DOCSLIB.ORG

Sports and the Middle East

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Sports and the Middle East Viewpoints Special Edition Sports and the Middle East The Middle East Institute Washington, DC May 2010 Middle East Institute 2 .JEEMF&BTU*OTUJUVUF7JFXQPJOUT4QPSUTBOEUIF.JEEMF&BTUtXXXNFJFEV Middle East Institute !e mission of the Middle East Institute is to promote knowledge of the Middle East in Amer- ica and strengthen understanding of the United States by the people and governments of the region. For more than 60 years, MEI has dealt with the momentous events in the Middle East — from the birth of the state of Israel to the invasion of Iraq. Today, MEI is a foremost authority on contemporary Middle East issues. It pro- vides a vital forum for honest and open debate that attracts politicians, scholars, government officials, and policy experts from the US, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. MEI enjoys wide access to political and business leaders in countries throughout the region. Along with information exchanges, facilities for research, objective analysis, and thoughtful commentary, MEI’s programs and publications help counter simplistic notions about the Middle East and America. We are at the forefront of private sector public diplomacy. Viewpoints are another MEI service to audiences interested in learning more about the complexities of issues affecting the Middle East and US relations with the region. #e views expressed in these Viewpoints are those of the authors; the Middle East Institute does not take positions on Middle East policy. To learn more about the Middle East Institute, visit our website at http://www.mei.edu $PWFSQIPUPT DMPDLXJTFGSPNUIFUPQMFЂIBOEDPSOFS.D,BZ+PIOTPO 'MJDLSVTFSQBEEZOBQQFS 'MJDLSVTFSЅF64"SNZ 'MJDLS VTFSKVOHPNF[ 'MJDLSVTFS)VTTBJO*TB 'MJDLSVTFSDISJTEFCSVZO 'MJDLSVTFS'PYUPOHVF .JEEMF&BTU*OTUJUVUF7JFXQPJOUT4QPSUTBOEUIF.JEEMF&BTUtXXXNFJFEV 3 Viewpoints Special Edition Sports and the Middle East 4 .JEEMF&BTU*OTUJUVUF7JFXQPJOUT4QPSUTBOEUIF.JEEMF&BTUtXXXNFJFEV Recent Viewpoints April 2010 May 2010 Iraq’s Petroleum Industry: Migration and the Maghreb Unsettled Issues March 2010 April 2010 State of the Arts in the Middle East: Migration and the Mashreq Volume IV $MJDLPOUIFJNBHFTUPWJFXUIFTFFEJUJPOTPOMJOF .JEEMF&BTU*OTUJUVUF7JFXQPJOUT4QPSUTBOEUIF.JEEMF&BTUtXXXNFJFEV 5 Sports and the Middle East A Special Edition of Viewpoints Introduction 7 In Search of a Voice: Arab Soccer Players in the Israeli Media, CZ&SBO4IPS 8 Walls and Goals: #e Israeli-Palestinian Encounter in Football Films and Literature, CZ"MPO3BBC 11 Yemeni Football and Identity Politics, CZЅPNBT#4UFWFOTPOBOE,BSJN"CEVM"MBVH 16 Assyrians or Syriacs?: Middle Eastern Identity Formation #rough Football in Sweden, CZ$BSM3PNNFM 20 Al-Wihdat: #e Pride of the Palestinians in Jordan, CZ%BH5VBTUBE 24 #e Evolving Role of Afghan Female Athletes, CZ"XJTUB"ZVC 27 Tradition Trumps Sport: A Female Wrestler Retreats, CZ)BOB"TLSFO 31 #e Development of Women’s Football in Morocco, CZ/JDPMF.BUVTLB 35 A Step on the Path to Peace: How Basketball is Uniting Arab and Jewish Youth in Jerusalem, CZ+VMJF:PVOFT 38 6 .JEEMF&BTU*OTUJUVUF7JFXQPJOUT4QPSUTBOEUIF.JEEMF&BTUtXXXNFJFEV Introduction Two weeks a$er the release of this publication, the first matches of the soccer world’s 2010 FIFA World Cup will get underway at ten stadiums (fixtures) spread across the host country of South Africa. Over a billion people are expected to follow the month-long tournament. On June 13, the Algerian team – the only squad from the Middle East to have qualified – will face off against Group C opponent Slovenia. #e attention of millions of avid soccer (football) fans throughout the region will be riveted not just by this match but by many of the others. Soccer is woven tightly into the lives and cultures of the peoples of the Middle East. It is by far the region’s most popular sport. However, other sports thrive in the region as well. Some are deep-rooted national traditions, such as wrestling in Iran. Iconic sports figures like Moroccan runners Said Aouita and Hicham El Guerrouj have helped popularize track and field in the Maghreb. In 2004, Bahrain hosted the first FIA Formula One World Championship event ever held in the Middle East. In April of this year, the UAE ice hockey team became the first from the Middle East to compete in the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship in Europe. Sports of course do not exist in a vacuum. Sports are a part of society. Accordingly, they both mirror aspects of society and serve as powerful agents of social change. #ey are sources of entertainment. #ey provide health benefits to par- ticipants and help instill qualities such as discipline and team work. #ey can create sources of income. And they can be vehicles for enhancing mutual understanding. #is special edition of MEI Viewpoints offers snapshots of sports and the Middle East. #e nine essays contained in this volume cover a wide range of interesting topics including media portrayals of minority athletes (Israel), the struggle to maintain soccer as a national pastime in the face of difficult economic and political circumstances (Yemen), soccer as the embodiment of national pride (of Syriacs/Assyrians on the pitch in Sweden and Palestinians in Jordan), female athletes and traditional values (Afghanistan, Tunisia, and Morocco), and basketball as a peacebuilding tool (Arab/Jew- ish youth in Jerusalem). #is collection is the first of what we hope will be an ongoing series that seeks to shed light on various aspects of soccer in the Middle East, on other sports (including profiles of individual sports figures, teams, or matches), and other facets of the relationship between sports and society in the region. Toward that end, we welcome submissions of proposed topics. Interested authors should contact Dr. John Calabrese at [email protected]. .JEEMF&BTU*OTUJUVUF7JFXQPJOUT4QPSUTBOEUIF.JEEMF&BTUtXXXNFJFEV 7 In Search of a Voice: Arab Soccer Players in the Israeli Media Eran Shor Soccer is the most popular sport in Israel. As such, it is also a strategic research site in which to study Israeli society and its complex social and ethnic relations. One of the more interesting phenomena in Israeli soccer is the participation of Arab soccer teams and Arab soccer players in the Israeli major league, which has won increasing schol- arly attention in recent years.1 #is essay examines the media coverage of these players, focusing on the tension between the opportunity for positive exposure of successful athletes on the one hand and the difficulty of these players to advance issues that are important to their minority group on the other hand. &SBO4IPSJTB1I%DBO- Arab soccer players are an inseparable part of the Israeli Arab public. Most Jews hold EJEBUFJO4PDJPMPHZBUUIF hostile views toward the Arab minority, and even official rhetoric o$en portrays them 4UBUF 6OJWFSTJUZ PG /FX mainly as a security and demographical threat. During the late 1990s and the 2000s :PSL 4UPOZ#SPPL)JTJO- UFSFTUT JODMVEF UFSSPSJTN three Arab teams advanced to the major Israeli soccer league (Hpoel Taibe, Maccabi and related state policies, Akhi Nazareth, and Bnei Sakhnin), and between 15 and 30 Arab players have managed IVNBOSJHIUT HMPCBMEF- to join major soccer league teams (both Arab and Jewish). While sport provides ethnic UFSNJOBOUT PG FOWJSPO- minorities with high visibility, research shows that this is also a field where biased repre- NFOUBM EFHSBEBUJPO BOE 2 the intersection of gender sentation is highly prevalent. Still, in Israel, like elsewhere, sport is one of the few fields BOEFUIOJDJUZ in which the Arab minority receives media exposure of any kind.3 It therefore has the potential to provide a rare opportunity for bringing the voice of minority groups and expressing their concerns. Within the sociology of sport, there are two opposing theoretical views regarding the integration of minority groups in sport. #e first sees sport as a field that brings together different groups in society and bridges class, ethnic, and racial divides. In this view, mi- nority sport stars serve both as role models for young people from their ethnic groups and as a mouthpiece voicing the feelings and needs of their own people, thus giving 1. Ben-Porat, Guy and Amir Ben-Porat, “(Un)bounded Soccer: Globalization and Localization of the Game in Israel,” *OUFSOBUJPOBM3FWJFXGPSUIF4PDJPMPHZPG4QPSU 34” (2004), pp. 421-436; Shor, Eran, “Contested Masculinities: #e New Jew and the Construction of Black and Palestinian Ath- letes in Israeli Media,” +PVSOBMPG4QPSUBOE4PDJBM*TTVFT, Vol. 32 (2008), pp. 255-277; and Sorek, Tamir, "SBC4PDDFSJOB+FXJTI4UBUFЅF*OUFHSBUJWF&ODMBWF (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007). 2. Gruneau, Richard, “Making Spectacle: A Case Study in T.V. Sports Production,” in Lawrence A. Wenner, ed., .FEJB 4QPSUTBOE4PDJFUZ, (Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 1989), pp. 134-56; and Hoberman, John, %BSXJOT"UIMFUFT)PX4QPSU)BE%BNBHFE#MBDL"NFSJDBBOE1SFTFSWFEUIF.ZUIPG3BDF, (New York: Mariner Books, 1997). Stone, Jeff and Christian I. Lynch, Mike Sjomeling, and John M. Darley, “Stereotype #reat Effects on Black and White Athletic Performance,” +PVSOBMPG1FSTPOBMJUZ BOE4PDJBM1TZDIPMPHZ, Vol. 77 (1999), pp. 1213-1227. 3. Aburaiya, Issam, Eli Avraham and Gadi Wolfsfeld, ЅF1BMFTUJOJBOTJO*TSBFMJOUIF&ZFTPGUIF)F- CSFX.FEJB (Givat Habiba: #e Peace Institute (Hebrew), 1998). 8 .JEEMF&BTU*OTUJUVUF7JFXQPJOUT4QPSUTBOEUIF.JEEMF&BTUtXXXNFJFEV #e views expressed in these Viewpoints are those of the authors; the Middle East Institute does not take positions on Middle East policy. 4IPS hope to their groups and advancing their status.4 #e opposing view holds that the sport field reflects the tendencies of the larger society, helping to maintain the social dominance of the hegemonic groups. In this view sport stars serve mostly as tokens and have no real influence on the social order.5 Examining the media coverage of Arabs in Israeli sport over the last decade puts this dichotomy into question. On the one hand, Arab athletes do receive a rare opportunity for positive exposure, stressing their athletic abilities and success- es in a non-threatening environment. Jewish and Arab athletes receive a rare opportunity to interact with each other, develop friendships, and be exposed to the ideas and adversities of the other group.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Sportscene | Fall 2014
    THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF MACCABI USA VOLUME 11 | NUMBER 2 | FALL 2014 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE professional Basketball for Israel’s Super 2 David Blatt’s League. He continued to play professionally SEEKING JEWISH ATHLETES Maccabiah until 1993, when he transitioned to what 3 ROBERT E. SPIVAK Experience continues to be a stellar coaching career. LEADERSHIP AWARD “Playing for your country in the Maccabiah Games is a totally different VOLUNTEER PROFILE Influenced His Life Decisions experience than playing in college or 4 DONOR PROFILE professionally,” David said. “It’s about David first got involved with the sport of RECENT EVENTS more than just the competition; it is about Basketball as a small child. He watched immersing yourself in Jewish culture 5 UPCOMING EVENTS his older sisters practice the game using and gives you a sense of community and the basket their dad had installed over the MULTI-GENERATION togetherness. It’s an experience that stays 6 MACCABI USA FAMILIES garage and joined in. He fell in love with the with you always and is one of the main game and it’s been a lifelong affair. reasons I made Aliyah and have lived in LEGENDS OF THE MACCABIAH While playing point guard at Princeton, Israel the last 33 years.” 8 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE David was recruited by a coach from an In 1991, David married Kineret and Israeli kibbutz team, and he played in Israel EUROPEAN BASKETBALL together they are raising four children, INSIDE THIS ISSUE 9 that summer at Kibbutz Gan Shmuel. The Tamir, Shani, Ela and Adi. His son Tamir NEWS following year, a Maccabi USA volunteer competed for Israel at the 2013 Maccabiah 10 approached him about trying out for the Games as a member of the Juniors Boys’ USA Maccabiah team.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ohel Leah Synagogue Charity WELCOME Dear Festival Supporters
    Co-presenter 1199 t h Generously supported by The Ohel Leah Synagogue Charity WELCOME Dear Festival Supporters, It is an honor and a pleasure to welcome you to another edition of the Hong Kong Jewish Festival, our 19th edition, and my first as Chair. 2018 saw the departure of our Chair Debby Amias, as well as several Board members whom we thank for their significant contribution and dedication. As one door closes, another opens and luckily, our Board has fortunately seen numerous new faces ensuring a smooth transition. With the generous support and help of our Donors, we are able to bring to Hong Kong a comprehensive selection of the best Jewish themed features and documentaries which should entertain, educate and inform. This year we bring you exciting new partnerships as well as VIPs and guests from abroad that will enhance and bring a whole new flavour to the festival. My appreciation goes to the Asia Society Hong Kong Center, a prime cultural venue; the members of the Festival’s Board; the Viewing Committee, as well as Nicole Izsak, our Festival Producer. Looking forward to seeing you throughout the Festival. Eli Bitan HKJFF Chairman 3 Message from the Israeli Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong My heartiest congratulations on the 19th Anniversary of the Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival! We are dedicated to promoting trade and development between Hong Kong SAR and Israel for our mutual benefit. Our loyalties lie first and foremost with our members, acting as their voice in advising the Israeli Government in matters affecting businesses and the economy, providing members with business information and opportunities, and facilitating networking through a variety of Chamber activities.
    [Show full text]
  • Golf and Tennis Previews, Courtesy of Australian
    SPORT 40 The Australian Jewish New s – jewishnews.net.au Friday, June 14, 2013 Happy ISSN 1325−5975 Sports editor: Ashley Shenker – [email protected] Harrisberg on top PAGE 39 9 771325 597001 The Road to Maccabiiah 2013 5 weeks to go Aussies swinging for gold ASHLEY SHENKER “On paper, this team is very strong describing both as solid players every and it’s got good depth,” masters man - side needs. AFTER a successful effort at the 2009 ager Rob Wallenhausen told The AJN . Noah Warren and Zac Winograd Maccabiah Games that saw the golf “But golf is one of those things will be hoping to continue their good team win five medals – including a where it depends how well you play form from the trials. “I’ve seen that gold – the open, masters and on the day, so I’m confident with the we fall down based on the pressure of Stableford sides will be out for a repeat guys we’ve got that we’ll come up the Games,” Wagen said. effort at next month’s Games in Israel. with a medal.” “So we are going to make sure we Veteran Roy Vandersluis, who was The open team has never had a are adequately prepared and I’m qui - recently crowned the National place-getter at the Games, but man - etly confident that we can get an Seniors Masters Champion, will be ager Stephen Wagen believes that excellent result.” looking to achieve back-to-back mas - record could be broken in 2013. Wagen will also be part of the ters medals when he ventures to his Jason Rubenstein and Oren Stableford event, which comes under 10th Maccabiah, the most of any Golvan will embark on their third the Maccabiah umbrella, but is not Australian athlete.
    [Show full text]
  • Status and Protection of Globally Threatened Species in the Caucasus
    STATUS AND PROTECTION OF GLOBALLY THREATENED SPECIES IN THE CAUCASUS CEPF Biodiversity Investments in the Caucasus Hotspot 2004-2009 Edited by Nugzar Zazanashvili and David Mallon Tbilisi 2009 The contents of this book do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CEPF, WWF, or their sponsoring organizations. Neither the CEPF, WWF nor any other entities thereof, assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, product or process disclosed in this book. Citation: Zazanashvili, N. and Mallon, D. (Editors) 2009. Status and Protection of Globally Threatened Species in the Caucasus. Tbilisi: CEPF, WWF. Contour Ltd., 232 pp. ISBN 978-9941-0-2203-6 Design and printing Contour Ltd. 8, Kargareteli st., 0164 Tbilisi, Georgia December 2009 The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the MacArthur Foundation and the World Bank. This book shows the effort of the Caucasus NGOs, experts, scientific institutions and governmental agencies for conserving globally threatened species in the Caucasus: CEPF investments in the region made it possible for the first time to carry out simultaneous assessments of species’ populations at national and regional scales, setting up strategies and developing action plans for their survival, as well as implementation of some urgent conservation measures. Contents Foreword 7 Acknowledgments 8 Introduction CEPF Investment in the Caucasus Hotspot A. W. Tordoff, N. Zazanashvili, M. Bitsadze, K. Manvelyan, E. Askerov, V. Krever, S. Kalem, B. Avcioglu, S. Galstyan and R. Mnatsekanov 9 The Caucasus Hotspot N.
    [Show full text]
  • Afghanistan Review
    1 01 December 2010 AFGHANISTAN REVIEW Inside This Issue Economic Stabilization This document is intended to provide an overview of relevant sector Governance & Participation events in Afghanistan from 23 November–30 November 2010. More Humanitarian Assistance comprehensive information is available on the Civil-Military Overview (CMO) at www.cimicweb.org. Hyperlinks to original source material Infrastructure are highlighted in blue and underlined in the embedded text. Justice & Reconciliation Security Social Well-Being For further information on CFC activities related to Afghanistan or inquiries about this publication, please contact the Afghanistan Team Manager: Valeria Davanzo, [email protected] or the Afghanistan Editor: Amber Ram- sey, [email protected] ECONOMIC STABILIZATION Steve Zyck, [email protected] / +1 757-683-4275 Back to top Mineral and energy deposits in Afghanistan were the ban was allegedly instituted as a result of the Af- subject of continued discussion this week. An official ghan government‟s failure to update its 1972 avia- from Afghanistan‟s Ministry of Mines (MoM) told Tolo tion regulations or establish a civil aviation author- News that oil deposits in northern Afghanistan would ity. According to Reuters, the ban affects Safi Air- be opened for tender by the end of the year. Offi- lines in particular, which is one of three Afghanistan cials say that oil deposits around Sheberghan, in -registered airlines to offer flights to Europe in re- Jowzjan province, and Qashqari, in Sar-e Pul prov- cent years. The EU's recent decision also served to ince, will likely be tendered first. Experts interviewed extend and expand previously-imposed restrictions by Tolo News have suggested that investor interest on Ariana Afghan Airlines and Kam Air, the two in Afghanistan‟s energy and mineral resources may other banned carriers.
    [Show full text]
  • Palestine 100 Years of Struggle: the Most Important Events Yasser
    Palestine 100 Years of Struggle: The Most Important Events Yasser Arafat Foundation 1 Early 20th Century - The total population of Palestine is estimated at 600,000, including approximately 36,000 of the Jewish faith, most of whom immigrated to Palestine for purely religious reasons, the remainder Muslims and Christians, all living and praying side by side. 1901 - The Zionist Organization (later called the World Zionist Organization [WZO]) founded during the First Zionist Congress held in Basel Switzerland in 1897, establishes the “Jewish National Fund” for the purpose of purchasing land in Palestine. 1902 - Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II agrees to receives Theodor Herzl, the founder of the Zionist movement and, despite Herzl’s offer to pay off the debt of the Empire, decisively rejects the idea of Zionist settlement in Palestine. - A majority of the delegates at The Fifth Zionist Congress view with favor the British offer to allocate part of the lands of Uganda for the settlement of Jews. However, the offer was rejected the following year. 2 1904 - A wave of Jewish immigrants, mainly from Russia and Poland, begins to arrive in Palestine, settling in agricultural areas. 1909 Jewish immigrants establish the city of “Tel Aviv” on the outskirts of Jaffa. 1914 - The First World War begins. - - The Jewish population in Palestine grows to 59,000, of a total population of 657,000. 1915- 1916 - In correspondence between Sir Henry McMahon, the British High Commissioner in Egypt, and Sharif Hussein of Mecca, wherein Hussein demands the “independence of the Arab States”, specifying the boundaries of the territories within the Ottoman rule at the time, which clearly includes Palestine.
    [Show full text]
  • Israeli Sports – from National Pride to Political Hostility
    1 Israeli Sports – From National Pride to Political Hostility Haim KAUFMAN Zinman College, Israel Sports in the State of Israel have always vacillated between two conflicting planes. One is national sports which have been a central component of national identity and a source of national pride. The other is political sports which, as representatives of opposing political sectors in the country, have di- vided the country and have engendered a great deal of hostility and recurrent violence leading to dys- function. The tension between national sports as a tool serving national ends and sports for grinding political axes underlies the entire history of sports in Israel, and only in recent years seems to be gradually dissipating. Sports were created in Pre-Mandatory Israel at the start of the 19th Century and continued develop- ing throughout the Mandate period. With the establishment of the State of Israel, sports came under state authority. Representative sports served the young state's national interests. All-star teams and sports matches became tools for strengthening Israel's international recognition, expanding contact with other countries, increasing ties with Jewish communities in the Diaspora, and attaining prestige and honor. In the early years of the state, Israel's representative championship teams were a source of pride and identification despite their unimpressive results on the playing fields. People still remember the soccer games between Israel and the Soviet Union in 1956. At such encounters Israel was defeated twice. Nevertheless, such games were of great national value, as they strengthened political ties with the former Soviet Union and with Jews behind the "iron curtain" during the Cold War.1 Despite the new official status and national-functional relevancy of Israeli sports, their sectarian na- ture remained essentially the same.
    [Show full text]
  • The Assyrians
    #3565 TTHHEE AASSSSYYRRIIAANNSS #3633 THE MACEDONIANS #3664 THE SPARTANS Grade Levels: 8-13+ 26 minutes AMBROSE VIDEO PUBLISHING 1998 DESCRIPTION ASSYRIANS The ancient Assyrians' greatest power and dominance lasted from 745-612 B.C. Ruthless, cruel warriors, their skill and organization at war was unmatched. When king Tiglath-pileser established a standing army, their kingdom began to expand. Uses the defeat of Elam in 655 B.C. and siege of Jerusalem in 701 B.C. to illustrate their battles, weapons, and strategies. Macedonians By 338 B.C., Philip II of Macedonia created an army of fearsome reputation as he forged his empire. His phalanxes of infantry and cavalry were refined by his son Alexander the Great. Reenactments, graphics, and artifacts illustrate battle strategies. Follows a typical soldier's training, weapons, and life. The siege and defeat of Tyre captures the Macedonians' determination to win. Spartans The ancient Greek city-state Sparta lived its life as an armed camp, training its men from birth to become fierce soldiers. Depicts the life of a typical Spartan soldier--training, clothing, everyday life, weapons, armor, and barracks life. The battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. serves as an example of Spartan philosophy and battle strategy--hardship willingly endured against impossible odds. Some live action, graphics, and artifacts add flavor. 1 Captioned Media Program VOICE 800-237-6213 – TTY 800-237-6819 – FAX 800-538-5636 – WEB www.cfv.org Funding for the Captioned Media Program is provided by the U. S. Department of Education
    [Show full text]
  • Scientists Get Together to Remember Israeli Scholar Daniel Amit
    PRESS RELEASE The humanity of the enemy: scientists get together to remember Israeli scholar Daniel Amit On 30 June a seminar at SISSA and a meeting at Caffè San Marco will look back over the activities and the ideas of one of the fathers of neural computation, whose scientific commitment was one with his socio-political commitment, in particular on the Israeli-Palestinian issue Trieste, 26 June 2018 A symposium and a public meeting to look back over the scientific activity, but not only, of a great scientist who was also a convinced pacifist, whose political commitment and defence of human rights, in particular of his Palestinian colleagues, was one of the cornerstones of his entire existence. The double event entitled “Remembering Daniel Amit, and Beyond” organised by SISSA – Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati of Trieste on 30 June will be dedicated to Daniel Amit, physicist by profession and one of the founding fathers of the approaches to the functions of the brain as a complex system. The symposium, which will be held at SISSA from 9.30 am, will see the participation of scientists who studied and worked with Daniel Amit, who was born in Poland in 1938 and brought by his family to Mandatory Palestine – with a stopover in Trieste – in 1940, as they were fleeing the Nazis. Amit grew up in Tel Aviv and worked mainly in Israel until he moved to Rome, and became Italian citizen in 1999. It will be an occasion to illustrate current advances in the field of computational neuroscience, Amit’s research area, but also to look back at the human and scientific aspects of his life, to talk about his ideas, about the extreme determination with which he asserted the close relationship between science, power and military force, about his activity to encourage dialogue and meetings between Israelis and Palestinians.
    [Show full text]
  • Muslim Women Sport Managers in Malaysia
    Through Rose-Tinted Glasses: Muslim Women Sport Managers In Malaysia Wirdati Mohd. Radzi University of Malaya, Malaysia Raihanah Abdullah University of Malaya, Malaysia Abstract ‘Modern sport’ has been held to be one of the derivative of the Modernity agen- da (Hargreaves, 2001), a tidal wave of intellectual and political change that swept most of the Western Europe in the 17th century. Few societies had resisted the transition to Modernity as the Muslim. Modern sport poses challenges to Muslim athletes, in that it conflicts with Muslim practices (Haji Omar & Gilbert, 2000). Women issues on the other hand took shape amidst the typically patriarchal policy development processes, whether it is within the religious, socio-legal, cultural, eco- nomic or political context (Abdullah, 2003; Omar & Hamzah, 2003). In the study of women, few would draw much controversy than the study of Muslim women. The image of a ‘burka’-clad individual isolated from the rest of the world is per- haps the most common association made of a Muslim female. This paper would focus on ascertaining the role of Malaysian Muslim women through evaluation of the experiences of Muslim women as sport managers within the structure of the local sport governance. The discourse would also draw on the literatures of the women and sport in the West as comparison (Radzi 2006; Riphenburg, 1998; Roded, 1999; Sfeir, 1985; Stowasser, 1998; Walseth & Fasting, 2003) Key words muslim women, sport management, Malaysia Introduction This paper would focus on ascertaining the role of Malaysian Muslim women through evaluation of the experiences of Muslim women as sport managers within the structure of the local sport governance.
    [Show full text]
  • Religious Offerings and Sacrifices in the Ancient Near East
    ARAMPeriodical religious offerings and sacrifices in the ancient near east astrology in the ancient near east the river jordan volume 29, 1&2 2017 LL Aram is a peer-reviewed periodical published by the ARAM Society for Syro-Mesopotamian Studies ARAM Society for Syro-Mesopotamian Studies The Oriental Institute University of Oxford Pusey Lane OXFORD OX1 2LE - UK Tel. +44 (0)1865 51 40 41 email: [email protected] www.aramsociety.org 6HQLRU(GLWRU'U6KD¿T$ERX]D\G8QLYHUVLW\RI2[IRUG 6KD¿TDERX]D\G#RULQVWDFXN English and French editor: Prof. Richard Dumbrill University of London [email protected] Articles for publication to be sent to ARAM at the above address. New subscriptions to be sent to ARAM at the above address. Book orders: Order from the link: www.aramsociety.org Back issues can be downloaded from: www.aramsociety.org ISSN: 0959-4213 © 2017 ARAM SOCIETY FOR SYRO-MESOPOTAMIAN STUDIES All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. iii ARAM Society for Syro-Mesopotamian Studies Forty-Second International Conference religious offerings and sacrifices in the ancient near east The Oriental Institute Oxford University 20-23 July 2015 iv ARAM Society for Syro-Mesopotamian Studies Thirty-Ninth International Conference astrology in the ancient near east The Oriental Institute Oxford University 13-15 July 2015 v ARAM Society for Syro-Mesopotamian Studies Forty-First International Conference the river jordan The Oriental Institute Oxford University 13-15 July 2015 vi Table of Contents Volume 29, Number I (2017) Religious Offerings in the Ancient Near East (Aram Conference 2015) Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Guest Editors' Introduction
    Guest Editors’ Introduction Football and Society in Israel—a Story of Interdependence Tamar Rapoport and Amir Ben Porat Football is the most popular sports game in the world, including in Israel, where it has been played every weekend all over the country since before the establishment of the state. Football is not just a game that chil- dren and adults love to play and watch; it also involves individual, group, and collective identities, and local and national identification. Football reflects, and often accentuates, political and social conflicts that highlight ethno-national, class, political, and gender hierarchies and tensions in society. The game is largely dependent on the surrounding context(s) that determines its “relative autonomy,” which shapes its distinguished fan- dom culture(s) and practices (Rapoport 2016). The English poet T. S. Eliot referred to football as a major cultural phe- nomenon of early twentieth-century Britain. This has held true since then in Britain and in many other countries. The game crosses continental and national borders when, during the football seasons, thousands of pro- fessional footballers and millions of amateur ones congregate weekly to play the game worldwide (Goldblatt 2006). An exceedingly large number of male and female amateurs play the game on all kinds of fields, while hundreds of millions of fans of all ages, genders, classes, and ethnicities watch from the benches at local stadiums or through mass media. The same holds true every four years when the FIFA World Cup tournament (the Mundial) takes place, and every year during the European and other regional championships. Indeed, there is no other cultural event that exceeds football’s popularity, consumption, and enthusiasm: football is more than just a game.
    [Show full text]