Three months post Annapolis conference with a commitment that an agreement would be reached by end of 2008, prospects of peace are as distant as ever. With the crisis at Gaza worsening daily, and a continuation of violence across the border with Israel as well as the continued terrorisation and violence in West Bank all highlight the current realities in Middle East. At this Open Discussion Dr Bechler discussed the prospects of a peace agreement with the change of the US administration and the current realities of the troubled region.

 Rosemary Bechler is a writer and consultant with a Cambridge doctorate in literature, living in North London. In 2000, she helped found Peaceworkers UK which has since become the training wing of International Alert, of which she is a Board Member.

Since the beginning of the late middle ages, Orientalists, majority in the form of Christian missionaries attempted to assail the Qur’an. This assault has continued throughout modern times, by various orientalists who were more secular in their approach and used modern research and techniques to prove with varying arguments and assumptions that the Qur’an was infact the work of the Prophet (pbuh). Dr Ahmad Al-Achtar, Lecturer in Islamic studies, Heythrop College, University of London will discuss the arguments and assumptions made by Orientalists against the authenticity of the Qur’an and the Muslim response.

Having served the Muslim community for over 20 years, Sir Iqbal recounted his experiences - challenges and successes to the Open Discussion's audience on the 22nd of May 2007. He has led many national organisations from UK Action Committee on Islamic affairs, which was created at the time of the Satanic Verses crisis to the largest and most influential Muslim body, The Muslim Council of Britain.

Post 9/11, when the MCB came under an intense spotlight, Sir Iqbal gave the audience an insight into how, as a Secretary - General of MCB, he faced the new challenges and represented Muslim concerns to the governed and how he dealt with the hostile media.