Reza Aslan: Who's Really in Charge of Iran?
United Nations Alliance of Civilizations - The Times Center
In June 2009, President Obama called for 'a new beginning' in relations between the United States and Muslim world. One year later, with no sign of an Israel-Palestine peace deal, a deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, and an ongoing nuclear standoff with Iran, has the "new beginning" stalled? Is the process of engagement a long-term one? Should the current strategy be sustained?What can politicians do to re-build trust among these communities? How much impact do foreign policy decisions actually have on individuals' perceptions of Muslim-West relations? What is the role of media in shaping public opinion? How significant is the role of the Arab-Israeli conflict in widening the gap between communities in the US, Europe and the so-called "Muslim world"? Is progress on the Middle East front a sine qua non for the improvement of Muslim-West relations?
