Join us for a discussion with Mohamed Okda on the current state and future of Salafist political parties in Egypt. Egypt is going through what could be its most important transitional period in its modern history. Since July 3, 2013, the country has been going through a peaked political and economic crisis and an intense debate over the role of political parties with Islamic backgrounds. The confrontation between Islamic parties on the one hand and the state and the public on the other highlight the challenges that these parties will face going forward: challenges to their vision, challenges to their role in society, and challenges to their ultimate survival. Can they survive the political upheaval, and what will the outcome mean?
This event will be moderated by Tarek Masoud, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School. The event is a brown-bag (bring your own) lunch; cookies and coffee will be provided.
About Mohamed Okda:
Mohamed Okda is a political consultant who is active in Egyptian and international politics. After 20 years away from Egypt, Mr. Okda returned following the 2011 revolution to help rebuild and reshape the future of Egypt. He started a social education business and, in 2012, became a founding member of Egypt’s Al-Watan party where he serves as a member of the Executive Office and Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee. He became a member of the National Pro Democracy and Anti-Coup Coalition in Egypt after the military takeover in July 2013, and he is a member of its overseas body.
Previously, Mr. Okda campaigned for civil rights in Egypt and remains active in the fields of economics, politics, human rights, free speech, and entrepreneurship. He has taught at Lewis University in Illinois. He holds an MBA from the Booth Graduate School of Business at the University of Chicago and an LLB from Egypt. He is fluent in three languages. Mr. Okda is a frequent media commentator and often contributes to programs such as BBC Impact, BBC Newsday, CBS, Al Jazeera, CNBC, NileTV, and CBC Canada. He has published opinion articles in publications such as Time Magazine, UK Telegraph, and Christian Science Monitor, among others. He was recently a guest speaker at Georgetown University, University of Chicago, Casa Arabe Cordoba Spain, Stimson Center, National Endowment for Democracy, and the Middle East Institute in Washington, DC.
