CSID-MPAC 24th Annual Conference: A World Order Without Democracy?

Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy & Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)

Friday, May 15, 2026

Georgetown University

Capitol Campus

125 E St. NW, 9th Floor Convening Space

Washington, DC 20001

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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 BloomingtonChair, CSID Board of Directors

Salam al-Marayati President, Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)

9:00 - 9:30 AM

Keynote Speaker:

Congresswoman 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 3Member, Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government (confirmed)

9:30 AM

Keynote Speech

Bahey eldin Hassan Director, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)

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

Moderator: Radwan A. Masmoudi (CSID & 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 Amherst

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 as intern on Capitol Hill and as judicial intern in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Florida.

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11:15 - 12:15 AM - PANEL 2:

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

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12:15 - 12:35 PM - Keynote Luncheon

Keynote Remarks:

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)

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12:35 - 2:00 PM - Keynote Luncheon

Roundtable Discussion:

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

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2:00 - 3:00 PM - PANEL 3

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

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

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3:00 - 4:00 PM - PANEL 4

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, Harvard University, Researcher (Alumnus)

From Islamism to Muslim Democracy: The Evolution of Ghannouchi’s Political Thought

Omair Anas, Assistant Professor of International Relations at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University in Türkiye, specializing in political Islam, comparative politics, and global political thought.

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4:00 PM KEYNOTE REMARKS

Akbar Ahmed

Amb. (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

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:

Middle East Policy Council

Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU)

Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)

Islamic Relief (IR)-USA

Center for Pluralism

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Host or Publisher Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy (CSID)