This week marked the beginning of the 2003 Middle East and Central Asia Politics, Economics, and Society Conference.

The conference features more than 30 different panel discussions, nearly 120 paper presentations as well as documentaries on Afghanistan and Iran. Students can also enjoy Central Asian folk dancing and music.

The conference is beneficial to the students of the U for many reasons.

Recently, there have been a couple of speakers at the Hinckley Institute of Politics discussing issues related to the Middle East.

Ravil Bukharev, a reporter with the BBC, spoke of his recent experiences while traveling through Islamic countries along the Volga River in Russia.

Bukharev’s message focused on the Islamic culture itself. Bukharev spoke of the lack of freedom in dialogue among Islamic sects. This poses the greatest challenge to the possibility of democracy emerging in the future of the region.

Bukharev represents a growing segment of Muslims who are taking a “progressive” stance toward their religion, and view intolerance within the Islamic world as a central problem. For Bukharev and others, change needs to come from within the community-only then might democracy be possible.

Another speaker to visit the Hinckley Institute was Professor Geid Reski. Reski’s topic was “Respect for Practical Politics.”

Reski discussed the goal of international peace in the region and how such a goal seems unlikely considering the real-world impracticalities.

Reski drew a comparison of the current situation in Iraq and the situation the U.S. faced in Vietnam. Reski noted the similarities in the news coverage of casualties.

Reski also spoke of a growing concern over what seems to be a lapse in constitutional traditions this country was founded on-specifically in the way that the United States works in the international community.

The discussions fostered by both Bukharev and Reski are just a couple among many that will be taking place on campus.

Students would be wise to take advantage of the conference. At the risk of stating the obvious, it seems that issues dealing with the Middle East and Islamic culture are becoming issues that Americans too must deal with.

Sept. 11 and the War on Terror are both good illustrations of the need for an increased understanding of the issues brewing in the Middle East. No longer is it just a sad story to be seen on the evening news. Understanding in this area will no doubt be useful to all who are wise enough to seek it out.