In the Middle East today, conflicts along religious and ethnic dimensions create situations in which minorities are in great danger. It is important to look at how constitutions and their supporting institutions can protect religious pluralism and toleration in mixed or divided societies. What are the constitutional arrangements that are the most successful in ensuring minority rights? How can constitutions deal with the tensions between individual and communal rights? What can we harness from local social, political and cultural traditions in various Middle East and North African cultures to aid the development of constitutions that promote pluralism? Top scholars have gathered at Columbia University (NY) on December 3rd, 2013, to discuss these questions.