On Wednesday, April 28th, 2010, the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) organized its 11th Annual Conference at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington D.C.  The conference was perfectly situated amidst the great policy-shaping institutions, many of whose representatives were present and active at the conference. With the increasingly critical and timely theme of "U.S. Relations with the Muslim World: One Year After Cairo," CSID hosted a diverse range of speakers and participants from around the world to discuss the aftermath of President Barack Obama's famous Cairo speech in June, 2009, and the road forward in transforming his inspiring and well-intentioned rhetoric into tangible policies and actions. CSID President, Dr. Radwan Masmoudi, and Conference Program Committee Chair and Co-Director of the Center for Global Studies at George Mason University, Dr. Peter Mandaville, joined together in warmly welcoming all conference participants and inviting them to actively listen to, and engage with, the long list of distinguished speakers on the day's program. Dr. Masmoudi charged all attendees with the responsibility of being proactive in their comments and questions throughout the day, to build and sustain an atmosphere of cooperation, critical engagement, and forward-thinking as CSID moves into its second decade as a leader in restructuring and improving the relationship between the United States and Muslim-majority countries around the world.
 
 

Farah Pandith

The first plenary session of the day was held in the same beautiful amphitheater as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, where, two days prior, she addressed the participants of the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship, which focused on strengthening ties between business leaders and foundations in the United States and across Muslim-majority countries. As a perfect segue, this opening session, chaired by Dr. Peter Mandaville, featured Farah Pandith [paper], Marc Lynch, Emile Nakhleh, and Daniel Brumberg and addressed the topic, "Perspectives on Muslim Engagement." Pandith, the U.S. Department of State's special representative to Muslim Communities, spoke to the "new frame, new tone, new lexicon, and new responsibility" of the Obama administration in relation to the United States' mindset in fostering relations with Muslim-majority states. The Obama administration, she said, is not just in the business of "winning hearts and minds" with flowery rhetoric, but has invested heavily in cooperation, partnerships, and active engagement with all levels of Muslim society; this has marked by a phenomenal motion in which the entire agency pulled together behind the President. Despite the on-going conflicts causing trouble on the ground, from the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict to the increase in violent extremism, Pandith remains optimistic, seeing "young people being optimistic about their futures" and the passion and capacity-building efforts already underway.
 
 

Emile Nakhleh

Emile Nakhleh [paper], member of the Council on Foreign Relations, former Scholar in Residence at the CIA, and former senior analyst and director of political Islam analysis at the White House until 2006, was the second speaker to address the CSID audience this year. He stressed five categories where engagement in pursuit of better relations with Muslim-majority countries is imperative. Nakhleh argued that engagement serves the national interests of the United States, gives stakes to Muslim NGOs in the realization of brighter futures, empowers mainstream Muslims, must go hand-in-hand with a new American foreign policy, and finally, if serious, must include engagement with local Muslim communities in regions where religion plays a central role in daily life. In addition to his recommendations for the future of America's relationship with Muslim-majority countries, Nakhleh also suggested that, for best results, the European Union join in capacity-building efforts, particularly in the realm of economic development, due to the large number of Muslims within its own member states.
 
 

Marc Lynch

Marc Lynch, Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies and Director of the Institute for Middle East Studies at George Washington University and non-resident senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, followed Dr. Nakhleh as the third speaker on the first plenary session. He addressed the reality of the great extent to which eight years of war and fringe, but loud, organizations have captured media attention and overshadowed the great diversity within the Muslim-majority states. Therefore, national security has remained a priority, as indeed it ought to be, though much needed capacity-building and partnership initiatives have been halted. In terms of dealing with the many different political actors in Muslim-majority countries, Dr. Lynch argues that it is vitally important to talk with the many non-violent Islamic movements around the globe so as to establish the robust and sustainable societies that are so desperately needed. He concluded by congratulating the Obama administration on having turned the page and being on the "right track," though the slow delivery of crucial policy changes continue to be of concern.