One Year of Muslim Brotherhood Rule in Egypt 2012-2013: Lost opportunities and tragic outcomes
Seminar
For more than 80 years the Muslim Brotherhood craved the possibility of ruling Egypt. This difficult and at times seemingly insurmountable goal was finally reached in July 2012 with the historical election of Mohammed Morsi as Egypt’s first civilian president. Elected with a razor thin majority,…
Afghanistan: From US-led intervention to self-reliance?
Lecture
Genevieve Jacobs (ABC Canberra) will facilitate a discussion with Professor Amin Saikal AM, FASSA examining the fate of Afghanistan leading up to the 2014 withdrawal of troops. Afghanistan is the only country in the world to have gained the dubious reputation of having been invaded by all three…
Peace in the Middle East?
Lecture
Twenty years since the signing of the Oslo Accords, Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi explains what went wrong and what lessons must be learned as negotiations continue today. Dr Mustafa Barghouthi is a Member of the Palestinian parliament. He has held a number of prominent roles including: Minister of…
Treasures of the Tentmakers: Discovering Egyptian Khayamiya
Lecture
Khayamiya, or Egyptian Tentmaker Applique, is a spectacular art form in danger of extinction. The vibrant colours and intricate designs of contemporary Khayamiya are the result of an entrepreneurial history of adaptation and re-invention, much of which has been forgotten. In this lecture, Dr Sam…
The Long Revolution in Egypt: Women, Gender, and Creative Activisms
Lecture
Margot Badran sees revolution as a complex process calling the public quest for gender equality and social justice from early last century as the ‘Long Revolution’ encompassing the 1919 Revolution, the 1952 Revolution, and the 2011 Revolution ongoing. She approaches revolution not simply as marked…
The Rising Emirate: Explaining Qatar’s politics, economy and global role
Lecture
The tiny Gulf state of Qatar punches way above it weight. It is, per capita, the richest country on earth. It is home to Al-Jazeera television. It hosts international events, won hosting rights for the 2022 Soccer World Cup, and wants to host a summer Olympics. It is an active diplomatic and…
Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh: The sources of the monumental Iranian national epic
Lecture
Dr Jalil Doostkhah is the leading scholar on Shahnameh Studies having spent over 60 years of his life on studying in this area. He has a PhD in Persian language & literature from Tehran University (1969). Dr Doostkhah was a Professor at the University of Isfahan and a guest Professor at the…