Dear Radwan,,

We look forward to seeing you at the 23rd Annual Conference of the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID), co-hosted with the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC):

Defending Democracy in the Muslim World:

Why Democracy is Crucial in the Age of Global Authoritarianism

📅 Thursday, May 29, 2025

📍 Georgetown Capitol Campus, Washington, DC

🖥️ Attend in person or via Zoom

Attend in person: Register

Attend virtually via zoom: Register

This full-day event will bring together leading scholars, policymakers, and advocates to examine the global authoritarian surge—and why defending democracy in the Muslim world is not only a moral imperative but a strategic necessity for peace and stability.

Highlights include:

• Keynote (invited): Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia
• Remarks from U.S. lawmakers (invited)
• Panels on Islam and democracy, Syria, Iraq, Tunisia, U.S. foreign policy, and more
• A networking reception to close the day

Co-sponsored by: CSID, ACMCU and MPAC

We hope you’ll join us for this urgent and timely conversation.

Warm regards,

Radwan A. Masmoudi

Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy

Dear Radwan,

The CSID 23rd Annual Conference is the biggest international conference on Islam and Democracy and the future of democracy in the Muslim world. We have stellar and world-renowned speakers, panelists, and moderators, and we expect between 120-150 of the TOP experts and policymakers from the United States, and all over the world.

It is also the best opportunity to network, and make new friends and colleagues with people who share your goals and interests.



Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID)

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

FINAL PROGRAM

8:30 - 9:00 Registration

9:00 - 9:15 am Opening Remarks

Radwan A. Masmoudi

Founder and President, Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy (CSID)

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: Prof. Asma Afsaruddin

Professor of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures,

Indiana University & Chair of the CSID Board

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, 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 Noon - PANEL 2:

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

Moderator: Haris Tarin

Vice President of Policy and Programming,

Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)

Representative Joe Wilson, (Invited)



U.S. House of Representatives, South Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District



Wa'el Alzayat



CEO of Emgage, USA



Mohammed Alaa Ghanem

Policy Chief, Syrian American Council



Qutaiba Y. Idlbi

Senior Fellow & Head of the Syria Initiative, Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs

12:00 - 1:30 PM - Keynote Luncheon

Keynote Speakers:

Freedom, Human Rights,

and Democracy in Islam

Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim

(Invited)

Prime Minister of Malaysia

(via zoom)

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)

1:30 - 3:00 PM - PANEL 3

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

Moderator: Dr. Dalia Fahmy

Associate Professor of Political Science, Long Island University



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

Democratic Backsliding in Tunisia: Lessons for Democracy in the Muslim World

Mohamed Khelifi

Author and Attorney from Tunisia. Attorney at the New York City Commission on Human Rights.



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

Ghassan Bou Diab

Director of Demokrattia Center for research and Strategic Studies



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

A.R.M. Imtiyaz, PhD.

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: Salam al-Marayati

Co-Founder & President

Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)

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

U.S. Foreign Policy in South Asia: Navigating the Fault Lines of Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan

Hassan Abbas

Distinguished Professor of International Relations, College of International Security Affairs, National Defense University

US Foreign Policy and Authoritarianism: Implications for Democracy in the Muslim World

Dalia Fahmy

Associate Professor of Political Science, Long Island University

Aborting the only semi-democracy in the Gulf: Kuwait

Abdullah Alaoudh

Senior Director for Countering Authoritarianism at MEDC

4:30 PM



Keynote Closing Remarks

Islam, Democracy, and the Ethics of Pluralism: Reclaiming Tradition in the

Age of Authoritarianism

Prof. Asma Afsaruddin

Professor of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, Indiana University & Chair of the CSID Board

Why Democracy and Human Rights

should be a priority in U.S. Foreign Policy?

Senator Chris Van Hollen

(Invited)

U.S. Senator (MD)

5:00 - 6:00   RECEPTION

In honor of all our Speakers and Participants

-------- ---------

Co-Sponsored by:



Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU)

Georgetown University

Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)