Conflict and Religion in U.S. Foreign Policy: A New Way?

June 18, 2009 • 2:00 – 3:30 pm EDT

Building on President Obama's Speech in Cairo with: Ambassador Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat of the Republic of Indonesia to the United States

Ambassador Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat of the Republic of Indonesia

Shaun Casey, Associate Professor of Christian Ethics, Wesley Theological Seminary

Amr Ramadan, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Egypt

Nadia Bilbassy-Charters (moderator),Senior U.S. Correspondent, Middle East Broadcasting Center

So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace... This cycle of suspicion and discord must end.

      -President Obama, Cairo Speech, June 4, 2009

President Obama’s speech to the Muslim world has expanded the discourse on religion in U.S. public dialogue.  From dealing with violent extremism in Afghanistan and Pakistan, to the ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine, there needs to be an improved understanding of faith in U.S. foreign policy.  But how does this translate to concrete actions and a way forward for improving U.S. engagement, not just with Islam, but with religious societies, particularly in conflict-prone settings around the world?