2015 U.S.-Islamic World Forum

Bruce Jones, acting vice president and director of the Foreign Policy program at Brookings; H.E. Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, prime minister and minister of the interior of Qatar; and H.E. Mohsen Marzouk, minister for political affairs for the Republic of Tunisia; and H.E. Ashraf Ghani, president of Afghanistan, via video, provided the opening remarks for the 2015 U.S.-Islamic World Forum.

This plenary session focused on historic shifts in the geopolitical realities affecting the United States’ role in the Middle East and North Africa, and how America’s ties with states in the region are changing. To open the session, Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President Colin Kahl discussed the possibility of reaching a comprehensive nuclear deal with Iran, and the implications of such an accord for regional stability.

This plenary session discussed how notions of identity are shaped by external threats, emerging opportunities, and even deliberate efforts by governments. It also explored how notions of identity have evolved in the Islamic world since the Arab Spring.

This plenary session considered the variables prolonging civil wars in the region, and propose steps toward political resolutions. The plenary brought together speakers with direct experience in conflict resolution to explore the role of local actors, regional governments, and the international community.

This plenary session included voices from Iran, the Arab world, and the United States to discuss crucial questions for regional security related to Iran’s objectives and behavior.

This plenary session featured leaders from across the Islamic World to discuss advancing women’s inclusion in politics, economics, and society in an unstable region where some efforts have taken a backseat to security concerns.

One year after the Islamic State made significant advances in Iraq, General John Allen (U.S. Marine Corp, Ret.), special presidential envoy for the global coalition to counter ISIL, delivered a keynote address to review the progress of the military campaign against the extremist group. Bruce Jones, acting vice president and director of the Foreign Policy program at Brookings, moderated a Q&A session with Allen following his remarks.

William McCants, Tamara Cofman Wittes, and H.E. Mohamed bin Abdullah Al-Rumaihi, the minister’s assistant for foreign affairs of the State of Qatar, concluded the 2015 U.S.-Islamic World Forum with remarks summarizing progress made during the Forum on key issues, including preliminary recommendations for the action group and the three working groups.