Religious and Ethnic Minorities in the Middle East 11/08/11
The plight of religious and ethnic minorities in the Middle East today will be examined through speakers representing various religious and/or ethnic groups. These groups face pressure to assimilate or to leave. What is the current situation of religious minorities and ethnic groups? What challenges do they face? How can the situation be monitored and documented? What can be done to preserve these communities within the fabric of the Middle East?

Moderator: CAROLE BASRI, Senior Vice President, Balint, Brown & Basri LLC; Adjunct Professor, Fordham University School of Law

Speakers: HON. IRWIN COTLER, Member of Parliament; Former Attorney General and Minister of Justice of Canada; DR. ASHRAF RAMELAH, Founder and President, Human Rights Organization “Voice of the Copts,” ANTHONY VANCE, Director, External Affairs at Baha'i National Center

Commentators: MALVINA HALBERSTAM, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law; ELIZABETH DEFEIS, Seton Hall University Law School