Background The Washington Darbar is an annual interdisciplinary conference organized by the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies (AISS) in Washington, D.C., designed to foster intellectual dialogue on major religious, cultural, and political debates shaping contemporary societies. The inaugural conference, held on 26 September 2024 at George Washington University, explored the theme of Post-Islamism and examined evolving political and intellectual developments within...

The historical relationship between the Jewish world and the Persianate—encompassing contemporary Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asian communities - has spanned over two and a half millennia. From the Biblical era of Cyrus the Great, who allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Second Temple, to the vibrant Jewish communities in Persian lands under various empires and their eventual migrations, this relationship has been complex, dynamic, and de...

The concept of Post-Islamism -in circulation since 1990s- represents a pivotal shift in Islamic political thought, marking a departure from traditional Islamist ideologies towards more inclusive, democratic, and pluralistic frameworks. As an umbrella concept, it connotes a myriad of meanings and approaches: from "Religious Secularity",  "Islamic society with a Secular state", "transitioning from Political Islam to Muslim Democ...