Updates

Ten insights into the current turmoil in the Middle East in ten minutes – that’s what Ehud Ya’ari, one of Israel’s top Middle East analysts delivered in his presentation at a public forum held on February 6 by the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University, in Bangkok.

The forum, on the topic “Militant Islam and Middle East Turmoil: Lessons From and Implications For Southeast Asia”, featured Ya’ari and two other Israeli Middle East experts on the panel – Dr. Jonathan Spyer and Prof. David Menashri – together with top commentators from Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Ya’ari’s ten insights:

• We are witnessing the struggle to define Islam in the modern age
• This struggle to define Islam must be conducted first and foremost by Muslims themselves
• The war against IS and militant Islamism is more than a military challenge
• The war against IS and militant Islamism also requires a determined military response
• In order to weaken jihadism, you have to tackle its ideological roots
• Extremist Islam will continue to grow if left unchecked within the Muslim community
• Iran, which promotes Shi’ite jihadism, can’t be an ally against Sunni jihadism
• The West must understand that the Muslim Brotherhood is not moderate, but extremist
• Southeast Asian Muslims should be part of the solution to combatting Muslim extremism
• Moderate Southeast Asian Muslims need a viable strategy to amplify their message

To watch Ya’ari’s full presentation, click here. (Ya’ari’s segment follows a presentation by Dr. Jonathan Spyer and begins 25 minutes into the clip)

The rest of the forum is also available on YouTube: here [Prof. David Menashri, Endy Bayuni (Indonesia) and Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Mohamed Jawhar Hassan (Malaysia)] and here [Kavi Chongkittavorn (Thailand) and Q&A].

The full two-and-a-half hour forum will also be broadcast three times on on Sky News A-PAC, Australia’s Public Affairs Channel, (Channel 648 on Foxtel and their website http://www.a-pac.tv/ ) on Saturday 21 February, at 9:40am, 3:45pm and 9:50pm.

Ahron Shapiro