| The participation of Islamists in elections.
Is the process legitimate even though their agenda may entail subverting state structures? Should we permit movements who resort to anti-system frames and methods the right to participate in political life? Should we be weary of their social agenda or just take it for what it's worth? | |
| How do contemporary Islamic States deal with religious minorities? Do they provide for fairness with respect to rights, opportunities and culture? | |
| Did Islam play a positive role in the development of Muslim countries in moder times?
What is the measured impact of Islam on society? How did Muslim countries develop differently from countries with other spiritual cultures? What were the positive and negative contributions. | |
| Should the Sufi and Aga Khan Ismaeli offshoots of Islam continue to be empowered by the west as their choice of "moderate Islam"? Will main stream Muslims approve or will they resist being represented by these esoteric version of Islam? | |
| Is there a "Shia Crescent"? (Iran, Iraq, Syria, Hezbollah) and should the Sunni Arab world worry? will Sunni-Shia differences lead to an escalated conflict in the Middle East? | |
| There is a conflict between "Islam" and "The west." In your opinion, what went wrong? and can you propose specific creative conflict resolution strategies to improve understanding and trust between the two camps? | |
| In many countries today, there is an apparent battle being painted in the media between the forces of "Islam" and the forces of "secularism." Yet, is this battle real or imagined? Is Islam necessarily at odds with secularism? Can Islam be reconciled with the different systems of secularism that exist? In France? In India? In the United States? What does the rise of political Islam mean for secular governments? |
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The Two Seas Forum for Dialogue is an online round-table which brings together a large group of commentators - scholars,
journalists, religious authorities, writers, activists, etc. - and asks them to contribute opinion pieces in response to weekly discussion questions.
Our commentators represent a diverse range of cultural and theological backgrounds: Sunnis and Shiites; Arabs, Asians, Africans, Europeans, and Americans; orthodox, secular, progressive, and esoteric. The goal of this forum is to encourage dialogue between different viewpoints within Islam, as well as between Muslims and non-Muslims, on a wide variety of issues.