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Center for Middle East Studies Events Archive Winter 2012 Middle East Events Welcoming Reception for Yair Dalal Wed., January 18 ______________________________________________________________________________ “Taking it to the Streets:” Connecting the Arab Spring Tues., January 24 Since the events of January 2011, the clamor for change and opportunity has continued to sweep not only through the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region. In the past year, popular uprisings have swept across the United States, too, in the various "occupy" movements, and we’ve seen ordinary citizens stand up to authoritarian systems considered to be unjust. This panel will discuss comparisons, connections, and possible lessons to be learned from global crises and these widespread pro-democracy movements. Panelists include Salam al-Marayati, Executive Director, Muslim Public Affairs Committee (MPAC); Juan Campo, Department of Religious Studies and Center for Middle East Studies; Nour M’rabet, Tunisian Fulbright FLTA, Department of Religious Studies; William I. Robinson, Department of Sociology; and moderator Kathleen M. Moore, professor and Vice-Chair, Department of Religious Studies. Co-sponsored by the Center for Middle East Studies and the Religious Studies Department. ______________________________________________________________________________ "Non-Muslims in the Muslim Army in Early Islam" January 29-February 2 ______________________________________________________________________________ Crises in the Horn and the Gulf Thurs., February 9 The Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula are wracked with a number of crises that have made this one of the most volatile parts of the world. Somalia and Yemen have become battlegrounds in the US "war on terror," replete with drone warfare, secret prisons, and proxy enforcers of US security. The revolutionary fervor that has swept the Arab world over the past year has been mercilessly crushed in Bahrain and turned into civil war in Yemen. This panel will address Sudan and geopolitics in the Horn, counter-revolution in the Gulf, and Eritrea's repressive authoritarian regime and the plight of refugees both inside and outside the country. Panelists include Toby C. Jones, assistant professor of History, Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences; Khalid Medani, assistant professor of Political Science and Islamic studies at McGill University; and Mahader Tesfai, Living History Project Coordinator, Associated Students, UCSB. Co-sponsored by the A.S. Human Rights Board. ______________________________________________________________________________ “MUSLIM WOMEN RECLAIMING THEIR IDENTITY” Wed., February 15, 2012 Tooran Valimorad is an activist, journalist, and specialist on women's rights in Iran. She has written extensively about Iranian women’s social and political status. Ms. Valimorad is the elected research director of Jameye Zeinab (Zeinab Society), a group of activist women who have launched several campaigns, in order to overturn some of the discriminatory laws against women. She was also the former producer and spokesperson for the Ordibehesht television series which tackled women’s issues in Iran. She is currently a commentator and researcher for various Iranian Films, including “She was an Angel." Ms. Valimorad has spoken at numerous conferences and written several books and articles on the subject of women’s status in the public and private domain of Iranian society. These include “The Bird of Dawn,” and “Status of Women in the Media.” She is currently one of the active members of Etelafe Islami Zanan (Coalition of Muslim Women) and the director and coordinator of Shabakeye Iran Zanan, which is dedicated to the work of activist Iranian women. This program was made possible with support from the Duncan and Suzanne Mellichamp Fund for Global Religion and the Iranian Studies Initiative ______________________________________________________________________________ Islamic Studies Graduate Student Conference February 17-19, Mosher Alumni House Details to follow ______________________________________________________________________________ Johan Elverskog Tues., February 21 ______________________________________________________________________________ CONFERENCE: Constitutional Politics in Modern Iran - Looking at the Past and Implications for the Future March 1-3, 2012 ______________________________________________________________________________ UCSB Middle East Ensemble Sat., March 10 ______________________________________________________________________________ Changing Societies, Changing Party Systems. Sephardi and Russian Jewish immigration in Israel and African American enfranchisement in the United States. Wed., March 14th Professor Stoll will speak on her forthcoming book with Cambridge University Press, Changing Societies, Changing Party Systems. The presentation will focus on the two case studies presented in the book, one on Israel (Sephardi and Russian Jewish immigration) and the other on the United States (African American enfranchisement). Copies of the manuscript can be downloaded at: This book explores how changes in society that increase the heterogeneity of the citizenry, from immigration to expansions in the franchise, shape democratic political competition; the ways in which political institutions and other factors (both systemic and group-specific) condition this process; and the normative implications of the different paths to political representation that new social groups can take. More specifically, it asks (1) whether new social groups are successful at forming their own sectarian political parties and why and (2) whether it matters for democratic representation if they are. Israel (Sephardi and Russian Jewish immigration) and the United States (African American enfranchisement) are the two case studies. ______________________________________________________________________________ "Variations on Kazakh-ness: What Internationally Competitive Sports Tell Us about Identity and Nation-Building in Kazakhstan." Thurs., May 24th, 4:00pm Barbara Junisbai studies the emergence of and variation in political opposition in the post-Soviet autocracies. Her current study began with a simple question: Under what conditions are people-both ordinary citizens and elites who have amassed great power and wealth-willing to publicly challenge the regime and establish opposition movements, especially when doing so entails significant (and avoidable) risk? In search of an answer, she is conducting a cross-national study of grassroots and elite-led opposition movements that have formed in the region from the late 1980s to the present. The data reveal an interesting pattern regarding the role of business owners in opposition politics, one that challenges long-held assumptions about the causal link between privatization and political contestation. This and other findings shed light on both the practices that undergird autocratic rule and the processes by which entrenched autocrats can be suddenly and unexpectedly toppled. ______________________________________________________________________________
Fall 2011 Middle East Events “Not in the Age of the Pharoahs: Contemporary Art, the Arab Spring, and After” Tues., Sept. 27, 2011 ______________________________________________________________________________ Cup of Culture Wed., Oct. 5, 2011 This film follows Michael and his real-life kindred spirits on their first U.S. tour, where they incite a riot of young hijabi girls at the largest Muslim gathering in North America after Sena takes the stage. The film then travels with them to Pakistan, where members of the first Taqwacore band, The Kominas, bring punk to the streets of Lahore and Michael begins to reconcile his fundamentalist past with the rebel he has now become. Omar Majeed, 80 min., English, 2009, Canada. ______________________________________________________________________________ “Social Media, Youth and the Jasmine Revolution” (AKA “The Arab Spring”) ______________________________________________________________________________ Hisham Matar Fri., Oct. 7, 12:00 noon Hisham Matar was born in New York City to Libyan parents and spent his childhood first in Tripoli and then in Cairo. His first novel, In the Country of Men, was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, the Guardian First Book Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award. It won six international literary awards, including a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize. It has been translated into twenty-six languages. His second novel, Anatomy of a Disappearance, has just been published. Matar lives in London, and serves as an associate professor at Barnard College. ______________________________________________________________________________ Peace through Prosperity: Jewish – Arab Economic Development in Israel Sun., October 16, 3:00 p.m. Co-sponsored by the Herman P. and Sophia Taubman Foundation Endowed Symposia in Jewish Studies at UCSB, the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center, and the Center for Middle East Studies. ______________________________________________________________________________ CMES Beginning of the Year Party -- Meet and Greet -- FREE FOOD!! ______________________________________________________________________________ "Masculinity in the Middle East: Discourses of 'Men in Crisis' in a Time of Revolution" _____________________________________________________________________________ The Arab Spring: Where are the Swallows? ______________________________________________________________________________ Militant Femininities, “Enlightened Moderation,” & the Global War on Terror: Pakistan’s Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) Movement Presented by the Orfalea Center for Global & International Studies ______________________________________________________________________________ Hamid Naficy and Shahla Haeri Friday, Oct. 21, 3-5:00 p.m. Hamid Naficy is Professor of Radio-Television-Film and the Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani Professor in Communication at Northwestern Uni- versity, and he is also an affiliate faculty in Art History. He is a leading authority in cultural studies of diaspora, exile, and postcolonial cinemas and media and of Iranian and Middle Eastern cinemas. His Latest books are An Accented Cinema: Exilic and Diasporic Filmmaking and A Social History of Iranian Cinema, a 4-volume book, whose first two volumes have just been released. Shahla Haeri is an Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology and the former director of Women’s Studies Program (2001-2010) at Boston University. She will be a Visiting Fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for International and Regional Studies in Doha, Qatar for 2011-2012. She is the author of Law of Desire: Temporary Marriage, Mut’a, in Iran (1989, 2006 4th pt.), and No Shame for the Sun: Lives of Professional Pakistani women (2002/2004), and a video documentary, “Mrs. President: Women and Political Leadership in Iran, 2002” (www.films.com). Sponsored by Iranian Studies Initiative, the Center for Middle East Studies, Feminist Studies & Hull Chair, EVC Lucas, Mellichamp Funds, Department of Religious Studies ______________________________________________________________________________ From Texas to Teheran: An Evening of Modern Classical Persian Music ______________________________________________________________________________ Shirin Ebadi Sun., October 23, 3:00 p.m. Copies of her new book, The Golden Cage: Three Brothers, Three Choices, One Destiny, will be available for purchase and signing. This event is presented by the Walter H. Capps Center for the Study of Ethics, Religion, and Public Life at UCSB. ______________________________________________________________________________ Christophe Picard (Université de Paris I, Sorbonne). Wednesday, October 26 ______________________________________________________________________________ Identity, Commemoration and Remembrance: Funerary Practice and Contested Identities in Sudanese Nubia During the time of the Kushite Pharaohs (c. 750-650 BCE) Stuart Tyson Smith (Anthropology, UCSB) Thursday, November 3 Professor Smith’s research centers on the civilizations of ancient Egypt and Nubia. He is particularly interested in the identification of ethnicity in the archaeological record and the ethnic dynamics of colonial encounters. The origins of the Napatan state, whose rulers conquered Egypt, becoming Pharaohs of the 25th Dynasty, provides the focus of his current archaeological research. He has published on the dynamics of Egyptian imperialism and royal ideology, the use of sealings in administration, death and burial in ancient Egypt and Nubia, and the ethnic, social and economic dynamics of interaction between ancient Egypt and Nubia. Sponsored by the IHC’s Identity RFG. ______________________________________________________________________________ After a Decade of “War on Terror” How Have Human Rights and Civil Liberties Fared? Co-sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union-Santa Barbara Chapter; A.S. Human Rights Board; the Center for Middle East Studies; the Center for New Racial Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara; and the Sociology Department. ______________________________________________________________________________ UCSB students in Armenia: Installing Internet in a remote village and running an educational camp Tuesday November 8 at 8 pm in the Student Resource Building (SRB) www.hiddenroadinitiative.com - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV2qC9hOcV0 The presentation will include: ______________________________________________________________________________ Arab Spring / American Autumn: Reclaiming the Public Sphere Tuesday, November 15 / 4:00 PM From Beirut to Cairo to Tunis, the Arab Spring has played out in public space in ways that extend to the American Autumn and New York. This panel asks how and why public space, as a physical place of gathering in these varied locations, works to alter public opinion in the digital age. What are the mechanisms of overlap and intersection among them, and between public space and the public sphere? ______________________________________________________________________________ Informational Meeting for the Model Arab League Wednesday, 16 November at 4PM in HSSB 3001E UCSB will represent Saudi Arabia at the 2012 Model Arab League (MAL). MAL is a debate competition that simulates the workings of the Arab League. Similar to the Model United Nations program, it offers a forum for university students from across the West Coast to debate international issues from the perspective of particular Arab states. UCSB’s MAL club meets weekly during Winter Quarter in preparation. If you’re interested in diplomacy, global politics, the Middle East, Palestine, Arabic, or Islam, MAL is the club for you. Students from all majors and backgrounds are welcome to participate. If you cannot make it to the informational meeting but want to be involved, please contact the MAL graduate student advisor: andrew_magnusson@umail.ucsb.edu ______________________________________________________________________________ Project Nur: “Memoirs of the Egyptian Revolution” Friday, Nov. 18 7:00 pm Students share their experiences in Cairo during the Egyptian Revolution. Other panelists include Juan Campo, Stephen Humphreys, and Kathie Moore. ______________________________________________________________________________
Spring 2011 Middle East Events "Bravest Woman in Afghanistan" Malalai Joya Malalai Joya is an activist, writer and a former politician from Afghanistan. She served as a female Parliamentarian in the National Assembly of Afghanistan from 2005 until early 2007. She is an outspoken critic of the first ever democratically elected Karzai administration and its western supporters, particularly the United States. ______________________________________________________________________________ "How National is Islamic Identity in Central Asia?" John Schoeberlein (Harvard University) ______________________________________________________________________________ Women Islamizing the Nation: reformers, militants, and new spaces for women's religious education in pakistan Dr. Khanum Shaikh ______________________________________________________________________________ Cup of Culture Budrus Ayed Morrar, an unlikely community organizer, unites Palestinians from all political factions and Israelis to save his village from destruction by Israel's Separation Barrier. Victory seems improbable until his 15-year-old daughter, Iltezam, launches a women's contingent that quickly moves to the front lines. Budrus shines a light on people who choose nonviolence to confront a threat yet remain virtually unknown to the world. Julia Bacha, 82 min., English, 2010, USA. ______________________________________________________________________________ Islamic Finance: The Art of Banking Without Interest Tuesday, April 26, 2011 8:30 - 10 pm Speaker Mike Abdelaaty, President and COO of American Finance House LARIBA and Chief Credit Officer at the Bank of Whittier, will discuss the art of banking and finance in the United States that complies with Shariah Law. As a discipline that prohibits the charging of interest, Islamic Finance emphasizes the social responsibility the banker has with customers and the prudential rules of low-risk money investments. ______________________________________________________________________________ Friday, April 29th 1:00 - 3:00pm The talk is about the interplay between cinema and politics in Morocco over the last ten years. Morocco has initiated several Najib Bounahai is a Professor of Higher Education at Ibn Tofail University in Morocco. He received his Ph. D in ______________________________________________________________________________ Maher Hathout, Nuha Khoury, and Edward Linenthal The battle over plans to build a Muslim religious center near ground zero has thrown into sharp relief anti-Muslim rhetoric that contradicts American values of religious tolerance. This panel will explore the origin of these sentiments in the context of ground zero as an emotionally-charged memorial space, and the exploitation of this history for political and ideological purposes. Maher Hathout is a Senior Advisor at the Muslim Public Affairs Council, Los Angeles; Nuha Khoury, is a professor in the Department of History of Art and Architecture at UCSB; and Edward Linenthal is professor of History at the University of Indiana. Co-sponsored by the Department of Religious Studies; the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center's Geographies of Place series; the Muslim Student Association; and the Walter Capps Center for the Study of Ethics, Religion and Public Life. ______________________________________________________________________________ Sunday, May 15, 2011
Winter 2011 Middle East Events
Basem L. Ra’ad Jan. 12, 5:00 PM Professor Basem Ra’ad will speak about naming and unnaming as they appear in contemporary practices of historical representation and narration. The talk is related to Professor Ra’ad’s recent book, Hidden Histories: Palestine and The Eastern Mediterranean, which has been characterized as “A Study in deep time, wide space … an anthropology of the present” (Gayatri Spivak) and a “brilliant tour de force of recovery, decolonization, re-vision, and inclusivity” (Hilton Obenziger). Professor Ra’ad offers alternative readings of the history of the ‘Holy Land’ and the ‘cradle of civilization’ in what Naseer Aruri described as “the first corrective history of Palestine, its people, its region, and its culture.” Basem L. Ra’ad is a Professor at Al-Quds University in Jerusalem. Born in Jerusalem, he received his education in Jordan, Lebanon, the U.S. and Canada, earning a Ph.D. at the University of Toronto in 1978. He has been an editor and community organizer, and has taught in Canada, Bahrain, Lebanon and Palestine.
_________________________________________________________ Cup of Culture Wednesday, Jan. 12, 6pm, MCC Theater Based on a novel by Amrita Pritam, Pinjar is a human saga set during the Indo - Pakistani partition. The story reveals many of the types of tragic atrocities committed during this time period, such as incidents of rape that plundered towns along the border. It illustrates the existence of love and victory during a backdrop of hate and violence. Chandra Prakash Dwivedi, 187 min., Hindi, 2003, India.
_________________________________________________________ "TEARS FOR GAZA" Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011, 7:00pm – 9:00pm Disturbing, powerful, and emotionally devastating, 'Tears of Gaza' is This film screening is presented by Students for Justice in Palestine and the Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies.
_________________________________________________________ Panel Discussion: “Why Do they Fear Us? Religious and Racial Profiling of Muslims Today” Thursday, Jan. 27, 6:30 pm The terrorist attacks of 9/11 resulted in a growing public suspicion and mistrust toward Muslims and Islam. This year, the debate over the proposed site of Park51, or the "Ground Zero mosque" caused an uproar and increase of Islamophobia. Recently, the TSA has tightened airport security measures by installing Advanced Imaging Technology and full-body scanners. Muslims are often stopped and searched when they fly, women wearing head scarves have become a target, and hate crimes against Muslims have spiked. In this panel, Elliott Bazzano and Sohaira Siddiqui, graduate students in the Department of Religious Studies, will discuss their experiences as Muslims in the United States today; Muslims as the new targeted group; racism, discrimination, and religious and racial profiling. Eddy F. Alvarez, graduate student in the Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies and VP, Internal Affairs for the Graduate Students Association; Reginald Archer, graduate student in the Department of Geography; and Lily Anne Y. Welty, graduate student in the History Department and the VP of Academic Affairs for the Graduate Students Association, will share similar experiences of profiling, policing, and criminalization of other historically targeted communities. The panel will be moderated by Walid Afifi, Professor in the Department of Communication at UCSB.
_________________________________________________________ Middle East Studies Informational Meeting:
_________________________________________________________ Roundtable discussion: Political Upheaval in the Middle East THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 7PM
_________________________________________________________ Laila El Haddad Mon., February 14, 12:00 noon Based in both Gaza and North Carolina, El Haddad for the past three years has been reporting for Aljazeera International on Palestinians in Gaza since the Israeli disengagement from that territory. Her work has also been carried on Pacifica Radio's "Free Speech Radio," and has appeared in the Guardian Unlimited, Le Monde Diplomatique, the New Statesman and several other news sources. She is also the author of Gaza Mom: Palestine, Politics, Parenting, and Everything In Between. In addition to her journalism and other writing, El Haddad writes a blog titled "Raising Yousuf." Named for her young son, this blog highlights the experiences of Palestinian mothers as they raise children under conditions of foreign occupation. El Haddad holds a B.A. from Duke University in Political Science and Comparative Areas Studies (2000) and an M.A. in Policy Studies from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
_________________________________________________________ Cup of Culture—Meet the Filmmaker Wednesday, Feb. 23, 6 pm, MCC Theater In the heart of Jerusalem stands an unusual symbol of unity that defies generations of segregation, violence, and prejudice: a gay bar called Shushan. City of Borders goes inside this underground sanctuary where people of opposing nationalities, religions, and sexual orientations create an island of peace in a land divided by war. Discussion with the director following the screening. Yun Suh, 66 min., English, 2009, USA
_________________________________________________________ Fall 2010 Middle East Events:
“Achieving a Two-State Solution” with Moshe Halbertal and Raghida Dergham Sunday Oct. 17, 3:00 pm, Corwin Pavilion A dialogue between Moshe Halbertal, noted Israeli philosopher, award-winning author, and Professor of Jewish Thought and Philosophy at Hebrew University, and Raghica Dergham, columnist and senior diplomatic correspondent for the London-based newspaper, Al-Hayat, and political analyst for NBC, MSNBC, and Arab satellite LBC Co-sponsored by the Taubman Foundation and CMES _________________________________________________________ “Edward Said's Palestine/Israel: Inclusion Without Domination” with Nubar Hovsepian Monday Oct. 18, 3:00 pm, SSMS 2nd floor, Conference Room 2135 The talk will situate Said's position in the context of his humanist and worldly concerns such as the World, the Text and the Critic. Professor Hovsepian (Political Science, Chapman University) is completing a book about Edward Said. Hosted by Middle East Studies, Global Studies, Orfalea Center, UCSB _________________________________________________________ “ Forget the Turkish in the New Cinema of Turkey” Savas Arslan, Bahcesehir University Tuesday, Oct. 19, 3-4:30 pm, 2135 SSMS _________________________________________________________ Roundtable: “Islam and Politics in Turkey Today” with Nancy Gallagher (roundtable convener), Ahmet Temel, Kathie Moore, Garay Menicucci Wednesday Oct. 20, 5:00-6:30 pm, HSSB 4041 This roundtable will address the rapid growth of Islamist political parties, the expanding Turkish economy and the rise of the "Anatolian Tigers," and new cultural trends in Turkey. Coffee, tea, and cookies will be served _________________________________________________________ Film in Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps: "Frontrunner: The Afghan Woman Who Surprised the World" Thursday, Oct. 21, 6:00 pm, UCSB Women's Center Featuring a special appearance by film's director, and Emmy Award-winning producer, Virginia Williams. Co-sponsored by CMES and the UCSB Women's Center _________________________________________________________ "The American Friends of the Middle East: The CIA, Arabism, and Anti-Zionism in Cold War America" with Hugh Wilford Thursday, Oct. 28, 12:30 pm, McCune Conference Room (HSSB 6020) Hugh Wilford is Professor of U.S. history at California State University, Long Beach. He is the author of several books on Cold War American culture and politics, including The Mighty Wurlitzer: How the CIA Played America (Harvard, 2008). He is now writing a book on the American Friends of the Middle East. _________________________________________________________ "The Manhattan Mosque and Burning Qur'ans: Placing an American Dilemma in Perspective" with Clark Roof (moderator), Juan Campo, Richard Hecht, Kathleen Moore, Salim Yacub Wednesday, Nov. 3, 4:00 pm, Corwin Pavilion America's Muslims have become a flashpoint for public debate about freedom of religion, freedom of speech, civil rights, and U.S. relations with Muslim majority countries in the Middle East and Asia. Recently there has been an outcry about the propriety of building an Islamic center (or mosque) near the site of the World Trade Center in Manhattan. There also appears to be a rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric and incidents around the country, including threats to stage burnings of the Muslim holy book, the Qur'an. Four UCSB faculty experts from the departments of Religious Studies and History will discuss and assess these developments with an aim to enhance public understanding of the issues involved and their consequences. _________________________________________________________ "The Hijabi Monologues" with May Alhassen Monday, Nov. 8, 7:30 pm, Performance/MCC Theater The Hijabi Monologues is about the power of storytelling. It is about creating a space for American Muslim women to share experiences; a space to breathe as they are; a space that does not claim to tell every story and speak for every voice. Co-sponsored by the A.S. Womyn's Commission, the Muslim Student Association, Persian Student Group, and Students for Justice in Palestine. _________________________________________________________ "Our Summer in Tehran" (Film) Wednesday, Nov. 10, 7:30 pm, Campbell Hall
Tickets: $5 students, $6 general. Our Summer in Tehran transports us into the seldom seen realm of middle class family life in Iran transcending overt politics in favor of subtle, human, and often humorous moments. Discussion with the filmmaker, Justine Shapiro, following the screening. Co-presented with Arts & Lectures, Muslim Students Association, and Persian Student Group. _________________________________________________________ "UCSB Middle East Ensemble Concert" Saturday, Nov. 20, 8:00 pm, Lotte Lehmann Hall _________________________________________________________ Symposium: "National Identities: The Changing Identities of Central Asia, Russia, and the Caucasus" Monday, Nov. 22, 1:00-5:00 pm, McCune Conference Room (HSSB 6020) The geography of Eurasia is inhabited by populations whose understanding of identity has been redefined due to the shifting borders of empire and nation. The Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and the new states emerging in post-Soviet space have all sought to create new categories for inhabitants' identities. The geographical units have had to adapt to older, deep seated identities rooted in clan, religion, and nomadic vs. sedentary cultures. New national identities compete with older, embedded identities as suggested in the tragic violence between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in Kyrgyzstan, Andjion in Uzbekistan in which religious issues led to violence, and the emigration out of Kazakhstan by ethnic Russians and into it by ethnic Kazakhs from China. The symposium will include experts on Central Asian identities, Armenian identity and Russian identity. The symposium is part of the IHC Series on Geographies of Place, sponsored by the IHC Research Focus Group on Identity. _________________________________________________________ “Bilal’s Stand” (Film) Monday, Nov. 22, 5:30 pm, UCSB Multicultural Center Theater Followed by discussion with film’s director, Sultan Sharrief Co-sponsored by the Black Student Union, UCSB Muslim Students Association and Islamic Relief _________________________________________________________
Spring 2010 Middle East Events:
Gregor Schoeler Monday, March 29, 2010 _________________________________________________________ The Earliest Accounts of the Hijra of Muhammad Gregor Schoeler Tuesday, March 30, 2010 _________________________________________________________
Elin Suleymanov Thursday, April 8, 2010 Sponsored by
The Orfalea Center for Global & International Studies.
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Norman H. Gershman Sunday, April 11, 2010 Fine art photographer Norman Gershman spent five years collecting the stories of Albanian Muslims who, at grave risk to themselves and their families, harbored Jewish refugees during WWII as part the Islamic tradition of Besa, or sanctuary. They protected the entire Jewish population of their cities and villages and also saved thousands of Jews from other European countries who were fleeing the Nazis. Gershman’s work is found in the permanent collection of museums around the world. Since 2007, his photographs have been exhibited at Yad Vashem in Israel, at the United Nations’ Headquarters in New York, and at the European Union Headquarters in Strasbourg, France. The stories in his book, Besa, are also the subject of a full-length documentary, God's House. Copies of Besa will be available for purchase and signing at this at this free, public event commemorating Yom HaShoah and inaugurating Holocaust Remembrance Week at UCSB. Sponsored by The Herman P. and Sophia Taubman Foundation Endowed Symposia in Jewish Studies at UC Santa Barbara, a program of the IHC, and cosponsored by UCSB Arts & Lectures, the Dept. of Religious Studies, Congregation B'nai B'rith, the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Hillel, the Center for Middle East Studies, the MultiCultural Center, and the Anti-Defamation League. Website: www.ihc.ucsb.edu/events/endowed/taubman.html _________________________________________________________ FLTA Forum: A discussion with our FLTAs from Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Turkey and Jordan Thursday, April 15, 2010 _________________________________________________________ Vanessa Paloma Morning appearance in World Music class Wednesday, April 21, 2010 Time and location to be announced _________________________________________________________ The Fourth Annual Israeli-Palestinian Film Festival Thursday, April 29th, 8pm Friday, April 30th, 8pm Monday, May 3rd, 8pm Tuesday, May 4th, 8pm Wednesday, May 5th, 8pm Thursday, May 6th CLOSING NIGHT EXTRAVAGANZA _________________________________________________________
Grigor Hovannisyan Thursday, April 29, 2010 In his presentation, Consul General Hovhannissian will touch upon the current state of Armenian-Turkish relations and on the impact of the stalled Armenian-Turkish normalization process on regional dynamics. In this context, the Consul General will particularly focus on the typology and the current state of the "frozen" Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Grigor Hovhannissian has extended professional experience in international affairs. He graduated from the department of Oriental Studies of the Yerevan State University; he holds MA degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University (MA). For twelve years Mr. Hovhannissian held various positions with the secretariat of the United Nations in a number of countries, including the Great Lakes of Africa, the Republic of Congo, ex-Zaire, Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Lebanon, etc. From 2006 through 2008 he headed the "Shushi Revival" fund and taught Middle East politics at the Yerevan State University. Prior to his appointment as Armenia's Consul General in Los Angeles, Mr. Hovhannissian served as an advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia. *Armenian music and refreshments served following talk Sponsored by the Center for Middle East Studies – UCSB and the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center _________________________________________________________ Iranian Film Series: Featured by Mehrnaz Saeed-Vafa Thursday, May 6, 2010
"Shirin" By Abbas Kiarostami (2008)
"Fireworks" By Asghar Farhadi (2006)
Professor Mehrnaz Saeed-Vafa is a filmmaker and an associate professor in the Film & Video Department of Columbia College Chicago. She has written and lectured extensively on Iranian cinema. Her publications include Abbas Kiarostami co-authored with Jonathan Rosenbaum. She has also served as the artistic consultant to the Annual Festival of Films from Iran at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago. This program was made possible with support from the Duncan and Suzanne Mellichamp Fund for Global Religion. Click for Iranian Film Series Flyer (pdf) _________________________________________________________ THE CENTER FOR MIDDLE EAST STUDIES A DIALOGUE FOR PEACE A live videoconference with Iraqi university students "THE ROAD TO FALLUJAH" and a discussion hosted by filmmaker Mark Manning Sunday, May 9, 2010 In this remarkable event, UCSB students will have an opportunity to talk directly with students of the Islamic University in Baghdad via video conference in the Multi-Cultural Center Theater, Sunday, May 9, at 11 pm, following a showing of the documentary “The Road to Fallujah” at 9 pm and a discussion with filmmaker Mark Manning. There is a ten-hour time difference between Baghdad and Santa Barbara and the late hour of the event is necessary so that we can connect with the students in Baghdad at 9 am their time. Due to the recent escalation of violence, these students must leave their university campus by midday so that they can pass through numerous checkpoints and reach home before evening curfew starts (a journey that can at any point become life-threatening). This event is also the launch of a major project by filmmaker Mark Manning’s non-profit organization, Global Access Media, entitled “A Dialogue for Peace: The Iraq Peace and Reconciliation College Tour” which will start at UCSB and will move on to Stanford the following week. Each event will feature direct discussions between American and Iraqi university students and will be filmed for webcast. For all those who have interests in the Middle East, who care about what Iraqis think of Americans, who want to know something about the hopes, dreams, and opinions of Iraqi young people and who have an interest in forming relationships with Iraqi peers this will be an extraordinary opportunity. Because of the significance of this event, the fact that this is the first event in a nationwide tour, and the extraordinary cost (over $13,000) we need to know that we will have a core group of UCSB and SBCC students who are interested in participating. We therefore request that students who want to participate in the dialogue sign up for the event by email – please send a message to Dwight Reynolds (Director, CMES): dreynold@religion.ucsb.edu Non-students are welcome to attend and watch, but the dialogue is meant to be specifically between university students here in Santa Barbara and in Baghdad. For more information on the project see: http://www.globalaccessmedia.org The film “The Road to Fallujah” will be shown at 9 pm and last about one hour. There will be a discussion of the film led by filmmaker Mark Manning, followed by a short break (light refreshments will be served) and a brief informational meeting before the connection goes live at 11:00pm. Join us for a "Dialogue for Peace" _________________________________________________________
Ian Buruma Tuesday, May 11 / 8:00 PM Award-winning author and journalist Ian Buruma will discuss the debates about Muslim radicalism, immigration, and the challenge from religion in several European countries where anti-immigrant populism is on the rise and Islam is the main focus. Is the danger posed by Muslim immigrants real? If it is exaggerated, then why the general hysteria? Buruma will address these questions and others raised in his new book Taming the Gods: Religion and Democracy on Three Continents. He is also the author of Anglomania, Inventing Japan, and Murder in Amsterdam: Liberal Europe, Islam, and the Limits of Tolerance, which won a Los Angeles Times Book Award. Courtesy of Borders, copies of Taming the Gods will be available for purchase and signing at this event. Sponsored by The Herman P. and Sophia Taubman Foundation Endowed Symposia in Jewish Studies at UC Santa Barbara, a program of the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center, and cosponsored by UCSB Arts & Lectures, the Dept. of Religious Studies, Congregation B’nai B’rith, the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Hillel, and the Center for Middle East Studies. http://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/the-muslim-scare-in-europe-%E2%80%93-hysteria-or-threat/ _________________________________________________________
Nile Green Friday, May 14 / 4:00 PM Sponsored by the IHC’s History of Books and Material Texts RFG. http://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/everybody-must-get-stones-the-iranian-search-for-lithographic-technology/ _________________________________________________________
Su'ad Khabeer Monday, May 24, 2010 Su'ad Abdul Khabeer is a Dissertation Scholar in the Department of Black Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Suad is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Anthropology at Princeton University. Her dissertation, "The Fifth Element: Muslim Youth, Identity and Hip Hop in Chicago" focuses on the intersections of race, place, and popular culture in the identity making of young American Muslims. This work is an interdisciplinary endeavor that uses critical studies of race, religion, and popular culture along with ethnographic methods and performance art. Co-sponsored by the Department of Black Studies and the Center for Middle East Studies. _________________________________________________________ Winter 2010 Middle East Events:
Organization Meeting: The Model Arab League is structured much as the Model United Nations program except that it replicates the Arab League, and therefore only the Arab countries. By participating in MAL you will learn about the Arab Middle East, how to participate in parliamentary-style debate, how to draft resolutions on various issues, and how to negotiate the passage of your resolutions through the appropriate committee and on to a full vote in the General Assembly. This is a great resume-building activity for anyone considering a career dealing with the Middle East, as well as in Global Studies, Political Science, Development, Law, the Foreign Service and many other careers. It will also look very good to graduate programs if you are planning on continuing on to a Master's and/or a Ph.D. For further information, please contact the Center for Middle East Studies by email: CMES@isber.ucsb.edu. Click to download Model Arab League flyer (pdf). _________________________________________________________
Professor William Fierman Wednesday, January 6, 2010
http://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/research/identity.html http://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/research/identity%20articles/Rus_Rev_Jan_2006_article.pdf _________________________________________________________ The Iranian Presidential Election Mohammad Amjad Wednesday, February 3 / 5:00 PM Mohammad Amjad has just returned from Iran where he was an activist in the protest movement following the Iranian elections. An expert in Iranian nuclear diplomacy and foreign policy, he received his PhD in Political Science from the University of California, Riverside, in 1986. Sponsored by the Center for Middle East Studies, the Dept. of History, the Duncan and Suzanne Mellichamp Chair in Global Religions and Modernisms, and the IHC. _________________________________________________________
David Laitin Thursday, February 4, 2010 David D. Laitin is the James T. Watkins IV and Elise V. Watkins Professor of Political Science at Stanford University. Among his many influential books and articles are Nations, States and Violence (2007), Identity in Formation: The Russian-Speaking Populations in the Near Abroad (1998), and Language Repertoires and State Construction in Africa (1992). Sponsored by the IHC’s Identity Studies RFG, the Dept. of Political Science, the Dept. of History, and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies http://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/research/identity.html _________________________________________________________
Ethan Bronner 8:00 p.m. Ethan Bronner, Jerusalem Bureau Chief, The New York Times will combine diplomatic and political analysis with behind-the-scenes stories from his reporting to explore the challenges faced by a journalist covering two distinctly opposing narratives: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in 2010. He will address such issues of balance, fairness, access and reader expectations. Ethan Bronner has been Jerusalem bureau chief of The New York Times for the past two years following four years as the paper’s deputy foreign editor focused largely on the Middle East. This is his third tour in Jerusalem. Bronner served as Middle East bureau chief for The Boston Globe for six years in the 1990s and as deputy Jerusalem bureau chief for Reuters in the mid-1980s. At The Times, he has also been assistant editorial page editor, education editor and national education correspondent. A series of articles that he helped edit after Sept. 11th 2001 won the Pulitzer Prize for explanatory journalism. At The Boston Globe, he covered the Supreme Court and legal affairs from Washington. His 1989 book, Battle for Justice: How the Bork Nomination Shook America was named one of the 25 best books of the year by The New York Public Library. The Herman P. and Sophia Taubman Foundation Endowed Symposia in Jewish Studies at UC Santa Barbara, a program of the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center, is cosponsored by UCSB Arts & Lectures, Department of Religious Studies, Congregation B’nai B’rith, Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Hillel and the Center for Middle East Studies-UCSB. http://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/events/endowed/taubman.html For additional information contact: _________________________________________________________
Juan Campo (Religious Studies, UCSB) Wednesday, February 10 / 4:00 PM Saudi Arabia plays a leading role in global economy because of its oil resources. It is also home to Islam’s two leading sacred cities--Mecca and Medina. Drawing on his recent research, Campo’s illustrated talk will track the interrelationships of the growth of the Kingdom’s oil revenues, the transformation of these two religious centers, and the annual hajj, or Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. His analysis will include an examination of how water supply and distribution intersects with these developments and place the subject in comparative perspective relative to the rise of Dubai and the development of Muslim sacred spaces in other localities, including Iraq, Iran, India, and Pakistan. Juan Campo teaches in UCSB’s Department of Religious Studies. His most recent book, Encyclopedia of Islam, was published in 2009 by Facts-on-File. Sponsored by the IHC’s Oil + Water series and the Community Environmental Council. _________________________________________________________ Fall 2009 Middle East Events:
"Paradise Now" Film Screening / MCC Theater Wednesday, October 7, 6 pm A 2006 Golden Globe winner for best foreign language film, Paradise Now intensely and powerfully tells the story of two lifelong friends that are tapped by an unidentified Palestinian resistance organization to carry out a suicide bombing together in Tel Aviv. Hany Abu-Assad, 91 min., Arabic and English, 2005, Palestine. Sponsored by the Multicultural Center _________________________________________________________
Thursday, October 8 - Friday, December 11 Exhibition Thursday, October 8, 4 pm Opening Reception Art Exhibit/MCC Lounge Insidiously, from generation to generation, racism and anti-Semitism are perpetuated in Africa and the Middle East, in Europe, and on the streets of Los Angeles. Race, Lies and Stereotypes presents powerful international and domestic graphics that penetrate the experience of discrimination. The exhibition illustrates historical and current events on the world stage and explores efforts to combat stereotypes. By showing the pervasiveness of bigotry and discrimination, this exhibition emphasizes that intolerance can be avoided by the active involvement of individuals to ensure that the past is not repeated. Produced by the Center for the Study of Political Graphics, Los Angeles, California. Sponsored by the Multicultural Center _________________________________________________________
Forces of Fortune: Sunday, October 11 / 3:00 pm / Free Victoria Hall, 33 West Victoria Street, Santa Barbara Click Here for Event Flyer (pdf) Vali Nasr, Senior advisor to special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, discusses his just-released book, Forces of Fortune: The Rise of the New Muslim Middle Class and What It Will Mean for Our World. Fareed Zakaria described it as “a brilliant guide to the complex landscape of the Middle East.” Nasr is also the author of Democracy in Iran: History and the Quest for Liberty, The Shia Revival: How Conflicts Within Islam will Shape the Future, The Islamic Leviathan: Islam and the Making of State Power, and The Vanguard of the Islamic Revolution. Courtesy of Borders, copies of Forces of Fortune will be available for purchase and signing at this event. Presented by the Walter H. Capps Center for the Study of Ethics, Religion, and Public Life at UCSB and cosponsored by the UCSB Center for Middle East Studies. www.cappscenter.ucsb.edu For assistance in accommodating a disability, please call 893-2317. _________________________________________________________
Tuesday, October 13 7:30 pm, Campbell Hall "Wonderful movie! Takes us someplace few movies have…the film’s hard-won good vibes had the audience cheering!" The Boston Globe After years of war and Taliban rule, pop culture is beginning to return to Afghanistan as millions tune in to the wildly popular American Idol-style series Afghan Star. Winner of the Directing and Audience Awards at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, this timely and moving film follows the dramatic stories of four young finalists as they hazard everything to become the nation’s favorite performer. The perfect window into a country’s tenuous, ongoing struggle for modernity, the film observes how what Americans consider frivolous entertainment can become downright revolutionary in this troubled part of the world. (Havana Marking, 2009, 88 min.) General public $6.00 / UCSB Students $5.00 Sponsored by the University of California, Santa Barbara Arts & Lectures _________________________________________________________ The Center for Middle East Studies Welcomes You to a: Beginning of the Year Reception Tuesday, October 20, 2009 There will be Middle Eastern Music and Light Refreshments will be served. Please contact Laura Pollick at the Center for Middle East Studies for additional information, 893-4245, cmes@cmes.ucsb.edu Click here for reception flyer (pdf) _________________________________________________________ How America Can Bring Arabs and Israelis Together Wednesday, October 21 / 8:00 pm / Free David Makovsky, Ziegler Distinguished Fellow and Director of the Project on the Middle East Peace Process at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and co-author with Dennis Ross of the just-released book, Myths, Illusions, and Peace: Finding a New Direction for America in the Middle East in conversation with Ghaith al-Omari, previously Advisor to former Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority and currently Advocacy Director at the American Task Force in Palestine. Copresented with Santa Barbara Hillel and the Israel on Campus Coalition, Washington, D.C. _________________________________________________________
Magda Campo Lecture / Demo - MCC Lounge Ful Midammis, falafel anyone? Egyptian fast food dishes throughout the Middle East, although simple in their appearance and preparation, are part of Egyptian identity and culture and encompass religious meanings and practices. In her talk, Magda Campo, who teaches Arabic in the Religious Studies Department at UC Santa Barbara, will discuss the significance of these dishes accompanied by a demonstration on how to make them. Sponsored by the Multicultural Center _________________________________________________________
Organized by Janet Afary (UCSB) Friday, October 23, 2009 Conference in English Speakers: Cost: Admission is free, Parking can be purchased at Lot 4 For more information please contact Sponsor: UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies _________________________________________________________
Keith David Watenpaugh Tuesday, November 3 / 4:00 PM Prof. Watenpaugh examines the League of Nations' efforts on behalf of displaced Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian women and children in the 1920s. The rescuing of trafficked survivors of genocide and civil violence--a seemingly unambiguous good--was at once a constitutive act in drawing the boundaries of the international community, a critical moment in the definition of humanitarianism, and a site of resistance to the colonial presence in the post-Ottoman Eastern Mediterranean. These efforts helped to bind the international community to Armenian communal survival and served as an ex post facto warrant for the World War. They also threatened late-Ottoman ethnic, religious, and gendered hierarchies, and the unalloyed dominance of post-Ottoman society by Turkish and Arabic speaking Sunni Muslims. Keith David Watenpaugh is Associate Professor of Modern Islam, Human Rights, and Peace in the Religious Studies program at the University of California, Davis. He works on the multiple intersections of the modern international human rights regime, Islam, and colonialism in the twentieth-century Arab Middle East. He is the author of Being Modern in the Middle East: Revolution, Nationalism, Colonialism, and the Arab Middle Class, and is now writing a book on international humanitarian efforts and the modern Middle East. Website: http://www.history.ucsb.edu/projects/ccws/events/ Sponsored by the Center for Cold War Studies and International History, and the Dept. of History. _________________________________________________________ For the Benefit of Suicide: Fatawa Literature in the Digital Domain Nathan French Wednesday, November 4 / 3:00 pm A Department of Religious Studies Colloguium: www.religion.ucsb.edu/news.html _________________________________________________________ The Santa Barbara Coalition for Global Dialogue presents:
John Arquilla Richard Falk Thursday, November 5 / 11:30 Luncheon Admission $25.00 (includes lunch) Click Here for Event Flyer (pdf) John Arquilla is Professor and Director of the Information Operations Center, Department of Defense Analysis, at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. His teaching and research interests include conflict in the information-age, the revolution in military affairs, and irregular warfare. Among his publications are Worst Enemy: The Reluctant Transformation of the American Military(2008), Information Strategy and Warfare (2007), The Reagan Imprint: Ideas in American Foreign Policy from the Collapse of Communism to the War on Terror (2006), Networks and Netwars: The Future of Terror, Crime, and Militancy (NDRI, 2001), and In Athena's Camp: Preparing for Conflict in the Information Age (RAND, 1997) Richard Falk is Albert G. Milbank Professor Emeritus of International Law at Princeton University and Visiting Distinguished Professor in Global and International Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He currently serves as United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Palestinian occupied territories and previously on the Independent International Commission on Kosovo. He is the author or coauthor of numerous books, including recently The Costs of War: International Law, the UN, and World Order after Iraq (2007) and The Great Terror War (2003), as well as Religion and Humane Global Governance (2001); On Humane Governance: Toward a New Global Politics (1995); The Promise of World Order (1988). He is coeditor of Crimes of War (2006) and The Vietnam War and International Law (1968). Professor Falk is an honorary vice president of the American Society of International Law and is Chair of the Board of Directors of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. To confirm reservation, mail check to: _________________________________________________________
An Evening with the Author of The Red Tent Thursday, November 12 / 8:00 pm / Free "Diamant succeeds admirably in depicting the lives of women in the age that engendered our civilization and our most enduring values." Publishers Weekly Anita Diamant's bestselling first novel The Red Tent, based on the Biblical story of Dinah, conjures "a compelling narrator that has timeless resonance" (Christian Science Monitor). Her latest book, Day After Night, returns to the land of The Red Tent to tell stories of women who survived the Holocaust and await the future in a British internment camp in a story of loss, hope and courage set before the founding of the state of Israel. An award-winning journalist and the author of six nonfiction guides to contemporary Jewish life, Diamant will discuss her recent work. Presented as part of the Herman P. and Sophia Taubman Foundation Endowed Symposia in Jewish Studies at UCSB, a program of the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center, cosponsored by UCSB Arts & Lectures, the Department of Religious Studies, Congregation B’nai B’rith, the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara, and Santa Barbara Hillel. Books will be available for purchase and signing. _________________________________________________________
Saturday, December 5, 2009 Admission is $17/general, $9/students There is a $3 parking fee in the evenings and on the weekends, payable in each lot. For further information, please call 893-7001. Visit our website: http://www.music.ucsb.edu/mee The UCSB Middle East Ensemble will present its formal Fall Quarter concert, the start of its 21st season, on Saturday, December 5. The concert will feature a set of Greek songs by the famed rebetiko singer Roza Eskenazy (thank you, Voula Aldrich!), two sets of Persian music directed by Bahram Osqueezadeh, two songs from the Gulf region (Saudi Arabia and Kuwait), and a variety of Arabic songs and instrumental pieces (from Egypt and Lebanon). Melanie Hutton will continue to enchant us with a vocal solo. As always, the Ensemble’s Dance Troupe will present a wonderful variety of dances, from Persian, Arab, Greek, and Arab-American cultures. For the finale, Ensemble dancer Cris! Basimah will present a rousing solo cabaret-style dance. Download event flyer (pdf format) _________________________________________________________
Spring Quarter 2009: May 2009 Events:
"Rasta" Sufis and Muslim Youth Culture in Mali Friday, May 1, 2009 View Event Flyer for details! (pdf) Sponsored by the IHC's African Studies RFG, the Center for Middle East Studies, the Department of History, and the Department of Religious Studies
__________________________________________________________ Walter H. Capps Center for the Study of Ethics, Religion, and Public Life at the
"In Our Own Words: A Changing Agenda in Sunday, May 3, 2009 Description: At least 40% of America's Muslims are under the age of 40. They rely on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace for their diverse social, political, and popular culture. Across the board, they are voting in record numbers, organizing for change, and striving to create platforms to tell their own stories in their own words. They are defining the future of Islam in America while confronting two complex and related questions: What does our country want from us, and what do we want from our country? Speaker Profile: As MPAC's Communications Director, Edina acts as a spokeswoman for the American Muslim community to media outlets, government officials, interfaith leaders, academic institutions, and community groups. Edina has appeared on national media outlets, including CNN, BBC, MSNBC, and the History Channel. Since joining MPAC, Edina's work has also been featured in several leading newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, and Los Angeles Times. Edina regularly participates in national and international conferences and interfaith dialogues speaking on a variety of issues related to American Muslims. Edina is a co-founder of Elev8, an arts-based youth leadership program in Los Angeles, and is a founding board member of the American Muslim Civic Leaders Initiative. She will receive her M.A. in Communcation from Pepperdine University in May 2009, and received her B.A. in American Literature & Culture from UCLA. __________________________________________________________ Facts-on-File Encyclopedia of Islam Monday, May 4, 2009 All CMES Faculty and graduate students are invited to join in the celebration of the release of the Facts-on-File Encyclopedia of Islam. This book is conceived as a reference work for classroom use and the general public. Professor Juan E. Campo, principle author, with a significant number of contributions written by UCSB faculty and graduate students (and former graduate students. Live music will be provided by Scott Marcus and members of the inimitable Middle East Ensemble. Middle East-style refreshments will also be served. For those interested, paperback copies of the encyclopedia will be available for purchase by check or cash only. For additional information contact Prof. Juan Campo, jcampo@religion.ucsb.edu __________________________________________________________ The Orfalea Center for Global & International Studies presents a lecture and book launch event:
"How to Win a Cosmic War: Monday, May 4, 2009 Description: Dr. Reza Aslan is assistant professor of creative writing at the University of California, Riverside and a Senior Fellow at the Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies at U.C. Santa Barbara. He is a frequent commentator on CNN, CBS, and NPR, as well as cofounder and creative director of BoomGen Studios, a hub for creative content from and about the Middle East. He has degrees in Religions from Santa Clara University, Harvard University, and the University of California, Santa Barbara, as well as a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Iowa, where he was named the Truman Capote Fellow in Fiction. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Los Angeles Institute for the Humanities, and the Pacific Council on International Policy. His articles and interviews have appeared in the Boston Globe, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Sojourners, Sun Magazine, the Guardian, and many other papers around the world. Born in Iran, he now lives in Los Angeles. His first book, No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam was an international bestseller and has been translated into thirteen languages. A cosmic war is a religious war. It is a battle not between armies or nations, but between the forces of good and evil. The ultimate goal of a cosmic war is to vanquish evil itself, which ensures that a cosmic war remains an absolute, eternal, and ultimately unwinnable conflict. Cosmic wars are fought not over land or politics but over identity. There can be no compromise, no negotiation, no settlement, and no surrender in a cosmic war. The Jihadists who attacked the United States on September 11, 2001 were fighting a cosmic war. According to Reza Aslan, by adopting the same religiously polarizing rhetoric and cosmic worldview in the so-called War on Terror, the U.S. is also fighting a cosmic war…a war that can’t be won. __________________________________________________________ The Orfalea Center for Global & International Studies presents: Amandeep Sandhu "The Globalization of Services and New Global Inequalities" Tuesday, May 5, 2009 __________________________________________________________ The Shalom/Salaam Conversations "Peace Initiatives" Panelists: Nancy Gallagher, Professor, UCSB Department of History Moderator: Salim Yaqub, Professor, UCSB Department of History Monday, May 11, 2009 Free pizza and beverages will be served. Click to download event flyer in pdf format. __________________________________________________________
Thursday, May 14, 2009 This talk will focus on the present difficulties of implementing human rights due to the conceptual and structural limitations of state-centric traditional international law. Without a re-imagining of international law, we can't even know what to struggle for, let alone have the ability to achieve desired outcomes. A more inclusive view of religious and cultural resources may provide the rationale and motivation for a re-imagining of international law to enact a new people-centric politics of human rights in the 21st century. Dr. An-Na’im incorporates in his discussion the recent International Criminal Court warrant against Sudan’s President Omar El Bashir as an example of this emerging new politics, and examines its religious and cultural rationales. Sponsored by the University of California Initiative on Human Rights, the Law and Society Program, the Orfalea Center for Global Studies, and the IHC’s Torture and the Future RFG. Click to download event flyer in pdf format. __________________________________________________________ The Department of Film and Media Studies at UCSB Presents a lecture by Egyptian Filmmaker and Scholar:
"Rituals of Hegemonic Masculinity: Torture & The Middle East in Film" Viola Shafik is a renowned film scholar and documentary filmmaker. Her historical work Arab Cinema: History and Cultural Identity (revised edition 2007) is a groundbreaking analysis of genre, political-economy, and film culture. She is also the author of Popular Egyptian Cinema: Gender, Class and Nation (2007). Her own films The Lemon Tree (1993), The Mother of Light and Her Daughters (1999), and The Planting of the Girls (1999) have an international audience. Her newest film is a feature length documentary with a working title of My Name is not Ali. It explores the life of El Hedi Ben Salem, German filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder's unlucky North-African lover and lead player of Ali Fear Eats Soul (1973) who reputedly committed suicide. El Hedi Ben Salem, Rainer Werner Fassbinder's unlucky North-African lover, lead player of Ali Fear Eats Soul (1973) has been the subject of a myth: described as a 'cultural miracle' he was said to have terrified film director Fassbinder until he was jilted by him, only to take his own life soon after (sic.). The real life story of Ben Salem however seems governed not only by misled professional aspirations, congested love and multiple betrayals, but also by the sexualized politics of imagining and possessing the cultural Other. Click to download event flyer in pdf format. __________________________________________________________ Mourad Yelles Musical Traditions and Women Poetry in Algeria Sponsored by the Center for Middle East Studies For additional information contact Laura Pollick, lwpoll@cmes.ucsb.edu __________________________________________________________ Mourad Yelles Oral Performance and Written Creation in Maghrebi Literatures Sponsored by the Center for Middle East Studies For additional information contact Laura Pollick, lwpoll@cmes.ucsb.edu __________________________________________________________ Race Matters Series "Brooklyn Beats to Beirut Streets" For additional information call the MCC at 805-893-8411 __________________________________________________________ Herman P. and Sophia Taubman Foundation Endowed Symposia in Jewish Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara
"Who Are the /Real /Chosen People? The Meaning of Chosenness in Judaism, Christianity and Islam" Tuesday, May 19, 2009
~ Harvey Cox, Hollis Professor of Divinity, Harvard University Description: Who is most beloved by God? Monotheists have often advanced the idea that their relationship with God is unique and superior to all others. Rabbi Reuven Firestone explores the idea of "chosenness" as articulated through the scriptures of the three major monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Speaker Profile: Rabbi Firestone is Professor of Medieval Jewish and Islamic Studies, HUC-JIR/Los Angeles and is a senior fellow of the Center for Religion and Civic Culture at the University of Southern California. He is co-director of the Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement, a joint project of HUC-JIR, USC, and the Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Foundation (www.usc.edu/cmje). Prior to joining the HUC-JIR faculty, he taught at Boston University and was Yad Hanadiv Research Fellow at the Hebrew University. He received a Center for Arabic Study Abroad (CASA) III research fellowship for the Spring 2006 semester for study at the American University of Cairo, funded by the Fulbright Binational Committee in Egypt and the U.S. Department of Education. In 2000 he was awarded a fellowship for independent research from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and was chosen to be a fellow of the Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies at the University of Pennsylvania in 2002. Professor Firestone has written seven books and over seventy scholarly articles on early Islam and its relationship with Jews and Judaism, scriptural interpretation of the Bible and Qur'an, and the phenomenon of holy war. His publications include Journeys in Holy Lands, Jihad: The Origin of Holy War in Islam, Children of Abraham and, most recently, Who Are the Real Chosen People? The Meaning of Chosenness in Judaism. Copies of his books will be available for purchase and signing at this event. __________________________________________________________
Saturday, May 30, 2009 For tickets, please contact the
_________________________________________________________ April 2009 Events: Film Series: "War and Nationalism in Arab Cinema" Five Wednesdays in April - Click here to view Film Schedule _________________________________________________________ The Shalom/Salaam Conversations Monday, April 6, 2009: The Gaza War and Its Aftermath Don't miss these next two scheduled dates for the Shalom/Salaam Conversations: Monday, April 20, 2009: Hamas Monday, May 11, 2009: Peace Initiatives All events are at the MultiCultural Center Theater, 5:00 pm. Click for Event Flyer in PDF Format. _________________________________________________________ A Presentation by Abdelwahab Meddeb
Thursday, April 16, 2009 Following in the footsteps of his acclaimed work on Islamic fundamentalism, The Malady of Islam (Basic Books, 2003), Meddeb goes back to the Quranic tradition and examines specific passages that instruct believers on how to deal with non-Muslims, focusing on different interpretations (tolerant vs. intolerant, peaceful vs. belligerent) to which these passages have given rise. Abdelwahab Meddeb, born in Tunisia and living in Paris, is a professor of comparative literature at Paris X University. A major writer, scholar, journalist, and host of the esteemed radio show Cultures d'Islam, Abdelwahab Meddeb is on a tour of American campuses this Spring. His works range from fiction Talismano (1976); Aya dans les villes (1999); to poetry Matière des oiseaux (2002); and essays on Islam and modernity The Malady of Islam (2003); Sortir de la malédiction. L'Islam entre civilisation et barbarie (2008). Sponsored by the Series in Contemporary Literature and co-sponsored by the Department of French and Italian, the Department of Germanic, Slavic, and Semitic Studies, and the Comparative Literature Program, the Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies and the Global and International Studies Program, the College of Creative Studies, the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, the Islamic Studies Endowed Chair, the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center and the French Cultural Services. _________________________________________________________
Peter Bloom Thursday, April 23, 2009 Sponsored by the Center for Middle East Studies. _________________________________________________________ FILM: "View from a Grain of Sand" Introduction of film by Director, Meena Nanji Friday, April 24, 2009 Nancy Gallagher, Professor of the History Department at UCSB will give a talk and show slides of her experience visiting NGO's in Afghanistan. For further information, please contact Laura Pollick, cmes@cmes.ucsb.edu. _________________________________________________________
"CENTERING CENTRAL ASIA: Friday Evening, April 24 There will be a related film viewing and presentation on on Friday evening, April 24 as well as dinner and a Middle Eastern music performance following the conference on Saturday evening. The purpose of this gathering will be to examine this geographical juncture that has suddenly taken on such a prominent role in the world political situation. Usually this region is treated as the edges or margins of three or even four different "areas": Iran is usually considered the easternmost country of the Middle East, while Afghanistan and Pakistan are usually included in South Asia, and the Former Soviet Republics are treated separately as Central Asia. This division, however, does not allow us to see how these countries are interrelated, a situation which leads to a lack of understanding of one of the volatile and significant areas in the world today. The conference will deal with a variety of topics including identity, the impact of American presence in the region, the role of Islamic fundamentalism, and others. CLICK HERE TO VIEW CONFERENCE PROGRAM The two keynote speakers are renowned international scholars:
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March 2009:
Saturday, March 7, 2009 __________________________________________________________ February 2009:
Heather Stoll Monday, February 9, 2009 What is at stake in the upcoming Israeli elections slated for 10 February? In this talk, Professor Stoll will discuss how Israeli elections work (the system of government and electoral rules); who the candidates are and what kind of campaigns they have run; the likely outcomes; and, last but not least, the implications for government and policy. Heather Stoll is an assistant professor of political science at UCSB whose research interests range from comparative politics To political methodology. Download Event Flyer in PDF Format. This event is sponsored by the UCSB Center for Middle East Studies, and the UCSB Department of Political Science. Please contact Laura Pollick with any questions. cmes@cmes.ucsb.edu, 805-893-4245. __________________________________________________________ The Journal of Middle East Women's Studies Distinguished Lecture
Lila Abu-Lughod Wednesday, February 11, 2009 The concept of "Muslim women’s rights" has an extraordinarily active social life these days. It circulates across continents. It travels in and out of classrooms and government policy offices; UN forums in New York and Geneva and local women's organizations in places like Egypt, Malaysia, and Palestine; racy television soap operas and sober mosque study groups; popular novels recognizable by the veiled women stamped on their covers and innovative model marriage contracts developed by Muslim feminists seeking equity within the religious tradition. What do we make of this intense concern with "Muslim women’s rights" and what do we make of its promiscuous travels? "Women's rights" mean different things to women living complicated lives in villages and urban lawyers drawing seamlessly on the authority of CEDAW. What can we learn from tracking "rights talk," as an anthropologist would, into everyday lives? Lila Abu-Lughod is the Joseph L. Buttenwieser Professor of Social Science at Columbia University. She teaches in the Anthropology Department and at the Institute for Research on Women and Gender. An anthropologist who has done extensive fieldwork in Egypt on women, gender politics, and expressive culture, including media, she is the author of three award-winning ethnographies: Veiled Sentiments: Honor and Poetry in a Bedouin Society (IUAES Silver Medal; Chicago Folklore Prize, honorable mention); Writing Women’s Worlds (Victor Turner Award); and Dramas of Nationhood: The Politics of Television in Egypt (American Ethnological Society Book Prize). She has edited or co-edited Remaking Women: Feminism and Modernity in the Middle East; Media Worlds: Anthropology on New Terrain and Nakba: Palestine, 1948 and the Claims of Memory. Currently a Carnegie Scholar, she is working on a book that critically examines the international circulation of discourses on women's human rights, and the particular ways that Muslim women’s rights are problematized in this political moment. Download Event Flyer in PDF Format. The event is sponsored by the Journal of Middle East Women’s Studies, the UCSB Center for Middle East Studies, the UCSB Department of Feminist Studies, the UCSB Department of History, the UCSB Divisions of Social Sciences and Humanities, the UCLA Center for the Study of Women, the UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies, the UCLA Department of Women’s Studies, and the UCLA Dean of Social Sciences. Please contact Laura Pollick with any questions. cmes@cmes.ucsb.edu, 805-893-4245. __________________________________________________________
Robert S. Wistrich Monday, February 23, 2009 http://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/events/endowed/taubman.html __________________________________________________________ Salata Baladi (An Egyptian Salad) 6 PM Film Screening / MCC Theater When her young nephew hears a sermon in Cairo encouraging religious war, Nadia Kamel, long-time assistant to the legendary Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine, takes it upon herself to acquaint him with the history of his maternal grandmother Maria (Naela). Incorporating footage of visits by Maria and her husband to relatives in Italy, Israel, and Palestine, this documentary tells the story of a remarkable woman who is part Jewish, part Christian, part Muslim, and all at once a feminist, a communist, an Italian, and an Arab. Nadia Kamel, 105 min, Arabic/ Subtitled, 2008, Egypt/ Israel/ Italy/ Palestine. __________________________________________________________ The Research Focus Group on Citizenship and Democracy and THE EMPIRE WITHIN: A SYMPOSIUM ON THE RACIALIZATION OF ARABS, MUSLIMS, AND SOUTH ASIANS IN THE UNITED STATES Thursday, February 26, 2009
The "racial profiling" of Arab and Muslim American communities after 9/11 has generated questions about a new racial politics and new alliances. This profiling is not exceptional, however. It can be situated in the longer history of U.S. empire and also linked to U.S.
The cultural legitimacy of United States imperialism rests at least in part on the comparative racialization of Arabs, Muslims, and the question of Palestine. The continued reliance on old-school comparative frameworks like Orientalism, "the clash of civilizations," and the supposed unity of "the West," reveals not only the weakness of its analysis but also the weakness of its political position. This talk addresses an archive of contemporary culture work linking the U.S. and the Middle East in radically other ways, revealing a contestatory comparative analytic adequate to our political Respondents: PAUL AMAR and KATHLEEN MOORE, both of the Law and Society __________________________________________________________ January 2009: ISLAMIC REFORMISM AS A PHILOSOPHY OF TIME Souleymane Bachir Diagne (French and Philosophy, Columbia)
This lecture will present Islamic philosophy of reform as developed in the nineteenth century by Muslim thinkers such as Jamal ad-Din Al-Afghani (d.1897), Muhammad Abduh (1849-1905) and others, focusing more particularly on Indian poet and philosopher Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938). The lecture will show, in particular, how Islamic reformist philosophy is founded on a new philosophy of time which Iqbal considers to be the true cosmology of the Quran. Souleymane Bachir Diagne, is professor of French and Philosophy at Columbia University. His fields of research include history of logic, history of philosophy, Islamic philosophy, and African philosophy and literature. Sponsored by the Series in Contemporary Literature and co-sponsored by the IHC, the Comparative Literature Program and the Departments of French & Italian, Black Studies, Religious Studies, Philosophy, History, Global Studies and English. http://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/events/event_files/past/_winter09/_jan/diagne.html __________________________________________________________ THE CRISIS IN GAZA IN REGIONAL & GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE A Panel Discussion with Four Experts Monday, January 26, 2009 Speakers:
Juan Campo
Salim Yaqub
Nancy Gallagher, Moderator
This program is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact: http://www.history.ucsb.edu, (805) 893-2991. __________________________________________________________ Peter Cole Tuesday, January 27, 2009 MacArthur Fellow Peter Cole’s prize-winning translations of the Hebrew Golden Age poets Shmuel HaNagid and Solomon Ibn Gabirol have helped to recreate for contemporary American readers the multifaceted world of medieval Spain, in which Jewish artistic and intellectual communities flourished under Islamic rule. The Dream of the Poem: Hebrew Poetry from Muslim and Christian Spain, 950-1492 extends that vision further, to cover the entire Muslim and Christian periods. Poet and translator Richard Howard has described Cole’s work as "the finest labor of poetic translation that I have seen in many years" and "an entire revelation: a body of lyric and didactic verse so intense, so intelligent, and so vivid that it appears to identify a whole dimension of historical consciousness previously unavailable to us."The Dream of the Poem is, Howard says, “a crowning achievement.” Aside from his award-winning poetry and translations from Hebrew and Arabic, Peter Cole and his wife edit Ibis Editions in Jerusalem, supporting in a collaborative environment the work of Israeli and Palestinian writers. Sponsored by the Series in Contemporary Literature, the Department of Global Studies, the Orfalea Center, the College of Creative Studies, the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, the Department of German, Slavic and Semitic Studies, the Comparative Literature Program, and the IHC. http://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/events/event_files/past/_winter09/_jan/cole.html __________________________________________________________
TALK AND DEMONSTRATION Juan and Magda Campo Wednesday, January 28 Juan and Magda Campo discuss the intriguing beginnings and early history of coffee and coffee houses in the Middle East. From the highlands of Ethiopia and Yemen to Cairo and Istanbul, coffee rapidly became a popular beverage, but not without facing opposition from Muslim religious and political authorities. The talk will examine the controversies stirred by the bean as well as the factors behind its becoming the favorite brewed beverage in the world today. It will include a demonstration of how coffee was and still is made in the Middle East, accompanied by a sampling of Middle Eastern sweets. Sponsored by the IHC as part of its Food Matters series.
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December 2008:
Thursday, December 4, 2008 Orfalea Center Seminar Room This lecture is based on a book published in 2006 ("Global Liberalism, Local Populism", Syracuse University Press) that compares the impact of globalization on the peace processes in Israel and Northern Ireland. The lecture explains what happened to the dream of the "New Middle East", what role did economic development play in the process and whether economic development could be part of a renewed peace process. Guy Ben-Porat is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Public Policy and Administration in Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and currently Richard and Rhoda Goldman Visiting Professor at the University of California, Davis. Born and raised in Israel, he holds a BA from Tel-Aviv University (Political Science and Psychology, 1994) and a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University (Political Science and International Relations, 2001). His first book, 'Global Liberalism, Local Populism; Peace and Conflict in Israel/Palestine and Northern Ireland' (Syracuse University Press, 2006) is the winner of the Ernst-Otto Czempiel Award from the Peace Research Institute in Frankfurt (2008). He also co-authored 'Israel Since 1980' (Cambridge University Press, 2008), edited 'The Failure of the Middle East Peace Process?' (Palgrave, 2008), and a special Issue of Citizenship Studies (With Bryan Turner) on Israeli citizenship. Presented by The Orfalea Center for Global & International Studies. __________________________________________________________ November 2008:
Wednesday, November 5, 2008 Israeli writer David Grossman is the author of some of the most controversial books in his country’s history, including the award-winning The Yellow Wind, observations collected Website: http://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/events/endowed/taubman.html (Sponsored by the Herman P. and Sophia Taubman Foundation Endowed Symposia in Jewish Studies at UCSB, a program of the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center, co-sponsored by UCSB Arts & Lectures, the Department of Religious Studies, Congregation B’nai B’rith, the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara, and Santa Barbara Hillel. Assistance provided by the Anti-Defamation League.) __________________________________________________________ The Muslim Students Association talk about Islam and Eid Thursday, November 6, 2008 __________________________________________________________ Middle East Ensemble
The UCSB Middle East Ensemble (MEE) performs a wide variety of music reflecting the great diversity of cultures found in the Middle East. They first performed for an MCC audience back in 1989 and return nearly 20 years later to present a special Anniversary concert. They will be joined by live dancers in colorful costume who will perform an assortment of dance styles from the region. Tickets $5 for students / $15 general admission. __________________________________________________________
Friday, Nov. 14, 2008 Olivier Roy is the Research Director at the French National Center Download Event Flyer (pdf) Please note that the event flyer has the old room listed. (Sponsored by the IHC's Identity RFP, co-sponsored by the Center for Middle East Studies, and the Departments of History and Political Science.) __________________________________________________________
Monday, Nov. 17, 2008 An eighteen-year-old Moroccan who loves Black Sabbath. In a talk based on his new book, Heavy Metal Islam, Professor Mark LeVine (History, UC Irvine) explores the influence of Western music on the Middle East through interviews with musicians and fans, introducing us to young Muslims struggling to reconcile their religion with a passion for music and a desire for change. Levine takes us on a surprising foray into a historically authoritarian region where music just might be the true democratizing force. (presented by History, co-sponsored by the Center for __________________________________________________________ Nasar Musa and the Middle East Ensemble
Scott Marcus directs an "An Evening of Middle Eastern Music & Dance"with North America's largest Middle Eastern Orchestra. Also featured is the Ensemble's Dance Troupe, directed by Alexandra King. $17/General admission, $9/Students - UCSB Associated Students Ticket Office __________________________________________________________ October 2008 Middle East Events at UCSB:
Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008
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Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008
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Thursday, October 16, 2008
__________________________________________________________ Helena Cobban Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008 __________________________________________________________
"Entering the Final Stage of the Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008 PALESTINE INSIDE OUT What others are saying about "Palestine Inside Out", Makdisi's most recent book: "A compelling account of the lives of ordinary Palestinians suffering under occupation" (Archbishop Desmond Tutu) "Makdisiprovides an exhaustive look at the daily experiences that shape Palestinian life under Israeli occupation" (Institute for Middle East Understanding) **Co-sponsored by Students for Justice in Palestine (funding from Associated Students) and by the Center for Middle East Studies. Download event flyer in PDF format __________________________________________________________ Kathleen Moore (UCSB Law & Society)
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__________________________________________________________ Fall Quarter 2006 Events:
ALSO OF INTEREST Award-winning film by James Longley Iraq in Fragments
Opens November 11, 2006 _________________________________________________________ Spring Quarter 2006 Events:
"IRAN: The Next War?"
"Arab Muslims in Chicago: A Photo Essay"
________________________________________________________ Fall Quarter 2005 Events: Tues. Oct. 4 - 8:00 PM Thurs. Oct. 6 - 8:00 PM Mon. Oct. 17 - 8:00 PM Thurs. Oct. 27 - 2:00 PM ________________________________________________________ Past Events:
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Western
Energy Security: 
Besa: Muslims Who Saved Jews in WWII 
Armenia and the Middle East: 
TALK: The Muslim Scare in Europe – 
TALK: Everybody Must Get Stones: 
TALK: "Islam in Color: Race, Hip Hop, and American Muslim Youth" 
MODEL ARAB LEAGUE 
Language in Post-Soviet Central Asia and Azerbaijan:
Muslims in Europe: 
Covering the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict in 2010: 
Water, Oil, and the Global Production of Islamic Sacred Space: Mecca in Modernity
Race, Lies & Stereotypes: 
Vali Nasr 
Afghan Star, cinema 
The Cultural and Religious Significance of Food in the Middle East 
The Politics of Marriage in Contemporary Iran 
TALK: The Paradox of Humanitarianism: 
Afghanistan & Pakistan -
Anita Diamant 
Benjamin F. Soares 
Edina Lekovic
Reza Aslan 
A Presentation by Abdullahi An-Na'im
Viola Shafik
Rabbi Reuven Firestone
UCSB Middle East Ensemble
(805) 893-2064. 
"Islam and the Clash of Interpretations" 
Olivier Roy is Research Director at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and a lecturer for both the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS) and the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (IEP). He is a specialist on Afghanistan and Central Asia and this year is a visiting Professor at UC Berkeley. 
Janet Afary will be joining the UCSB faculty next year as the new Mellichamp Endowed Chair in Global Religion and Modernity in the Department of Religious Studies, but this year is a visiting fellow at UCLA.
THE 2009 ISRAELI ELECTIONS
THE SOCIAL LIFE OF MUSLIM WOMEN'S RIGHTS 
CONFRONTING ANTISEMITISM IN THE 21ST CENTURY 
Friday, January 16, 2009
AL-ANDALUS THEN AND NOW:
Globalization, Peace and Discontent:
CONVERSATION: An Evening with David Grossman
Mark Levine (UC Irvine) 
Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008 
Mona Kanwal Sheikh
Center for Middle East Studies,
Dr. Saree Makdisi 
Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2008 
