The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom invited Sven W. Speer, president of the Open Religious Policy Forum, to speak about ” The re-formation of German religion policy as a reaction to Islam”. Through several data analyses, he confirms his hypothesis that the growing state intervention is driven by the perception of Islam as a risk.

The presentation will take place in Washington, D.C., on March 3.

Dr. Sven Speer is Founding President of the Open Religious Policy Forum (FOR) since 2011. As staff and with presentations and expert report he advises governments, members of parliament, religious congregations, and NGOs on the relation between state and religion - e.g. in Berlin, Jerusalem, Beirut, Cairo, Washington, D.C., Houston, and Salt Lake City. Speer has studied political science and history and has investigated government regulation on religion at the Cluster of Excellence 'Religion and Politics', the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and the Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies.