The Renaissance Man

Israel-Hamas War Update, October 19

The following is a recording of audio from an emergency event regarding the Israel-Hamas war hosted by the Charles Malik Institute. Given the realities of war and the vital need to understand what's happening in the holy Land, we held a conversation about the current state of the Israel-Hamas war, the situation in Gaza, Israel’s security challenges, and the antecedents that led to the present situation. The recording features updates on the situation from CMI Associate Director Liza Ashely, as of October 19, 2023.

Misinformation in the Near East: Webinar

The following is the recorded audio from "Misinformation in the Near East" a webinar by The Charles Malik Institute, featuring guest speaker Uzay Bulut.  Many of us have watched with bated breath over the past year as headlines roll out around the world, especially in the Near East, about government suppression and citizen unrest. With the democratization of communication in the internet age, repressive regimes have resorted to increasingly creative and draconian measures to suppress the free flow of accurate information and skirt accountability. Add to this the complicated moral landscape of big tech, and myriad more problems arise. Nearly 75 years ago, Charles Malik and several other key authors drafted “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” in which the importance of media freedom was cemented.  Most of us understand, with Malik, the importance of press freedom. But, it is much harder to articulate the exact problems and interest groups that interfere with it and, harder still, to navigate a path forward. Listen to our webinar where we discuss these topics and more, titled “Misinformation in the Near East: How Government Repression Shapes Culture, Politics, and Belief on the Ground” with Turkish journalist Uzay Bulut. Her work on human rights in the Near East and related topics has appeared in numerous major media outlets.

Iran's Use of Proxy Powers in the Near East: Webinar

The following is the recorded audio from "Iran's Use of Proxy Powers in the Near East" a webinar by The Charles Malik Institute, featuring guest speaker Farhad Rezaei.  The death of a young Iranian woman, #MahsaAmini, has sparked nationwide protests that reflect Iranians' growing discontent with the regime's draconian policies. Listen to our Q&A session with Senior Research Fellow Farhad Rezaei. You will learn how recent developments like the Mahsa Amini protests and the widespread persecution of Iranian Christians reflect the broader Iranian agenda that subserviate its citizens to its political and religious ideology.

The Problem of Leadership

The following is an exerpt from an address by Charles Malik before the faculty and students of the Department of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas, Austin, Texas, in the evening of Tuesday, April 22, 1975. Themes from this address were later repeated before several audiences in Austin and Houston, including the joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Legislature of the state of Texas.

The Crisis of the University: Webinar

The following is the recorded audio from "The Crisis of the University," a webinar by The Charles Malik Institute, featuring guest speaker Dr. Joseph Loconte.  Inside a Christian worldview, what is the university for? What is its principal function and aim? Over 4 decades ago, Charles Malik wrote a poignant book entitled A Christian Critique of the University, in which he, somewhat prophetically, anticipates many of the problems now endemic in Western higher education. Join Liza Ashley and Dr. Joseph Loconte, distinguished visiting professor at Grove City College and Senior Fellow at the Institute on Religion and Democracy, as they consider the current cultural moment in light of Malik’s work.