Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We look forward to seeing you next week at the CSID–MPAC 24th Annual Conference

The conference will include keynote addresses by leading voices such as Bahey eldin Hassan, Akbar Ahmed, John L. Esposito, Mustafa Akyol, Shadi Hamid, Josh Paul, Omar Shakir, and a keynote luncheon with Robert Malley. Two members of Congress are also confirmed to share their perspectives on U.S. policy and global leadership.

This is a unique opportunity to engage directly with experts and decision-makers shaping the future of democracy and US Foreign Policy.

Early Registration (reduced registration fees) Ends on May 8.  

Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID)

Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)

24th Annual Conference

A World Order Without Democracy?

U.S. Strategy and Political Change in the Muslim World

Friday May 15, 2026

Georgetown Capitol Campus

125 E St. NW, 9th Floor Convening Space

Washington, DC 20001

FINAL PROGRAM

8:30 - 8:45 am Registration & Breakfast

8:45 - 9:00 am  Opening Remarks

Prof. Asma Afsaruddin

Professor of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures,

Indiana University Bloomington

Chair, CSID Board of Directors

Salam al-Marayati

President, Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)

9:00 - 9:30 AM

Keynote Speaker:

Why Americans Must Defend Democracy at home and abroad?

Rep. Pramila Jayapal

U.S. Representative, Washington’s 7th Congressional District. Senior Whip, House Democratic Caucus. Member of the House Judiciary Committee. Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, and Member, Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government

(confirmed)

9:30 AM

What Does It Mean to Defend Human Rights in an Age that Normalizes Colonial Tendencies and Authoritarianism?

Bahey eldin Hassan

Co-founder of several Egyptian and international human rights institutions,

and Former Director of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)

10:00 - 11:15 AM - PANEL 1:

Democratic backsliding and stalled reform: 

The Case for Democracy and Peaceful Reforms

Moderator: Radwan A. Masmoudi (CSID and MPAC)

Does a "Dictatorships-First" Policy Actually Work?

Shadi Hamid

Columnist at The Washington Post and senior fellow at Georgetown University's Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding.

Authoritarianism, the “Great Fall” of the International Legal Order, and Transnational Policy Alternatives in the Middle East

David Mednicoff

Professor of Public Policy and Middle Eastern Studies

University of Massachusetts

What happened to the Arab Spring, and where are all the Arab democrats?

Sultan Alamer

Resident Senior Fellow at the Middle East Policy Council (MEPC) and Associate at the Center of Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University

Can Democracy Prevent Extremism?

Murad Batal Shishani

Resident Senior Fellow at the Middle East Policy Council (MEPC) and member of the editorial committee of Alpheratz

U.S. Strategy, India, and the Limits of Order Without Democracy

Ammar Mansuri

Student in Finance and Political Science, worked on Capitol Hill and as judicial intern in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Florida.

11:15 - 12:15 PM - PANEL 2

Israel, Gaza, and Palestine:  

The future of Peace in the Middle East

Moderator: Nicholas A. Heras (MEPC)

Stability at What Cost? U.S. Security Policy and the Future of the Middle East

Josh Paul

Former Director, Congressional and Public Affairs, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Human Rights as the Pillar for Equality and Justice in the Middle East

Omar Shakir

Executive Director of Democracy in the Arab World Now (DAWN)

U.S. Support for “Governance-by-Exception” in Israel/Palestine, and Why It Keeps Producing Insecurity



Shannan Rawcliffe

Anthropologist, MA. From Rutgers University

Beyond Ceasefires: The Humanitarian Reality and the Future of Palestine Refugees

Lein Soltan

Senior Advocacy Manager, UNRWA USA

12:15 - 12:35 PM Keynote Remarks:

Keynote Remarks:

Democracy and U.S. Foreign Policy: 

Aligning Strategy with Values in a Changing World

Congressman Jim McGovern

U.S. Representative for Massachusetts 2nd District

Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee

Co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission

Longtime advocate for peace, social justice, 

and international development

(Confirmed)

12:35 - 2:00 PM - Keynote Luncheon

Roundtable Discussion:

From a Tragic, Forgotten Crisis to an Unlawful, Unnecessary War:

US Mideast Policy in the Age of

Iran and Israel/Palestine 

Robert Malley


Senior Fellow and Lecturer
, Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs, Yale University, Formerly U.S. Special Envoy for Iran (2021–2023)

Former President & CEO of the International Crisis Group

Moderator and Discussant:



Nader Hashemi


Director, Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU)

Georgetown University

Lunch and Friday Prayers

2:00 - 3:00 PM - PANEL 3

Country Case Studies:  

Future of Democracy in Libya, Syria, Bangladesh, 

Afghanistan

Moderator: Haris Tarin (MPAC)

U.S. Strategy and the Collapse of Political Order in Libya

Ammar Elahi

Executive Director of the Muslim Action Coalition (MAC), an organization focused on civic engagement and public policy advocacy

Delegated Stabilization in Syria: Order with Conditional Accountability

Mir Sulaiman Ali

Senior Foreign & Government Policy Advisor for AK Party USA, former Community Manager of Muslim Advocates & Community Liaison for the New York City Mayor’s Office



Bangladesh at a Crossroads: Governance and Democratic Resilience in times of change

Shamarukh Mohiuddin

Director at Cadmus Group, a global consulting firm and Founder and President at The Bangladesh Project, a nonprofit initiative supporting US-Bangladesh relations.

Is There a Path Forward? Human Rights and Governance in Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan

Belquis Ahmadi

Human Rights Lawyer, Freelance Consultant, Former Senior Program Officer at USIP

3:00 - 4:00 pm - PANEL 4: 

Islam, pluralism, and governance:  

Is Shariah Law compatible with Democracy?

Moderator: Asma Afsaruddin (CSID)

Islam, Pluralism, and Democratic Governance: A Reformist Perspective

Mustafa Akyol

Senior Fellow, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity,Cato Institute, and Senior Lecturer at the Islamic Civilization and Societies Program at Boston College



Embedded Islamism: Evidence from Southeast Asia

Ermin Sinanović

Executive Director of the Center for Islam in the Contemporary World at Shenandoah University and Faculty Associate, Southeast Asia Studies Center, Cornell University.

Democratic Safeguards in Islamic Political Thought: Shaykh Muḥammad Mahdī Shams al-Dīn

Ali Dabaje

Program Coordinator for the Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)



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

Irma Makharadze

Independent Researcher, Tbilisi Institute of Asia and Africa

4:00 PM KEYNOTE REMARKS

Humanity at a Crossroads:

Islam, Democracy, and the Future of World Order

Akbar Ahmed

Ambassador (Ret) and Distinguished Professor

Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies

School of International Service, American University

Former Pakistani High Commissioner to the United Kingdom

4:30 PM 

Presenting the CSID-MPAC 

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Professor John L. Esposito

A pioneering scholar of Islam and global affairs, Professor John L. Esposito has shaped how policymakers, scholars, and the public understand Islam, democracy, and U.S.–Muslim relations for over four decades.

His work has helped replace fear with knowledge and division with dialogue, making him one of the most influential voices in advancing understanding, pluralism, and informed policy.

Join us as we celebrate a lifetime dedicated to scholarship, bridge-building, and public impact.

5:00 - 6:00   RECEPTION

In honor of all our speakers, guests, and participants

Co-Sponsored by: