Conflict vs. Stability in Muslim-Majority Countries—What Makes the Difference? Part 2

Continuing political unrest in the Middle East, Palestinian-Israeli tensions, and the presence of Al-Qaeda and ISIS, have led some in the West to believe that something about the religion of Islam itself is the cause. Are these difficulties driven by religion, or is the truth more complex?

The Madison Committee on Foreign Relations will host two programs in December and January to explore this issue.   Together, the two programs will contribute some clarity to a complex and much-misunderstood aspect of the modern political situation.

January's Program:
 
Political unrest in the Middle East has led many to believe that something about the religion of Islam itself is the cause. This program will focus on "stable" Islam-majority countries, particularly those in Southeast Asia. Dr. Eunsook Jung will discuss factors that separate these countries from the more conflict-ridden Islam-majority countries in the Middle East.

Dr. Jung, of the UW-Madison Department of Political Science, is the Director of International Programs for the department and is affiliated with the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, the Center for East Asian Studies & Middle Eastern Studies Program.  She received MA and PhD degrees from UW-Madison. She is a Southeast Asia specialist, conducts research in Indonesia, and has published on Islam and governing in the southeast Asia area.

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