective Citizenship",
dedicated to teaching democratic concepts. The book provides basic
information on the form of democracy recognized by the international
community and explains the possible types of democracy in the Muslim
world. The book clarifies the relationship between the basic principles
of Islam and democracy. The book also discusses how to monitor the
abuse of power through studying Islamic and democratic political
thought.  CSID President, Dr. Radwan Masmoudi, pointed out to the
number of similar workshops that he organized in various Arab countries
and that more than 3000 trainees have benefited from such workshops,
which turn trainees into trainers in their local settings. Dr.
Masmoudi confirms that democracy, though feared by Arab governments, is
pursued by Arab citizens. The workshop aims at promoting freedom of
thought and expression and ensuring that differences in opinion are
respected in the Arab society.  The workshop also stresses that Islam is compatible with democracy and human rights. These workshops were ground-breaking by success in bringing together a wide variety of political actors to train in democracy building in their societies. It is important to mention that the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy is a non-profit organization, based in Washington DC, dedicated to the production and dissemination of rigorous research on Islam and democracy and merging them into a modern Islamic democratic discourse. The organization was established in March 1999 by a diverse group of academicians, experts, and activists - both Muslim and non-Muslim - who agree on the need for the study of and dissemination of reliable information on this complex topic. |
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CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF ISLAM AND DEMOCRACY
Call for Paper Proposals
How to Improve Relations with the Muslim World -
Challenges and Promises Ahead
CSID's 10th Annual Conference
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Washington DC
The election of Barack Obama as America's 44th president has galvanized the entire nation, indeed the entire world. A world full of possibilities appears to have opened up, prompted by President Obama's attitude and policies of inclusiveness and even-handedness. In his inaugural address, the new president remarked memorably, "To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect." All these developments give rise to the following questions - does this deliberate change in the new administration's worldview augur a more hopeful trajectory for US relations with the Muslim world? Dare we imagine just and more equitable approaches - and eventually solutions - to the political and economic problems which beset many Muslim-majority societies? Will there be a concerted effort to revive the peace process in the Middle East? Will the war-torn societies of Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine, for example, have opportunities to heal and become fully self-determining?
 These and related questions form the backdrop to the tenth annual conference of the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy. It is clear at the present time that considerable challenges and promise lie ahead for future relations between the US and the Muslim world. This conference will attempt to identify and assess the nature of some of these challenges and determine if the new administration's proposed policy changes potentially herald a more positive and fruitful relationship.
 Paper proposals are invited from prospective participants on the following four broad topics. Possible topics are not restricted to the ones that follow but proposals must establish their relevance in general to the issues of improving relations and understanding between the US and the Islamic world:
A. Positively Engaging the Muslim World: Learning from Past Mistakes
There has been a considerable erosion in mutual trust and respect between the US and Muslim-majority societies. What specific engagements would contribute to this trust being effectively restored? What role should Muslims in the United States and elsewhere play in this endeavor? What groups or institutions outside the U.S. might contribute productively?
B. The Development of Democracy in the Muslim World - Best Practices
Where and how have efforts to promote good governance in this region succeeded and failed and what are the reasons for these results? Once again, what have we learned from this mixed record? Can we identify the most promising prospects that should be encouraged? Where do we go from here? What role can the US play in the promotion of democracy and human rights in the region?
C. Looking Ahead - Identifying the Challenges and Promises
Under this broad rubric, papers may discuss the social, economic, political, intellectual and religious forces that might provide for better governance leading toward peace and prosperity and the policies, institutions and programs that would encourage these developments.
D. Prospects for Peace in the Middle East
What can the US do to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians? Can a two-state solution still be implemented based on the 2002 Arab peace proposal, and the 1967 borders? Should the US engage both Iran and Hamas in a dialogue that would lead to reconciliation, peace with justice, and prosperity for the entire Middle East?
Paper proposals (no more than 400 words) are due by February 20, 2009 and should be sent by e-mail to:
Authors of accepted proposals will be notified by March 15, 2009 and final papers must be submitted by April 1, 2009.
Selected panelists and speakers must cover their own travel and accommodations to participate in the conference, and pay the conference registration fee ($100) by April 1. CSID will waive the conference registration fees and provide an honorarium of $300 for speakers and panelists coming from overseas to present their papers.
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| CSID Conference in Tunisia
Academics debate Ijtihad, Democracy and Human Rights Participants at a seminar in Tunisia discuss ways to balance religion with contemporary ideas of human rights and democracy.
By Jamel Arfaoui | Magharebia in Tunis
Researchers from the Maghreb, Turkey and the United States concluded a two-day seminar in Tunis on Saturday (January 17th). The conference, co-organized by CSID and the Arab Institute for Human Rights (AIHR), treated three subjects: Ijtihad, human rights and democracy. "The Arab and Muslim peoples have suffered oppression for many centuries, although Islam calls for justice and equality," said Radwan Masmoudi, President of the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy in Washington, USA. "Muslims today suffer from regimes that... consider criticism a crime punishable by law."  According to Masmoudi, ijtihad and modernisation can provide human dignity and the freedom of religion advocated in the Qur'an: " Say, 'The truth is from your Lord': Let him who will believe, and let him who will, reject". [Surat Al Kahf (Cave), verse 29]. " Secularists in the Arab region make a mistake when they ignore the religious element," he said. " Islamists also make a mistake when they reject ijtihad, social development and the defense of freedoms as a religious duty, just like prayers and giving alms." Syrian political researcher Abdallah Torkmani advocated examining the ways employed by the West to solve the dilemma of religion and democracy. "How can the Arab region, where religion plays an essential role, move towards democracy?" he asked. "And how can they convince the people?" According to Torkmani, a meeting between secularists and Islamists was inevitable. "In the past, the national liberation movements fought their struggles under the slogan 'religion for God and homeland for all'. Today, it's a different story."  Jamila Mousli, a member of the Moroccan Parliament representing the Islamist Justice and Development Party, said that Islam is not in contradiction with equality as set out in contemporary human rights agreements. "However, we reject the use of equality in an automatic way," she said. "International conventions allow each country to have reservations on the articles that don't suit the cultural peculiarities of each country and the nature of its society." |
War crimes accusations rattle Israel
By Joshua Mitnick | The Christian Science Monitor UN pictures show what appears to white phosphorus 'wedges' raining down on one of its compounds in Gaza
Tel Aviv - Three-and-a-half years ago, Israeli reserve Gen. Doron Almog was forced to flee Britain just after landing in London. He had been tipped off about a surprise warrant for his arrest issued by a British magistrates court. The charge: war crimes.
Now, as the recent Gaza war stirs up more accusations of offenses, the Jewish state and international human rights advocates are gearing up for more potential criminal cases against military officers and political leaders in Europe and possibly elsewhere.
But instead of international tribunals or the Israeli justice system, the main venue for the cases is expected to be European domestic courts that cite a legal approach known as "universal jurisdiction" that allows for the trial of cases of heinous acts, torture, or war crimes that allegedly occur outside their own borders.
Israelis consider the threats part of an ongoing political witch hunt. Palestinians and humanitarian activists, on the other hand, see the domestic courts as the only forum to argue whether war crimes were committed.
"The systems in place across a number of countries will be tested.... We have legal teams working across and beyond European countries" on behalf of Palestinian plaintiffs claiming war crimes, says Daniel Machover, an Israeli-born British lawyer who works in coordination with the Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights and pushed for Mr. Almog's arrest in 2005. "There's no other way a country under occupation or a land under occupation can seek justice."
In her debut address as the US ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice called on Israel to investigate the behavior of its military in the recent Gaza war and accused Hamas of its own violations for firing rockets at Israeli towns and working out of civilian areas.
Ironically, Israel was one of the first countries to invoke the principle of universal jurisdiction when its court system asserted its right to try Nazi chief Adolf Eichmann for crimes against humanity and war crimes during World War II.
Neither Israel nor the Palestinians, however, are parties to the treaty that set up The Hague-based International Criminal Court, making it difficult to mount a war crimes trial in that venue. Instead, legal challenges to Israeli behavior have been made in domestic courts in Europe rather than international tribunals.
Full article
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Barack Hussein Obama's Inaugural Address
Excerpts:
We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth.
And because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.
To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.
To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
Read the Full Speech
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EVENT:
Gaining Ground: Women's Rights in the Arab Gulf
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
National Endowment for Democracy
1025 F Street NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20004
Honorary Speaker
Her Excellency Houda Nonoo
Bahraini Ambassador to the United States
Panelists
Dr. Eleanor Doumato
Visiting Fellow at Brown University and widely-published expert on Saudi Arabia
Dr. Lubna Al-Kazi
Kuwait University Professor and key activist in Kuwaiti suffrage movement
Rafiah Al-Talei
Arab journalist and candidate for Oman's parliament in 2003
Sanja Kelly
Senior Researcher and Managing Editor at Freedom House
Women in the Arab Gulf are gaining ground in their struggle to secure equal rights and overcome centuries of systematic discrimination, according to a new study from Freedom House. Women's Rights in the Middle East and North Africa: Gulf Edition examines the significant progress women in the region have made over the last five years and the many obstacles that remain in the political, legal, economic and social spheres.
Breakfast and registration at 9:45 a.m.
RSVP to Elena Postnikova by email or by calling (202) 747-7038
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2009 CIPE Youth Essay Competition
As part of CIPE's ongoing effort to reach out to young people, we are pleased to announce the 2009 Youth Essay Competition. The competition is an opportunity for youth around the world to get involved in a global civic discussion on issues that concern them. The contest is open to young people ages 18-30 and has three general topics: Citizenship in a Democratic Society, Educational Reform and Employment Opportunities, and Entrepreneurship & Leadership. Essays should be 2,000-4,000 words in length and must be submitted by March 1, 2009. Please visitwww.cipe.org/essay for more information. CIPE is offering a $1,000 honorarium for the winners, and will publish the top three winning essays via itsEconomic Reform Feature Service, which is distributed to more than 3,000 subscribers.
Essay topics and questions:
Citizenship in a Democratic Society
What needs to be done to develop a sense of citizenship in young people and help them realize their role in a democratic society?
Educational Reform and Employment Opportunities
How can you reform your country's education system so that graduates have the necessary skills for employment in the public and private sectors?
Entrepreneurship and Leadership
What needs to be done in your country to provide youth with the opportunity to become entrepreneurs and/or leaders in their communities?
Feel free to contactessay@cipe.org if you have any questions.
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Please SUPPORT our work either by renewing your membership (by credit card or by check), or by making a tax-deductible donation of $50, $100, $500 or whatever you can afford. (donate online or by check).
Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy
Membership/Donation Form - 2009
Name: __________________________________________________________
Institution:_______________________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________________________
City_________________________State___________Zip _________________
Tel.:____________________________________________________________
Fax.:____________________________________________________________
E-mail:__________________________________________________________
I would like to join CSID as:
Student Member $20 Newsletter Subscription $20
Institutional Member $200 CSID 500 Club $500
Associate Member $50 Founding Member $1000
Member $100 Lifetime Member $2500
National Advisory Board $1,000
International Advisory Board $5,000
I would like to make a tax-deductible donation for: $__________
Please mail, along with payment, to:
CSID, 10612-D Providence Road, Suite 704, Charlotte, NC, 28277
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To become a member of CSID, please click here. To make a donation, please click here. Please remember that CSID needs your membership and support to continue its mission of promoting a greater understanding of Islam in the US, and a better understanding and implementation of democracy in the Muslim world. With our best wishes and regards,
Sincerely,
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Radwan A. Masmoudi
President
Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy |
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