Islam and Democracy: Possibilities, Challenges, and Risks of Bringing Democracy to Islamic Nations, Government, and People

In today's program, we will be addressing "Islam and Democracy: The Possibilities, the Challenges and the Risks of Trying to Bring Democracy to Islamic Nations, Governments and People." I am very pleased to have with us today a group of very distinguished Islamic scholars who will address and lead a discussion on these very important, compelling, and frankly often misunderstood issues and questions. They'll be doing this for the benefit of our Open Forum's constituents, which include U.S. foreign policy formulators, decisionmakers, implementers, and enablers. We want to encourage very active audience participation in the discussions and the questions and answers during today's program. There are index cards in front of you on which you can write your questions. If you need a pen, just raise your hand--in a few minutes one of my assistants will be here and will pick up your cards or give you a pen so they can write down a question, and we'll bring it here to the podium for our panel to consider.

Before we begin today's program, I would like to remind everybody that the Open Forum was created and serves primarily as a listening device and a learning tool for the benefit of our U.S. foreign policymakers, by providing experts and leading opinionmakers with an unusual opportunity to come before them and directly address them and propose policy alternatives, differing points of view, and ideas for their consideration. Consequently, any of the views, opinions, or comments expressed at today's program, including those of my own, do not necessarily reflect those of the Secretary, the State Department, or this Administration.

To begin today's program, I would like to introduce to you the moderator for the panel discussion, Alexander Kronemer. Mr. Kronemer is a frequent writer and lecturer on religious diversity, Islamic awareness, and cross-cultural communication. He has published essays in numerous newspapers and journals, including the Christian Science Monitor, the Los Angeles Times, the San Jose Mercury News, and the Washington Post. His articles have been included in several books and anthologies, including "What Would Mohammad Say About Terrorism?"; a September 11th memorial book, "Up From the Ashes"; "Islam and Democracy"; and "Taking Back Islam." He has received numerous writing awards, among them a 2000 grant from the Montgomery County Commission on Humanities and a 1989 Halberstam Writing Fellowship.