¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Today the Middle East is torn apart by sectarian wars. Yet in the nineteenth century, the Middle East was more tolerant than Western Europe. In his new book Holy Lands: Reviving Pluralism in the Middle East, Nicolas Pelham, argues that the Ottoman Empire allowed religious pluralism and self determination to flourish until European powers broke the empire up into secular nation-states, a spectacular failure spawning sectarian violence since. The solution, Pelham argues is to try and revive the lost pluralist tradition.

Nicolas Pelham isÌýThe Economist’sÌýcorrespondent in Jerusalem and writes on Arab affairs forÌýThe New York Review of Books. He first worked as a journalist in Cairo in 1992 and then joined the BBC Arabic Service. From 2001 to 2004 he reported forÌýThe EconomistÌýand theÌýFinancial TimesÌýin Iraq and Jordan. He is the author ofÌýA New Muslim OrderÌý(2008) and co-author with Peter Mansfield ofÌýA History of the Middle EastÌý(2010).Ìý

¹ú²úÊÓƵ is pleased to welcome Mr. Pelham for a discussion of his book and pluralism in the Middle East.Ìý

Copies of the book will be available for purchase by check or credit card.Ìý

±Ê²¹°ù³Ù¾±³¦¾±±è²¹²Ô³Ù²õ:Ìý

Nicolas PelhamÌý
Jerusalem Correspondent,ÌýThe EconomistÌý
Author,ÌýHoly Lands: Reviving Pluralism in the Middle EastÌýÌý

Moderator:Ìý

Nadia Oweidat, Ph. D.
Smith Richardson FellowÌý