Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy & Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)

23rd Annual Conference

DEFENDING DEMOCRACY IN THE MUSLIM WORLD:

Why Democracy is Crucial in the Age of Global Authoritarianism

Thursday, May 29, 2025

Georgetown Capitol Campus

125 E St. NW, 9th Floor Convening Space

Washington, DC 20001

TENTATIVE PROGRAM

8:30 - 9:00 Registration & Breakfast

9:00 - 9:15 am Opening Remarks

Prof. Asma Afsaruddin, Chair of the CSID Board

Salam al-Marayati, President, Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)

9:15 - 10:30 AM - PANEL 1:

Islam and Democracy: Why Religion and Religious Values Matter?

Moderator:

The Amman Message and participatory governance in the Muslim World

John Thomas Pinna, Executive Director, the Development Organization for Societies in Transition (DOST)

The Evolution of Authoritarianism in Muslim World: From Governance Principles to Autocratic Rule

Palwasha L. Kakar, director for the religion and peace-building program at USIP & Mohammad O. Tariq, PhD candidate at George Mason University

Transnational Online Repression and Resistance: Gendered Digital Activism to Advance Democracy in the Muslim World

Sahar Khamis, Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland

Defending Democracy in the Muslim World: A Path to Justice, Stability, and Prosperity

Irma Makharadze, Independent Researcher, Tbilisi Institute of Asia and Africa

10:30 - 12:00 AM - PANEL 2:

Syria’s Struggle for Freedom: Prospects for Democracy Amid Conflict

Moderator:

Wa'el Alzayat, CEO of Emgage, USA

Mohammed Alaa Ghanem, Director of Government Relations and Senior Political Adviser, Syrian American Council

12:00 - 1:30 PM - Keynote Luncheon

Keynote Speakers:

TBD

1:30 - 3:00 PM - PANEL 3

Democracy as a Path to Peace: Ensuring Stability Through Political Inclusion (Case Studies)

Moderator:

Jordan: Analyzing the 2024 Parliamentary Elections and the Growing Power of King Abdullah

Jamal Al-Tahat , Senior Advisor at DAWN

From Post-Colonial Leftists to Post-Arab Spring Islamists: The Moroccan Monarchy’s Strategic Maneuverings

Mouad Faitour, Department of Religion, University of Georgia, USA

Defending Democracy in Iraq: Reimagining Unity Through a Tri-Federal Constitutional Framework

Ghassan Bou Diab, director of Demokrattia Center for research and Strategic Studies

Democratic Governance in Somalia: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Role of Civil Society

Hasan Noor Ahmed, Chairman of Bilan Awdal Organization in Somalia

Salih Yasun & Bedirhan Mutlu - Department of International Studies and Political Science, Virginia Military Institute & George Washington University

The Rise of Religious Authoritarianism Among Sri Lankan Muslims: Implications for Pluralism and Democratic Stability in Sri Lanka

A.R.M. Imtiyaz, Ph.D, Affiliated Scholar, South Asian Center, University of Pennsylvania, USA.

3:00 - 4:30 PM - PANEL 4

US and International Responses to Democratic Backsliding in the Muslim World

Moderator:

The Role of External Powers in Supporting or Undermining Democratization in the Middle East

Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director of Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN)

Authoritarianism, Populism, and the Future of Democracy in the Middle East

Nader Hashemi, Associate Professor & Director, Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU), Georgetown University

The rise of authoritarianism in the Muslim world and its Consequences

Tariq Junaid, Research & Insight Specialist, Executive Director, Institute for Public Opinion Research (IPOR), Islamabad, Pakistan

4:30 PM Closing Remarks

TBD

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Co-Sponsored by:

Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU)

Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)