Muqtedar Khan with Benazir Bhutto a two time PM of Pakistan Dear students, I am in a lounge at London airport on my way back from Doha, Qatar where I was participating in the US-Islamic World Forum. Here I have had the opportunity to meet with many world leaders and I will share some of my conversations when I get back. In the picture you see Benazir Bhutto [the one who is not me] the first Muslim woman to be elected leader of a Muslim country.
In the picture you see Benazir Bhutto [the one who is not me] the first Muslim woman to be elected leader of a Muslim country. Benazir, BTW, was educated at both Harvard and Oxford.
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I was impressed by reading the short biography about Benazir Bhutto. She is an outstanding example of a dedicated leader that selflessly promotes the cause of an underrepresented people. (Reminds me a bit of Nelson Mandela or even Gandhi.) By learning about the eventual success of these kinds of non-violent, intelligent leaders there may be an increasing global hope in peaceful political change. Although this all sounds rather idealistic, it is important to recognize leaders like Benazir Bhutto and applaud their achievements and especially the way in which those acheivements were attained.
The Brookings U.S.-Islamic World Forum is a great tool that has been developed post 9/11 to help address the changing relationships of the U.S. and the Middle East. While security and anti-terrorism have become priorities in the U.S. negative consequences like anti-Islamic sentiment, discrimination, and stereotyping has emerged. It is important that the repercussions of new policies and world events are addressed and fought against. The Brookings Institute is doing a good job with this through the forum, which brings together so many influential leaders with diverse opinions and experiences. Through the forum, current issues are addressed and "actionable programs" are developed for "government, civil society, and the private sector." The forum encourages leaders on both sides to take responsibility for problems and actively trying to solve them. The great turnout and amount of important leaders that attend are a testament to how important these issues are and how important this forum can be to affect change in the evolving status quo.
First may I say how glad I am that there is a Ritz Carlton Hotel in Doha, Qatar. Though the forum only has two years under its belt, I believe it is a step in the right direction to assess and rectify problems associated with globalization, as well as domestic and international issues. Its also heartening to read that physical progress is being made in the form of schools and new legislation and that the convention is not just dialouge for the sake of dialouge. I agree with Diane on the impressiveness of the turnout and the committment of the leaders to the forum; furthermore, its good to see that the convention is growing and adding new members every year. Its pretty damn cool that our professor was part of this too. I can't help but feel that these types of forums are probably more effective and efficient than larger international institutions like the UN.
I would have never guessed that Pakistan of all places would have had a female head of state. I was impressed most by her arrest record, jail time, and education because they demonstrate her committment to her cause. She seems so progressive in a place that isn't.
I am in agreement with Diane and Ben that the U.S.-Islamic World Forum seems like it is definitely a step in the right direction toward U.S. and Islamic relations, such as the past “formation of a Muslim American foreign policy caucus, and the initiation of ‘track two’ diplomatic talks for certain conflict zones.” I think it is a great idea to hold a conference with such a diverse list of attendees from countries all over the world, and not only politicians and political spokesperson, but CEOs, academicians, columnists, and many more. This is a great way to gain a variety of viewpoints from representatives of a variety of fields and disciplines. In addition, I was pleased to read that the conference not only deals with political issues but other important topics such as human development and education initiatives. These issues, in my belief are just as (if not more) important in progressing and improving future U.S.-Islamic relations.
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After reading through the biography of Benazir Bhutto and learning about what the Brookings U.S.-Islamic World Forum has done towards U.S./Middle East relations, I think it is safe to say that things might possibly be moving in the right direction. The one reservation I did have was when I considered future developments. America as a country, has for the most part, been a country that pushes for democratization of the countries that it holds influence on. And with the developments in Iraq, it is obvious that we have adopted the same policy towards the Middle East. The question it seems is will liberalization of the Middle East work?
Sharia is the Arabic word for Islamic law, also known as the Law of Allah, and governs both secular and religious life of the devout Muslim. Sharia covers not only religious rituals, but many aspects of day-to-day life, politics, economics, banking, business or contract law, and social issues. It is in Sharia that many a problem arises as there are many ideological conflicts that arise between the laws and principals presented in Sharia and that of a democratic government. Mainly, democracy denies Allah's sovereignty.
There have been many theories presented arguing for both sides, that liberalization will work and also that it will not (e.g. reconciliationist theories, separatist theories, hybrid integration theories). If democratization of Muslim states is to take place, Islam will go through this process slowly. It will be a less than perfect adherence to what we think democratization entials and some of the ideals may not necessarily be the same. The success of this transition lies on Muslim desire to reform and local interpretations of Sharia law.
Many consider gender equality to be a characteristic of modern developed countries, but something that traditional societies lack. Yet it is interesting that Pakistan, a traditional society with Shari’a Law, has chosen a woman to be the head of government. Meanwhile the United States, a modern country, has never even had a woman President. I believe this reflects poorly on the U.S.
I also admire the way that Prime Minister Bhutto wears aspects of traditional clothing. She leads her country in a globalizing world, while at the same time upholding her people's customs. She is an exemplary synthesis of modern and traditional.
“In a world where there are still many prejudices, the Doha Forums are a practical expression of the desire of the great majority who wish to live in peace, harmony and mutual understanding with the rest of humanity.”
Gulf Times
It is heartening to hear of such events taking place when the majority of news reported consists of the opposite. I agree with the Gulf Times statement that it is the great majority who wish for mutual understanding. So how does this majority get word of this conference? It is one thing to hear about it taking place, but how will the average person learn what was discussed inside? If our professor had not attended most likely would not have known such an event was taking place, let alone what was said. After looking at the program for the conference I was left wondering what the answers to the questions posed were. Can anyone fill me in on how this information is shared with the public? I hope that this information is available somewhere and my inability to find it is just an oversight of my own.
It is interesting to me that Benazir Bhutto received her education in England. I would assume that she got her more liberal mindset from her stay in England. at the time she was pushing for such issues as human rights in Pakistan, it was probably still too progressive for anyone to really be able to understand or accept. If this is taken into consideration, it is easy to understand why she was imprisoned and detained. I think one must be careful sometimes of how and when to use the knowledge you have. Sometimes, although it will lead to much happier lives for others, they may not be ready to listen yet. I am very happy that the Pakistanis were able to open their ears and elect her as Prime Minister.
It is important that the forum leads to political action not only based on the opinions of policy makers, but on the opinions of a people from a wide array of professions. The article claims that “a Wall Street banker might end up sitting next to an Islamist leader…”, which gives the forum an entirely new dynamic by putting on the table issues and opinions from many different perspectives. For example, a representative from a school in Pakistan may communicate how terrorism is affecting the mentality of school children there, or an economic policy maker from the U.S. may state the effects of terrorism on the U.S. economy. The hope is that the issues addressed at the forum will lead to compromises that please all parties present and that will lead to better relations between the U.S. and the Middle East.
I think that the youth outreach program is good idea because global leaders will be more aware of the opinions of the world’s future generation, and the youth will gain more knowledge about the topics discussed. This education about both the tensions between the U.S. and the Middle East and what steps are being taken to ease these tensions will hopefully dissolve some of this tension as well open up the doors to the youth for further involvement with the issue.
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