CCAS 2008 Fall Newsletter

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Educator Tour to Morocco: SixCities, Myriad Experiences Zeina Azzam Seikaly rom July 27 to August 11,2008, the CCAS outreachprogram facilitated a trip for educators to Morocco.The l5-member group included pre- college teachers from 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 description of the highlights of our itinerary, which included visits to Casablanca, Marrakesh, Fes, Chefchaouen,Asilah, and Tangier. On pages 2-4 are reflections by a few ofthe teacher-participants. Our first stop was Casablanca, where we had guided tours of the Hassan II Mosque and Jewish Museum. Our introduction to the fabulous Moroccan cuisine began immediately, andwe enjoyed the tasty tagines andubiquitous couscous throughout our stay. After Casablanca we drove to Marrakesh and stayed at a colorful riad (a renovated historic home with an interior garden, akin to a bed-and- breakfast) in the medina (old city). During our medina tours we visited the various souks and quarters as well as 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 a Sufr dhikr (remembranceceremony), and another lecture on Berber-Sahara Culture. A stroll through the lovely Jardin Majorelle offered a cool and calm contrast to the bustling streets ofthe city. We mingled with families, businesspersons, and tourists on the train from Marrakesh to Fes, the ancient city that was celebrating its 7,200-year birthday. In the Fes medina we visited the fabled tanneries and various souks and the MedresaBou Inania, with a stop at the historic Karaouine Mosque.We were hosted by SACAL (SubulAssalam Centre for the Arabic Language) for two roundtable discussions- one with high school students and one with teachers-and a lectureon gender issues by Professor FatimaAmrani of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah Fes University. A visit to a zilii November 2008 ,rfr*_,:{ a.i-k - z'el:)l +li &LJlrJJl jsr- The women of the group display their hennaed hands during a cultural gathering in the Fes medina. 5 CCAS welcomes Drs.Tamim al-Barghouti, Juan Romero, and Manal Jamal for the zooS-zoo9 academic year 6 Senator Chuck Hagel lectures on American foreign policy in the Middle East 6-7 Conference on Iraq commemorates Hanna Batatu's work 7-9 List of public events at CCAS 1-4 CCAS outreach program sendsfifteen educatorsand staff to six Moroccancities to-tt Summer workshop explores multidisciplinary approaches to teaching the Middle East tr CCAS outreach program celebrates its z5th anniversary 12 MAAS celebrates its 3oth anniversary t3 MAAS students participate in Center for Arabic Study Abroad (CASA) program r4 Alumni and StudentNews 15-16 Faculty News Center for Contemporary ArabStudies .1. Ceorgetown University.i. Washington DC20057-1020 * http://ccas.georgetown.edu t 202 687 5793

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Bi-Annual Publication of the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University

Transcript of CCAS 2008 Fall Newsletter

Page 1: CCAS 2008 Fall Newsletter

Educator Tour to Morocco:Six Ci t ies, Myr iad Exper iencesZeina Azzam Seikaly

rom July 27 to August 11,2008, the CCASoutreach program facilitated a trip for educatorsto Morocco. The l5-member group included pre-

college teachers from the District of Columbia, Maryland,and Virginia, as well as one from Utah, who heardabout the study-tour and signed on. I had the pleasureof participating in this experience and working withAlex Safos (MAAS '90) of Global Learning Across Borders(Global LAB) to organize the trip. As Director of MiddleEast and North Africa Programs at Global LAB, Mr. Safosplanned the entire study tour and worked with me todevelop an itinerary rich in academic, cultural, and touristicexperiences. Below is a description of the highlights of ouritinerary, which included visits to Casablanca, Marrakesh,Fes, Chefchaouen, Asilah, and Tangier. On pages 2-4 arereflections by a few ofthe teacher-participants.

Our first stop was Casablanca, where we had guidedtours of the Hassan II Mosque and Jewish Museum. Ourintroduction to the fabulous Moroccan cuisine beganimmediately, and we enjoyed the tasty tagines and ubiquitouscouscous throughout our stay. After Casablanca we droveto Marrakesh and stayed at a colorful riad (a renovatedhistoric home with an interior garden, akin to a bed-and-breakfast) in the medina (old city). During our medinatours we visited the various souks and quarters as well asthe Dar Si Said Museum, Medresa Ben Youssef, and theexciting Djemaa el-Fna, where storytellers, acrobats, snakecharmers, and dancers share the space with food vendorsand tourists. We attended a lecture on Sufism followed bya Sufr dhikr (remembrance ceremony), and another lectureon Berber-Sahara Culture. A stroll through the lovely JardinMajorelle offered a cool and calm contrast to the bustlingstreets ofthe city.

We mingled with families, businesspersons, and touristson the train from Marrakesh to Fes, the ancient city thatwas celebrating its 7,200-year birthday. In the Fes medinawe visited the fabled tanneries and various souks and theMedresa Bou Inania, with a stop at the historic KaraouineMosque. We were hosted by SACAL (Subul Assalam Centrefor the Arabic Language) for two roundtable discussions-one with high school students and one with teachers-and alecture on gender issues by Professor FatimaAmrani of SidiMohamed Ben Abdellah Fes University. A visit to a zilii

November 2008

,rfr*_,:{ a.i-k - z'el:)l +li &LJlrJJl jsr-

The women of the group display their hennaed hands during acultural gathering in the Fes medina.

5 CCAS welcomes Drs. Tamim al-Barghouti, Juan Romero, and ManalJamal for the zooS-zoo9 academic year

6 Senator Chuck Hagel lectures on American foreign policy in theMiddle East6-7 Conference on Iraq commemorates Hanna Batatu's work7-9 List of public events at CCAS

1-4 CCAS outreach program sends fifteen educators and staff to sixMoroccan citiesto-tt Summer workshop explores multidisciplinary approaches toteaching the Middle Easttr CCAS outreach program celebrates its z5th anniversary

12 MAAS celebrates its 3oth anniversaryt3 MAAS students participate in Center for Arabic Study Abroad(CASA) programr4 Alumni and Student News15-16 Faculty News

Center for Contemporary Arab Studies .1. Ceorgetown University. i . Washington DC 20057-1020 * http:/ /ccas.georgetown.edu t 202 687 5793

Page 2: CCAS 2008 Fall Newsletter

Center News(tilework and pottery) factory gaveus an appreciation of this centuries-old art that incorporates mathematicsand Islamic art designs. Also in Feswe broke up into pairs and stayed atthe homes of various Fassi familiesfor two nights. The group faced twochallenges here: unusually high summertemperatures combined with homesthat were not air conditioned; anddiff iculty in communicating with somehost families that did not speak English.Nevertheless, this was a valuablefirst-hand learning experience abouteveryday l ife in the Fes medina. Onthe last day we attended a performanceof the Andalusian Musical Ensemble,and the women in the group had lovelyhenna designs done on our hands andarms.

Our eyes feasted on landscapes ofolive tree groves on the trip from Festo Chefchaouen, in addition to theplentiful figs and cactus fruit that werein season (and sold by street vendorsin every city we visited). We noticedmore Spanish than French, spoken andon signs, in Chefchaouen, nestled inthe Rif Mountains and founded over500 years ago by Muslims and Jewswho had fled Spain's Reconquista.We explored this charming mountainvil lage known for its striking bluehues on homes and buildings, and tooka memorable trip to Aghram, a remotemountain vil lage, to have a meal with

a local family and attend an herbal-medicinal workshop.

We had purposely chosen the dates ofour trip to include a visit to the AsilahArts Festival, an annual internationalcultural celebration in the picturesquecity of Asilah on the Atlantic Ocean.There, we attended an evening ofoud music by an Iraqi musician anda performance by a band from CapeVerde. The country theme of thefestival this year was Mexico, and wefound ourselves consuming tacos andchimichangas at a restaurant facing themain gate of the historic Asilah medina!It was an extraordinary moment ofcultural convergence. The pristineParadise Beach, a short distance fromthe city, provided another memorableexperience for the group.

Our last stop was Tangier, fromwhich we could actually see Gibraltaron a clear day. This gave us a palpableview of the organic relationshipbetween Morocco and Europe overthe centuries. In Tangier we visitedthe American Legation Museum andlearned about Morocco's historicalties with the United States. We sippedmint tea at the legendary beat retreat,Cafd Hafa, overlooking the Atlantic. Inaddition to walking around the Tangiermedina, we had our farewell dinner atthe stunning restaurant/resort hotel, LeMirage, where we enjoyed spectacularsunset views over the Atlantic horizon.

Ma rrakes hSamuel Richards

Pittsville Middle School (Pittsville, MD)

]-l ntering Marrakesh was sudden! Thel-{ aiu;ae benveen urban and rural isI /quite clear. just l ike in Casablanca.

Our driver, Mubarak, pulled to a stop ata narow street in the medina, where ourvan could go no further. Git4 our hostessat Academia Arabesca (the riad where westayed), greeted us and guided us to ournew home. After a glass of hot mint tea weventured out for dinner. The streets werenalrow and crowded. I was certain one ofus would be mowed down by a moped.

The city seemed like one of the hottestplaces on Earth. The heat was magnifiedby the close contact with people, animals,pushcarts, and mopeds. We joumeyedthe teeming nighttime streets leading toDjemaa el-Fna. I've never seen such aplace. The enorrnous square was ablazewith light. Olive stands, spices, meats,and entertainers were everywhere.While gawking at the exotic booths, wewere bombarded by begging children.Marrakesh provided the first oppornrnityfor group members to bargain. I quicklylearned that some of my companionswere ruthless dealmakers.

At this time of year, Moroccans openshops much later in the moming; theyadapt to the day's heat by performinglife's tasks in the coolness of night.Geography's influence on life was mostapparent here. I realized just how muchclimate and topography influence ourlives. Despite the harsh climate, beautywas abundant. There was beauty in thefinely carved and decorated medresa, inthe garden outside the Jewish museum,in the fauna planted in the beds and potsof the Majorelle Garden, and the warmgreetings curious locals gave whencalling out: "Sir," "Madam," "Are youAmerican?," "British man," or "Germanman" as we strolled, wide-eyed, throughthe streets.

ll4 F sticks with me as the measureof Morocco's unforgiving intensity. Thewarmth of Moroccans mirrored the sun'sheat. So many people along the wayshowcased a moderate Islamic countryffom which Americans can learn a greatdeal about the Arab world.

Dallas Jacobs (Gilman School, Balt imore, MD), Helen Albader (Ceorge Mason HighSchool, Fal ls Church, VA), and Arjunia Oakley (Newport Middle School, Kensington,MD) at the American Legation in Tangier.

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Center NewsOn the FesHome Stay

Lena SeikalyDuke Ellington School ofthe Arts (Washington, DC)

aving refurned to a normal dailyroutine post-Morocco, I am stillconstantly reminded of Fes and

the generosity my mother and I had theprivilege to experience while gueststhere. For two nights during an Augustheat wave, a three-generation familyof women selflessly hosted us in theirmedina home. The house, made of thickstone walls and large interior columnscovered with ornate tile work, was clearlyladen with a rich family history. We weretold later that it was 500 years old, andwas built by members of the same familythat currently inhabit it. It had three floors,comprised mostly of bedrooms, and theroof contained a large opening that onecould see fiom the bottom floor.

Structure aside, the renowned Arabhospitality was the tn-re highlight ofour stay, between the food, gifts, andthe simultaneous hosting of otherintemational guests. Our hosts includedthe matriarch of the family, her fwodaughters, a daughter-in-law and hertwo children, and three female boarders(an American, a Japanese, and a Britishwoman oflndian descent) who were livingand studying in Fes for various periods oftime. As Americans of Palestinian origin,my mother and I were able immediatelyto connect with the family on a closerlevel. Everyone was so interested inengaging with me and others, especiallywhen it came to music.

As a musician, I will never forget thenight the Andalusian music ensembleperformed in our house-not only didI get to sing a muwashah (a song basedon Arabic poetry) with the ensemble,but after everyone left, the girls in ourhousehold were all musically inspired,and we together sang and played songsinto the night. And it was ffom this nightthat I drew my most interesting cross-cultural experience to date; I ate spaghettifor dinner, learned a Japanese pop song ona guitar, and sang a Brazilian jazzsonginexchange, all in Fes, Morocco. I'd love tomeet the person who can say the same!

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

As i lahHarr iet Couture

Waynewood Elementary School (Alexandria, VA)

eaut i fu l royal palms l inedthe wide, main street andthe long, sandy beach of

Asi lah. Sand, sunbathers, and oceanwaves were on our r ight , and hotels,shops, and restaurants on our lef t .I t reminded me of Fort Lauderdale,which was a surpr ise s ince very l i t t leof the Moroccan landscape remindedme of the States. We had lunch inthis beaut i fu l set t ing. Our hotel wasonce grand but rooms and bathroomswere in need of repair , but breakfastswere lovely wi th f r ied f lat bread,orange marmalade, ol ives, and otherMoroccan special t ies.

Asi lah is compact so we dideverything on foot. The medinais surrounded by huge, strongfortif ications built by the Portuguesein the l5th century. We saw thewonderful , square stone rampartsconnected to the rocky coast l ineand beach. Great photos! The beachstretched for mi les. We then touredthe colorful medina, unique in thatat every turn you see murals paintedfor the town's International Cultural

Fest ival , which takes place everyAugust. Our t iming was perfect andwe were able to at tend some of thecul tural events. As a change fromMoroccan food, we dined at a newMexican restaurant whi le a 12-piecemariachi band entertained restaurantpatrons and the crowd of festivalfolks who gathered in the street.Al l these act iv i t ies made Asi lahdel ight fu l .

The unexpected treasure wasParadise Beach, a quiet , gorgeous,and spot less at t ract ion about twomiles south of Asi lah. Alex hiredthree flatbed horse carts to takeus there; each poor horse pul led aheavy cart carrying a driver and fiveof us over bumpy roads and trai lsand through impover ished squatterneighborhoods to reach this beach.The wooden planked f latbeds hadonly th in blanket cover ings so thetwo mi les seemed endless as thehuge, worn wagon wheels bumpedover the rocks, d i r t , and potholes.But the fantast ic beach. ocean waves.and seafood lunch were worth thediscomfort . The horse cart r ide wastruly unforgettable. Only three of uswere brave enough for the return trip;others chose to hire taxis and savetheir bodies from additional torture.

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Center NewsChefchaouen

Barbara in den BoschSt. Anne's Belfield School (Charlottesville, VA)

or me the most exciting of ourmany wonderful experiences thissummer was visitins the herbal

cooperative in Aghram, a small villageoutside of Chefchaouen. The trip tothe cooperative-first on a bus, thenin a small van-led us through the Rifcountryside. We saw small farms, schools,and people working in the fields on ourway to the cooperative. Once there, welearned how families had replaced thegrowing of kif (cannabis) with a smallherb-extracting industry. We had a mealwith the family and saw how they hadset up a small bed-and-breakfast tosupplement their income.

The beauty of the countryside, thetastiness of the luncheon the familyprovided for us, and the care they showedtoward us and their environment mademe want to stay in Morocco forever.What a perfect model for change thatsmall factory with its bed-and-breakfastprovidedl It showed how a few peoplewith determination and a bit of helpfrom the outside can radically changetheir own environment.

FFCSArjunia Oakley

Newport Middle School (Kensington, MD)

he cify of Fes is the home of theUniversity of al-Karaouine, theoldest continuously operating

institution of higher learning in theworld. The universify was founded in859 CE by Fatima al-Fihri, the daughterof a wealthy merchant. Our brief visitto the gate of al-Karaouine reinforcedour appreciation for the remarkablehistory of Fes. It was with this historicalbackdrop that our group climbed to thesecond floor of a simple, white stuccobuilding, where SACAL, our hostinstitution in Fes, was located, to meetwith a group of Moroccan teachers.

It was I 18 F when we gatheredtogether, 15 in our group and about l0in theirs. We were served sweet, hot teaand cookies and cooled by a couple of

small fans. After brief introductions,we began a dialogue that surprisinglyrevealed how, although our schools weredemographically and geographicallythousands of miles apart, we weresimilar in many ways. We talked aboutmany subjects, but when someone in ourgroup asked about the major concerns ofteachers in Fes, we found our commonground. The concerns that sffuck afamiliar chord with our group were the

lack ofparent involvement in the students'education, classroom behavior, studentmotivation, and school attendance. Ofcourse, we all complained about thesalaries we receive.

To find this commonality with theMoroccan teachers was reassuring. Wehad an authentic encounter that taughtus that teachers everywhere have similarexperiences, and that sfudents ffe,always, students. i.

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

One of many compell ing displays of herbs and spices in the Fes souk.

CCAS News * November 2008

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Center NewsCCAS Welcomes Drs. Tamim Al-Barghout i ,Juan Romero, and Manal Jamal for the2008 -2009 Academic YearMimi Kirk

CAS is pleased to welcomeDr. Tamim Al-Barghouti,Dr. Juan Romero, and Dr.

Manal Jamal to its community thisyear. Dr. Al-Barghouti, a Palestinianpolit ical scientist and poet, is avisit ing professor, and is teachingtwo courses: Comparative Polit ics ofthe Middle East and Islamic Polit icalThought. Dr. Juan Romero has beennamed the 2008-2009 Qatar Post-Doctoral Fellow, and is teaching agraduate seminar in the fall entit ledThe Great Powers and the MiddleEast. In the spring, Dr. Romero wil lteach a seminar on the history of lraq.Dr. Manal Jamal comes to CCAS as avisit ing scholar from James MadisonUniversi ty, where she is an assistantprofessor of polit ical science. Pleasesee below for these scholars 'b ios.

TAMIM AL-BARGHOUTI, bornin Cairo, studied polit ics at CairoUniversity, the American Universityin Cairo, and Boston University, wherehe received his Ph.D. in pol i t icalscience in 2004. He has workedfor the Uni ted Nat ions in var iouscapacities, including involvement inits Division of Palestinian Rights aswell as the Department of Polit icalAffairs and its Mission in Sudan. In2005 he was appointed an assistantprofessor of polit ical science at theAmerican University in Cairo. ln2007Dr. Al-Barghouti became a fellowat the Berlin Institute for AdvancedStudy. He is the author of Benign

CCAS News * November 2008

Nationalism: State Building UnderOccupation (The Egyptian NationalLibrary, 2007) and The Umma andthe Dawla: Nation State and the ArabMiddle Easl (Pluto Press, 2008).

Dr. Al-Barghouti has also publishedfive poetry collections in Arabic.Through his poems-which expressPalest in ian concerns in both c lassicalArabic and the local dialect-as wellas public performances and televisionappearances, he has become oneof Palestine's most celebratedcontemporary poets.

JUAN ROMERO received hisMaster's degree in Middle Easternstudies from the University of Texasat Aust in (UT) in 2001. His thesiswas entit led "Emerging MilitaryAl l iances in the Middle East: Secur i tyor Pandora's Box?" He received hisdoctoral degree in history from UTin 2008. His dissertation is entit led

"The Iraqi Revolut ion of 1958 andthe Search for Security in the MiddleEast." Dr. Romero's research interestsfocus on European imperialism andthe Cold War in the Middle East.

Prior to his graduate studies,Dr. Romero traveled extensively,including to Egypt, and lived formany years in Russia, Taiwan, India,and Japan. His professional careerincludes working as a guide, translator,interpreter, and language and yogainstructor. He has studied Arabicin Egypt and meditation in Taiwan,India. and Jaoan.

MANAL JAMAL received her Ph.D.from McGill University in 2006,special iz ing in comparat ive pol i t icsof developing areas. She also holdsa B.A. and an M.A. in internationalrelations from the University ofCalifornia, Davis, and San FranciscoState University, respectively. Priortojoining the faculty of James MadisonUniversity, Dr. Jamal was a SultanPost-Doctoral Fellow at the Centerfor Middle Eastern Studies at theUniversity of California, Berkeley, aresearch fellow at the Dubai School ofGovernment , and a visit ing scholar atHarvard University's Dubai Init iativeat the Belfer Center.

Her research and teaching interestsinclude democratization, war-to-peace transitions, and the polit icsof the Middle East, includingthe Arab-Israeli confl ict. Sheis currently working on a bookmanuscript, Democracy Promotionin Troubled Times: The Limits ofLI/estern Donor Assistance to CivilSociety, which examines the impactof donor assistance to civil societyin the Palestinian territories and ElSalvador. This manuscript draws fromfieldwork for which the author was awinner of the best f ieldwork awardof the Comparative Democratizationsection of the American Polit icalScience Associat ion. *

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CCAS Sponsors Talk by Senator Chuck HagelMimi Kirk

J) epublican Senator Chuck Hagel of

N::ffiffil":'i"fl""it*Librmy entitled "America: Our NextChapter." The title, reminiscent of his bookpublished earlier this yet, America: OurNut Chapter: Tough Questiora, StraightAnswers @cco 2008), Promised a fi:ankdiscussion about American policy.

Scott Fleming, Associate Vice Presidentfor Federal Relations at Georgetowrq andDr. Michael Hudson, Director of CCAS,infoduced Senator Hagel. Dr. Hudsonprovided an outline of some of the issuescurrently troubling the Middle East notingthatwith the United States'present economicslump, they are less likely to get the attentionthey deserve from Washington.

Senator Hagel fint noted that thechallenges presented by Dr. Hudson areglobal in scope. "We are all affectedby whathappens in the Middle East " he said, "and weare all now citizens of a global communityunderpinned by a global economy." Thereorientation in world affain, he continued,is unlike anything we've seen since WorldWar tr-and is likely deeper than whatleaders confronted following that war.

What's needed" accordingto the Senalor, is tofollow in fte footstepsof those world leadenof the 1940s who builtcoalitions based oncornmon interests afterthe war ended. He quotedSecretary of Defense RobetGates as recently sayingthat the UnitedStates "cannotreside onlybased onthe

principle of [its] military might or using[its] military strength to try and resolveproblems." As such, "America must engagethe world in such a way that we don't backourselves into a cul-de-sac of isolation,"said Hagel.

In terms of the Middle East, which theSenator called "more combustible, moredangerous, and more complicated than ithas ever been," this means engaging withIran and Syria and recognizing Iraq's desirefor the departure ofAmerican troops. "Thefact is iflraq is a sovereign nation," he said,

"and if that's what we've been fighting forand spending $ 10- 12 billion dollars a monthfor, it seems to me we're going to have tohonor the decision of that country." He alsonoted that the United States cannot sustain

"We are all affected by whathappens in the Middle East."

-CHucr Hacrr, Sguron or NesRAsKA

the kind of expenditures and manpowerof which it has dedicated seven years inAfghanisun and six years tn lraq.

The next president, Hagel said, inheritsthe greatest inventory of problems sinceFmnklin Roosevelt, but he also inherits atremendous opportunity: "[He has the]opportunity to leadthe world----not dictateto the world, not impose on the world, notinvade the world-but lead the world...Ifthe next president reaches to Congress

and makes Congress a paflner, ifhe reaches to the world and

makes the world aparmer on commoninterests ... we canaccomplish an awfullot. I believe that'spossible."

A lively questionand answer session

followed with topicsranging from Senator

Hagel's unique positionin the Republicanpafiy to the situationin Afghanistan andPakistan. *

Conferenceon l raqCom memoratesHanna Batatu 'sSeminal WorkMimi Kirk

1--1 CAS held a conferencelr-,, entit led "Uncovering Iraq:Trajectories of Disintegrationand Transformation" on October28. ln memory of Hanna Batatuand his groundbreaking 1978tome, The Old Social Classes andthe Revolutionary Movementsof lraq, the event featured threepanels exploring facets of Iraq'ssituation: the first reflectingon his contribution to currentunderstandings of Iraqi history; thesecond examining how producersof knowledge-the academy, thinktanks, the government, and themedia-portray the country todaY;and the third drawing on Batatu'smeticulous methodology t o analyzecontemporary Iraqi affairs.

Georgetown history professorDr. Judith Tucker gave welcomingremarks and introducedthe keynotespeaker, Dr. Isam al Khafaji of theInstitute for Multiparty Democracyin the Hague. Dr. al Khafaji spokeabout his personal exper ienceswith Batatu as well as themes inthe book, including its positiveconsideration of the Communistparty and the idea that polit icalparties have very social roots.

The first panel's chair, Dr. DinaKhoury of George WashingtonUniversity, then read a paper by Dr.Peter Sluglett, who was not able toattend. Dr. Sluglett offeredpraise ofThe Old Social Classes, includingits abil itv to "convev a vivid sense

Senator Chuck Hagel discusses U.S. pol icy in the Middle East.

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Pu b I ic Eve nts

*"&L**]lt*

Continuedfrom page 6of what it must have been like to l iveat various crucial t imes in recent Iraqihistory as a member of a strugglingclandestine group or as a participantin one of the mass demonstrations [oflthe 1940s and 50s." Dr. Sluglet t a lsooffered crit icism of Batatu's work,including his tendency to attribute therelatively wide acceptance of Socialistand Communist concepts to the socialconditions of lraq without takinginto account the need for polit icaleducation and organization. Dr. ReidarVisser of the Norwegian Instituteof International Affairs spoke aboutBatatu's excellent analytical skil lsand source base, but he also pointedout Batatu's surprising reliance onBri t ish reports f rom 1916 and l9 l7to document the late Ottoman period,which led to some gaps in The OldSocial Classes. The last speaker on thefirst panel, CCAS Qatar Post-DoctoralFellow Juan Romero, discussed thedemonstrations of July 14, 1958-theIraqi revolution. He diverges fromBatatu in that he emphasized theinit ially largely spontaneous characterof the demonstrations.

In the second panel, Wayne White,former deputy director at the StateDepartment specializing in the NearEast and South Asia, pointed out that

"only a massive work l ike Batatu'sdrives home so graphically the fullextent ofthe daunting overall challengeposed by Iraq's complex polit icsand society [ to U.S. intel l igence andthe formulation of U.S. policy]." Dr.Sinan Antoon of New York Universitythen spoke about the category of thenative scholar as native informant,noting that the thoughts and teachingsof f igures l ike Kanan Makiya wereoften used as an alibi for the Iraqwar. Batatu, however, shunned such

CCAS News * November 2008

limelight. Finally, panel chair andpresenter Chris Toensing, editorof the Middle East Report, offeredobservations about Iraq as it has beencovered in the American press s incethe 2003 invasion. He out l ined someof the major frames evident in themedia, such as the reif ication of sectand ethnicity as well as the "the surgehas worked" frame.

The last panel featured GhassanAtiyyah of the Iraqi DemocraticMovement, who discussed the Brit ishoccupation versus the Americanoccupation of Iraq. Mr. Atiyyah arguedthat while the Brit ish united Iraq, theAmericans unraveled it by emphasizingdifferent regions, different sects, anddifferent ethnicit ies. Peter Harling, theIraq-Syria-Lebanon proj ect director atthe International Crisis Group, thenexamined how civil war dynamicsin Iraq revealed the complexity ofBaghdad's socioeconomic makeup,which to a large extent determined the

"Only a massive work likeBatatu's drives home ... thedaunting overal l chal lengeposed by lraq's complex

politics and society."-Wlvne WHrrr, ronvrR Dreuw Drnrcron,

SrnrE DepaRrvEnr

course of the war. For instance, Mr.Harling pointed out that bourgeoisresidential neighborhoods were oftendevoid of strong local identity, andwere thus diff icult to defend andwere very rapidly depopulated byarmed groups of both sides. The lastspeaker, Dr. Eric Davis of RutgersUniversity, compared Iraq's MahdiArmy with the Mafia in southern ltaly,looking particularly at the relationshipbetween religion and polit ics and amanifestion of this relationship thatacts as a subterfuge for criminalactivity.

The idea for the conference washatched by CCAS adjunct facultymember Dr. Laurie King-Irani, andCCAS Public Affairs CoordinatorMargaret Daher skil l fully organizedthe event. {.

More EventsA Selection of Palestinian Plays from theReOrient FestivalSeptember 13, 2008

Each year the ReOrient Festival bringsinnovative and thought-provoking theaterfrom and about the Middle East to SanFrancisco. For the first time, selectionsfrom the festival were presented to aD.C. audience. The featured selectionsincluded "Baggage" by FatehAzzam, "TheMonologist Suffers Her Monologue" byYussef El Guindi, "Sahmata" by EdwardMast and Hanna Eady, and "Thmam" byBetty Shamieh. CCAS and the JerusalemFund for Education and CommunityDevelopment sponsored the event.

Marwan Muasher: Is There Hope forPeace in the Arab World?September I 5, 2008

Marwan Muasher, author of The ArabC enter : The Promis e for Moder ation,spokeabout prospects for peace in the Arab worldHe is currently on leave from his positionas Senior Vice President for ExtemalAffairs at the World Bank, a post he hasheld since March 2007. Mr. Muasher wasa senator in the Jordanian Parliament andone of Jordan's top diplomats. The eventwas part ofthe "Development Practitionersand Practices in the Middle East" series. Itwas sponsored by CCAS with the supportof the Global Strategy Project.

World Bank official Marwan Muasher.America: Our Next Chapter, AnAddress by Senator Chuck HagelSeptember 22, 2008

Senator Hagel addressed U.S. policyin the Middle East. Please see the article,

"CCAS Sponsors Talk by Senator ChuckHagel" on page 6 for more details.

Page 8: CCAS 2008 Fall Newsletter

Prr h I ic Fve nts

Security and Human Rights in IsraelSeptember 24, 2008

Jessica Montell, Executive Directorof B'Tselem-Israel's leading humanrights documentation center-presentedB'Tselem's latest report on thesettlements, and discussed the center'spioneering approach to human rightsmonitoring, including the use of video.The event also marked the opening ofB'Tselem's new office in Washington,D.C. The Georgetown Human RightsForum, the Institute for the Study ofInternational Migration, the AdvocacyProject, and CCAS sponsored the event.

Polit ical Empowerment of MoroccanWomenOctober 10, 2008

To commemorate King MohammedVI's 2003 speech before Parliament inwhich he introduced the new Moroccanfamily code, the moudawana, theMoroccan government has decreedOctober l0 as National Women's Day.In celebration of the day, CCAS, theMoroccan Embassy, and Vital VoicesGlobal Partnership sponsored aroundtable discussion entitled "PoliticalEmpowerment of Moroccan Women."It was an opportunity to hear aboutMorocco's experience in promotingwomen's rights and gender equality, andto discuss the continued challenges towomen's economic, social, and polit icalempowernent. Panelists included Ms.Aicha Afifi (Deputy Chief of Mission,Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco),Dr. Laith Kubba (Senior Director forMENA, National Endowment forDemocracy), Ms. Mahnaz Afkhami(Founder and President, Women'sLearning Partnership), Dr. LoubnaSkalli-Hanna (American University,School oflnternational Service). and Dr.Ahmad Dallal (Department of Arabicand Islamic Studies. GeorgetownUniversity).

Path, a route of cultural tourism thatretraces the journey made by Abraham(Ibrahim) through the heart of theMiddle East some four thousand yearsago. The Master of Arts Program inConflict Resolution, CCAS, and thePrince Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding hosted threerepresentatives from the initiative todiscuss its successes and challenses.

Middle East Democracy: A Discussionwith James TraubOctober 20, 2008

James Traub, a writer who oftenaddresses international affairs,discussed democracy in the MiddleEast. Mr. Traub is a contributing writerfor The New York Times Magazine,where he has worked since 1998. From1994 to 199'7, he was a staff writer forThe New Yorker. He has also written forThe New York Review of Books, ForeignAffairs, The Atlantic Monthly, The NewRepublic, and elsewhere. Most recently,he is the author of The Freedom Agenda:Why America Must Spread Democracy(Just Not the Way George Bush Did)(Farar, Straus and Giroux,2008).

CCAS' "GreatMiddle East"Film Series

Powers and theFall 2008

Throughout the fallsemester, CCAS screeneda different film everyThursday evening thatdealt with the theme ofgreat powers and theMiddle East. Filmsincluded: Blood andOil: The MiddleEast in lttWLFarouk, Last ofthe Pharaohs:Anatomy of aCoup: The CIA

in lran; Mossadegh; Nasser 56; TheBanle of Algiers; Crisis in lran: Death ofthe Shah and the hostage crisis; The 50Years LYar: Israel and the Arabs; Returnto the Land of l(onders; and The Myth of

"The Clash of Civilizatiorn."

Arabian Sights Fi lm Fest ival2008October 24, 2008 - November 2, 2008

The Thirteenth Annual ArabianSights Film Festival offered a dynamicand diverse range of new films fromAlgeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon,Morocco, Palestine, and Syria. Severaldirectors were present at screeningsto discuss their work. Al1 fi lms werescreened with English subtit les. Filmsincluded 33 Days; Recycle; Life Afterthe Fall; Slingshot Hip Hop; Waitingfor Pasolini; The Aquarium; In theHeliopolis Flat; The Other Threat;Under the Bombs; The Island; TheYellow House; Captain Abu Raed; andOut of Coverage.

Book Signing with His BeatitudePatriarch Michel SabbahOctober 27, 2008

His Beatitude Michel Sabbah, PatriarchEmeritus of the Latin Patriarchate of

Jerusalem, offered remarks on theIsraeliPalestinian conflict and

the role of Christians in theregion. Afterwards, he

signed copies of his newbook, Faithful lVitness:On Reconciliation qnd

Peace in the HolyLand Qlew City Press,2009). Rateb Y. Rabie

of the HolyLand ChristianEcum en ic alFoundat ion,of which the

Patriarch isAdvisory

Board

The Abraham Path In i t iat ive:Connecting People, Step by StepOctober 14, 2008

The Abraham Path Initiative is aninternational NGO founded in 2001whose purpose is to inspire and supportthe development of the Abraham

8

American University professor Dr. Loubna Skall i -Hanna was one of several panelistsin a roundtable discussion enti t led "Poli t ical Empowerment of Moroccan Women,"sponsored by CCAS, the Moroccan Embassy, and Vital Voices Global Partnership.

CCAS News. i . November 2008

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Pu h I ic Fve nts

Chairman, gave welcoming remarks.Father Drew Christiansen, S.J. introducedthe Patriarch.

Uncover ing I raq: A Conference inMemory of Hanna BatatuOctober 28, 2008

The conference built upon the legacyof Hanna Batatu's classic study, The O I dSocial Classes and the RevolutionaryMovements of lraq, published in 1978.Please see the article, "Conference onIraq Commemorates Hanna Batatu'sSeminal Work" on page 6 and 7 formore details.

From the Underground to the Publ icSphere: Death Metal , Gangsta Rapand the Struggle for Democracy inthe Musl im WorldNovember 3, 2008

Mark LeVine, professor of modernMiddle Eastern history, culture andIslamic studies at UC lrvine, spokeabout music as resistance in the Muslimworld, 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 ofmore 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 thesoon to be published An ImpossiblePeace: Israel/Palestine Since 1989(Zed Books, in press). The eventwas sponsored by CCAS, the PrinceAlwaleed Center for Muslim-ChristianUnderstanding, and the Berkley Centerfor Religion, Peace and World Affairs.

Reading and Lecture wi th Dr. MohjaKahfNovember 14, 2008

Dr. Mohja Kahf read poems andother selections from her literaryworks, and she also spoke about thestereotype of the oppressed Muslimwoman. Dr. Kahf is a faculty memberin the University of Arkansas's KingFahd Center for Middle East andIslamic Sudies as well as its programin comparative literature. Her booksinclude The Girl in the TangerineScarf (Perseus, 2006), E-mails from

CCAS News * November 2008

Actors and their director answer questions about a selection of palestinian playsfrom the ReOrient Festival. Each year the fest ival brings innovative theater fromand about the Middle East to San Francisco. This year, i t came to Georgetown.

Scheherazad (University of Florida,2003), and Western Representations ofthe Muslim lloman: From Termagantto Odalisque (Univerity of Texas,l 999).

Fi lm Screening: Knowledge is theBeginningNovember 17,2008

Knowledge rs the Beginning isthe story of the West-Eastern DivanOrchestra, where young Arabs andJews perform and live side by side.I t is a f i lm about the way music cantranscend cultural barriers, bringpeople together, defeat prejudice,and overcome religious and polit icaldifferences-but it also chronicles theproblems that can crop up. For DanielBarenboim, founder of the ensemble,the orchestra is a symbol of what couldbe achieved in the Middle East. Thefilm is directed by Paul Smaczny.

An Ambassador 's Journey Throughthe Middle EastNovember 17,2008

Ambassador Edward Djerejian, thefounding director of the James A.Baker III Institute for Public Policyat Rice University, is one of theUnited States' most distinguisheddiplomats, with a career that hasspanned the administrations of eightU.S. presidents. Ambassador Djerej ianis also a leading expert on the complexpolit ical, security, economic, religious,

and ethnic issues of the Middle East,and he discussed his experiencesthroughout the region over the years.This event was co-sponsored by theSecurity Studies Program and the SFSDean's Office.

Syr ia and Iran: An Endur ingAl l ianceNovember 19, 2008

Jubin M. Goodarzi, Professor ofInternational Relations at WebsterUniversity, Geneva, provided anoverview and analysis on the originsand development of the Damascus-Tehran nexus, its purposes andobjectives, and its impact on regionaland internat ional pol i t ics.

"Photos to Develop" Exhibi t ionOpening and Recept ionNovember 21,2008

"Photos to Develop" is a projectthat works to engage children fromBedouin communities in Jordanwith photography, allowing them toexpress themselves as they never havebefore. Thus far, the project has beencompleted outside Amman, in theancient city of Petra, and in Wadi Rum.Natasha Hamarneh-Hall, organizer ofthe exhibition, is a former Fulbrightscholar who conducted fieldwork inJordan on educational development inBedouin communities. *

Page 10: CCAS 2008 Fall Newsletter

Summer Workshop for Teachers. Approachesto Teaching the Middle EastZeinaAzzam Seikaly

he outreach program'sannual summer workshopfor teachers, which explores

multidisciplinary approaches tostudying the Middle East, was heldJune 23-21, 2008. In at tendancewere 31 teachers from the District ofColumbia, Maryland, and Virginia,as well as one from Japan's KadenaMiddle School , located on a U.S.military air base in Okinawa.

Dr. Leila Hudson (UniversitYof Arizona-Tucson) kicked off theweek-long program with a lecture on

"Approaching the Middle East." Sheexamined different "axes of diversity"that help in understanding the region;these included language and ethnicity,states and governments, religion,l ifestyle, class, age, and gender. Instudying the Middle East, she said, itis important to examine how historicaland polit ical events provide contextfor and intersect with l ife stories. Dr.Mervat Hatem (Howard UniversitY)looked at the intersection of gender

and polit ics in the Middle East, andasked the group to quest ion someof the West's prevalent assumptionsabout Is lamic societ ies and women'srights. She discussed the 20th-centurymovements for women's rights

"When we read a book aboutother people, we become

changed, ourselves, becauseof the way we react to other

people's stor ies."-Esn MnnsroN, AUTHoR

in such countries as Egypt, Syria,Turkey, and Tunisia, as well as theconsiderable debate generated by theinit iatives to reform personal statuslaws. Middle Eastern women, sheconcluded, largely argue that it 's notIslam that is the problem, but ratherthe interpretation of it; therefore,they are taking a special interest incontributing to the field of Qur'anicexesesis.

Imam Yahya Hendi (GeorgetownUniversity) gave a presentation on

"The Challenge of Islam: Betweenthe Past and Present." He answeredquestions such as, "Who made youan imam?" and "What is one of themost diff icult Islamic laws that youhave had to adjudicate?" Imam Hendiexplained Islamic terms such as fiqh,ijtihad, fatwa, and shari'ah. He urgedthe group to differentiate betweensocial actions that are part of cultureand those that are religiously based.

Three speakers explored history andpolit ics. Dr. Ranjit Singh (Universityof Mary Washington), whose lecturet i t le was, "Avoiding'Them': Teachingthe Arab-Israeli Conflict as WorldPolit ics and History," examined

"ideologies of nat ional ism." He tracedthe antecedents of the rise of Zionism,stressing the importance of situatingthe Israeli-Palestinian conflict inthe context of world history. Dr.Elizabeth Thompson (University ofVirginia) discussed the waning of theOttoman Empire and the emergenceof nationalism and the world'spowers in her presentation, "JusticeInterrupted: The Historical Impactof World War I in the Middle East."She addressed the ideas of how, asteachers, we interpret history and itsvarious sources; she also discussedpolit ical-historical concepts such asequality and democracy, governanceand power, sectarian coexistenceand warfare, and nationalism andindependence. Dr. Trita Parsi(National Iranian American Council)spoke on "The Iranian Challenge: Howthe U.S. Can Handle I ran's Rise." Hecharacterized Iran as "a superpowerin the region for the last 3,000 years"but focused on the last three decadesin his analysis of American-Iraniantensions. He advocated an end tothe Bush administration's policy ofexcluding l ran f rom negot iat ions,explaining the important role that the

Dr. Elizabeth Thompson of the University of Virginia lectures about the waning of theOttoman Empire and World War 1.

10 CCAS News * November 2008

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Outreach NewsContinuedfrom page I0

country plays in all the major issuesof the region. Dr. Parsi a lso discussedthe diversity of the Iranian populationand the need for the United States tohave good relat ions wi th the peopleof the country and not just with theregime.

In his presentat ion on "Oi l andEnergy in the Gulf," Dr. Jean-FrangoisSeznec (Georgetown University)looked at the history and robustnessof oil production in the Gulf, but inanswering the quest ion, "Where doesthe United States get i ts oi l?," hesaid that Saudi Arabia and other Gulfcountries are fifth on the l ist, afterCanada, Venezuela, Mexico, andNigeria. He explained the productionand transport of Middle Eastern oiland its derivative uses, includingnatural gas and petrochemicals. Dr.Seznec also discussed the pol i t icsof o i l and the relat ions between oi lproducers and importers.

On the l iterary front, author ElsaMarston talked about her book, SantaClaus in Baghdad and Other Storiesabout Teens in the Arab World,which the workshop group had readbeforehand. "When we read a book

about other people," she said, "webecome changed, ourselves, becauseof the way we react to other people'sstor ies." She said that her aim inwrit ing the stories was to identifythemes that resonate forAmerican kidsand therefore dispel the stereotypeof Arab teens as " the Other." Ms.Marston broke up the teachers intosix groups, each of which discussedquestions about particular stories,and they reported their f indings to thelarger group. Teacher Eric Goldstein(DC Preparatory Academy) cameto the session to speak about hisexper iences in using her stor ies in hisclass and to share some of his teachingstrategies. Another author, GregoryOrfalea, offered a session tit led,

"Arab Americans: From Invis ib le toToo Vis ib le." He talked about thewaves of immigration of Arabs tothe United States, starting in the late19th century up to the present, and thevarious reasons for their dislocation.He also discussed the exper iences ofthe Arab American communitv in this

country during the last century andafLer 9111. Mr. Orfalea talked aboutthe early Arab American writers andgave several recommendations ofnovels and poetry collections thatcould be used in the c lassroom.

The group comprised educatorswho teach world history, AP history,social studies, American government,English and writ ing/creative writ ing,l iterature, English for Speakers ofOther Languages, French, Spanish,science, international and culturalstudies, and rel ig ion as wel l as mediaspecial ists. Four teachers elected totake the workshop for graduate creditand gave briefpresentations about thelesson plans they were developing.Everyone received backgroundarticles and books to further theirknowledge about many of the ideaspresented at the workshop. A MiddleEastern lunch was another importanthighlight of each day, in additionto the friendships and networkingopportunities that developed over thecourse of the week. *

CCAS adjunct professor Gregory Orfalea addresses Arab American history and identity.

CCAS News i . November 2008 11

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Master of Arts in Arab Studies Program Turns 30Mimi Kirk

Jt all started with a conversation n 1974

I about who was teaching the contemporaryIArab world. The answer? No one. "fDeanof Georgetown's School of Foreign Service]Peter Krogh pointed this out after comingback from business in the Gu$" says Dr.John Ruedy, the fint director of the MasterofArts inArab Studies (lr4A,{S) program. "Ibeganto do some investigating and contactedleaden of all the Middle Eastem studiesprograms in the United States. I found thatnone of them was teaching the modem Arabworld." As a result, Ruedy and a numberof others, including Dr. Halim Barakat,Dr. Wallace Erwiru Dr. Michael Hudson,Dr. Ibrahim Oweiss, Dr. Irf'dn Shahid, Dr.Hisham Sharabi, and Dr. Barbara Stowasserbegan to put together such a progftun.

"We decided that all of our students wouldgain profi ciency in Modem Standard Arabic,"Ruedy says, "and we wanted them to studya cross-section ofthe social sciences." Theresulg of course, was the MAAS progftun,which welcomed its fint class in 1978, andthese two key elements-a rigorous masteryof Arabic coupled with a multidisciplinaryscholarly track-- continues to this day.Dr. Michael Hudson, current director ofCCAS, adds that a fi.urdamental idea behindthe fouding of the program was that theregion should not be studied through anOrientalist lens. "It was paft of our scholarlymission to trnpack misconceptions andreductionist assumptions," he says, notingthat MAAS was ahead of the curve in suchan undertaking.

Much of MAAS's original programsfucture and ideology has remained intact.But what changes have taken place over thepast three decades? For one, CCAS's suite inthe Intercultural Center (ICC) did not alwaysexist. MAAS was flrst housed in a smalloffice in ttre Car Bam. In the mid-1990s, Dr.Stowasser and her assistant director, RichardDom, designedsome ofwhatisnow ICC 241,a major project funded by lnvestcorp andclosely directed and inspired by its presidentand CEO, Advisory Board Chairman (nowmember) Nemir Kirdar. "lt has been thejewel of the university," says Stowasser.

Also, whilethere was always ahigh level ofinterest in MAAS, the number of applicants

I2

Academic News

since 9/11 has increased from momd 75 tomore than 200 each year, according to Dr.Judith Tucker, curent director of MAAS.

"The level of preparation has changed aswell," she says. "Most applicants havestudied Arabic and spent time in the Arabworld. You have to have eamed your spursfto be admitted]."

Tircker cites the Center's ability to attractgreat younger faculty, including Dr. SamerShehata Dr. Osama Abi-Menhe4 Dr.Rochelle Davis, and Dr. Fida Adely in thepast six years as another positive change.Hudson agrees; "These are people who arevery dynamic and fuIl of enerry. They'realready contributing a lot."

Alumni agree as well. I(hody Akhavi, afreelance producer with Al Jazeera Englishwho gmduated liom MAAS this pastyear, cites Shehatas class on Islamists andelections as one ofthe best he took. PersisBerlekamp, class of 1994 and an assistantprofessor of art history at the University ofChicago, also names a ceftain class as givingher "wonderful memories": "lslamic Cities"with Dr. Stowasser and Dr. Scott Redford.Berlekamp notes that the MAAS program

"was exactly what I needed to improve myArabic and to figwe out what discipline Iwanted to pursue." "lslamic Cities" evidentlyhelped a lot; Berlekamp eamed her Ph.D.from Harvard in Islamic art and architecnre.

Akhavi describes the program as anurnring one in which faculty, stafi andfellow shrdents "never make you feel likeyou're a number." Ms. Jenna Beveridge,

Dr.John Ruedy was the first director oftheMaster of Arts in Arab studies program.

Academic Programs Coordinator, is in largepart to thank for this supportive afrnosphere.Beveridge joined MAAS in 2005, andrecalls attendingthe going away party forherpredecessor, Liz Kepferle, who had servedin the position for 12 years. "Dr. Tuckerspoke about how Liz always made thestudents feel welcome, and I saw how theyappreciated that. I took that to heart." Thisatrnosphere isn't just a recent development.Carol Madisor! one of the first MAASgraduates who went into the Foreigr Serviceand is now a Tiustee of the Camegie uK

" l t was part of our scholar lymission [ in MAAS] to

unpack misconcept ions andreduct ionist assumptions."

-Dn. MrcneeL Huosor'r, DrnEcron, CCAS

Trust, echoed Akhavi's sentiments. "My firstgreatest joy [in MAAS] was the fellowshipof my classmates and the professon. Wewere like a family and we still are."

It's obvious the MAAS program hasbeen a success, both academically andinterpersonally. So where do we go fromhere? First and foremost, says Dr. Stowasser,

"we desperately need money for fellowships,so students don'tgoto moreheavily endowedunivenities." Dr. Tircker and Dr. Hudsonboth voice the need for a few more facultypositions, including one in 20th-centuryArab history and one inArab politics.

Inshaallah these developments will cometo pass. But in the meantime, Ruedy noteshow far we've come. "Recently, I was givinga talk at the State Deparfrnent, and I lookedout into the audience and saw a number ofpeople now important diplomats-whohad been our students," he says. "We aretraining people to really know somethingabout the Arab world-it's an academicbackground that wasn't really there before."hrdee4 the MAAS program set the standardthirty yean ago, and it's still going strong.Here's to the nexl thittyl

MAAS will be celebrating its 30thanniverswy at the CCAS reception at MESAon Ncnember 22from 7:30-9:30. Please seethe MESA prograrnfor details. *

CCAS News . i . November 2008

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cade m ic News

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

was really helpful in terms oftha." CamrthenAzar adds that her dialect class was herfavorite: "We went throl.rgh a season of apopular Syrian sircom," she says. "You leamculfural nuances and social issues that way. Itwas also entutaining."

Camrthers Azm nd Mancini enjoyedDamascus as a city as well. 'T really likedthe liveliness," says Mancini. "There arealways people out in the streets, and they'revery hospitable and fiiendly. There's a lot ofvery tasty food, too." Camrthen Azm, whospent the first half of the year in Cairo andthe second half in Damascus, notes that itwas easier to make connections with Arabstudents in Damascus. "The program in Cairois aIAUC [t]reAmerican University in Cairo],"she explains, "so the students are wealthyand often fluent in English. In Damascus, theprogram is at the Univenity of Damascus,and the people there are receptive to speakingArabic with foreigners. "

MAAS studentAdam Coogle is currentlyenjoying Damascus for the 2008-2009academic year. "I live in the center ofthe city,

just athree-minute walk from the UmalyadMosque," he writes by email. "I appreciatethat the old quarters and historical places inDamascus are still the most vibrant parts ofthe city. " Coogle also reports that his Arabicis improving tremendously, and that theteachers are excellent.

The Cairo program also gets positivereviews. Tim Kaldas, a 2008 MAAS graduate,is spending the year there, working towardhis ultimate goal of conducting researchusing Arabic sources and doing fieldwor{<in Amb countries for a Ph.D. in politicalscience. "CASA is very rigorous," he saysvia email, mentioning the novel a week aswell as watching and discussing the newsand practicing colloquial vocabulary andexpressions. "Bu!" he adds, "there is enoughtime to explore and experience where you'reliving. You leam as muc[ ifnot more, outsidethe classroom as inside." Kaldas says hesbeen enjoying visiting wittr family in Cairoand traveling to other countries in the region.

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

Center for Arabic Study Abroad Program Popularwith MAAS Students and AlumniMimi Kirk

lTlt" Center for Arabic Srudy AbroadI program, better known as CASA. is

I considered one of the most-if notthe most---+igorous and prestigious Arabiclanguage leaming prog?ms in the world.Housed in both Cairo and Damascus,students can spend either a summer or a yearperfecting thetr ammiyyaandfinha in class

- as well as in daily life.MAAS students and alumni have always

been drawn to CASA, and the past two yeanhave seen a good number ofthem benefitingfrom both the Cairo program as well as thenew Damascus program, in operation for thefint time dning the 2007 2CfJ,8 academic year.

Kala Camrthen Azm nd Sfme Mancini,bottr MAAS '09, were two of the first ninestudents to study at CASA's new Slrianoutpost. The program of study was intense,and Azm and Mancini report reading anddiscussing a novel every week as wellas writing extensively. Both also speakparticularly of how much they leamed of the$rian dialect. "I needed more experiencewith colloquial" says Mancini, "and CASA

CCAS News. i . November 2008 13

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Academic News

Alumni and Student NewsHaizam Am i rah -Fernandez (2001 )

has co-edited a book on North Africa,which was published earlier this year:North Africa: Politics, Region, and theLimits of Transformation (Routledge,2008).

Rania Atalla (1991) recently movedback to D.C. to serve as Executive Directorof Women for Women InternationalfuSA,a global NGO that focuses on women'sempowerment in conflict and post-conflict countries. Part of Rania's mandateis to establish and develop a policy andadvocacy component for the l5-year oldorganization.

Kristian Boysen (2008) recentlymarried Abida Nagra, a graduate ofGeorgetown's Public Policy program(2008). The ceremony took place at theRoyal Norwegian Embassy in Abu Dhabi,conducted by Anders Gulbrandsen(2010), First Secretary at the Embassy.

Anita Fabos (1988) wil l be leavingLondon at the end of December, whereshe has been teaching at the Universifyo[ East London. to accept a position asAssociate Professor in the Department ofInternational Development, Communityand the Environment at Clark University.

David Greenhalgh (2010) wi l l bemarrying Deborah Blinder in Durham,North Carolina on May 17th,2009.

Andrew Helms (2009) wil l bepresenting a paper at the Arab-U.S.Association for Communication Educatorsin November in Richmond, Virginia.

Lindsey Jones (2006) is working inKfukuk, Iraq, as the Director of Reportingand Management lnformation System(MIS) with ACDWOCA, an economicdevelopment NGO.

Adi la Laidi-Hanieh (1992) receiveda Fulbright scholarship to do a Ph.D.in cultural studies at George MasonUniversity. Her first book as an editorcomes out in September in France andBelgium, and is the first book to studycontemporary Palestine in an " introspective,multidisciplinary, and critical manner" aswell as to gather literary texts and imagessuch as diaries, memoirs, photographs,and interviews. "It seeks to move beyondcurrent visions of Palestine, to probemechanisms of survival, adaptation, and

74

how Palestine is perceived, dreamed, andlived," she writes.

Manal Omar (2001) recently movedback to the Washington, D.C. area to jointhe United States Institute of Peace as aGrants Program Officer for lraq.

Ol iv ia Orozco de la Torre (2003)recently defendedher Ph.D. dissertation inthe department of History & Civilizationat the European University Institute (EUI)in Florence. The title of her dissertationis "The Monetary Thought in Islamic andChristian Scholars (13th-16th century): Acomparative perspective on debasementand the rise of the quantity theory ofmoney." Olivia is also coordinating theSocioeconomic Area for Casa Arabeand its International Institute of Araband Muslim World Studies, a newlyestablished Spanish institution located inMadrid and Cordoba.

Otavio Peixoto (1997) recentlyserved as an interpreter at two majorworld conferences held in Rio with asubstantial audience from the Arab world:the 2008 Rio Oil & Gas Conference andan international financial congress focusedon concems over money laundering andthe financing of terrorist activities.

Lai la Shereen Sakr (1998) is anEgyptian-American poet, designer,editor, activist, and artist. Having spent12 years in Washington, D.C. workingin the field of publishing and design onissues related to the contemporary Arabworld for organizations such as CCAS,Al Hayat newspaper, and Quilting Pointproductions, Laila is currently a graduatestudent in Digital Arts and New Mediaat the University of Califomia, SantaCruz. Her current endeavor is creating aninnovative publishing model using web3.0 technology for a variety of materialin both Arabic and English. She is alsodesigning a graphical user interfacefor Warren Sack's software design,Conversation Map, an exhibit running atthe San Francisco Museum of ModernArt's show "The Art of Participation"(l l/08-02/09), as well as building a socialnetworking site for UC Santa Cruz'sGraduate Division.

Aryah Somers (1999) has movedback to New York to ioin the Vera Institute

of Justice. She is currently the SeniorProgram Associate on the UnaccompaniedChildren Pro Bono Project and willcontinue her work with unaccompaniedrefugee and immigrant children.

Rami Turayhi (2005) is currentlyin his second year at Columbia LawSchool. After his first year, he workedas a summer associate at an Americanlaw firm in Dubai, focusing on corporatefinance and energy law. He plans to workthis summer at an international law firmin Los Angeles, where he will specializein project finance law exclusively withinthe renewable energy space. In his sparetime, Rami writes bi-weekly editorialson Middle East politics, Iraq, and U.S.energy policy for the Diplomatic Courier,a global affairs magaztne based inWashington, D.C. He is also a staffeditoron the Columbia Business Law Review,and plans to write his joumal note on therise of sovereign wealth funds around theworld, with a specific focus on MiddleEastern funds.

Priscil la Wathington (2007) and herhusband Chad welcomed a new additionto their family on October 16, 2008. ElishaMajdi was born weighing 7 pounds and13 ounces and measuring 2l .5 inches.

CCAS News. i . November 2008

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Academic News

Facu lty NewsRochelle Davis spent thesummer in the Arab world finishingresearch among Palestinian refugeecommunities about how they rememberlife before 1948 for her book manuscripton the subj ect. The research was funded bya grant from the Georgetown UniversityGraduate School. As a board memberof the Palestinian American ResearchCenter, Dr. Davis co-organized a panelfor the 2008 MESA annual meeting thathonors the work of economist YusifSayigh and anthropologist RosemarySayigh, who will be attending MESAand speaking on her most recent work.Dr. Davis also recently co-authoredtwo articles with MAAS students basedon her other research project, aboutU.S. military conceptions of culture inthe war in lraq. The first, written withElizabeth (Forster) Grasmeder (MAAS'09), has been submitted for publicationin a scholarly journal and is entitled

"Nationalist Sentiments and MilitaryOccupation: U.S. Military Personneland their Experiences with Iraqis (2003-2007)." The second article, entitled

"Iraqi Cuhure and the U.S. Military:Understanding Training, Experiences,and Attitudes," was co-authored withDahlia Elzein and Dena Takruri (MAAS'08), andisto bepublishedin Ant hrop ol og,tand Global Counterinsurgency (editedby John Kelley, Beatrice Jauregui,Sean T. Mitchell, and Jeremy Walton,forthcoming from the University ofChicago Press). This research has beenfunded by faculty research grants fromthe Center's Oman Program Endowment,GU's School of Foreign Service, and theGeorgetown Undergraduate ResearchOpportunities Program. Dr. Davis ispleased to have Omar Shakir (MAAS'l 0) as her research assistant this year onthis ongoing project.

Laur ie King- l rani tteaching a Mass Media, Pop Culture,and Youth Culture class. She will alsogive a presentation at MESA as part ofa plenary panel on academic freedom,organized by the Association for Middle

CCAS News * November 2008

East Women's Studies (AMEWS). Thepanel, consisting ofsix speakers selectedto represent a variety of experiencescombining scholarship and activismin the U.S. and abroad, will focus onwomen in the Middle East (broadlydefined) and North Affica. The aimis to reveal some of the links betweenscholarship and activism in our field, asexperienced and engaged in by AMEWSmembers and all ies.

Gregory Orfalea' ' essay,"Obama and the Middle East" appearedin the Fall 2008 issue of the AntiochRevia,u. It is available for download onhis GU Explore page: http:llexplore.georgetown.edu/people/gmo4. Mr.Orfalea's collection of essays, AngelenoDays: An Arab American l(riter onFamily, Place, and Politics, will bepublished in the spring of 2009 by theUniversity ofArizona Press. The eminentLatino-American essayist RichardRodriguez recently commented: "Theseessays, recollecting Gregory Orfalea'sAmerican life, are delightful and wise. Idon't think Los Angeles has ever receivedsuch lovely valentines from anative son."Mr. Orfalea's first short story collection,The Man Who Guarded the Bomb, wll]rappear in the fall of 2009 throughSyracuse University Press. Mr. Orfaleaalso addressed the Arab American BookAwards ceremony at the Arab AmericanNational Museum in Deffoit, Michigan,on November l. He served as a judge,with two others, for the second annualArab American Fiction Award. Finally,Mr. Orfalea will offer "Arab AmericanLiterature" for the second time in thespring of 2009. Georgetown Magazinehas interviewed him for a possible pieceon this groundbreaking course.

Jean-Franqois Seznecdelivered a number of public lecturesin the past months. In May, he was on apanel on oil in the Gulf at the BrookingsInstitution. In June, he delivered twolectures: "The Growing Middle East-Asia Energy Relationship and CapitalFlow" at the World Bank, and "Monarchyvs. Democratization in Saudi Arabia" at

the Center for Democracy Developmentand the Rule of Law at StanfordUniversity. In July, he presented onthe business and economic dimensionof lran-Iraq relations at the NationalDefense University in Washington, D.C.,and he also delivered remarks there onthe political economy of the Gulf for theROTC program. Dr. Seznec publishedthe article, "Market Economy WithoutDemocracy in the Gulf," on the websiteAmerica.gov in June. He also served asan analyst focusing on the Gulf states forthe study group on Reform and Securityin the Muslim World at the United StatesInstitute of Peace. InAugust, he engagedin a conversation with the Saudi-U.S.Relations Information Service on the roleof King Abdullah. Dr. Seztec appearedin the media numerous times, includingmaking numerous conffibutions on oiland Persian Gulf issues to Tdl6 Argent,a Bloomberg affiliate in Montrdal, andRadio Canada. He was also interviewedby Forbes, Newsweek International,the National of Abu Dhabi, BloombergNews, the Transatlantic Institute, Voiceof America, the Associated Press, andBusiness Intelligence Middle East.

Barbara Stowass€r wason sabbatical leave during the 2008spring semester. She spent the monthsof January and February completinga lengthy research project entitled

"Women and Politics in Late Jahili andEarly Islamic Arabia: Reading BehindPatriarchal History" for the Gulf WomenProject of Her Highness Sheikha Mozahbint Nasser al-Missned of Qatar. Theproject will result in a publicationentitled Retracing Footprints: Writingthe History of Gulf Women, to be editedby Dr. Amira Sonbol. During March andApril, Dr. Stowasser resumed work onher long-standing book project on Islamand time, now entitled The Day Beginsat Sunset: Calendars, Globalizations,and the Islamic Blueprint. During themonth of May, Dr. Stowasser wasScholar in Residence at the ZentrumModerner Orient in Berlin, Germany.She delivered a formal lecture at theBerlin-Brandenburgische Akademie derWissenschaften on Yusuf al-Qaradawi

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on law and gender, and a seminar and lecture at the ZentrumModerner Orient on women, tafsir, and gender. From Berlinshe traveled to Denmark to deliver lectures at Arhus Universityand to present the keynote lecture on "Mary in the Qur'an" inCopenhagen at a day-long symposium organized in celebrationof the translation of her book, Women in the Qur'an, Traditions,and Interprelation, into Danish (translated by Dorthe Bramsenand published by Forlaget Vandkunsten in their "modem classicsseries" under the t:tle Kvinder I Koranen: Helligtekst, Traditionog Fortolkning [Carsten Niebuhr Biblioteket, Copenhagen:Forlaget Vandkunsten, 20081). This symposium was widelycovered in the press, and included an interview with MartinEjlertsun in Kristeligt Dagblad. During the month of June, Dr.Stowasser parlicipated in a meeting of the editorial board of theGulf Women Project and atwo-day workshop of allcontributorsto the project in Doha, Qatar.

Judith TUCkgf's new book, women, Family, andGender in Islamic Law,was published by Cambridge UniversityPress in November.

I'hoto ( rk l i t . \ ; Hannact l hant l .s, p. l . ant l group photo, p. 3: A/ex Sqlr ts:

' lL: t tchcrs, p ) , ( hel thaoucn qnt l I ie.r . p. 1. ond l leor icnt l ie. \ l t ral octurs and

Ll i r(ctor, p. 9: Zaina Scikulv: lanim Al- l lorghoult , p 5: lamtnborgholt t i .n( l :

( 'huck 11ogcl . p.6. I 'h i l Hunnrck), ; l i l izabcth lhonpson. p. 10. and ( i rcgory

Or/alea. p. I I l l iq l l resner: ( ,1. \ ' , ,1 c/a.r .r ant l .sr lcon slor p. l3: courlcsy t t l Kala

( 'arruthers.4:ar: Hi. \ lJcatt tudc Michcl Suhhah. p. l6: Ihab Sabbah.

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Washi,ngton,:De 20052-1020, USA- -,, , , , , , , , ,7.."His Beat i tude Michel Sabbah, Patr iarch Emeri tus of the Lat inPatr iarchate of Jerusalem, lectures at h is book signing.