Talks

Hudson Institute Talk: Defection from Islam

Hudson Talk: Defection from Islam from John on Vimeo.

Ziya Meral provides an overview of treatment of apostates in Muslim-majority states and communities today and explains why the issue of conversion from Islam is one of the most contentious issues in the Islamic world today. He presents the socio-political and cultural factors that lead to persecution. He notes that the issue of apostasy is often debated in abstract, especially in debates on Islam and democracy, but he says it is first and foremost an over looked human rights abuse committed by states.

Public talks in September and October 2011

September 09: I am speaking at the "Liberty and Tolerance in an Age of Religious Conflict" conference along with a group of leading Muslim, Christian and Jewish thinkers and activists at the Berkley Center of Georgetown University, Washington DC.

September 10: I am speaking alongside Arik Ascherman; Executive Director of Rabbis for Human Rights and Rana Husseini; Muslim author of Murder in the Name of Honor at a dinner event with the title "How Muslims, Jews and Christians Pursue Peace Together",8:15 p.m.-10:30 p.m. at the Truro Church, Undercroft 10520 Main Street, Fairfax, VA 22030

September 27: I will be speaking alongside Dr Nazila Ghanea of Oxford University and H.G. Bishop Angelos of Coptic Orthodox Church at the Labour Party conference official side event in Liverpool chaired by Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, addressing the question "Will religious freedom survive the Arab Spring?"

September 29: I will be giving a lecture on current social and political changes in the Middle East and North Africa at the Radley College, Oxfordshire, UK.

October 11: I will be speaking at a conference in Cairo which will bring together Egyptian amd Turkish intellectuals to discuss common concerns and developments in both countries. The confernce is organized by the American University in Cairo and Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies.

October 15: I am giving a talk with the title "Arab Spring and Social Media" at the Christian New Media conference held at City University London.

October 26: I will be giving a talk with the title  "Domestic and foreign policy challenges in Turkey and Implications for investors" at the Turkey: A World of Opportunities forum in London, organized by the Middle East Association.

Public Talks in September

September 09: I am speaking at the "Liberty and Tolerance in an Age of Religious Conflict" conference along with a group of leading Muslim, Christian and Jewish thinkers and activists at the Berkley Center of Georgetown University, Washington DC.

September 10: I am speaking alongside Arik Ascherman; Executive Director of Rabbis for Human Rights and Rana Husseini; Muslim author of Murder in the Name of Honor at a dinner event with the title "How Muslims, Jews and Christians Pursue Peace Together",8:15 p.m.-10:30 p.m. at the Truro Church, Undercroft 10520 Main Street, Fairfax, VA 22030

Public Talk in July 2011

On July 29, I will be speaking at the following Congressional briefing:

The Interplay between Religious Freedom, Extremism, and Security: Implications for U.S. Policy

WHERE: 2103 Rayburn House Office Building, U.S. House of Representatives

WHEN: Friday, July 29, 2011 --- 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm







The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) invites you to a staff briefing, “The Interplay between Religious Freedom, Extremism, and Security: Implications for U.S. Policy” on Friday, July 29 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm in Rayburn 2103.

A panel of experts will discuss the interplay between religious freedom, extremism, and security with a particular focus on U.S. policy toward Egypt, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Three of the panelists, Daniel Philpott, Tim Shah, and Monica Duffy Toft, will present findings and offer policy recommendations from their recently published book, God’s Century: Resurgent Religion and Global Politics. Current USCIRF Fellow Ziya Meral will speak about patterns of ethno-religious violence with case studies from countries he recently visited, Egypt and Nigeria. Questions and answers will follow.

Please contact Kristina Olney (at 202-786-0613 or KOlney@uscirf.gov) with any questions.

Public Talk in June 2011: Turkey’s Elections: A Mandate for the AKP’s Bold New Middle East Policy?


9 June 2011, Committee Room 5, House of Commons, 6-7 PM
To attend please RSVP to: diana.murguia@henryjacksonsociety.org

In recent years Turkey had appeared to be making progress on the road to integration with Europe and the West. The country’s application for EU membership, wide ranging reform of its economic, social and political sectors, as well as increased engagement on a whole range of diplomatic issues, such as Cyprus, northern Iraq and the Middle East Peace Process. More recently however, serious questions have emerged over the direction of Turkish domestic and external policy under the Justice and Development Party, known as AKP and led by Prime Minister Erdogan with significant policy input from activist Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Arguably, the debates involved are at base symptomatic of the long-standing - foundational - Turkish struggle between the “Kemalist” ideals of a secular republican nationalism traditionally associated with the Army set against Turkey's Islamic identity, as represented by the current government - but other factors require examination also.

From its initial election in 2002, every move of Turkey's conservative AKP government has caused intense domestic and international speculation over its policy directions. Was Turkey becoming more Islamic? Or becoming true to the outlook of majority of its citizens? As the Turkish economy recorded rapid growth and Turkish foreign policy undertook a distinctly proactive turn to assert Turkish influence in the Middle East and North Africa, arguably at the cost of some of her NATO allies’ interests, the AKP has undertaken widely debated initiatives, making new allies and letting go of some old ones. Alas, the upcoming elections are deemed by many to be a watershed in determining future direction for Turkish politics. Whatever the outcome, Turkey will remain a key diplomatic and strategic player between the West and the Middle East, by virtue of its geographical location alone.

Coming just days before the upcoming Turkish elections, by kind invitation of Gisela Stuart MP, The Henry Jackson Society is pleased to be able to invite you to a discussion with Ziya Meral, an expert on Turkish politics and society and Researcher in Political Science at Cambridge University. Mr Meral will offer his views on the expected results of the upcoming elections and assess the likely implications for Turkish policy at this crucial juncture.

Public talk in March 2011

March 24: I will be giving a talk with the title "Religious Freedom in the Middle East: Why Is It The least Discussed and Improved Aspect of Human Rights? " at the Strand Campus of King's College, London in a joint event of Middle Eastern Studies and Religion in Contemporary Society seminars.