Key Mideast minority rights debate: 18 September

Masri Feki

An important debate on why minority rights in the Middle East are the key to pluralism and peace in the region will take place in London at the prestigious School of Oriental and African Studies on 18 September. The topic will be introduced by Masri Feki, a young Egyptian political scientist and author.

What we commonly think of as the 'Arab and Muslim world' is in fact a rich and varied mosaic of peoples. Over the last 50 years, many Middle Eastern minorities have been oppressed or have struggled to survive - be they national groups ( Berbers, Kurds, Turkomans, etc), religious communities (Christians, Zoroastrians, Baha'is, etc) or both (Armenians, Jews, etc). Sects, such as Shi’ites in the Gulf states and Sunnis in Iran, have not been successfully integrated within Islam itself.

Masri Feki sees minority rights as central to his vision of secular democracy. Now, more than ever, thriving minorities are the cornerstone of a healthy civil society and the key to pluralism and peace in this troubled region.

Following Masri Feki's lecture, representatives of Middle Eastern minorities are invited to take part in a debate on how best to build a new and better Middle East.

Born in Cairo, Masri M Feki is a political scientist and author of several works on the Middle East. He writes for the Turkish and Arabic press. He is the founder of a pressure group based in Paris, The Middle East Pact (MEP), which works to bring Middle Eastern communities together around a regional political pact.

The event is being organised by the London Middle East Institute in association with Harif. Please refer to the Harif website for full details.