Tuesday, December 13th 2011

Focus Syria: Implications of the fall of Assad for the isolation of the Iranian regime

Lecture and discussion with

Farid Ghadry (Reform Party of Syria) and
Jonathan Spyer (GLORIA-Center, IDC, Israel)

Chair: Simone Dinah Hartmann (STOP THE BOMB)

Tuesday, December 13th 2011, 7 PM
University Campus Altes AKH, Aula, Court 1 (Plan)
Alserstraße/Spitalgasse, 1090 Vienna

Reception with wine after the debate.

The event will be held in English. Please plan for possible checking at the entrance.

Will Bashar Assad's regime stay in power by using brutal force against the uprising that started in March 2011? Which chances has the opposition, and how is it composed? What role does the Syrian regime play in the region, and what would be the consequences of a fall or survival of the regime for the Iranian-dominated so-called "resistance camp" with Hamas and Hezbollah? What strategies should the West pursue to promote a democratic and secular development in Syria and the region, and to bolster the security of Israel?

Farid Ghadry, born in Aleppo, is co-founder and President of the US-based Reform Party of Syria (RPS). RPS campaigns for the fall of the Assad regime but RPS also stands against the influence of Islamists in Syria’s future. Mr. Ghadry advocates reconciliation between a free Syria and the State of Israel. In 2007, the Assad regime revoked Mr. Ghadry’s Syrian citizenship after the Knesset issued an invitation for him to speak about co-existence and peace between Syrians and Israelis. (www.ghadry.com)

Dr. Jonathan Spyer, born in London, now lives in Jerusalem and works as a Senior Research Fellow at the Global Research in International Affairs Center (www.gloria-center.org) of the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya. He writes inter alia for the "Guardian", "Haaretz" and the "Jerusalem Post", and was featured as an expert by BBC, Al Jazeera and CNN. His book "The Transforming Fire. The Rise of the Islamist-Israeli Conflict "(2010) discusses the rise of Islamism and was named several times one of the best and most important books on the Middle East. (www.jonathanspyer.com)

Organized by STOP THE BOMB