Middle East Studies Program

Conference on Middle East Studies

Conference Program

Conference Cosponsors
Time:	Event:	Location:
3-6 pmh	On-Site Registration	University Business Center(UBC)- Gottschalk Gallery (GG)
3-5 pm	Business Meeting	UBC- Peters Building (PB)192
5 pm	Welcome	PB191
5:10-6:30 pm	Keynote Address (Public Event) Nancy Gallagher, University of California, Santa Barbara: Teaching about Women and Gender in the Modern Middle East Abstract Students often come to the first lecture ready to have stereotypes confirmed. Many are sure that the history of Middle East women is a story of unrelenting oppression. They are sure that “Islamic feminism” is a contradiction of terms. They are interested in honor crimes, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, and other abuses. Other students want to hear that Islam really gave women more rights than other religions. Some are interested in exotica. Few understand that they are embarking on a course of study that uses the standard tools of historical research. The historical approach means trying to understand how changing gender relations affected the course of history. Marriage patterns, gendered property transfer and distribution of revenues, urban rural patterns, and media depictions help us understand the struggle for wealth and power over time in the Middle East just as in any other region. --------------------------------------- Dr. Gallagher is chair of the Middle East Studies program and professor of History at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is currently studying the representations of microfinance in Afghanistan. She visited women’s NGOs in Afghanistan in 2008 and will return in 2011. She teaches courses on women and gender in the history of the Middle East and North Africa and is interested in ways classroom discussions address misconceptions and stereotypes of Muslim cultures common in the media, films, and popular literature.	PB191
6:30-8 pm	Welcoming reception	GG
8-8:30 am	Coffee	GG

Friday October 8
Time	Event	Location
8-8:30 am	Coffee	GG
8:30-10 am	Session A
	A1- Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq: Past, Present and Future Prospects Mohammad H. Qayoumi, President, California State University, East Bay: Afghanistan in the Regional Context: A Review of the Past Decade and Prospects for Future Alam Payind, Ohio State University: Inside Afghanistan Twenty Years After the Soviet Withdrawal Giuseppina Massa, The Johns Hopkins University: State Effectiveness and the Role of Oil Wealth: An Analysis of Rentierism in the Islamic Republic of Iran Matt Flannes, University of Arizona: Neoliberalism, Creative Destruction and the Economic Reconstruction of Iraq, 2003-2004 Chair: Mohammad H. Qayoumi ( mo.qayoumi@csueastbay.edu ), President, California State University, East Bay	PB191
	A2- Palestinian American Women’s Literature Melanie Kachadoorian, California State University, Fresno: The Inheritance of Exile: Assimilation and Individuality Chris Souza, California State University, Fresno: A Common Thread: Connecting Across Boundaries in the Work of Naomi Shihab Nye Kristen Freberg, California State University, Fresno: Structure and Smallness in Naomi Shihab Nye’s Poetry Lena Zaghmouri, California State University, Fresno: Water as Fragmentation: Suheir Hammad’s Drops of This Stor y Chair: Miriam Fernandez ( mlfernandez@csufresno.edu ), California State University, Fresno	PB192
10-10:30 am	Break	GG
10:30-12:30	Session B

	B-Symposium (Public Event) "East" Meets "West": Science, Mathematics, Philosophy, Economics and the Islamic Civilization George Saliba, Columbia University: Islam and the Transformation of Greek Science Sasan Fayazmanesh, California State University, Fresno: Al-Khwarizmi's Algebra and the Commercial Revolution Emma Gannage, Georgetown University: Intercultural Context of Islamic Philosophy Mahmood Ibrahim, California Polytechnic State University, Pomona: Islamic Medicine Moderator: Vida Samiian (vidas@csufresno.edu), California State University, Fresno	PB191
12:30 -2 pm	Lunch
2-3:30 pm	Session C
	C1-Iran’s New Role in the Middle East: Possibilities and Limitations Damon Navas-Howard, San Francisco State University: Iran’s Export of Islamic Revolution: The End of an Era Alp Tuncaci, San Francisco State University: Iran-Turkish Relations: New Directions in Foreign Policy? Mahmood Monshipouri, San Francisco State University: US-Iran Relations: Why is Making a Deal Difficult? Jon Whooley, University of Florida: Iran’s Nuclear Program: Past, Present, and Future Chair: Sasan Fayazmanesh ( sasanf@csufresno.edu ), California State University, Fresno	PB191
	C2- Academic Freedom and the Rise of Neoconservatism Rima Kapitan, Kapitan Law Office: Academic Freedom as a Human Right and Suppression of Academic Speech about Palestine Margo Ramlal-Nankoe, Hunter College: Persecution of Leftist/Progressive Scholar-Activists on the Middle East Mary Husain, California State University, Fresno: Academic Freedom: Costs, Consequences, and Resistance Manzar Foroohar, California Polytechnic State University, San Louis Obispo: Academic Freedom and California State University System Chair: Mary Husain ( husain@csufresno.edu ), California State University, Fresno	PB192
3:30-4 pm	Break	GG
4-5:30 pm	Session D
	D1-Art and Literature of Dissent Shouleh Vatanabadi, New York University: Staging Dissent: Cultural Politics of Theatre in Contemporary Iran Samira Yamin, University of California, Irvine: Intervening on War Photography as a Means of Interrogating the Historical Document Taraneh Hemami, Independent Scholar: The Vocabulary of Dissent Diana Darab, University of California, Berkeley: The Voice of Apocalypse: A Study of Shahrnoosh Parsipur’s Novels Chair: Vida Samiian (vidas@csufresno.edu), California State University, Fresno	PB191
	D2. Walls, Alliances & Negotiations: Going Nowhere in Israel-Palestine Lawrence Davidson, West Chester University, Pennsylvania: Boycott and Divestment : History and Rationale Mahmood Ibrahim, California Polytechnic State University, Pomona: Peace is not at Hand: Failure of the Current Round of Negotiations David Morse, California State University, Los Angeles: US-Israel Relation in Historical Time Jennifer Pashley, University of Arizona: The Bounded, Shifting Frontier: How Palestinians Cope with the West Bank Barrier Jess Ghannam, University of California, San Francisco: Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel–l Analysis and Feasibility Chair: Lawrence Davidson ( ldavidson1945@msn.com ), West Chester University, Pennsylvania	PB 192
5:30-6:30 pm	Reception: Honoring Special Guests: President Mohammad H. Qayoumi, professors George Saliba, Nancy Gallagher, and Shahrnoush Parsipur, the author of Women Without Men: A Novel of Modern Iran.	GG
5:30-7 pm	Film: Women Without Men Moderator: Mary Husain, California State University, Fresno	PB 191

7 pm	Dinner	Smittcamp Alumni House - Whitten Conference Room

Saturday October 9
Time	Event	Location
8-8:30 am	Coffee	GG
8:30-10 am	Session E
	E1- Anatolia and the Southern Caucasus in East-West Encounters Across History Sergio La Porta, California State University, Fresno: Regional Approaches to Problems of Land Administration in Medieval Anatolia Afshin Matin-Asgari, California State University, Los Angeles: Russia/Soviet Union as the Alternate Model of Iranian Modernity Glenn Barnett, California State University, Los Angeles: Father and Son Invading Iraq Karén Ter-Sarkisián, California State University, Los Angeles: Unification or Annexation? Eastern Armenia in the Midst of a Historiographical Controversy Chair: Afshin Matin-Asgari ( amatina@exchange.calstatela.edu ), California State University, Los Angeles	PB191
	E2 -Language Change and Language Maintenance in Persian Negin Tahvildary, Shahid Beheshti University: Language of Silence: A Comparative Perspective on Poetic Discourse Shahrzad Mahootian, Northeastern Illinois University: Choosing Languages, Changing Languages Vida Samiian, Califonia State University, Fresno: Language Change and Language Maintenance in Persian Chair: Simin Karimi ( karimi@email.arizona.edu ), University of Arizona	PB192
10-10:30 am	Break	GG
10:30-12 pm	Session F
	F1- The Middle East: Perspectives on Literature and Politics Rajini Srikanth, University of Massachusetts, Boston: Why the Solidarity?: South Asian Activism for Palestine Randa Jarrar, California State University, Fresno: Sassy Arab American Women Writers Samina Najmi, California State University, Fresno: A Fresno Soldier in Iraq: Whiteness in Brian Turner’s Here, Bullet Chair: Steve Adisasmito-Smith ( sadisasmito@csufresno.edu ), California State University, Fresno	PB 191
	F2-Visual and Performance Arts and Pursuit of Identity in the Modern Middle East A. Sameh El-Kharbawy, California State University, Fresno: The Politics of Education: Few Observations on the Middle East (Studies) Stéphanie Dadour, École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture Paris-Malaquais, France: Redefining the vernacular: eclecticism of the Lebanese Diaspora Omar Shaukat, University of Virginia: Engagements with Art and Identity in the Middle East: The Films of Eran Riklis and the Music of Melechesh Yasmine Nachabe, Mc Gill University: Rethinking Femininity in Mandate Lebanon through Marie el Khazen’s Photographs Chair: A . Sameh El- Kharbawy ( aelkharbawy@csufresno.edu ), California State University, Fresno	PB 192
12noon -2 pm	Lunch
2-3:30 pm	Session G
	G1- The Armenian Genocide: Literary and Historical Perspectives Rubina Peroomian, University California, Los Angeles: The literary expressions of Armenian Genocide within the Soviet scheme of Proletkult Barlow Der Mugrdechian, California State University, Fresno: Memory and Identity in Post Genocide Armenian-American Literature Vahram Shemmassian, California State University, Northridge: Humanitarian Intervention by the Armenian Prelacy of Aleppo During the First Months of the Genocide Dickran Kouymjian, California State University: The Other Genocide: The Crime against Cultural Heritage and Historical Memory Chair: Kevork Bardakjian, University of Michigan ( kbar@umich.edu ), Ann Arbor	PB191
	G2-Teaching about Middle East Lawrence Davidson, West Chester University: Teaching a Revisionist Interpretation of US Foreign Policy in the Middle East Hazel Antaramian-Hofman, California State University, Fresno: Incorporating Pre-Islamic Persian Art History in Interdisciplinary Coursework E. Thomas Ewing, Virginia Tech: Shifting Perspectives: Strategies for Teaching about the United States and the Middle East in the Digital Age Sally Totman, Deakin University, Australia: Teaching the Politics of the Middle East Using Online Role-Play Chair: Jasamin Rostam-Kolayi ( jrostam@exchange.fullerton.edu ), California State University, Fullerton	PB192
3:30-4 pm	Break	GG
4-5:30 pm	Session H
	H1- Music of the Middle East James R. Grippo, University of California, Santa Barbara: T he Digital Folk Hero: Sha‘bān ‘Abd al-Raīm and New Arab Media Philip Murphy, University of California, Santa Barbara: Islam, Sufism and World Music in Morocco Matthew Wright, University of California, Santa Barbara: Applications of Automatic Microtiming Analysis and Visualization to Eastern Arabic Rhythms Tess J. Popper, University of California, Santa Barbara: A Reformer in the Garb of a Singer: Music in the Discourse of National Identity the Modern Arab “Renaissance” Chair: Partow Hooshmandrad California State University, Fresno	PB191
	H2- Women, Community, and Nation in the Modern Middle East Nancy W. Jabbra, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles: Women, Gender, And Village: Solidarity In Lebanon, 1972-2010 Cafer Sarikaya, Bogazici University, Turkey: An Ottoman Woman Writer in the 1893 Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition: Fatma Aliye Hanim Danielle LeBlanc, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada: Cigarette and a Glass: Egyptian Modernity, Morality and Cinema Dancers of the 1950s Nancy El Gendy, University of Oklahoma: Race as a Constructed Ideology, and Performance as a Means of Destabilization: Tayeb Salih’s Season of Migration to the North Chair: Nancy W. Jabbra, Loyola Marymount University ( Nancy.Jabbra@lmu.edu ), Los Angeles	PB192
6:00-8 pm	Dinner	Smittcamp Alumni House - Whitten Conference Room
8:00-10 pm	Middle East Ensemble, University of California, Santa Barbara (Public Event)	Concert Hall (Music 186)

Conference on Middle East Studies

Conference Program

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