Featuring Amir A. Nasr, Author, My Isl@m: How Fundamentalism Stole My Mind—and Doubt Freed My Soul (St. Martin’s Press, 2013); with comments by Suad Ad., Researcher, Arab Center for Scientific Research and Humane Studies, Morocco; moderated by Ian Vasquez, Director, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, Cato Institute.
The disappointing aftermath of the Arab Spring produced pessimism about the spread of liberalism in much of the Muslim world. Sudanese-born author Amir Ahmad Nasr will draw from his profoundly personal and critically acclaimed book to discuss the real ramifications of the digital revolution and the social movements it helped unleash. He will make the case for an assertive liberalism and explain how the power of the internet is a force for good in transforming ideas and identities in Islamic societies. Suad Ad. will explain why such optimism is justified now that the door has opened for people to question dogmas and think about new possibilities for social change even if the initial goals of the Arab Spring were not achieved.