Conspiracy theories are common in the Middle East, and cover a range of topics from US policy to 9/11, Israel’s Mossad and even the death of Princess Diana. Foreign powers, local leaders, and societal actors all feature in them. Where do these conspiracy theories come from, and what do they mean? This lecture will examine this question by looking at several of the region’s most prevalent conspiracy theories and addressing what each says about the region’s politics, social dynamics, and worldviews.

Far from being rants by the fearful, paranoid or xenophobic, conspiracy theories are actually a powerful, effective tool of political language that find their sources in a range of historical experiences, political dynamics, and regional and global changes.

Dr Matthew Gray is the Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al-Maktoum Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies (CAIS). He has held this position since early 2005. Prior to joining the University, he worked in the Australian public service in the fields of trade promotion, defence intelligence, and immigration policy.

At CAIS he teaches and conducts research on the politics, political economy, business dynamics, and international relations of the contemporary Middle East. Conspiracy Theories in the Arab World: Sources and Politics is his first book, he has published in journals and edited books on Middle Eastern tourism, constitutionalism, Arab politics, and oil issues, as well as on conspiracy theories and political language.

Copies of Dr Gray’s book will be available for purchase from the Coop bookstand following the event.

Registrations required. Please register you attendence to events@anu.edu.au or 6125 4144