The Middle East Forum sponsors events in Philadelphia, New York City, Boston and Cleveland. Each of these provides a non-partisan platform to consider the controversial issues of a volatile region from the perspective of a leading actor - heads of state, ministers, leading parliamentarians, mayors, and others - or a respected analyst - such as historian Bernard Lewis or journalist Claudia Rosett. Our goal is to discuss a current event or situation by delving deeper than what is offered by the media. Lecture topics span a wide spectrum but consistently look at the Middle East with a pragmatic eye and from the vantage point of American interests.
Barry Rubin
Palestinian Politics and Power Struggles
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Philadelphia, PA
Cost: $20 per person (lunch included). Complimentary for current MEF donors of $500 or more
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict grabs most of the headlines; but equally—if not more—important are Palestinian internal politics, which directly and deeply affect the larger conflict.
Palestinian leadership has been in constant, often violent, flux. Mahmoud Abbas succeeded Yasir Arafat as head of Fatah in 2004; Hamas won the elections of 2006 and seized Gaza in a bloody coup in 2007. Abbas's authority fluctuates, with a possible end to his chairmanship as early as January 2010.
The future of Palestinian politics is clouded by uncertainty about Fatah's goals. Though its congress election of 2009 was touted as a harbinger of reform, many delegates were handpicked by Abbas, the old guard stage-managed the election, and new members appear more radical than their predecessors.
Abbas will soon end his term as PA leader in January: what are the politics of his potential successor, Muhammad Ghaneim? In fact, they are drearily familiar: he rejected the Oslo Accords and insists on armed struggle and Israel's destruction.
Barry Rubin, professor at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzliya, Israel, and a prolific author on topics ranging from Iran to the U.S. Department of State, will explain the urgency of Palestinian politics and their implications for Israel and the Middle East.
R.S.V.P. by November 16, by e-mail (prosser@meforum.org), fax (215-546-5409) or telephone (215-546-5406 ext.13). Business attire. Limited capacity. You must have picture I.D. to enter the building.
Wafa Sultan and Daniel Pipes
Moderate Islam: Western Ally or Western Myth?
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
New York, NY
Cost: $50 per person (lunch included). Complimentary for current MEF donors of $500 or more.
Wafa Sultan, a clinical psychiatrist of Syrian origins, contends that there is no such thing as moderate Islam. By nature, Islam will forever subjugate and oppress, for at the center of the religion is, as the title of her new book has it, "a god who hates." Hence, she concludes, "I have decided to fight … not radical Islam, but Islam itself. … Islam is the problem."
In contrast, Middle East Forum director Daniel Pipes argues that "the evil isn't Islam," but rather radical Islam, a modern-day phenomenon. "The present is not typical of Islam's long history," he notes. "Indeed, it may be the worst era in that entire history." Pipes urges Muslims to take up the task of adapting their faith to modern life, as adherents of other religions have done.
Understanding the nature of Islam is no academic pursuit but an essential component in deciding policy in what used to be called the war on terror. Must individuals and societies guided by Islam oppress women, crush infidels, and wage war against modernity? Or can there be a moderate Islam that moves beyond these pathologies?
The Middle East Forum is pleased to present a pathbreaking debate between Wafa Sultan and Daniel Pipes about the nature of Islam.
R.S.V.P. by November 20, by e-mail (prosser@meforum.org), fax (215-546-5409) or telephone (215-546-5406 ext.13). Business attire. Limited capacity. You must have picture I.D. to enter the building.
