American-Muslim Relations: Navigating Challenges and Opportunities Beirut, May 8th, 2025

Following the October 7^th attack and nearly a year into the conflict in the Middle East, Muslim-American relations seem more strained than ever, compounded by the constant threat of terrorism and an increasingly complex and unstable global political landscape. However, for almost every instance that sparked Muslim distrust and discontent with the U.S., one can point to policy decisions that favored the interests of Muslims worldwide, from the [albeit limited] support for movements of independence from European colonial forces to championing Afghanistan’s “mujahideen,” and from the American influence exerted to remove the French and the British from the Suez Canal to the intervention to protect Muslim civilians in Bosnia. The rise of Russia and China as new world powers also requires the U.S. to find influential Muslim allies, with the latter constituting 1/5 of the world population and controlling essential resources and trade routes in the Middle East, East Asia, and Africa. In these interstices of history lays the hope for a future of cooperation and peace despite the current state of affairs.

To transform these challenges into opportunities, and out of our commitment to employ scientific knowledge and innovative perspectives to resolve and avert crises, ICGER is organizing this international conference titled “American-Muslim Relations: Challenges and Opportunities.” This scholarly interdisciplinary conference will host academics and practicing professionals in history, political science, Islamic studies, international relations, sociology, anthropology, public administration, and any related specialization to discuss and present their research or relevant experience. You are invited to submit your papers under these general topics (and on all relevant geographic areas)