Islam and democracy: It’s a complicated relationship.

On April 18, Missouri State University will welcome an expert to campus to shine a light on the topic.

Dr. Kamran Bokhari is a senior analyst with Geopolitical Futures and an MSU alumnus. He is also an expert on the relationship between democracy and Islam.

“Whenever we have an opportunity, we love to showcase the success of our graduates,” said Dr. George Connor, political science department head. “Kamran’s lecture will help broaden our understanding of Islam and will greatly benefit our community.”

Bokhari will present a lecture titled “Islamists, Jihadists, Autocratic Meltdown and Geosectarianism” at 7 p.m. in Karls Hall, Room 101.

Minor in Middle Eastern studies

Looking to the future

Bokhari’s perspective is crucial for the future because religion will play a large role in Muslim countries that embrace democracy.

“Democratization will happen very differently in the Middle East from the way it took root in the West,” said Bokhari. “There are many different Muslim attitudes toward democracy, so there will be many different types of Muslim democracies.”

To figure out how democracy and Islam may work together in the future, it is important to understand current trends in Middle Eastern politics.

“My lecture will try to equip people with the tools that will help them understand the growing complexity of the conflicts in the Middle East,” said Bokhari. “These tools can be very helpful as they go about making sense of daily news reports.”

This lecture is made possible thanks to the support for Middle Eastern studies by the Strong family. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Connor at 417-836-5630.