CCAS 2008 Fall Newsletter

November 2008

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Educator Tour to Morocco: S i x C i t ies,M yriadExperiences Zeina Azzam Seikaly rom July 27 to August 11,2008, the CCAS outreachprogram facilitated a trip for educators to Morocco.The l5-membergroup includedprecollege teachersfrom the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, as well as one from Utah, who heard about the study-tour and signed on. I had the pleasure of participating in this experience and working with Alex Safos(MAAS '90) of Global LearningAcross Borders (Global LAB) to organize the trip. As Director of Middle East and North Africa Programs at Global LAB, Mr. Safos planned the entire study tour and worked with me to develop an itinerary rich in academic,cultural, and touristic experiences.Below is a descriptionof the highlights of our The women of the group display their hennaed hands during a itinerary, which included visits to Casablanca,Marrakesh, cultural gathering in the Fes medina.

Fes, Chefchaouen,Asilah, and Tangier. On pages 2-4 are reflectionsby a few ofthe teacher-participants.

Our first stop was Casablanca, where we had guided 5 CCASwelcomesDrs.Tamim al-Barghouti,Juan Romero,and Manal tours of the Hassan II Mosque and Jewish Museum. Our Jamal for the zooS-zoo9 academicyear introduction to the fabulous Moroccan cuisine began immediately,andwe enjoyedthe tastytaginesandubiquitous couscous throughout our stay. After Casablancawe drove to Marrakesh and stayed at a colorful riad (a renovated 6 Senator Chuck Hagel lectures on American foreign policy in the historic home with an interior garden, akin to a bed-andMiddle East breakfast) in the medina (old city). During our medina 6-7 Conferenceon Iraq commemoratesHanna Batatu'swork tours we visited the various souks and quarters as well as 7-9 List of public eventsat CCAS the Dar Si Said Museum, Medresa Ben Youssef, and the exciting Djemaa el-Fna,where storytellers,acrobats,snake charmers, and dancers share the space with food vendors and tourists. We attended a lecture on Sufism followed by 1-4 CCASoutreach program sends fifteen educatorsand staff to six a Sufr dhikr (remembranceceremony), and another lecture Moroccancities on Berber-SaharaCulture. A stroll through the lovely Jardin to-tt Summer workshop explores multidisciplinary approachesto Majorelle offered a cool and calm contrast to the bustling teachingthe Middle East streetsofthe city. tr CCASoutreachprogram celebratesits z5th anniversary We mingled with families, businesspersons, and tourists on the train from Marrakesh to Fes, the ancient city that was celebratingits 7,200-yearbirthday. In the Fes medina 12 MAAS celebratesits 3oth anniversary we visited the fabled tanneries and various souks and the MedresaBou Inania, with a stop at the historic Karaouine t3 MAAS students participate in Center for Arabic Study Abroad Mosque.We were hostedby SACAL (SubulAssalamCentre (CASA) program for the Arabic Language) for two roundtable discussionsr4 Alumni and Student News one with high school studentsand one with teachers-and a 15-16Faculty News lectureon genderissuesby ProfessorFatimaAmrani of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah Fes University. A visit to a zilii t 202 687 5793 Centerfor Contemporary ArabStudies.1.Ceorgetown University.i.

Washington DC20057-1020 * http://ccas.georgetown.edu

Center News (tilework and pottery) factory gave a local family and attend an herbalus an appreciation of this centuries- medicinal workshop.

We had purposelychosenthe datesof old art that incorporatesmathematics and Islamic art designs.Also in Fes our trip to include a visit to the Asilah we broke up into pairs and stayed at Arts Festival, an annual international the homes of various Fassi families cultural celebrationin the picturesque city of Asilah on the Atlantic Ocean. for two nights. The group faced two challengeshere:unusuallyhigh summer There, we attended an evening of temperatures combined with homes oud music by an Iraqi musician and that were not air conditioned; and a performance by a band from Cape difficulty in communicatingwith some Verde. The country theme of the host familiesthat did not speakEnglish. festival this year was Mexico, and we Nevertheless, this was a valuable found ourselvesconsumingtacos and first-hand learning experience about chimichangasat a restaurantfacing the everyday life in the Fes medina. On main gateof the historicAsilah medina! the last day we attendeda performance It was an extraordinary moment of of the Andalusian Musical Ensemble, cultural convergence. The pristine and the women in the group had lovely ParadiseBeach, a short distancefrom henna designsdone on our hands and the city, provided anothermemorable experiencefor the group. arms.

Our last stop was Tangier, from Our eyes feasted on landscapesof olive tree groves on the trip from Fes which we could actually see Gibraltar to Chefchaouen,in addition to the on a clear day. This gave us a palpable plentiful figs and cactusfruit that were view of the organic relationship in season(and sold by street vendors between Morocco and Europe over in every city we visited). We noticed the centuries. In Tangier we visited more Spanishthan French,spokenand the American Legation Museum and on signs, in Chefchaouen,nestled in learned about Morocco's historical the Rif Mountains and founded over ties with the United States.We sipped 500 years ago by Muslims and Jews mint tea at the legendarybeat retreat, who had fled Spain's Reconquista. Cafd Hafa, overlookingthe Atlantic. In We explored this charming mountain additionto walking aroundthe Tangier village known for its striking blue medina,we had our farewell dinner at hotel, Le hues on homesand buildings,and took the stunningrestaurant/resort a memorabletrip to Aghram, a remote Mirage, where we enjoyedspectacular sunsetviews over the Atlantic horizon. mountain village, to have a meal with

Dallas Jacobs (Gilman School,Baltimore, MD), Helen Albader (Ceorge Mason High School,Falls Church, VA), and Arjunia Oakley (Newport Middle School,Kensington, MD) at the American Legation in Tangier.

Marrakesh S a mu e lRic ha r d s Pittsville Middle School (Pittsville, MD)

nteringMarrakeshwassudden!The aiu;ae benveenurban and rural is /quite clear.just like in Casablanca.

Our driver, Mubarak, pulled to a stop at a narow street in the medina, where our van could go no further. Git4 our hostess at AcademiaArabesca(the riad where we stayed),greetedus and guided us to our new home.After a glassof hot mint teawe venturedout for dinner. The streetswere nalrow and crowded.I was certainone of us would be mowed down by a moped.

The city seemedlike one of the hottest places on Earth. The heat was magnified by the closecontactwith people,animals, pushcarts,and mopeds. We joumeyed the teeming nighttime streetsleading to Djemaa el-Fna. I've never seen such a place. The enorrnoussquarewas ablaze with light. Olive stands,spices,meats, and entertainers were everywhere.

While gawking at the exotic booths, we were bombarded by begging children.

Marrakesh provided the first oppornrnity for group members to bargain. I quickly learnedthat some of my companions were ruthlessdealmakers.

At this time of year, Moroccansopen shops much later in the moming; they adapt to the day's heat by performing life's tasks in the coolness of night.

Geography's influence on life was most apparenthere. I realized just how much climate and topography influence our lives. Despite the harsh climate, beauty was abundant. There was beauty in the finely carved and decoratedmedresa,in the garden outside the Jewish museum, in the fauna planted in the beds and pots of the Majorelle Garden, and the warm greetings curious locals gave when calling out: "Sir," "Madam," "Are you American?," "British man," or "German man" as we strolled,wide-eyed,through the streets. ll4 F sticks with me as the measure of Morocco's unforgiving intensity. The warmth of Moroccans mirrored the sun's heat. So many people along the way showcaseda moderate Islamic country ffom which Americans can learn a great deal about the Arab world.

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Center News

O n t he Fes HomeStay LenaS e ika ly Duke Ellington School ofthe Arts (Washington,DC)

aving refurned to a normal daily routine post-Morocco,I am still constantlyreminded of Fes and the generositymy mother and I had the privilege to experience while guests there. For two nights during an August heat wave, a three-generationfamily of women selflesslyhosted us in their medina home. The house,made of thick stone walls and large interior columns coveredwith ornatetile work, was clearly ladenwith a rich family history.We were told later that it was 500 years old, and was built by membersof the samefamily that currently inhabit it. It had threefloors, comprisedmostly of bedrooms,and the roof contained a large opening that one could seefiom the bottom floor.

Structure aside, the renowned Arab hospitality was the tn-re highlight of our stay, between the food, gifts, and the simultaneous hosting of other intemationalguests.Our hosts included the matriarch of the family, her fwo daughters, a daughter-in-law and her two children, and three female boarders (an American, a Japanese,and a British womanoflndian descent)who wereliving and studying in Fes for various periods of time. As Americansof Palestinianorigin, my mother and I were able immediately to connect with the family on a closer level. Everyone was so interested in engagingwith me and others,especially when it cameto music.

As a musician,I will never forget the night the Andalusian music ensemble performed in our house-not only did I get to sing a muwashah(a song based on Arabic poetry) with the ensemble, but after everyone left, the girls in our household were all musically inspired, and we togethersang and played songs into the night. And it was ffom this night that I drew my most interestingcrosscultural experienceto date;I ate spaghetti for dinner, learneda Japanesepop songon a guitar, and sanga Brazilian jazzsongin exchange,all in Fes,Morocco.I'd love to meetthe personwho can saythe same!

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American and Moroccan teachers pose for a photo after a roundtable discussion at which they talked about common experiences in the classroom.

Asilah Har r ietCoutur e WaynewoodElementary School(Alexandria, VA)

eauti ful royal pal ms l i ned the w i de, mai n street and the l ong, sandy beach of As i l a h . S and, sunbathers,and ocean w a v e s were on our ri ght, and hotel s, s h o p s , and restaurantson our l eft.

It re m i nded me of Fort Lauderdal e, w h i c h w as a surpri sesi nce very l i ttl e o f th e Moroccan l andscaperemi nded me o f t he S tates. W e had l unch i n th i s b e auti ful setti ng. Our hotel w as o n c e g r and but rooms and bathrooms w e re i n need of repai r,but breakfasts w e re l ovel y w i th fri ed fl at bread, o ra n g e marmal ade,ol i ves, and other Mo ro c c an speci al ti es.

A s i l a h i s compact so w e di d e v e ry thi ng on foot. The medi na i s s u r rounded by huge, strong fortifications built by the Portuguese i n th e l 5th century. W e saw the w o n d e r ful , square stone ramparts c o n n e c ted to the rocky coastl i ne a n d b e ach. Great photos! The beach s tre tc hedfor mi l es. W e then toured th e c o l orful medi na, uni que i n that a t e v e ry turn you see mural s pai nted for the town's International Cultural

Festi val , w hi ch takes p lace ever y A ugust. Our ti mi ng w as per f ect and w e w ere abl e to attend som e of t he cul tural events. A s a change f r om Moroccan food, w e di ned at a new Mexi can restaurantw hi l e a 12- piece mariachi band entertainedrestaurant patrons and the crowd of festival folks who gathered in the street.

A l l these acti vi ti es ma de Asilah del i ghtful .

The unexpected trea sur e was P aradi se B each, a qui et, gor geous, and spotl ess attracti on about t wo mi l es south of A si l ah. Alex hir ed three flatbed horse carts to take us there; each poor horse pulled a heavy cart carrying a driver and five of us over bumpy roads and t r ails and through i mpoveri sh ed squat t er nei ghborhoodsto reach this beach.

The w ooden pl anked fl at beds had onl y thi n bl anket coverings so t he tw o mi l es seemed endl ess as t he huge, w orn w agon w heels bum ped over the rocks, di rt, and pot holes.

B ut the fantasti cbeach.oceanwaves. and seafood lunch were worth the di scomfort. The horse car t r ide was trul y unforgettabl e.Onl y t hr ee of us were brave enough for the return trip; others chose to hi re taxis and save their bodies from additional torture.

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C h e f chaouen Barbara i n d e n B o sch St.Anne's Belfield School (Charlottesville, VA)

or me the most exciting of our many wonderful experiencesthis summer was visitins the herbal cooperativein Aghram, a small village outside of Chefchaouen. The trip to the cooperative-first on a bus, then in a small van-led us through the Rif countryside.We sawsmallfarms,schools, and people working in the fields on our way to the cooperative. Once there,we learned how families had replaced the growing of kif (cannabis)with a small herb-extractingindustry.We had a meal with the family and saw how they had set up a small bed-and-breakfastto supplementtheir income.

The beauty of the countryside, the tastiness of the luncheon the family providedfor us,andthe carethey showed toward us and their environmentmade me want to stay in Morocco forever.

What a perfect model for change that small factory with its bed-and-breakfast providedl It showedhow a few people with determination and a bit of help from the outside can radically change their own environment.

small fans. After brief introductions, we began a dialogue that surprisingly revealedhow, althoughour schoolswere demographically and geographically thousands of miles apart, we were similar in many ways. We talked about many subjects,but when someonein our group askedaboutthe major concernsof teachersin Fes, we found our common ground. The concerns that sffuck a familiar chord with our group were the

lack ofparentinvolvementin the students' education,classroombehavior, student motivation, and school attendance.Of course, we all complained about the salarieswe receive.

To find this commonality with the Moroccan teacherswas reassuring.We had an authentic encounter that taught us that teacherseverywherehave similar experiences, and that sfudents ffe, always,students.i.

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A neighborhood scene in Chefchaouen,a small town in the Rif mountains in northern Morocco.

Newport Middle School (Kensington, MD)

he cify of Fes is the home of the University of al-Karaouine, the oldest continuously operating institution of higher learning in the world. The universify was founded in 859 CE by Fatima al-Fihri, the daughter of a wealthy merchant. Our brief visit to the gate of al-Karaouine reinforced our appreciation for the remarkable history of Fes.It was with this historical backdrop that our group climbed to the secondfloor of a simple, white stucco building, where SACAL, our host institution in Fes, was located,to meet with a group of Moroccan teachers.

It was I 18 F when we gathered together, 15 in our group and about l0 in theirs. We were servedsweet,hot tea and cookies and cooled by a couple of One of many compelling displays of herbs and spices in the Fes souk.

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C e n te r New s

CCASWelcomes Drs.TamimAl-Barghouti, JuanRomero,and ManalJamalfor the 2008-2009 AcademicYear M im i K i r k CA S is ple a s e d to w e l c o m e Dr. Tamim Al-Barghouti, Dr. Juan Romero, and Dr. Manal Jamal to its community this year. Dr. Al-Barghouti, a Palestinian political scientist and poet, is a visiting professor, and is teaching two courses:Comparative Politics of the Middle East and Islamic Political Thought. Dr. Juan Romero has been named the 2008-2009 Qatar PostDoctoral Fellow, and is teaching a graduate seminar in the fall entitled The Great Powers and the Middle East. In the spring, Dr. Romero will teach a seminaron the history of lraq.

Dr. Manal Jamal comes to CCAS as a visiting scholar from James Madison Uni v er s it y , wher e s h e i s a n a s s i s ta n t professor of political science.Please seebelow f or t hes es c h o l a rs ' b i o s .

TAMIM AL-BARGHOUTI, born in Cairo, studied politics at Cairo University, the American University in Cairo, and BostonUniversity,where h e rec eiv ed his Ph .D . i n p o l i ti c a l science in 2004. He has worked for t he Unit ed N a ti o n s i n v a ri o u s capacities, including involvement in its Division of Palestinian Rights as well as the Department of Political Affairs and its Mission in Sudan. In 2005 he was appointed an assistant professor of political science at the American University in Cairo. ln2007 Dr. Al-Barghouti became a fellow at the Berlin Institute for Advanced Study. He is the author of Benign C CA SNews* Nov e mb e r2 0 0 8

Nationalism: State Building Under Occupation (The Egyptian National Library, 2007) and The Umma and the Dawla: Nation State and the Arab Middle Easl (Pluto Press,2008).

Dr. Al-Barghouti has also published five poetry collections in Arabic.

Through his poems-which express P a l e s ti ni anconcernsi n both cl assi cal Arabic and the local dialect-as well as public performancesand television MA N A L JA MA L recei vedher Ph. D. appearances, he has become one from McGill University in 2006, Palestine's most celebrated speci al i zi ng i n comparative polit ics of contemporarypoets. of devel opi ngareas. S he also holds a B.A. and an M.A. in international relations from the University of California, Davis, and San Francisco StateUniversity,respectively.Priorto joining the faculty of JamesMadison University, Dr. Jamal was a Sultan Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, a researchfellow at the Dubai School of J U A N R OME R O recei ved hi s Government, and a visiting scholar at Master's degree in Middle Eastern Harvard University's Dubai Initiative studies from the University of Texas at the Belfer Center. a t A u s ti n (U T) i n 2001. H i s thesi s Her researchand teaching interests was entitled "Emerging Military include democratization, war-toAl l i a n c esi n the Mi ddl e E ast: S ecuri ty peace transitions, and the politics o r Pa n dora' sB ox?" H e recei ved hi s of the Mi ddl e E ast, including doctoral degree in history from UT the Arab-Israeli conflict.

She in 2008. His dissertation is entitled is currently working on a book " T h e Iraqi R evol uti on of 1958 and manuscript, Democracy Promotion the Searchfor Security in the Middle in Troubled Times: The Limits of East." Dr. Romero'sresearchinterests LI/estern Donor Assistance to Civil focus on European imperialism and Society, which examines the impact the Cold War in the Middle East. of donor assistanceto civil society Prior to his graduate studies, in the Palestinian territories and El Dr. Romero traveled extensively, Salvador.This manuscriptdraws from including to Egypt, and lived for fieldwork for which the author was a many years in Russia, Taiwan, India, winner of the best fieldwork award and Japan. His professional career of the Comparative Democratization includesworking as a guide,translator, section of the American Political interpreter, and language and yoga S ci enceA ssoci ati on. * instructor. He has studied Arabic in Egypt and meditation in Taiwan, India. and Jaoan.

Talk by SenatorChuckHagel CCASSponsors Mim i Ki r k J)

epublicanSenatorChuck Hagel of

N::ffiffil":'i"fl""it* Librmy entitled "America: Our Next Chapter."The title, reminiscentof his book published earlier this yet, America: Our Nut Chapter: Tough Questiora, Straight Answers @cco 2008), Promised a fi:ank discussionaboutAmerican policy.

Scott Fleming, AssociateVice President for Federal Relations at Georgetowrqand Dr. Michael Hudson, Director of CCAS, infoduced Senator Hagel. Dr. Hudson provided an outline of some of the issues currently troubling the Middle East noting economic thatwith theUnitedStates'present slump,they arelesslikely to getthe attention they deservefrom Washington.

Senator Hagel fint noted that the challenges presented by Dr. Hudson are global in scope."We areall affectedby what happensin theMiddle East " he said,"andwe are all now citizens of a global community underpinned by a global economy." The reorientation in world affain, he continued, is unlike anything we've seen since World War tr-and is likely deeper than what leadersconfrontedfollowing that war.

What's needed"according to the Senalor, is to follow in fte footsteps of those world leaden of the 1940swho built coalitions based on cornmon interests after the war ended. He quoted Secretaryof DefenseRobet Gates as recently saying that the United States "cannot reside only based on the

principle of [its] military might or using [its] military strength to try and resolve problems."As such,"Americamustengage the world in such a way that we don't back ourselvesinto a cul-de-sacof isolation," saidHagel.

In terms of the Middle East,which the Senator called "more combustible,more dangerous,and more complicatedthan it has ever been,"this meansengagingwith Iran and Syria and recognizing Iraq's desire for the departureofAmerican troops."The fact is iflraq is a sovereignnation,"he said, "and if that's what we've been fighting for andspending$ 10-12billion dollarsa month for, it seemsto me we're going to have to honorthe decisionof that country."He also noted that the United Statescannot sustain

"Weare all affectedby what in the MiddleEast." happens -CHucr Hacrr, Sguron or NesRAsKA the kind of expenditures and manpower of which it has dedicatedsevenyears in Afghanisun and six years tn lraq.

The next president, Hagel said, inherits the greatest inventory of problems since Fmnklin Roosevelt, but he also inherits a tremendous opportunity: "[He has the] opportunityto leadthe world----notdictate to the world, not imposeon the world, not invadethe world-but leadthe world...

Ifthe next presidentreachesto Congress and makes Congressa paflner, if he reachesto the world and makes the world a parmer on common interests... we can accomplishan awful lot. I believe that's possible."

A lively question and answersession followed with topics ranging from Senator Hagel'suniqueposition in the Republican pafiy to the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. *

Conference on lraq Commemorates HannaB ata t u ' s S e min aW l o rk M im i Kir k held a conference 1--1 CAS lr-,, entitled "Uncovering Iraq: Disintegration Trajectories of and Transformation" on October 28. ln memory of Hanna Batatu and his groundbreaking 1978 tome, The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movements of lraq, the event featured three panels exploring facets of Iraq's situation: the first reflecting on his contribution to current understandingsof Iraqi history; the second examining how producers of knowledge-the academy,think tanks, the government, and the media-portray the country todaY; and the third drawing on Batatu's meticulous methodology t o analyze contemporary Iraqi affairs.

Georgetown history professor Dr. Judith Tucker gave welcoming remarksandintroducedthekeynote speaker,Dr. Isam al Khafaji of the Institute for Multiparty Democracy in the Hague. Dr. al Khafaji spoke about hi s personal ex per iences with Batatu as well as themes in the book, including its positive consideration of the Communist party and the idea that political partieshave very social roots.

The first panel's chair, Dr. Dina Khoury of George Washington University, then read a paper by Dr. Peter Sluglett,who was not able to attend.Dr. Sluglettofferedpraiseof The Old Social Classes,including its abilitv to "convev a vivid sense

Senator Chuck Hagel discusses U.S.policy in the Middle East.

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Pub Iic Events limelight. Finally, panel chair and presenter Chris Toensing, editor of the Middle East Report, offered observationsabout Iraq as it has been c o v e re d i n the A meri can press si nce th e 2 0 0 3 i nvasi on.H e outl i ned some of the major frames evident in the media, such as the reification of sect and ethnicity as well as the "the surge Continuedfrom page 6 has worked" frame.

The last panel featured Ghassan of what it must have been like to live at various crucial times in recent Iraqi Atiyyah of the Iraqi Democratic history as a member of a struggling Movement, who discussedthe British clandestinegroup or as a participant occupation versus the American occupationof Iraq. Mr. Atiyyah argued in one of the mass demonstrations[ofl th e 1 940sand 50s . " D r. Sl u g l e tt a l s o that while the British united Iraq, the offered criticism of Batatu's work, Americansunraveledit by emphasizing including his tendencyto attributethe different regions, different sects,and relatively wide acceptanceof Socialist different ethnicities.PeterHarling, the and Communist conceptsto the social Iraq-Syria-Lebanonproj ect director at conditions of lraq without taking the International Crisis Group, then into account the need for political examined how civil war dynamics educationand organization.Dr. Reidar in Iraq revealed the complexity of Visser of the Norwegian Institute Baghdad's socioeconomic makeup, of International Affairs spoke about which to a large extentdeterminedthe Batatu's excellent analytical skills "Onlya massive and source base, but he also pointed work like out Batatu's surprising reliance on Batatu's driveshome...the Bri tis h r epor t s f r om 1 9 1 6 a n d l 9 l 7 dauntingoverallchallenge to document the late Ottoman period, posedby lraq'scomplex which led to some gaps in The Old politicsand society."

Social Classes.The last speakeron the first panel,CCAS Qatar Post-Doctoral -Wlvne WHrrr,ronvrRDreuw Drnrcron, Fellow Juan Romero, discussed the SrnrEDepaRrvEnr demonstrationsof July 14, 1958-the Iraqi revolution. He diverges from course of the war. For instance,Mr. Batatu in that he emphasized the Harling pointed out that bourgeois initially largely spontaneouscharacter residential neighborhoodswere often devoid of strong local identity, and of the demonstrations.

In the second panel, Wayne White, were thus difficult to defend and former deputy director at the State were very rapidly depopulated by Department specializing in the Near armed groups of both sides. The last East and South Asia, pointed out that speaker, Dr. Eric Davis of Rutgers "only a massive work like Batatu's University, compared Iraq's Mahdi drives home so graphically the full Army with the Mafia in southernltaly, extentofthe dauntingoverallchallenge looking particularly at the relationship posed by Iraq's complex politics between religion and politics and a and s oc iet y [ t o U. S. i n te l l i g e n c ea n d manifestion of this relationship that the formulation of U.S. policy]." Dr. acts as a subterfuge for criminal SinanAntoon of New York University activity. then spoke about the category of the The idea for the conference was native scholar as native informant, hatched by CCAS adjunct faculty noting that the thoughts and teachings member Dr. Laurie King-Irani, and of figures like Kanan Makiya were CCAS Public Affairs Coordinator often used as an alibi for the Iraq Margaret Daher skillfully organized war. Batatu, however, shunned such the event. {.

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MoreEvents A Selectionof Palestinian Plays from the ReOrient Festival September13,2008 Each year the ReOrient Festival brings innovative and thought-provoking theater from and about the Middle East to San Francisco. For the first time, selections from the festival were presented to a D.C. audience. The featured selections included"Baggage"by FatehAzzam,"The Monologist Suffers Her Monologue" by Yussef El Guindi, "Sahmata"by Edward Mast and Hanna Eady, and "Thmam" by Betty Shamieh.CCAS and the Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Developmentsponsoredthe event.

Marwan Muasher: Is There Hope for Peacein the Arab World?

SeptemberI 5, 2008 Marwan Muasher, author of The Arab Center: ThePromisefor Moder ation,spoke aboutprospectsfor peacein the Arab world He is currently on leavefrom his position as Senior Vice President for Extemal Affairs at the World Bank, a post he has held sinceMarch 2007. Mr. Muasherwas a senatorin the Jordanian Parliament and one of Jordan'stop diplomats.The event waspart ofthe "DevelopmentPractitioners and Practicesin the Middle East" series.It was sponsoredby CCAS with the support of the Global StrategyProject.

World Bankofficial MarwanMuasher.

A meri ca: Our N ext C ha pt er , An Address by Senator Chuck Hagel September22, 2008 SenatorHagel addressedU.S. policy in the Middle East.Pleaseseethe article, "CCAS SponsorsTalk by SenatorChuck Hagel" on page6 for more details.

P r rh Iic Fv en ts

Political Empowerment of Moroccan Women October 10, 2008 To commemorate King Mohammed VI's 2003 speechbefore Parliamentin which he introducedthe new Moroccan family code, the moudawana, the Moroccan government has decreed October l0 as National Women's Day. In celebration of the day, CCAS, the Moroccan Embassy, and Vital Voices Global Partnership sponsored a roundtablediscussionentitled "Political Empowerment of Moroccan Women."

It was an opportunity to hear about Morocco's experience in promoting women'srights and genderequality,and to discuss the continued challengesto women'seconomic,social,andpolitical empowernent. Panelists included Ms. Aicha Afifi (Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassyof the Kingdom of Morocco), Dr. Laith Kubba (Senior Director for MENA, National Endowment for Democracy), Ms. Mahnaz Afkhami (Founder and President, Women's Learning Partnership), Dr. Loubna Skalli-Hanna (American University, School oflnternational Service).and Dr. Ahmad Dallal (Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies. Georgetown University).

Path, a route of cultural tourism that in lran; Mossadegh; Nasser 56; The retracesthe journey made by Abraham Banle of Algiers; Crisis in lran: Death of (Ibrahim) through the heart of the the Shah and the hostage crisis; The 50 Middle East some four thousandyears Years LYar:Israel and the Arabs; Return ago. The Master of Arts Program in to the Land of l(onders; and The Myth of Conflict Resolution, CCAS, and the "The Clash of Civilizatiorn."

Prince Alwaleed Center for MuslimChristian Understanding hosted three A rabi an S i ghtsFi l m Fest ival2008 representativesfrom the initiative to October 24, 2008 - November 2, 2008 The Thirteenth Annual Arabian discussits successes and challenses.

Sights Film Festival offered a dynamic Mi d d l e E astD emocracy:A D i scussi on and diverse range of new films from with James Traub Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine,and Syria. Several October 20, 2008 James Traub, a writer who often directors were present at screenings international affairs, to discusstheir work. Al1 films were addresses discussed democracy in the Middle screenedwith English subtitles.Films East. Mr. Traub is a contributing writer included 33 Days; Recycle; Life After for The New York Times Magazine, the Fall; Slingshot Hip Hop; Waiting where he has worked since 1998.From for Pasolini; The Aquarium; In the 1994 to 199'7,he was a staff writer for Heliopolis Flat; The Other Threat; TheNew Yorker.He has also written for Under the Bombs; The Island; The The New York Review of Books, Foreign Yellow House; Captain Abu Raed; and Affairs, The Atlantic Monthly, The New Out of Coverage.

Republic, and elsewhere.Most recently, he is the author of TheFreedomAgenda: Book Signing with His Beatitude Why America Must Spread Democracy Patriarch Michel Sabbah (Just Not the Way George Bush Did) October 27, 2008 (Farar,Strausand Giroux,2008).

His BeatitudeMichel Sabbah,Patriarch Emeritus of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, offered remarks on the CCAS' "Great Powers and the IsraeliPalestinian conflict and Mi d d le E ast" Fall 2008 the role of Christians in the Film Series region.

Afterwards, he Throughout the fall semester, CCAS screened signed copies of his new a different film every book, Faithful lVitness: Thursday evening that On Reconciliation qnd Peace in the Holy dealt with the themeof great powers and the Land Qlew City Press, 2009). Rateb Y. Rabie Middle East. Films included: Blood and of the Holy Land Christian Oil: The Middle Ecum en ic al East in lttWL Foundat ion, Farouk, Last of the Pharaohs: of which the Patriarch is Anatomy of a Advisor y Coup: The CIA Board

The A br aham Pa th In i ti a ti v e : Connecting People,Step by Step October 14, 2008 The Abraham Path Initiative is an international NGO founded in 2001 whose purpose is to inspire and support the development of the Abraham

American University professor Dr. Loubna Skalli-Hanna was one of several panelists in a roundtable discussion entitled "Political Empowerment of Moroccan Women," sponsored by CCAS,the Moroccan Embassy, and Vital Voices Global Partnership.

Security and Human Rights in Israel September24, 2008 Jessica Montell, Executive Director of B'Tselem-Israel's leading human rights documentationcenter-presented B'Tselem's latest report on the settlements,and discussedthe center's pioneering approach to human rights monitoring, including the use of video.

The event also marked the opening of B'Tselem's new office in Washington, D.C. The Georgetown Human Rights Forum, the Institute for the Study of International Migration, the Advocacy Project,and CCAS sponsoredthe event.

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C C A SN ew s.i .N o vem ber2008

Puh Iic F ven ts Chairman, gave welcoming remarks.

FatherDrew Christiansen,S.J.introduced the Patriarch.

Unc ov er ing I r aq: A C o n fe re n c e i n Me m or y of Hanna B a ta tu October 28, 2008 The conferencebuilt upon the legacy of Hanna Batatu'sclassic study,The OI d Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movementsof lraq, publishedin 1978.

Pleasesee the article, "Conferenceon Iraq CommemoratesHanna Batatu's Seminal Work" on page 6 and 7 for more details.

Fro m t he Under gr o u n d to th e Pu b l i c Sp her e: Deat h M e ta l , Ga n g s ta R a p a nd t he S t r uggle fo r D e m o c ra c y i n th e M us lim W or ld November 3, 2008 Mark LeVine, professor of modern Middle Eastern history, culture and Islamic studies at UC lrvine, spoke aboutmusic asresistancein the Muslim world, drawing from his recent book, Heavy Metal Islam: Rock, Resistance, and the Struggle for the Soul of Islam (Random House/Three Rivers Press, 2008). He is the author and editor of more than half a dozen other works, including llhy They Don't Hate Us: Lifting the Veil on the Axis of Evil (Oneworld Publications,2005) and the soon to be published An Impossible Peace: Israel/Palestine Since 1989 (Zed Books, in press). The event was sponsoredby CCAS, the Prince Alwaleed Centerfor Muslim-Christian Understanding,and the Berkley Center for Religion, Peaceand World Affairs.

Actors and their director answer questions about a selection of palestinian plays from the ReOrient Festival.Each year the festival brings innovative theater from and about the Middle East to San Francisco.This year, it came to Georgetown.

Scheherazad (University of Florida, 2003), and WesternRepresentationsof the Muslim lloman: From Termagant to Odalisque (Univerity of Texas, l 9 9 9 ).

and ethnic issuesof the Middle East, and he discussed his experiences throughout the region over the years.

This event was co-sponsoredby the Security Studies Program and the SFS Dean'sOffice.

F i l m Screeni ng: K now l edge i s the Be g i n n ing S yri a and Iran: A n Endur ing N o v e mber17,2008 A l l i ance Knowledge rs the Beginning is November19, 2008 the story of the West-Eastern Divan Jubin M. Goodarzi, Professor of Orchestra, where young Arabs and International Relations at Webster Jews perform and live side by side. University, Geneva, provided an It i s a fi l m about the w ay musi c can overview and analysis on the origins transcend cultural barriers, bring and development of the Damascuspeople together, defeat prejudice, Tehran nexus, its purposes and and overcome religious and political objectives,and its impact on regional differences-but it also chroniclesthe and i nternati onal pol i ti cs. problemsthat can crop up. For Daniel Barenboim, founder of the ensemble, " P hotos to D evel op" Exhibit ion the orchestrais a symbol of what could Openi ng and R ecepti on be achieved in the Middle East. The N ovember21,2008 film is directed by Paul Smaczny.

"Photos to Develop" is a project R eading and Lec t u re w i th D r. M o h j a that works to engage children from Kahf An A m b assador' s Journey Through Bedouin communities in Jordan November14, 2008 th e M i d dl e E ast with photography, allowing them to Dr. Mohja Kahf read poems and N o v e m b er17,2008 expressthemselvesas they never have other selections from her literary Ambassador Edward Djerejian, the before. Thus far, the project has been works, and she also spoke about the founding director of the James A. completed outside Amman, in the stereotype of the oppressedMuslim Baker III Institute for Public Policy ancient city of Petra, and in Wadi Rum. woman. Dr. Kahf is a faculty member at Rice University, is one of the Natasha Hamarneh-Hall, organizer of in the University of Arkansas'sKing United States' most distinguished the exhibition, is a former Fulbright Fahd Center for Middle East and diplomats, with a career that has scholar who conducted fieldwork in Islamic Sudies as well as its program spannedthe administrationsof eight Jordan on educationaldevelopmentin in comparative literature. Her books U.S. presidents.AmbassadorDjerejian Bedouin communities. * include The Girl in the Tangerine is also a leadingexperton the complex Scarf (Perseus, 2006), E-mails from political, security,economic,religious, CCA SNews* Nov e mb e r2 0 0 8

Approaches for Teachers.

SummerWorkshop the MiddleEast to Teaching Z e i n aAzzamSeikaly Imam Yahya Hendi (Georgetown University) gave a presentation on "The Challenge of Islam: Between the Past and Present." He answered questions such as, "Who made you an imam?" and "What is one of the most difficult Islamic laws that you "Whenwe reada bookabout have had to adjudicate?"Imam Hendi otherpeople,we become explained Islamic terms such asfiqh, ijtihad, fatwa, and shari'ah. He urged because the ourselves, changed, group to differentiate between of the waywe reactto other social actions that are part of culture people's stories." and those that are religiously based.

Three speakersexploredhistory and -Esn MnnsroN, AUTHoR politics. Dr. Ranjit Singh (University in such countries as Egypt, Syria, of Mary Washington),whose lecture Turkey, and Tunisia, as well as the ti tl e w as, " A voi di ng' Them ':Teaching considerabledebate generatedby the the Arab-Israeli Conflict as World initiatives to reform personal status Politics and History," examined laws. Middle Eastern women, she " i deol ogi esof nati onal i sm. "He t r aced concluded, largely argue that it's not the antecedentsof the rise of Zionism, Islam that is the problem, but rather stressingthe importance of situating the interpretation of it; therefore, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in they are taking a special interest in the context of world history. Dr. contributing to the field of Qur'anic Elizabeth Thompson (University of Virginia) discussedthe waning of the e x e s e si s.

Ottoman Empire and the emergence of nationalism and the world's powers in her presentation, "Justice Interrupted: The Historical Impact of World War I in the Middle East."

She addressedthe ideas of how, as teachers,we interpret history and its various sources; she also discussed political-historical concepts such as equality and democracy, governance and power, sectarian coexistence and warfare, and nationalism and Parsi Trita independence. Dr. (National Iranian American Council) spokeon "The Iranian Challenge:How the U .S . C an H andl e Iran's Rise. " He characterizedIran as "a superpower in the region for the last 3,000 years" but focused on the last three decades in his analysis of American-Iranian tensions. He advocated an end to the Bush administration's policy of excl udi ng l ran from negot iat ions, waning of the the lectures about Virginia of University of the Thompson Dr. Elizabeth explaining the important role that the War 1.

World Empire and Ottoman

program's he outreach annual summer workshop for teachers, which explores approaches to multidisciplinary studying the Middle East, was held Ju ne 23- 21, 200 8 . In a tte n d a n c e were 31 teachersfrom the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, as well as one from Japan'sKadena Mi d dle S c hool, l o c a te d o n a U .S. military air base in Okinawa.

Dr. Leila Hudson (UniversitY of Arizona-Tucson) kicked off the week-long program with a lecture on "Approaching the Middle East." She examineddifferent "axes of diversity" that help in understandingthe region; these included languageand ethnicity, states and governments, religion, lifestyle, class, age, and gender. In studying the Middle East, she said, it is important to examinehow historical and political events provide context for and intersect with life stories. Dr. Mervat Hatem (Howard UniversitY) looked at the intersection of gender

10

and politics in the Middle East, and a s k e d the group to questi on some of the West's prevalent assumptions a b o u t Is l ami c soci eti esand w omen' s rights. She discussedthe 20th-century movements for women's rights

C C A SN ew s* N ovem ber2008

OutreachNews Continuedfrom page I0 country plays in all the major issues o f th e r egion.Dr . P a rs i a l s o d i s c u s s e d the diversity of the Iranian population and the need for the United Statesto h av e good r elat io n s w i th th e p e o p l e of the country and not just with the regim e.

In his pr es enta ti o n o n " Oi l a n d Energy in the Gulf," Dr. Jean-Frangois Seznec (Georgetown University) looked at the history and robustness of oil production in the Gulf, but in ans wer ingt he que s ti o n ," Wh e re d o e s th e Unit ed S t at e s g e t i ts o i l ? ," h e said that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries are fifth on the list, after Canada, Venezuela, Mexico, and Nigeria. He explained the production and transport of Middle Eastern oil and its derivative uses, including natural gas and petrochemicals. Dr. Sez nec als o dis c u s s e d th e p o l i ti c s o f oil and t he r el a ti o n s b e tw e e n o i l producersand importers.

On the literary front, author Elsa Marston talked about her book, Santa Claus in Baghdad and Other Stories CCASadjunct professor Gregory Orfalea addresses Arab American history and identity. about Teens in the Arab World, which the workshop group had read a b o u t other peopl e," she sai d, " w e country during the last century and beforehand. "When we read a book b e c o me changed,oursel ves,because afLer 9111. Mr. Orfalea talked about of the way we react to other people's the early Arab American writers and s to ri e s ." S he sai d that her ai m i n gave several recommendations of writing the stories was to identify novels and poetry collections that themesthat resonateforAmerican kids coul d be used i n the cl ass r oom . and therefore dispel the stereotype The group comprised educators o f A ra b teens as " the Other." Ms. who teach world history, AP history, Marston broke up the teachers into social studies,American government, s i x g ro ups, each of w hi ch di scussed English and writing/creative writing, questions about particular stories, literature, English for Speakers of and they reportedtheir findings to the Other Languages, French, Spanish, larger group. Teacher Eric Goldstein science, international and cultural (DC Preparatory Academy) came studi es,and rel i gi on as w ell as m edia to th e sessi on to speak about hi s speci al i sts.Four teacherselect ed t o e x p e ri e ncesi n usi ng her stori esi n hi s take the workshop for graduatecredit c l a s sa ndto sharesomeof hi s teachi ng and gave briefpresentationsabout the strategies. Another author, Gregory lesson plans they were developing.

Orfalea, offered a session titled, Everyone received background " Ara b A meri cans: From Invi si bl e to articles and books to further their T o o Vi si bl e." H e tal ked about the knowledge about many of the ideas waves of immigration of Arabs to presentedat the workshop. A Middle the United States,starting in the late Eastern lunch was another important 19th century up to the present,and the highlight of each day, in addition various reasons for their dislocation. to the friendships and networking H e a l s o di scussedthe experi encesof opportunitiesthat developedover the the Arab American communitv in this course of the week. * C CA SNewsi. Nove m b e r2 0 0 8

11

A cademi c News

Turns30 Program Masterof Artsin ArabStudies M im i Ki r k with a conversationn 1974 since9/11has increasedfrom momd 75 to Academic ProgramsCoordinator,is in large Jt all started wasteachingthecontemporary more than 200 each year, according to Dr. part to thank for this supportiveafrnosphere.

I aboutwho IArab world.The answer?No one."fDean Judith Tucker, curent director of MAAS. Beveridge joined MAAS in 2005, and Schoolof ForeignService] "The level of preparation has changed as recallsattendingthegoing awayparty forher of Georgetown's Peter Krogh pointed this out after coming well," she says. "Most applicants have predecessor,Liz Kepferle, who had served back from businessin the Gu$" says Dr. studiedArabic and spent time in the Arab in the position for 12 years. "Dr. Tucker John Ruedy,the fint director of the Master world. You have to have eamedyour spurs spoke about how Liz always made the studentsfeel welcome, and I saw how they ofArts inArab Studies(lr4A,{S) program."I fto be admitted]." appreciated that. I took that to heart." This ability to attract cites the Center's Tircker and contacted begantodo someinvestigating isn't just a recent development.

Dr. atrnosphere great younger including Samer faculty, Middle Eastem studies leaden of all the one of the first MAAS Dr. Carol Madisor!

Abi-Menhe4 Dr. Osama I found that Shehata States. programs in the United graduates into the Foreigr Service who went Adely in the and Dr. Fida Rochelle Davis, modem Arab was teaching the none of them is now a Tiustee of the Camegie uK positive and past years another change. six as a number Ruedy and world." As a result, people who are are Hudson agrees; "These Halim Barakat, Dr. of others, including " lt wa s p a r to f o u r sch o l a r l y Dr. Wallace Erwiru Dr. Michael Hudson, very dynamic and fuIl of enerry. They're m is s io n[ in M A AS]to Dr. Ibrahim Oweiss, Dr. Irf'dn Shahid, Dr. alreadycontributinga lot." well.

I(hody Akhavi, a as Alumni agree Barbara Stowasser and Dr. Hisham Sharabi, u n p a c km is c o n c e pti o nasn d freelanceproducer with Al JazeeraEnglish beganto put togethersucha progftun. r e d u c t io n isats s u mp ti o n s."

"We decidedthat all of our studentswould who gmduated liom MAAS this past -Dn. MrcneeL Huosor'r, DrnEcron, CCAS gain proficiencyin Modem StandardArabic," year, cites Shehatasclasson Islamistsand Ruedy says,"and we wanted them to study electionsas one ofthe besthe took. Persis Trust, echoedAkhavi's sentiments."My first ofthe social sciences."The Berlekamp, class of 1994 and an assistant greatestjoy [in MAAS] was the fellowship a cross-section was the MAAS progftun, professorof art history at the University of of my classmatesand the professon. We course, resulg of its fint classin 1978,and Chicago,alsonamesa ceftainclassasgiving were like a family and we still are." welcomed which It's obvious the MAAS program has rigorousmastery her "wonderfulmemories":"lslamic Cities" key elements-a thesetwo Redford. been a success, both academically and and Dr. Scott with Dr. Stowasser multidisciplinary with a Arabic coupled of program So where do we go from interpersonally. notes that the MAAS Berlekamp this day. continues to track-scholarly here?

First and foremost, saysDr. Stowasser, to improve my what I needed exactly director of "was Hudson, current Michael Dr. need money for fellowships, I desperately what discipline "we and to figwe out Arabic idea behind a fi.urdamental adds that CCAS, endowed moreheavily so students don'tgoto pursue."

Cities" evidently wanted to "lslamic program was that the of the fouding the region should not be studied through an helped a lot; Berlekampeamedher Ph.D. univenities." Dr. Tircker and Dr. Hudson Orientalistlens. "It was paft of our scholarly from Harvard in Islamic art and architecnre. both voice the need for a few more faculty Akhavi describes the program as a positions, including one in 20th-century mission to trnpack misconceptions and noting nurnring one in which faculty, stafi and Arab history and one inArab politics. he says, assumptions," reductionist will come Inshaallahthesedevelopments that MAAS was aheadof the curve in such fellow shrdents"never make you feel like Ruedy notes pass.

But in the meantime, Beveridge, to you're Ms. Jenna a number." undertaking. an how far we'vecome."Recently,I wasgiving Much of MAAS's original program a talk at the StateDeparfrnent,and I looked sfucture and ideology has remained intact. out into the audienceand saw a number of But what changeshavetaken place over the people now important diplomats-who For one,CCAS'ssuitein pastthreedecades? had been our students,"he says."We are the InterculturalCenter(ICC) did not always training people to really know something exist. MAAS was flrst housed in a small about the Arab world-it's an academic office in ttreCar Bam. In the mid-1990s,Dr. backgroundthat wasn't really there before."

Stowasserandher assistantdirector,Richard hrdee4 the MAAS programsetthe standard ofwhatisnowICC 241, Dom,designedsome thirty yean ago, and it's still going strong. a major project funded by lnvestcorp and Here'sto the nexl thittyl closely directedand inspiredby its president and CEO, Advisory Board Chairman (now MAAS will be celebrating its 30th member) Nemir Kirdar. "lt has been the anniverswy at the CCASreceptionat MESA jewel of the university,"saysStowasser. on Ncnember22from 7:30-9:30.Pleasesee Also,whiletherewasalwaysahighlevelof Dr.John Ruedywas the first director ofthe the MESAprograrnfor details. * interestin MAAS, the number of applicants Master of Arts in Arab studies program.

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c a d em i c N ew s

Wynne Mancini and Kala Carruthers Azar (second and third from right) visit the set of the Syrian sitcom Bab al-Harawith fellow CASA students.The show's star, Milad Yusuf, is in costume in the center of the group. The students studied the sitcom in their dialect class.

Centerfor ArabicStudyAbroadProgramPopular with MAASStudents andAlumni Mim i Ki r k lTlt"

Center for Arabic Srudy Abroad program,better known as CASA. is I I consideredone of the most-if not the most---+igorousand prestigiousArabic language leaming prog?ms in the world.

Housed in both Cairo and Damascus, studentscan spendeithera summeror a year perfectingthetr ammiyyaandfinha in class as well as in daily life.

MAAS studentsand alumni have always beendrawnto CASA, andthe pasttwo yean have seena good numberofthem benefiting from both the Cairo program as well as the new Damascusprogram,in operationfor the fint time dning the20072CfJ,8academicyear.

Kala CamrthenAzm nd Sfme Mancini, bottr MAAS '09, were two of the first nine students to study at CASA's new Slrian outpost.The program of study was intense, and Azm and Mancini report reading and discussing a novel every week as well as writing extensively. Both also speak particularlyof how much they leamedof the $rian dialect. "I neededmore experience with colloquial" says Mancini, "and CASA C CA SNews . i.Nov e m b e r2 0 0 8

wasreallyhelpful in termsoftha." Camrthen Azar adds that her dialect class was her favorite: "We went throl.rgha seasonof a popular Syrian sircom,"shesays."You leam culfuralnuancesand socialissuesthat way. It was alsoentutaining."

Camrthers Azm nd Mancini enjoyed Damascusas a city as well. 'T really liked the liveliness," says Mancini. "There are always people out in the streets,and they're very hospitableand fiiendly. There'sa lot of very tasty food, too." Camrthen Azm, who spentthe first half of the year in Cairo and the secondhalf in Damascus,notes that it was easierto make connectionswith Arab studentsin Damascus."Theprogramin Cairo is aIAUC [t]reAmericanUniversityin Cairo]," she explains, "so the studentsare wealthy and oftenfluent in English.In Damascus,the program is at the Univenity of Damascus, andthe peopletherearereceptiveto speaking Arabic with foreigners."

MAAS studentAdamCoogleis currently enjoying Damascus for the 2008-2009 academicyear."I live in thecenterofthe city,

just athree-minutewalk from the Umalyad Mosque,"he writes by email. "I appreciate that the old quartersand historical placesin Damascusare still the most vibrant parts of the city." Coogle also reportsthat his Arabic is improving tremendously, and that the teachersareexcellent.

The Cairo program also gets positive reviews.Tim Kaldas,a 2008MAAS graduate, is spendingthe year there, working toward his ultimate goal of conducting research using Arabic sourcesand doing fieldwor{< in Amb countries for a Ph.D. in political science."CASA is very rigorous," he says via email, mentioning the novel a week as well as watching and discussingthe news and practicing colloquial vocabulary and expressions."Bu!" he adds,"thereis enough time to exploreand experiencewhereyou're living. You leamasmuc[ ifnot more,outside the classroomas inside." Kaldas says hes been enjoying visiting wittr family in Cairo andtravelingto othercountriesin the region.

For more information,visit www.utexas. .t edu/cola/centers/casa./programs.

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Ac a d e m i c N e w s

AlumniandStudentNews Haizam Am i rah -Fernandez (2001) has co-edited a book on North Africa, which was published earlier this year: North Africa: Politics, Region, and the Limits of Transformation (Routledge, 2008).

Rania Atalla (1991)recentlymoved backto D.C. to serveasExecutiveDirector of Women for Women InternationalfuSA, a global NGO that focuses on women's empowerment in conflict and postconflict countries.Part of Rania'smandate is to establish and develop a policy and advocacy component for the l5-year old organization.

Kristian Boysen (2008) recently married Abida Nagra, a graduate of Georgetown's Public Policy program (2008). The ceremony took place at the Royal Norwegian Embassyin Abu Dhabi, conduc t edby A nde rs Gu l b ra n d s e n (2010), First Secretaryat the Embassy.

Anita Fabos (1988) will be leaving London at the end of December,where she has been teaching at the Universify o[ East London. to accepta position as Associate Professorin the Departmentof International Development, Community and the Environment at Clark University.

Dav id G r eenha l g h (2 0 1 0 )w i l l b e marrying Deborah Blinder in Durham, North Carolina on May 17th,2009.

Andrew Helms (2009) will be presenting a paper at the Arab-U.S. Associationfor CommunicationEducators in November in Richmond,Virginia.

Lindsey Jones (2006)is working in Kfukuk, Iraq, as the Director of Reporting and Management lnformation System (MIS) with ACDWOCA, an economic developmentNGO. Adila Laidi- Han i e h (1 9 9 2 )re c e i v e d a Fulbright scholarship to do a Ph.D. in cultural studies at George Mason University. Her first book as an editor comes out in September in France and Belgium, and is the first book to study contemporaryPalestinein an" introspective, multidisciplinary, and critical manner" as well as to gatherliterary texts and images such as diaries, memoirs, photographs, and interviews. "It seeksto move beyond current visions of Palestine, to probe mechanismsof survival, adaptation,and 74

how Palestineis perceived,dreamed,and lived," shewrites.

Manal Omar (2001)recentlymoved back to the Washington,D.C. areato join the United StatesInstitute of Peaceas a Grants ProgramOfficer for lraq.

Ol i v i a Orozco de l a Torre (2003) recentlydefendedherPh.D. dissertationin the departmentof History & Civilization at the EuropeanUniversity Institute (EUI) in Florence. The title of her dissertation is "The Monetary Thought in Islamic and ChristianScholars(13th-16thcentury):A comparative perspective on debasement and the rise of the quantity theory of money." Olivia is also coordinatingthe SocioeconomicArea for Casa Arabe and its International Institute of Arab and Muslim World Studies, a newly establishedSpanishinstitution located in Madrid and Cordoba.

Peixoto (1997) recently Otavio served as an interpreterat two major world conferencesheld in Rio with a substantialaudiencefrom the Arab world: the 2008 Rio Oil & Gas Conferenceand an internationalfinancialcongressfocused on concems over money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities.

L a i l a S hereen S akr (1998) i s an Egyptian-American poet, designer, editor, activist, and artist. Having spent 12 years in Washington, D.C. working in the field of publishing and design on issuesrelated to the contemporaryArab world for organizations such as CCAS, Al Hayat newspaper,and Quilting Point productions,Laila is currently a graduate student in Digital Arts and New Media at the University of Califomia, Santa Cruz. Her current endeavoris creatingan innovative publishing model using web 3.0 technology for a variety of material in both Arabic and English. She is also designing a graphical user interface for Warren Sack's software design, ConversationMap, an exhibit running at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's show "The Art of Participation" (l l/08-02/09),as well asbuilding a social networking site for UC Santa Cruz's GraduateDivision.

Aryah Somers (1999) has moved back to New York to ioin the VeraInstitute

of Justice. She is currently the Senior ProgramAssociateon the Unaccompanied Children Pro Bono Project and will continue her work with unaccompanied refugeeand immigrant children.

Rami Turayhi (2005) is currently in his second year at Columbia Law School. After his first year, he worked as a summer associateat an American law firm in Dubai, focusing on corporate financeand energylaw. He plans to work this summer at an international law firm in Los Angeles,where he will specialize in project finance law exclusively within the renewableenergy space. In his spare time, Rami writes bi-weekly editorials on Middle East politics, Iraq, and U.S. energypolicy for the Diplomatic Courier, a global affairs magaztne based in Washington,D.C. He is also a staffeditor on the Columbia Business Law Review, and plans to write his joumal note on the rise of sovereignwealth funds around the world, with a specific focus on Middle Easternfunds.

Priscilla Wathington (2007)andher husbandChad welcomed a new addition to their family on October16,2008.Elisha Majdi was born weighing 7 pounds and 13 ouncesandmeasuring2l .5 inches.

C C A SN ew s.i .N ovem ber2008

Ac a d e m i c N ew s

Faculty News

East Women's Studies (AMEWS). The the Centerfor DemocracyDevelopment panel,consistingofsix speakersselected and the Rule of Law at Stanford to represent a variety of experiences University. In July, he presented on Rochelle Davis spent the combining scholarship and activism the business and economic dimension summer in the Arab world finishing in the U.S. and abroad, will focus on of lran-Iraq relations at the National research among Palestinian refugee women in the Middle East (broadly DefenseUniversity in Washington,D.C., communitiesabout how they remember defined) and North Affica. The aim and he also delivered remarks there on life before 1948for her book manuscript is to reveal some of the links between the political economyof the Gulf for the on the subject.The researchwasfundedby scholarshipand activism in our field, as ROTC program. Dr. Seznecpublished a grant from the Georgetown University experiencedand engagedin by AMEWS the article, "Market Economy Without Graduate School. As a board member membersand allies.

Democracyin the Gulf," on the website of the Palestinian American Research America.gov in June. He also servedas Center,Dr. Davis co-organizeda panel an analyst focusing on the Gulf statesfor for the 2008 MESA annualmeetingthat Gregory Orfalea'' essay, the study group on Reform and Security honors the work of economist Yusif "Obama and the Middle East" appeared in the Muslim World at the United States Sayigh and anthropologist Rosemary in the Fall 2008 issue of the Antioch Instituteof Peace.InAugust, he engaged Sayigh, who will be attending MESA Revia,u.It is availablefor download on in a conversationwith the Saudi-U.S. and speaking on her most recent work. his GU Explore page: http:llexplore. RelationsInformation Serviceon the role Dr. Davis also recently co-authored georgetown.edu/people/gmo4.

Mr. of King Abdullah. Dr. Seztec appeared two articleswith MAAS studentsbased Orfalea'scollection of essays,Angeleno in the media numeroustimes, including on her other research project, about Days: An Arab American l(riter on making numerous conffibutions on oil U.S. military conceptionsof culture in Family, Place, and Politics, will be and PersianGulf issuesto Tdl6 Argent, the war in lraq. The first, written with published in the spring of 2009 by the a Bloomberg affiliate in Montrdal, and Elizabeth (Forster) Grasmeder(MAAS UniversityofArizona Press.The eminent Radio Canada.He was also interviewed '09), has been submitted for publication Latino-American essayist Richard by Forbes, Newsweek International, in a scholarly journal and is entitled Rodriguezrecently commented:"These the National of Abu Dhabi, Bloomberg "Nationalist Sentiments and Military essays,recollecting Gregory Orfalea's News, the Transatlantic Institute, Voice Occupation: U.S. Military Personnel American life, are delightful and wise. I of America, the AssociatedPress, and and their Experienceswith Iraqis (2003- don'tthink Los Angeleshaseverreceived BusinessIntelligenceMiddle East.

2007)." The second article, entitled suchlovely valentinesfrom anative son."

"Iraqi Cuhure and the U.S. Military: Mr. Orfalea'sfirst short story collection, Understanding Training, Experiences, The Man Who Guarded the Bomb, wll]r and Attitudes," was co-authoredwith appear in the fall of 2009 through on sabbatical leave during the 2008 Dahlia Elzein and Dena Takruri (MAAS SyracuseUniversity Press.Mr. Orfalea spring semester.She spent the months '08),andistobepublishedinAnthropol og,t also addressedthe Arab American Book of January and February completing and Global Counterinsurgency (edited Awards ceremony at the Arab American a lengthy research project entitled

by John Kelley, Beatrice Jauregui, National Museum in Deffoit, Michigan, "Women and Politics in Late Jahili and Sean T. Mitchell, and Jeremy Walton, on November l. He servedas a judge, Early Islamic Arabia: Reading Behind forthcoming from the University of with two others, for the secondannual PatriarchalHistory" for the Gulf Women Chicago Press).This researchhas been Arab American Fiction Award. Finally, Projectof Her HighnessSheikhaMozah funded by faculty research grants from Mr. Orfalea will offer "Arab American bint Nasser al-Missned of Qatar. The the Center'sOman ProgramEndowment, Literature" for the second time in the project will result in a publication GU's School of Foreign Service,and the spring of 2009. Georgetown Magazine entitled Retracing Footprints: Writing Georgetown Undergraduate Research has interviewedhim for a possiblepiece the History of Gulf Women,to be edited Opportunities Program. Dr. Davis is on this groundbreakingcourse.

by Dr. Amira Sonbol. During March and pleased to have Omar Shakir (MAAS April, Dr. Stowasserresumed work on 'l 0) as her researchassistantthis year on her long-standingbook project on Islam this ongoing project. and time, now entitled The Day Begins delivered a number of public lectures at Sunset: Calendars, Globalizations, in the past months.In May, he was on a and the Islamic Blueprint. During the panel on oil in the Gulf at the Brookings month of May, Dr. Stowasser was teaching a Mass Media, Pop Culture, Institution. In June, he delivered two Scholar in Residence at the Zentrum and Youth Culture class. She will also lectures: "The Growing Middle East- Moderner Orient in Berlin, Germany. give a presentationat MESA as part of Asia Energy Relationship and Capital She delivered a formal lecture at the a plenary panel on academic freedom, Flow" at the World Bank,and "Monarchy Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der organizedby the Association for Middle vs. Democratizationin SaudiArabia" at Wissenschaftenon Yusuf al-Qaradawi

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ContinuedJiompage | 5 on law and gender,and a seminarand lectureat the Zentrum Moderner Orient on women, tafsir, and gender.From Berlin shetraveledto Denmarkto deliverlecturesat Arhus University and to presentthe keynotelectureon "Mary in the Qur'an" in at a day-longsymposiumorganizedin celebration Copenhagen of the translationof her book, Womenin the Qur'an, Traditions, and Interprelation, into Danish (translatedby Dorthe Bramsen in their"modemclassics andpublishedby ForlagetVandkunsten series"underthe t:tle Kvinder I Koranen: Helligtekst,Tradition og Fortolkning [Carsten Niebuhr Biblioteket, Copenhagen: ForlagetVandkunsten,20081).This symposiumwas widely coveredin the press,and includedan interviewwith Martin Ejlertsun in Kristeligt Dagblad. During the month of June, Dr. parlicipatedin a meetingof the editorialboardof the Stowasser Gulf WomenProjectandatwo-dayworkshopof allcontributors to the project in Doha, Qatar.

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