Vali Nasr

Expert on Islam and Author of The Shia Revival

The Politics of the Muslim World

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The greatest concerns facing American foreign policy today are managing relations with the Muslim world and understanding the role Islam plays in politics. Vali Nasr -- one of the world's leading experts on the Muslim world -- understands the major shifts and nuances of these issues, and, more importantly, can explain them clearly to any audience. He deconstructs the war on terror; the War in Iraq; conflicts in Afghanistan, Lebanon and Palestine; Muslim identity and democracy; renewed radicalism (and tension) in Iran; and Islamic extremism. And he ties it all together, showing you how rumblings in the Middle East profoundly affect America and the world.

Vali Nasr is the author, most recently, of Democracy in Iran and the bestseller The Shia Revival, which Karen Armstrong calls "indispensible reading for anybody who is trying to make sense of the tragic conflict of the Middle East." Nasr is a Professor of International Politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of Tufts University. He is also an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and a Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. He has written for The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, and The Washington Post; has provided commentary for CNN, BBC, and the big three networks; and has been a guest on Charlie Rose, Meet the Press and The Colbert Report.

Nasr is one of the most sought after speakers on conflicts in the Middle East. He has advised the President, senior policy makers, members of Congress, and leading executives in the private sector. He tailors each of his keynotes to the audience. From a broad framework, he explains the basics of political Islam: What is fundamentalism? Who is "good," who is "bad," what are the forces behind each, and what role does religion play? He then traces key developments that have shaped Muslim politics in the last seven years ( 9/11, al-Qaeda, the war in Iraq, and the paradox of Iran) to explain its anti-Americanism and to show us the successes and failures of democracy in the Muslim world. Hovering between militancy, insurgency, democracy and economic change, The Muslim world, in the next decade, will decide the direction it takes. With much-needed understanding, Nasr takes us through this new world, and shows us how it will impact the future.

BOOKS

The Shia Revivial

Democracy in Iran

ARTICLES

"Ancient Rift: Rising Academic Sees Sectarian Split Inflaming Mid East" - Wall Street Journal

"Sects and Violence" - New York Times

Review of The Shia Revival - New York Times

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