President Obama is expected to participate in the UN-connected meeting called the Alliance of Civilizations. It is the second forum of the alliance and scheduled for April 6-7 in Istanbul. The Alliance was established in 2005, and it aims to reduce cross-cultural tensions. The director of the alliance has said that Obama’s visit to Turkey (his first trip to a Muslim country since becoming President) would “signal an attitude in favor of a high dose of openness and cautious dialogue. It would also signal a preparedness to listen and to show respect – one of the basic tenets of the Alliance.” The hope that this brings to the other member countries that U.S. policy has shifted is immense. One topic, which we have been following in this blog is the debate “on defamation of religion versus freedom of expression.” The press release for the upcoming Alliance Conference reiterates that the Alliance tries to stay clear of that controversial and inflammatory debate.
