Militant Islam Monitor > Articles > Hilary Clinton Speaks together with Islamists at U.S.- Islamic Forum
Hilary Clinton Speaks together with Islamists at U.S.- Islamic Forum
April 23, 2011
MIM: Below is a description of the conference and details about the participants from the Islamic Society of North America website. ISNA was an inindicted co-conspirator in the U.S. vs. Holy Land Hamas funding trial.
"In the summer 2007 Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) trial (which looked into evidence of HLF's fundraising on behalf of Hamas), the U.S. government released a list of approximately 300 of HLF's "unindicted co-conspirators" and "joint venturers." Among the unindicted co-conspirators were groups such as ISNA, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Hamas, INFOCOM, the Islamic Association for Palestine, the Muslim Arab Youth Association, the United Association for Studies and Research, and the North American Islamic Trust."
For more on ISNA and their Islamist agenda and terrorism ties see: http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=6178
Beneath the article is the schedule and list of participants in the conference from the U.S. Islamic World Forum website. Their mission statement includes a mention of Dr. Mustafa Ceric the Grand Mufti of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Ceric is a hard core Islamist who advocates the Islamization of Europe. His "Declaration of European Muslims" can be found here. http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/2044 Ceric delivered remarks on the last day of the 2011 conference. http://www.usislamicworldforum.org/blog/grand-mufti-bosnia-mustafa-ceric-delivers-remarks-last-day-2011-us-islamic-world-forum
Mission
A Tradition of Constructive Engagement
"The U.S.-Islamic World Forum is designed to bring together leaders in the realms of politics, business, media, academia, and civil society from across the Islamic world (including Muslim communities in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East) and the United States. The Forum seeks to serve as both a convening body and catalyst for positive action. Therefore, its focus is not on dialogue just for dialogue's sake, but on developing actionable agendas for government, civil society, and the private sector.
Past participants have included President Bill Clinton; Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey; Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan; Commander of the U.S. Central Command David Petraeus; the Grand Mufti of Bosnia-Herzegovina Dr. Mustafa Ceric; Secretary General of ASEAN Surin Pitsuwan; and Secretary General of the OIC Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu." http://www.usislamicworldforum.org/node/51
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U.S.-Islamic World Forum Comes to DC
Special Projects
"Last week, ISNA leadership led sessions and participated in the 8th annual U.S.-Islamic World Forum in Washington, DC - the first event of its kind to be held in the United States. The three-day Forum was jointly hosted by the Brookings Institution Saban Center for Middle East Policy and by the State of Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and concluded with practical, positive assessments of how to improve relations between the U.S. and Muslim-majority countries.
ISNA President Imam Mohamed Magid, who was one of the conveners of the conference, and ISNA past President and Executive Council member Dr. Ingrid Mattson were joined by many U.S. government officials, policymakers, journalists, academics, religious leaders and entrepreneurs, along with diplomats and leaders from over 30 Muslim-majority countries. Among the many renowned speakers was U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who delivered the keynote address. Both Imam Magid and Dr. Mattson spoke and led sessions during the Forum.
The Forum was opened by Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, who reviewed relations between the U.S. and the Islamic world. Among other things, he expressed the need for a "deeper appreciation" by U.S. leadership and policymakers "that the Islamic world constitutes a constructive partner in international relations." In her keynote, Secretary promised deeper American involvement in resolving the conflict in Israel-Palestine, and congratulated the "new generation of young people" in the Middle East, stating, "the long Arab winter has begun to thaw."
On the first day of the Forum, participants split into five concurrent working groups, one of which was led by ISNA President Imam Mohamed Magid. The working group, entitled, "The Role of Muslim-Majority and Muslim-Minority Communities in a Global Context," developed a set of recommendations that were presented to the conference participants in the closing session.
Dr. Mattson also participated in the Forum, speaking at a roundtable session on "The Challenges and Opportunities of the American Muslim Community." Other panelists included U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, White House Associate Director of Public Engagement Paul Monteiro, and Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley. A video of that session may be viewed here.
Other working groups and roundtables at the Forum addressed topics such as leadership development in the Muslim nonprofit sector, higher education reform in the Arab world, entrepreneurship and job creation, the role of religious leaders in development in Asia, and democratization and political reform. Recommendations developed in each of the working groups should become available online soon. For more information about the U.S.-Islamic World Forum, including video and transcripts of the plenary sessions, click here. "
http://www.isna.net/events/Special-Projects/US-Islamic-World-Forum-Comes-to-DC.aspx
http://www.usislamicworldforum.org/node/57
U.S.-Islamic World Forum
Schedule
2011 U.S.-Islamic World Forum Draft Schedule
(Current to April 12, 2011)
Monday, April 11
12:00 PM-9:00 PM Registration
7:00 PM-9:00 PM Welcome Reception with the Secretary General of the OIC
Tuesday, April 12
7:30 AM Conference Registration
9:00 AM-10:30 AM Working Group Introductory Sessions (Closed Sessions)
-Developing Leadership and Capacity in the Muslim Nonprofit Sector as a Building Block for Sustaining Partnerships and Change
Convened by Nadia Roumani, American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute
and Brie Loskata, American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute
- Promoting Higher Education Reform in the Arab World
Convened by Katherine Wilkens, AMIDEAST
and Safwan Masri, Columbia University Middle East Research Center
-The Role of Entrepreneurship and Job Creation in U.S.-Muslim Relations
Convened by Ahmed Younis, Gallup Center for Muslim Studies; Silatech
and Mohamed Younis, Gallup Center for Muslim Studies
- America and the Muslim World: The Tale of Two Media
Convened by Leon Shahabian, Layalina Productions
and Marc Ginsberg, APCO Worldwide
- Muslim Minorities in the West: Their Issues and Roles in a Global Community
Convened by Imam Mohammed Magid, Islamic Society of North America; Muflehun
10:30 AM-11:00 AM Welcoming Remarks
Mohammed Abdullah Mutib Al Rumaihi, Assistant Foreign Minister for
Follow-Up Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qatar
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary-General, Organization of the Islamic Conference
Martin Indyk, Vice President of Foreign Policy, The Brookings Institution
11:00 AM-12:45 PM Plenary I – Geo-Strategic Issues in the Middle East and South Asia
Moderator:
Fareed Zakaria, Editor-at-Large, TIME Magazineand host, CNN's GPS
Panelists:
Zbigniew Brzezinski, Counselor and Trustee, Center for Strategic and
International Studies; Former U.S. National Security Advisor
Nasser Judeh, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Ibrahim Kalin, SeniorForeign Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister of Turkey
John Kerry, Senator and Chairman, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee
1:00 PM Lunch
2:00 PM-3:30 PM Roundtable Sessions
-A Candid Assessment: The Status of the Middle East Peace Process
Khaled Elgindy, Visiting Fellow, Saban Center for Middle East Policy,
The Brookings Institution (moderator)
Robert Malley, MiddleEast and North Africa Program Director, International
Crisis Group; former Special Assistant to President Clinton for Arab-Israeli Affairs
Mohammad Shtayyeh, Former Minister of Public Works and Housing
and Minister in Charge of the Palestinian Economic Council for Development
and Reconstruction (PECDAR)
Dov Weissglas, Senior Partner, Weissglas-Almagor; former Chief of the
Prime Minister's Bureau and Special Foreign Advisor to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
-The Obama Administration's Engagement with the Muslim World
Daniel Byman, Director of Research, Saban Center for Middle East Policy,
The Brookings Institution (moderator)
Rashad Hussain, Special Envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference
Marc Lynch, Associate Professor, Political Science and International Affairs,
George Washington University
Farah Anwar Pandith, Special Representative to Muslim Communities,
U.S. Department of State
Benjamin Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications,
White House
Quintan Wiktorowicz, Senior Director for Global Engagement, White House
-Looking at One Another: How U.S. and Muslim Perspectives Have Evolved
Over the Last Decade
Shibley Telhami, Non-Resident Fellow, Saban Center for Middle East Policy,
The Brookings Institution; Anwar Sadat Chair, University of Maryland (moderator)
Joe Klein, Columnist, TimeMagazine
Andrew Kohut, President, Pew Research Center
Steven Kull, Director, Program on International Policy Attitudes
Dalia Mogahed,Senior Analyst, Executive Director, Abu Dhabi Gallup Center
-The Role of Religious Leaders in Development: Case Studies from Asia
(organized in conjunction with The Asia Foundation)
Robin Bush, Country Representative, The Asia Foundation (moderator)
Salahuddin Aminuzzaman, Professor of Public Administration, University of Dhaka
Yasmin Busran-Lao, Executive Director, Al-Mujadilah Development Foundation
Khaldun Malek, University of Malaya
-The Role of Youth in the Arab Upheaval
Shadi Hamid, Director of Research and Fellow, Brookings Doha Center (moderator)
Maryam Al-Khawaja, Head of the foreign relations office at the Bahrain
Center for Human Rights
Mahmoud Salem, Blogger, Rantings of a Sandmonkey
4:00 PM-5:30 PM Working Group Sessions (Closed Sessions)
7:00 PM-9:30 PM Gala Dinner (Invitation Only)
Welcoming Remarks:
Strobe Talbott, President, the Brookings Institution
Keynote Speakers:
Ahmad Bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Qatar
Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, Secretary General, Organization of the Islamic Conference
Hillary Rodham Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State
Wednesday, April 13
7:30 AM Registration
8:30 AM-11:00 AM Working Group Sessions (Closed Session)
11:00 AM-12:45 PM Plenary II: Bottom Up Change: Civil Society, Youth, and
Entrepreneurship
Moderator:
Riz Khan, Host, The Riz Khan Show, Al Jazeera English
Panelists:
Madeleine K. Albright,Chair, Albright Stonebridge Group, and Former U.S. Secretary of State
Jaloul Ayed,Minister of Finance, Tunisia
Hossam Bahgat, Founder and Director, Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR)
Saad Eddin Ibrahim, Visiting Professor, Center on Religion, Culture, and
Conflict, Drew University
1:00 PM Lunch
2:00 PM-3:30 PM Roundtable Sessions
-A Glimpse from the Ground: A Dialogue on Afghanistan and Pakistan
Bruce Riedel, Senior Fellow, Saban Center for Middle East Policy,
The Brookings Institution (moderator)
Sherry Rehman, President, Jinnah Institute
Hassina Sherjan, Founder and CEO, Aid Afghanistan for Education
-The Importance of the Private Sector in U.S.-Muslim World Engagement
(organized in conjunction with The Aspen Institute)
Toni Verstandig, Executive Director, the Aspen Institute (moderator)
Jose Fernandez, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Economic Energy and Business Affairs
Robert Mosbacher, Former Chief Executive Officer of the Overseas Private
Investment Corporation
Bryan Wagner, VP Global Sustainable Finance, Morgan Stanley
-What's Next in America's Approach to Iran?
Kenneth Pollack, Director, Saban Center for Middle East Policy,
The Brookings Institution (moderator)
Howard Berman, Congressman, U.S. House of Representatives
Robert J. Einhorn, Special Advisor for Nonproliferation and Arms Control,
U.S. Department of State
Henry Wooster, Director, Office of Iranian Affairs,
U.S. Department of State
-Democratization and Political Reform
Salman Shaikh, Director, Brookings Doha Center (moderator)
Jennifer L. Windsor, Associate Dean for Programs, Georgetown University
Tamara Cofman Wittes, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs,
U.S. Department of State
-The Challenges and Opportunities of the American Muslim Community
Stephen Grand, Director, Project on U.S.-Relations with the Islamic World,
The Brookings Institution (moderator)
Keith Ellison, Congressman, U.S. House of Representatives
Ingrid Mattson, Director, Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam and
Christian-Muslim Relations, Hartford Seminary
Paul Monteiro, Associate Director, Office of Public Engagement, White House
4:00 PM-5:30 PM Working Group Sessions (Closed Sessions)
6:00 PM-7:00 PM Panel Session: The Libyan Crisis
Moderator:
Margaret Warner, Senior Correspondent, PBS NewsHour
Panelists:
Ali Suleiman Aujali, Former Libyan Ambassador to the U.S.
John McCain, Senator, U.S. Senate
7:00 PM-10:00 PM Dinner and Panel Session: Democracy in the Muslim World
Moderator:
Margaret Warner, Senior Correspondent, PBS NewsHour
Speakers:
Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman, Coalition of Change and Hope, former
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Jaber al-Jaberi, Member of Parliament, Republic of Iraq
Nabil Fahmy, Founding Dean, School of Global Affairs and Public Policy,
American University of Cairo; former Ambassador of Egypt to the U.S.
Ibrahim Kalin, Chief Foreign Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister, Republic of Turkey
Thursday, April 14
10:00 AM-11:00 AM Working Group Sessions (Closed Sessions)
11:00 AM-12:45 PM Plenary III: The Role of the Media in Shaping Perceptions
Moderator:
David Gregory, Host, NBC's Meet the Press
Panelists:
David Brooks, Columnist, The New York Times
Hisham Kassem, Former publisher, Cairo Times and Al-Masry Al-Youm
Hisham Melhem, Washington Bureau Chief, Al-Arabiya News Channel
Michael Young, Opinion Editor, The Daily Star
12:45 PM Closing Plenary Lunch
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MIM: Hilary Clinton has also spoken at the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) tenth annual conference. One of the featured speakers was Kamal Helbawy who joined the Muslim Brotherhood at age 12 and was their Western spokesman from 1995 to 1997. Click on his name to see a complete bio.
https://www.csidonline.org/annual-conference/10th-annual-conference/speakers#KeithEllison
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