Recent Event |
The conference, “Bridging the Divide Between the United States and the Muslim World through Arts and Ideas: Possibilities and Limitations,” was convened by the New York University Center for Dialogues in Brooklyn, New York, on June 6th and 7th, 2009, on the occasion of the city–wide initiative, Muslim Voices: Arts and Ideas, co–organized by The Asia Society, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the Center. The conference brought together over 40 scholars, artists, government officials, and cultural practitioners from the U.S., Europe, and across the Muslim world to discuss how cultural exchange can contribute to establishing a relationship of mutual respect and understanding between the two sides. On December 8, 2009, an evening reception was held to launch the conference report and recommendation of the conference at the Century Association in New York City. This event was sponsored by Margaret Ayers, President of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, Vishakha Desai, President of The Asia Society, Stephen Heintz, President of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Karen Brooks Hopkins, President of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and Mustapha Tlili, Founder and Director of the NYU Center for Dialogues. Generously funded by the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, the reception brought together individuals from across the philanthropic, diplomatic, and academic realms to bring attention to this major report and its recommendations concerning the future of cultural diplomacy between the United States and the Muslim world. |
Past Events |
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This panel discussion, sponsored by the NYU Center for Dialogues and the Consulate General of Sweden, will examine the prevailing pessimism—particularly in the media and political spheres—that surrounds Muslim European women. It will consider the policy implications of an alternative approach, which considers Muslim European women as engaged actors within the framework of a European identity. Speakers include: Andrea L. Stanton, Assistant Director, will moderate the discussion. Mustapha Tlili, Founder and Director, and Ulf Hjertonsson, Consul General of Sweden, will offer opening remarks.
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The NYU Center for Dialogues, in conjunction with the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) and the Asia Society, is pleased to announce “Muslim Voices: Arts & Ideas” — a festival and conference celebrating the richness of artistic expressions throughout the Muslim world, to be held in New York, June 5–14. A press launch will be held Tuesday, February 3, 2009 at the Asia Society. This initiative is the product of a two–year collaboration with BAM and Asia Society, and will be realized thanks to the foresight and generosity of a wide range of American philanthropies. The NYU Center for Dialogues’ particular contribution will be a two–day conference on “Bridging the Divide Between the U.S. and the Muslim World through Arts and Ideas: Possibilities and Limitations”, parts of which will be broadcast live via the Muslim Voices’ and the Center’s websites. Read the press release announcing “Muslim Voices”, which was issued January 7 on behalf of the three sponsor institutions, here. The following programming will be the centerpiece of Muslim Voices: Arts & Ideas > |
On Monday, January 12, 2009, the New York University Center for Dialogues, in conjunction with the University of Delaware’s Islamic Studies Program and its Center for International Studies, convened a roundtable discussion on “The Future of U.S.—Muslim Relations”, for invited New York—area scholars, policy experts, and NGO officials and a visiting delegation of Saudi Arabian and Egyptian scholars, political leaders, and governmental advisors. Discussion centered on the choice between inclusivity and exclusivity; on images of Muslims and the Muslim world in U.S. media; on the need to balance people–to–people dialogues with broader institutional initiatives; on the benefits of “boundary crossing” through cultural and other types of exchange; on the place of Mecca in Muslim culture; and on the importance of reaching out to youth through popular culture. A wide range of opinions was expressed on issues like the role that religion plays in public life in the United States and in the Muslim world, and on how religion is employed as a “legitimator”, as well as what might constitute a definition of “fundamentalism”. Participants left with connections to a broader network and a commitment to continue the conversation via the Internet and future gatherings. This roundtable fit within the NYU Center for Dialogues’ ongoing focus on replacing misunderstanding and distrust between the United States and the Muslim world with reasoned dialogue. It followed Founder and Director Mustapha Tlili’s involvement with the U.S.—Muslim Engagement Project and the NYU Center for Dialogues’ recent “Iran—U.S. Relations: Imagining a New Paradigm” conference. |
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For the past thirty years, Iranian–U.S. relations have been characterized by conflict, tension and suspicion. As America prepares to inaugurate a new president, the NYU Center for Dialogues convenes a one–day conference to ask what might a relationship articulated around a new paradigm look like—a paradigm based on mutual recognition of the need for dignity and security for both sides? How might this paradigm address grievances created by past moments of hurt, while providing a way to move toward the realization of a shared destiny and a positive future?
Panel I: Imagining a New Paradigm for Iran–U.S. Relations Panelists include:
Chair: Mustapha Tlili, Founder and Director. |
The U.S.–Muslim Engagement Project’s Leadership Group released its first high–level, bi–partisan, inter–faith and multi–disciplinary report on strategies for improving American interactions with the Muslim world, “Changing Course: A New Direction for U.S. Relations with the Muslim World”, at the National Press Club on September 24, 2008. The Leadership Group’s members include former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage; writer and speaker Stephen Covey; former AIPAC Executive Director Thomas Dine; Rockefeller Brothers Fund President Stephen Heintz; Soliya Chairman Shamil Idriss; Ingrid Mattson, President of the Islamic Society of North America; Dalia Mogahed, Executive Director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies; and Center for Dialogues Director Mustapha Tlili. “Changing Course” Executive Summary > “Changing Course” Press Release > New York Times coverage of “Changing Course” > Islam Online coverage of “Changing Course” > Parade Magazine coverage of “Changing Course” >
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Panel discussion at New York University The claim that European identity is a shared and partly Muslim identity is grounded in the recognition that “Islam” and “the West” are not opposite terms. “Islam” and “the West” are in fact closely connected – a connection that starts and continues with Europe. For the past 1300 years, cultural and commercial interactions between Muslim and non-Muslim Europeans have helped define European identity, making today’s Europe a shared space. The concept of “sharing” recognizes the importance of these interactions and offers a more accurate way of describing European identity – an identity that Americans also share. What are the policy implications of rethinking European identity as a shared and partly Muslim identity? Panelists included:
Moderated by Mustapha Tlili, Founder and Director of the NYU Center for Dialogues. This event was presented by the NYU Center for Dialogues in cooperation with the British Council. Read Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu's speech, given at the panel discussion. >
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The issue of Iran’s nuclear capability has created an unsettling atmosphere in the international community, particularly among western nations. Analysts contend that a peaceful and stable Middle East is vital to world peace and economic advancement. Bordered by Azerbaijan and Russia to the north, Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east, and Turkey and Iraq to the west, Iran is an imperative regional player. But it has been on the sideline from global dialogue for many years. The roundtable will explore Iran’s role in regional stability in the past, present, and future. Download the brochure (.pdf 18mg)
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European Union Informal High–Level Meeting Considered Need for New Guidelines for Inclusive Citizenship in Europe
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Scarcely a day goes by without a call for closer dialogue between “Islam and the West.” Yet, such calls imply a false dichotomy. For many centuries Islam has been part of the West and visa versa. This is more than ever true today in Europe, in particular, where some 15–20 million people identify themselves as Muslims. Maintaining the conversation on these and related issues as well as highlighting the need for effective methods to deflect tensions when they arise as a result of misunderstandings should be of interest to all. Read the press release on the event > Read the report on the event >
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Conference at United Nations, New York,
June 11-12, 2007 Mustapha Tlili opening remarks> International Herald Tribune article>
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The NYU Center for Dialogues convened an international conference from 15–17 May 2007 at the Salzburg Global Seminar, in Salzburg, Austria. The conference explored the challenges of and to Muslim communities in the West through the lens of youth and women, who have emerged from traditional roles and are forging new identities for themselves, and, in some instances, are becoming leading agents of change. Video Interviews with Participants >
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A panel discussion with: Steven Cook, Douglas Dillon Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations, Baki Ilkin, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Turkey to the United Nations, Tony Judt, Director of the Remarque Institute at NYU and author of the book, Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945, Bahadir Kaleagasi, Permanent Representative of the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) to the EU in Brussels, and Fernando M. Valenzuela, Ambassador and Permanent Observer of the European Commission to the United Nations.
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A lecture by Farooq Kathwari, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ethan Allen Interiors, Inc.
More information about Farooq Kathwari>
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A lecture by Abdesselam Cheddadi (professor at the University Muhammad V in Rabat, Morocco and author of Ibn Khaldûn: L’homme et le théoricien de la civilisation) with Richard Bulliet (professor at Columbia University, and author of The Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization) as discussant. The celebration this year commemorating the 600th anniversary of the death of Ibn Khaldun, the preeminent Muslim philosopher and historian, offers an opportunity to reflect upon his work in relation to our own times, in particular to questions of globalization and empire. Although he lived and wrote during the 14th century, Ibn Khaldun’s work derives contemporary relevance from his comprehensive understanding of the social and political systems of his time, his knowledge of Islamic culture and heritage, and his place as one of the foremost historians of society and of man.
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A panel discussion with, Munir Akram, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, Lisa Anderson, Dean of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, Karen Pierce, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations, M. Javad Zarif, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Iran to the United Nations.
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Writers, scholars and civil society activists engaged in a roundtable discussion on how to sustain values and engage in imaginative action in an increasingly complex and turbulent world. Featured panelists were: Taoufiq Ben Amor, Columbia University scholar, writer and musician; Benjamin Barber, scholar, writer, and founder of Interdependence Day; The Very Reverend James Parks Morton, Dean Emeritus of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and founder of The Interfaith Center of New York; Olara Otunnu, former U.N. Undersecretary General for Children in Armed Conflict; Zeyba Rahman, Director North America, Fès Festival and Forum; and Imran Riffat, Brookings Institute Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World, and Finance Director of Synergos Institute.
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A roundtable discussion with Abdelmajid Charfi, Emeritus Professor of Arab Civilization and Islamic Thought at the University of Tunis, Hamadi Redissi, Professor of Political Science at the University of Tunis, and Boutheina Cheriet, Quillian Visiting International Professor at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, Professor of Sociology at the University of Algiers, and former Minister in charge of Women’s Affairs and the Family (2002-2003, Algeria). Offered in cooperation with NYU’s Institute of French Studies and with the support of Air France.
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Daniel Sutherland, Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Muqtedar Khan, Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Delaware and Nonresident Fellow at the Brookings Institution; and Naheed Qureshi, member of the board of the National Association of Muslim Lawyers and National Field Organizer with the American Civil Liberties Union.
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Download the Event background paper. (Acrobat PDF)> Read the report on the conference>
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A lecture in French by Mohamed Charfi, Emeritus Professor of Law at the University of Tunis, former president of the Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights, and former Minister of Education (Tunisia, 1989&ndahs;1995). Offered in cooperation with NYU’s Institute of French Studies and with the support of Air France. |
Craig Charney, President of Charney Research; Farhad Kazemi, Professor of Politics and Middle Eastern Studies, Director of NYU's Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies, and member of the U.S. Advisory Group on Public Diplomacy for the Arab and Muslim World; Edward Mortimer, Director of Communications in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, United Nations (participating in his personal capacity); and Andras Szanto, Research Affiliate at the Center for Arts and Cultural Policy Studies, Princeton University, and former director of the National Arts Journalism Program at Columbia University.
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On September 13, 2005 the NYU community gathered to honor His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al–Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar. NYU President John Sexton and Chairman of NYU's Board of Trustees Martin Lipton presented the Emir with the University's Presidential Medal for his significant contribution to strengthening the dialogue between the Islamic world and the United States. The Emir spoke on the importance of dialogue based on mutual respect as a key to improving Muslim-Western understanding.
For additional events visit the archives.
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Staff Activities
Founder and Director Mustapha Tlili introduced the panelists of the New York Public Library Live!’s first conversation on “Islam in Europe”, organized as part of “Muslim Voices: Arts & Ideas”, June 9
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Founder and Director Mustapha Tlili appeared on Iranian news channel Press TV’s foreign policy show “Hearts and Minds” in February, March, April, and May to discuss U.S.–Muslim world relations
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Founder and Director Mustapha Tlili participated in a North African tour by American writers organized through the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program in Morocco and Tunisia April 22–May 7
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Founder and Director Mustapha Tlili participated in an Alliance of Civilizations brainstorming session on “Israeli and Palestinian Dialogues” in Lisbon February 18
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Assistant Director Andrea Stanton hosted a Spanish delegation at the NYU Center for Dialogues on January 23
- Founder and Director Mustapha Tlili was interviewed for a New York Daily News article about Muslims’ understandings of martyrdom on December 10 >
- Founder and Director Mustapha Tlili appeared on international news channel Press TV’s foreign policy show “Hearts and Minds” November 24 to discuss U.S.–Syrian relations >
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Founder and Director Mustapha Tlili and Assistant Director Andrea
Stanton hosted a Russian delegation at the NYU Center for Dialogues on November 20 >
- Assistant Director Andrea Stanton spoke on Islam and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights November 14 at the American Bar Association (ABA)’s “60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights“ conference >
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Founder and Director Mustapha Tlili and Assistant Director Andrea Stanton hosted a Danish delegation at the NYU Center for Dialogues on November 4 >
- Assistant Director Andrea Stanton spoke on “Religion and the 2008
Election” at the Albany Law School “Election 2008 Symposium” held in
Albany October 30, 2008 >
- Founder and Director Mustapha Tlili spoke on “Europe and Islam:
Shared History, Shared Identity, Shared Destiny” at the Calouste
Gulbenkian Foundation’s “Distance and Proximity” Conference held in
Lisbon October 27-28, 2008 >
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