WASHINGTON DC

A Conversation with Mouaz Al-Khatib, Founding President of the Syrian National Council

Presented by the Middle East Institute

The Middle East Institute and the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy are pleased to host Mouaz Al-Khatib (Founding President, Syrian National Council, and former Imam at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus) for a discussion of the latest conflict dynamics in Syria and his vision for the country’s political future. Drawing upon his crucial experience in Syria’s revolutionary movement and his efforts to bring about an inclusive political solution to the conflict, Sheikh Al-Khatib will discuss U.S. policy toward Syria, the global strategy to combat the Islamic State, and current diplomatic efforts to renew peace talks between the regime and the increasingly fragmented opposition.

Featured Speakers:

Biographies:

Mouaz Al-Khatib was founding president of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) and a renowned former imam of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus until the Assad regime banned him from preaching.

Mohammed Alaa Ghanem (Interpreter) is the senior political adviser, government relations director, and strategist for the Syrian American Council in Washington DC.

Robert Ford (Moderator) is senior fellow at The Middle East Institute and concurrently teaches at Johns Hopkins University.