On April 2, 2025, the Macdonald-Laurier Institute hosted an inspiring and timely armchair discussion on interfaith dialogue, peace, and Israel’s future, featuring prominent Arab peace activist Loay Alshareef in conversation with MLI Senior Fellow Casey Babb.
The event began with opening remarks from MLI Managing Director Brian Lee Crowley, who underscored the existential stakes facing Israel and introduced Alshareef as a voice of reason and reconciliation.
Loay Alshareef – a linguist, educator, and widely respected content creator –offered personal reflections on his journey from growing up in a religiously conservative and antisemitic environment in Saudi Arabia to becoming a champion of peace and Jewish-Muslim understanding. Drawing on his deep knowledge of Semitic languages and shared histories, Alshareef made the case that Islam, far from being inherently hostile to Judaism, contains within it traditions that recognize the Jewish people’s connection to the land of Israel.
In a wide-ranging discussion with Babb, the two explored the future of peace and coexistence in the Middle East following the horrors of the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks on Israel. Alshareef highlighted the dangers of rising extremism, the expanding reach of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the need for Canada to pay closer attention to reformist voices in the Middle East. He emphasized that Palestinians themselves are often victims of Hamas’s brutality and urged international actors not to overlook the protests and resistance movements emerging from within Palestinian society.
A key theme of the conversation was the importance of building coalitions that extend beyond Jewish communities. Alshareef called on Arabs and Muslims in the West to play a larger role in opposing antisemitism and radicalization. His message was one of moral clarity: peace can only be achieved when ignorance is replaced with understanding, and when extremism is countered not just militarily, but ideologically and culturally.
A lively audience Q&A followed, where participants engaged deeply with the discussion’s themes of interfaith outreach, counter-extremism, and the responsibilities of liberal democracies in confronting hate.
We are grateful to Loay Alshareef and Casey Babb for their thoughtful and courageous contributions to this vital conversation. Their example shows that dialogue rooted in respect, shared history, and truth can chart a path toward peace and mutual recognition.
