Ambassador Tobias Addresses Top Muslim Scholars

Ambassador Randall L. Tobias addressed the Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy's 7th Annual conference as its keynote speaker at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. Following in the theme of the luncheon "Strengthening Democracy and Improving Understanding with the Muslim world," Tobias discussed how an approach to U.S. foreign assistance focused on local ownership and collective problem solving can strengthen democracy in Muslim nations.

"The overarching objectives for U.S. foreign assistance will focus our resources on our intent to achieve peace and security; improve governance and democratic participation; promote investments in people; and engender economic growth," said Tobias. He went on to say that "No where is meeting that goal more important than in the Muslim world today - where the United States can play a vital role in helping people in nascent democracies build a free and prosperous future for themselves."

Tobias highlighted the U.S. government's commitment to assisting Muslim nations, citing the presence of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) missions in 27 of the world's 49 countries where more than 50 percent of the population practices Islam. He described a foreign assistance paradigm focused on local ownership, which will drive reforms currently underway.

Tobias serves concurrently as Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance with a rank equivalent to Deputy Secretary at the State Department and Administrator of USAID. He announced his first trip overseas in that role will take him to three Muslim nations - Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

The Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy (CSID) Annual conference is the largest international conference of "Islam & Democracy" in the world, bringing together 400 top scholars, policy makers, and activists from the United States and the Muslim world. The CSID is a non-profit organization, based in Washington DC, dedicated to studying Islamic and democratic political thought and merging them into a modern Islamic democratic discourse.

The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years. For more information about USAID, visit our Web site at www.usaid.gov

Source: U.S. Aid

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