On January 25, 2011, tens of thousands of protestors flooded Tahrir Square in Cairo, changing the course of Egyptian history. One year later, three Egyptians will meet in downtown Boston – one Jew, one Christian and one Muslim – to discuss Egypt of the past, present and future.

The event is part of the Witness Initiative, a series of discussions and lectures exploring the shared history of Jews, Muslims and Christians in the Middle East, co-sponsored by the American Jewish Committee and the American Islamic Congress. This program, “Tahrir Square Revisited: Local Egyptians Reflect on One Year after Mubarak,” will be held Jan. 18 at the American Islamic Congress offices in Boston.

Based on their first free elections since ousting President Hosni Mubarak, Egyptians appear headed toward putting the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood into power. That is raising concerns in Israel and the Jewish community at large that Egypt will be dominated by religious fundamentalists.

“This Witness program is recognition of the aspirations of some of the people involved in Tahrir Square. It is not a statement that all is well,” said Robert Leikind, director of AJC Boston.

Israel Bonan of Framingham is scheduled to speak at the event. Bonan, who is Jewish, was arrested, imprisoned and expelled from Egypt in 1967 after the Six-Day War. He was one of hundreds of Jews who were detained during the war and thrown out of the country. The other two speakers are Osama Ali, a student who took part in the Tahrir Square protests and a filmmaker who documented attacks against Coptic Christians. He asked that his name be withheld.

This is the fourth Witness Initiative event since the program began last year. Conceived before the start of the Arab Spring, the program’s timing couldn’t have been better, Leikind said.

A forum that featured two Libyan speakers – one Jewish and one Muslim Berber – took place at the time of the Libyan civil war. The two men shared their stories of repression and exile.

“If you didn’t know which was Muslim and which was Jewish, it would be hard to tell,” Leikind said. “They had very different histories but a lot of what they went through, the danger, the isolation and ultimately the need to leave, was very much in common.”

The initiative has provided a place for Muslims and Jews in the community to find that common ground, through listening to shared experiences or schmoozing over a cup of coffee afterward, Leikind said.

The events that have been open to the public have been well attended, even while some have not welcomed the idea of working with the Muslim community, Leikind said.

“Each story opens up a world,” Leikind said. “One has to respect the complexity of the world we live in and realize that even if we are advocates, we have to be open to learning.”

“Tahrir Square Revisited: Local Egyptians Reflect on One Year after Mubarak,” will be held Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. at 38 Newbury St. (Suite 702). It is free and open to the public. Visit www.ajcboston.org/witnesses.