June 9-11, 2013 - Doha, Qatar
Asma T. Uddin to lead working group at U.S. Islamic World Forum:“Rethinking the “Red Line”: The Intersection of Free Speech, Religious Freedom, and Social Change” working group at the 2013 U.S.-Islamic World Forum, which will be held June 9-11 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Doha, Qatar.
Free speech, particularly freedom of religious (including anti-religious) speech, continues to be a major issue of contention in both Muslim-majority countries and in matters concerning American Muslims. This working group, convened by Haris Tarin of MPAC and Asma Uddin of the Becket Fund, will use the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s Defamation of Religions Resolution—its history, motivating factors, and recent developments—to 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 these three days, the U.S.-Islamic World Forum will 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 unique network of relationships between leading policy and opinion leaders in the United States 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.
