Exploring Islam through a 21st Century Lens: Roles, Rights, and Sharia Law

It all began with an angry young man in Tunisia. Following Mohamed Bouazizi’s self-immolation, a revolt ensued and the period in history known as the “Arab Spring” was born. Inspired by this single act of desperation, the people of the Middle East and North Africa hoped to address the battles of the disenfranchised and marginalized, with the expectation that the populations sharing the bonds of ethnicity and religion would be unified.

Although technology and social media created a conduit for the Arab Spring’s positive message, it also enabled terrorists and jihadi organizations, such as ISIS, to materialize and strengthen. Dreams of democracy throughout the Muslim world faded with each news report of another kidnapping, another assassination, another town forcibly placed under the fundamentalist interpretation of Sharia law.

Join us as our expert speakers consider the consequences of the Arab Spring and discuss the international coalition of world powers working jointly to defeat ISIS through traditional military and cyber force.

The final installment of this three-part series will feature Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland, College Park and Dr. Firoozeh Kashani-Sabet, Director of the Middle East Center at the University of Pennsylvania

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