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Announcing the release of a new book by Prof. Abdulaziz Sachedina on:
Islam and the Challenge of Human Rights
 "Islam and the Challenge of Human Rights is a reverent, insightful, and truly critical work by Abdulaziz Sachedina, who is the leading Islamic theorist writing in English today. This book is must reading for Muslims who want to be full participants in western moral and political discourse, for Jews and Christians who want voices from the third great monotheistic religion of revelation to become part of their dialogical interaction, and even for secular people who want to engage religious voices in moral and political discourse that is truly inclusive."
David Novak, J. Richard and Dorothy Shiff Professor of Jewish Studies, University of Toronto
"A searching investigation questioning the dilemmas facing Muslim thinkers with respect to human rights and a critique of the Western configuration of human rights as universal. Sachedina explores the possibility of an inclusive doctrine of human rights and he does so with passion and sensitivity. This book deepens our appreciation of human rights and also opens new frontiers of inquiry."
Ebrahim Moosa, Associate Professor of Islamic Studies, Duke University
In this book, Abdulaziz Sachedina argues for the essential compatibility of Islam and human rights. His work is grounded in a rigorous comparative approach; he not only measures Islam against the yardstick of human rights, but also measures human rights against the theological principles of Islam. He offers a balanced and incisive critique of Western experts who have ignored or underplayed the importance of religion to the development of human rights, arguing that any theory of universal rights necessarily emerges out of particular cultural contexts. At the same time, he re-examines the juridical and theological traditions that form the basis of conservative Muslim objections to human rights, arguing that Islam, like any culture, is open to development and change.
Finally, and most importantly, Sachedina articulates a fresh position that argues for a correspondence between Islam and secular notions of human rights. Grounding his work in Islamic history and thought, he reminds us that while both traditions are rigorous and rich with meaning, neither can lay claim to a comprehensive vision of human rights. He never loses sight of the crucial practical consequences of his theory: what's needed is not a comprehensive system of doctrine, but a set of moral principles that are capable -whether sacred or secular - of protecting human beings from abuse and mistreatment
The book is AVAILABLE now at amazon.com
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Announcing the release of a new book by Dr. Michael McFaul on:
Advancing Democracy Abroad
Why We Should and How We Can
 As the Obama administration reviews the role that democracy promotion will play in its revamped foreign policy, Stanford political scientist Michael McFaul, now serving as President Obama's chief advisor on Russia, has some timely advice. In a major new book, Advancing Democracy Abroad:Why We Should and How We Can. McFaul calls for a re-affirmation of democracy's advance and sets out a radically new course to achieve it.
McFaul offers examples of the tangible benefits of democracy - more accountable government, greater economic prosperity, and better security - and explains how Americans can reap economic and security gains from democratic advance around the world. In the final chapters of this new work, McFaul provides past examples of successful democracy promotion strategies and offers constructive new proposals for supporting democratic development more effectively in the future.
The book is AVAILABLE now at FSI website
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Tunisia on the Eve of Presidential and Parliamentary Elections: Organising a Pro-Forma Democracy
By Rachid Khechana | Arab Reform Initiative
 Tunisia's legislative and presidential elections are scheduled to take place next week, on October 25.
With the introduction of a "key amendment" to the Constitution in the 2002 referendum, the presidential two-term limit was annulled in favour of candidates running for an indefinite number of terms, a turn of event that reintroduced the "presidency for life" concept under a new guise. These manoeuvrings reflect the regime's relentless effort to monopolize power and impose its unique style of government on society, in order to confront the nascent forces that have always called for reform and the peaceful transition of power but were unable to make their voices heard.
Publicity campaigns that both preceded and accompanied the 2004 presidential election campaign were not only hopelessly skewed in favour of the ruling party candidate to the detriment of his supposed opponents, but also enshrined the leader's personality cult and placed him above state institutions, i.e., at a level where he has no rival. This served as a climate of political training and adaptation ahead of the predictable results that gave Ben Ali 95% of the total vote, leaving a mere 5% to his opponents.
With this review of the Tunisian political system's development over four different elections, it is clear that after 53 years of independence the country has shifted from a single party parliament to pluralism. This pluralism, however, is a mere façade since the key to parliament remains in the hands of the ruling party and its administrative and security apparatus that control every aspect of the electoral process.
Over the last 22 years, the presidential and parliamentary elections have reproduced the same political regime of the previous 31 years. They have favored specific social groups, mostly family members of the ruling elite or those linked to it by family ties, who use the country's open economic policy to buy public institutions earmarked for privatisation, and win commercial tenders through a process that lacks any form of transparency. The growing risk for the country is that this political vacuum that the ruling authorities are working to enshrine in order to allow the latter groups ample opportunity for profit, will encourage the emergence of new extremist groups, probably more extreme than the traditional ones, and bent on violent methods to destabilise the system.
Read full Article here.
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Egyptian Reform Activists Say U.S. Commitment Is Waning
 Four months after President Obama delivered an address from Cairo in which he voiced American commitment to human rights and the rule of law, concern is mounting among Egypt's pro-reform activists that the United States is abandoning its long-standing efforts to bring democratic reforms to the Arab world's most populous nation.
Since the speech, Egyptian security forces have launched a fresh campaign against the banned Muslim Brotherhood, an influential Islamist opposition group, arbitrarily arresting hundreds of members, from young bloggers to senior leaders. The government has prevented a centrist opposition movement from legally becoming a political party. In this Nile Delta industrial city, the epicenter of recent worker strikes, the government has appeared unresponsive to labor concerns -- or is cracking down.
"We are very disgruntled with President Obama," said Kamal al-Fayoumi, a labor leader who was jailed by the government for launching a major strike last year. "He has given the regime the green light to do what it wants with the Egyptian people."
U.S. pressure for democratic reforms in Egypt, once effective, waned in the final years of the Bush administration. But critics charge that the pressure has significantly eased at a time when Egypt is nearing a crucial political transition: The presidential election is set for 2011, and speculation is rife that incumbent Hosni Mubarak, 81, will anoint son Gamal as his successor before the election, raising fears that the regime will undemocratically extend its 28-year-old rule.
"His reduced talk of democracy is giving these non-democratic regimes the security that they won't face pressure. And that's having a negative impact on democracy in the Arab world," said Ayman Nour, a prominent opposition politician.
The government, meanwhile, is escalating its crackdown. On Saturday, 16 Muslim Brotherhood members were detained on charges of violating a law that requires government approval to hold a political gathering.
"We were hoping Obama would be different than other U.S. administrations," said Gamal Eid, executive director of the Arabic Network for Human Rights. "But America is concerned more about stability than democracy."
Read Full Article
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In Egypt and Saudi Arabia, succession looms
By Jeffrey Fleishman | The Los Angeles Times
 King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak are in their 80s, durable U.S. allies whose governments have crushed political dissent at home while playing leading roles across the Middle East. But these days, talk of succession reverberates as Washington, as well as Riyadh and Cairo, plans to navigate an era without two of the region's dominant personalities.
The men have given no indication that they will step down. Mubarak's term runs until 2011 and the king's reign lasts for as long as he sees fit. But Mubarak and Abdullah are frail.
"The U.S. should be worried about the possibility of either of these two leaders leaving the scene. Iran and Syria will move to exploit the loss of Mubarak and King Abdullah," said Amr Hamzawy, a Middle East expert with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
The oppressed of Egypt and the young of Saudi Arabia are angry and restless. They listened to Obama's June speech in Cairo, and many were disappointed by the lack of criticism of their nations' regimes, which often ignore American principles of democracy.
Read Full Article.
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Some See Iran as Ready for Nuclear Deal
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN | The New York Times
 Iran says it has no plans to build nuclear weapons. Western nations say they do not believe Iran and periodically release intelligence reports that they say prove Iran has been working on building a bomb.
For years, that has been the point of contention in an intractable international dispute.
But as the United States and its Western allies prepare for a second round of direct negotiations with Tehran this month, that may no longer be the central question. The more pertinent point, Iran experts and regional analysts say, is that Iran finally may be ready to make a deal.
In contentious, high-stakes negotiations, deals are possible when both sides have a chance to declare victory, and that point may have been reached.
"If the Iranian endgame is to keep enrichment, and if the United States' endgame is to make sure there are no nuclear weapons in Iran, then it can be a win-win," said Trita Parsi, author of a book on Iran and president of the National Iranian American Council, an independent advocacy group in Washington. "Those who have been criticizing the administration for compromising or giving Iran a concession, they are wrong. It is not a concession to adjust to an unchanging reality."
There are many analysts inside and outside Iran who say that Tehran's objective has been to master - or at least appear to master - the process of preparing nuclear fuel, fashioning a warhead and providing the means to deliver that warhead, but not actually to build a weapon.
This is in line with a recent report from the International Atomic Energy Agency, which found that Iran had acquired "sufficient information to be able to design and produce a workable" nuclear weapon but did not present evidence that it was trying to produce one. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a fatwa, or religious edict, in 2005 banning the production of nuclear weapons.
Writing in his blog, Informed Comment, Juan Cole, an expert on Iran and the contemporary Middle East, described Tehran's goal as "nuclear latency," which he said explained why the leadership had insisted it was not trying to build weapons while also driving hard to master construction of a bomb.
"Nuclear latency has all the advantages of actual possession of a bomb without any of the unpleasant consequences, of the sort North Korea is suffering," Mr. Cole wrote.
Read Full Article
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A fellow Nobel Peace laureate offers some friendly advice, and a rebuke, to President Obama.
A Washington Post Editorial
 It was startling this week to hear Ms. SHIRIN EBADI say bluntly that the Obama administration has gotten some things backward when it comes to Iran. It's not that engaging with the government is a mistake, she said during a visit to The Post. But paying so much more attention to Iran's nuclear ambitions than to its trampling of democracy and freedom is a mistake both tactical and moral.
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad "is at the lowest level of popularity one can imagine," Ms. Ebadi said. "If the West focuses exclusively on the nuclear issue, Ahmadinejad can tell his people that the West is against Iran's national interest and rally people to his cause. But if the West presses also on its human rights record, he will find himself in a position where his popular base is getting weaker and weaker by the day."
Administration officials point out that they have not focused exclusively on the nuclear issue. President Obama has spoken out in support of democracy forces, and Undersecretary of State William J. Burns put human rights on the agenda during his meeting with an Iranian official in Geneva this month. Ms. Ebadi acknowledged that Mr. Obama has said "that the voice of the people needs to be heard. But he needs to repeat the statement again and again, so that people in Iran hear him."
Read Full Editorial here.
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A Common Word Between Us and You:
A Global Agenda for Change in Muslim-Christian Relations
Islam and Christianity are far and away the two largest global religions (1.5 and 2.1 billion). Muslims and Christians together make up well over half of the world's population. Today, more than ever before, they co-exist or encounter each other in 57 Muslim countries and in Europe and America and beyond. Despite significant doctrinal differences, they also they share much in common in matters of faith, values and interests. If religion has too often been part of the problem, it must also be part of the solution.
The Common Word Muslim initiative and the response by major Christian leaders and other global leaders to the document, "A Common Word Between Us and You," reflects the deep awareness of today's precarious and dangerous world of global politics and the need for Muslims and Christians to work together. As the CW document reminds us: "Without peace and justice between these two religious communities, there can be no meaningful peace in the world. The future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians."
Although convinced of the importance of this initiative, we were astonished at the incredible response. The acceptance rate from the global leaders invited ranged between 90-95%! Our opening session drew a capacity audience in Gaston Hall of 750; subsequent sessions averaged 500 to 600 participants. Media coverage included the Washington Post-Newsweek's On Faith, Al-Jazeera English, Al-Arabiyya, BBC, and many others.
During our two days together we listened to and learned about the good practices, their challenges and accomplishments that already exist. Ken Hacket and David Robinson, leaders of Catholic Relief Services and World Vision, spoke of their global outreach and work in Muslim communities; Amr Khaled, charismatic preached and founder of the Right Start Foundation spoke of RSF's many projects in the Arab world and Europe; Dalia Mogahed, Executive Director, Gallup Muslim Studies, reported on a major youth project, "Muslim Americans Answer the Call"; Fr. Eliseo Mercado and Amina Rasul-Bernardo spoke of their use of A Common Word in the Southern Philippines; Pastor Bob Roberts and Dr. Chris Seiple spoke of their respective partnerships and projects with Muslims in the Afghanistan and the Northwest Frontier Province. Presentations and discussions were open and frank, highlighting important accomplishments, issues and problems; areas of agreement and difference; and especially the need to recognize that differences of faith need not be an obstacle to partnership and collaboration in areas of mutual concern.
At the end of our conference, after two long and exhausting 10 hour days, we held a wrap-up discussion: "Where Do We Go from Here?". While conferences like religious services often witness a good number of participants who hastily depart before the end, we were deligthed to see a full contingent and in fact had to finally cut off our session. After a summary of the key take-aways from our panels and leaders' and members of the audience reactions, we turned to what we could and would do to promote the ideas and initiatives discussed and then identified areas and projects to be pursued and developed in future. Many asked that contact information be provided for future collaborations and follow-up workshops, regionally and locally. These recommendations and others were taken up the next day and will be at future meetings by the Executive Committee of THE C-1 WORLD DIALOGUE: Improving relations between the Western and Islamic Worlds, whose co-chairs are Dr. Ali Gomaa Grand Mufti of Egypt and Dr. Richard Chartres, the Anglican Bishop of London.
Read full article here.
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 Turkey gets tough on Israel
By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA | The Associated Press
Turkey's decision to scrap a military exercise involving Israel has sparked concerns in Israel about threats to its close military and economic ties with a key Muslim nation and a NATO member not always willing to follow the Western line.
The weekend move by Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government is the latest reflection of widespread anger - especially in Muslim countries - over the deaths of hundreds of Palestinian civilians in last winter's Gaza conflict.
But it also could have broader relevance because of Turkey's growing regional clout, and strategic position as a nation of more than 70 million that borders Iraq and Iran and is embroiled in a sputtering effort to join the European Union.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu linked the exercise's cancellation to the Gaza war in an interview with CNN on Sunday. Asked why Israel was excluded, he said: "We hope that the situation in Gaza will be improved, that the situation will be back to the diplomatic track. And that will create a new atmosphere in Turkish-Israeli relations as well."
In the background is an increasing skepticism among Turks that their country, a secular state where tradition is nonetheless strong, will ever be admitted into the European Union as a full member. Talks have sputtered for several years and there is persistent opposition in key EU nations like France and Germany.
Despite harsh rhetoric, Turkish pragmatism has kept military business with Israel largely intact. Israel is involved in two major military projects - tank and fighter plane upgrades - worth more than US$1 billion in Turkey. The Turkish military has also bought Israeli drones to help fight Kurdish rebels, whose strength has waned since their heyday in the 1990s. For decades, Turkey was a junior player in the West's Cold War alliance, run by military generals; now it has its own voice and enough clout to spar at times with its NATO partners.
Read full article here.
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A Nobel Message to America
By Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf | The Huffington Post
 Why now? Only a few months into office, President Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize. Even the White House was stunned by the announcement.
Two other sitting presidents have won the prize. But Theodore Roosevelt had to broker a peace agreement to end a war between Russia and Japan to get his, and Woodrow Wilson had to create the League of Nations. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. won his Nobel Peace Prize for his dream of an America that ended racial discrimination.
Like King, Obama got his for a dream--a vision for a world living in peace. In his speeches outlining his foreign agenda, Obama committed himself to working to end terrorism, eliminate nuclear weapons, bring peace to the Middle East, promote democracy and encourage economic development. Here's my dream, he said, I will do my part, but I need your help. And like King, Obama's vision has captivated the world, even if it still is a work in progress.
The Nobel committee wants Americans to know that the world loves that dream.
Obama's speeches to the Muslim world in Ankara and Cairo were truly historic. Never before had a U.S. president spoken directly to the Muslim people in the capital of an Islamic country. He displayed a sensitivity to Islam and its central role to Muslim countries that no other president had acknowledged.
Read full article here. |
Symposium on:
Religion & Democracy in the Foreign Policy of the Obama Administration
November 3, 2009 | 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Copley Formal Lounge
Georgetown University
»rsvp required
The day-long event will consist of four panels, each of which will examine the question of religion and democracy in U.S. foreign policy from a different perspective. The panels will address the role of religious actors in U.S. democracy programs and policies; the "twin tolerations" and democratic stability in highly religious societies; emerging trends in the data concerning the relationships between religion and democracy; and the relationship between Islam and democracy in key Muslim countries.
Symposium Agenda
9:00 am - Opening Remarks
Thomas Banchoff, The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs
9:10 - 10:30: The "Twin Tolerations" As a Model for Foreign Policy Thinking
Alfred Stepan, Columbia University
Jean Bethke Elshtain, The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs
Timothy Samuel Shah, Institute on Culture, Religion and World Affairs, Boston University
Moderator: Thomas Farr, The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs
10:45- 12:00: New Trends in the Data on Religion and Democracy
Brian Grim, Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life
Harris Mylonas, George Washington University
Daniel Philpott, University of Notre Dame
Moderator: Allen Herztke, The Brookings Institution
12:15 - 1:00: Former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar
1:15 - 2:45: Religion and Democracy Promotion in the Obama Administration
Gerald Hyman, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Thomas Melia, Freedom House
Eric Patterson, The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs
Moderator: Jennifer Marshall, The Heritage Foundation
3:00 - 4:30: Thinking About Islam and Democracy
Hassan Abbas, Harvard University
Emile Nakhleh, Former Senior Intelligence Officer
Dalia Mogahid, Gallup
Moderator and Discussant: Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im, The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs
RSVP
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By supporting CSID, YOU:
- Create a better future for our children so they can have more opportunities for improving their lives and realizing their dreams.
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Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy
Membership/Donation Form 2009-2010
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 ❑ $5,000I would like to make a tax-deductible donation for: $__________ I would like to make a pledge to CSID for: ❑ $1000 ❑ $500 ❑ $200 ❑ $100 ❑ $50 Other________ I would like to pledge a monthly donation of _______over___months. Please mail, along with payment, to: CSID, 1625 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Suite 601, Washington, D.C. 20036 The Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy is a non-profit think tank, based in Washington DC - dedicated to promoting a better understanding of democracy in the Muslim world, and a better understanding of Islam in America. To achieve its objectives, the Center organizes meetings, conferences, and publishes several reports and periodicals. CSID engages Muslim groups, parties, and governments - both secularist and moderate Islamist - in public debates on how to reconcile Muslims' interpretation of Islam and democracy. CSID is committed to providing democracy education to ordinary citizens, civil society, religious and political leaders in the Muslim world, and has organized meetings, workshops, and conferences in over 25 countries, including Nigeria, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Iran, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, etc.
" In just a few years, CSID has done remarkable work in facilitating the vital discussion about Islam and democracy in the United States and beyond. In so doing it has made an invaluable contribution to breaking down prejudice and misunderstanding and to meeting the crucial challenge of advancing human rights and democracy in the Muslim world." Neil Hicks
Human Rights Defenders Program
" The Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) plays an absolutely vital role in creating a platform for the voices of democracy and reform throughout the Muslim World. Equally vital is the role they play in bringing a better understanding of the diversity within Islam to the people of America. CSID's advocacy of Islamic values coupled with democratic principles needs and merits our support." John D. Sullivan
Center for International Private Enterprise
For more on What they Say about CSID please visit our website: www.csidonline.org
Please support CSID with your membership and/or donation 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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