With the war to liberate Iraq now underway, what are the prospects for a future democracy in Iraq? What is the future of the rule of law, respect for women and human rights, and political and religious freedom in Iraq and the Muslim world in general? What is the special role of the American Muslim community in building a democratic future in the Muslim world?

The Ethics and Public Policy Center has invited Zainab Al-Suwaij to present her observations and reflections on these and other questions. Ms. Al-Suwaij is the executive director of the American Islamic Congress, an organization founded after September 11 in the belief that American Muslims should play a leading role in rejecting Islamist radicalism and promoting a democratic future in the Muslim world. A Shiite Muslim and native of Basrah, Iraq, Ms. Al-Suwaij’s memoir of the failed 1991 uprising against Saddam Hussein appeared in The New Republic ("The Fire Last Time", February 10, 2003), and her other articles on Islam and democracy have been published in USA Today and the Wall Street Journal.