Iran » Whither Sanctions? » Flowers of Persian
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Volume 7 - Number 7 February-March 2011 £4 | €5 | US$6.5 THIS ISSUE » IRAN » WHITHER SANCTIONS? » FLOWERS OF PERSIAN SONG AND MUSIC » MAKING NOISE QUIETLY » IRANIAN ORGANISATIONS IN LONDON » TASTING BLOOD: CALIGULA IN TEHRAN » WILL THERE BE WAR ON IRAN? » PLUS » RESTAURANT, EXHIBITION & BOOK REVIEWS AND EVENTS IN LONDON Volume 7 - Number 7 February-March 2011 £4 | €5 | US$6.5 THIS ISSUE » IRAN » WHITHER SANCTIONS? » FLOWERS OF PERSIAN SONG AND MUSIC » MAKING NOISE QUIETLY » IRANIAN ORGANISATIONS IN LONDON » TASTING BLOOD: CALIGULA IN TEHRAN » WILL THERE BE WAR ON IRAN? » PLUS » RESTAURANT, EXHIBITION & BOOK REVIEWS AND EVENTS IN LONDON ‘Angel’ (2010) by Hojat Amani, ‘Concerning Angels’ exhibition (see page 18) About the London Middle East Institute (LMEI) Volume 7 - Number 7 February-March 2011 Th e London Middle East Institute (LMEI) draws upon the resources of London and SOAS to provide teaching, training, research, publication, consultancy, outreach and other services related to the Middle Editorial Board East. It serves as a neutral forum for Middle East studies broadly defi ned and helps to create links between Nadje Al-Ali individuals and institutions with academic, commercial, diplomatic, media or other specialisations. SOAS With its own professional staff of Middle East experts, the LMEI is further strengthened by its academic Narguess Farzad SOAS membership – the largest concentration of Middle East expertise in any institution in Europe. Th e LMEI also Nevsal Hughes has access to the SOAS Library, which houses over 150,000 volumes dealing with all aspects of the Middle Association of European Journalists East. LMEI’s Advisory Council is the driving force behind the Institute’s fundraising programme, for which Najm Jarrah it takes primary responsibility. It seeks support for the LMEI generally and for specifi c components of its George Joff é programme of activities. Cambridge University Hugh Kennedy SOAS Max Scott Mission Statement: Stacey International Sarah Searight Th e aim of the LMEI, through education and research, is to promote knowledge of all aspects of the Middle Society for Arabian Studies East including its complexities, problems, achievements and assets, both among the general public and with Kathryn Spellman Poots AKU and LMEI those who have a special interest in the region. In this task it builds on two essential assets. First, it is based Sarah Stewart in London, a city which has unrivalled contemporary and historical connections and communications with LMEI the Middle East including political, social, cultural, commercial and educational aspects. Secondly, the LMEI Ionis Th ompson is closely linked to SOAS, the only tertiary educational institution in the world whose explicit purpose is to Society for Arabian Studies, Saudi-British Society provide education and scholarship on the whole Middle East from prehistory until today. Shelagh Weir SOAS LMEI Staff: Co-ordinating Editor Anabel Inge Director Dr Hassan Hakimian Editorial Assistant Deputy Director and Company Secretary Dr Sarah Stewart Rhiannon Edwards Executive Offi cer Louise Hosking Listings Events and Magazine Coordinator Vincenzo Paci-Delton Vincenzo Paci-Delton Designer Shahla Geramipour Letters to the Editor: Disclaimer: Th e Middle East in London is published 6 times a year by the London Middle East Opinions and views expressed in the Middle East Institute at SOAS. Please send your letters to the editor at in London are, unless otherwise stated, personal Publisher and the LMEI address provided (see left panel) views of authors and do not refl ect the views of their Editorial Offi ce or email [email protected] organisations nor those of the LMEI or the Editorial Th e London Middle East Institute Board. Although all advertising in the magazine is School of Oriental and African Studies carefully vetted prior to publication, the LMEI does University of London Th ornaugh Street, Russell Square not accept responsibility for the accuracy of claims London WC1H 0XG made by advertisers. United Kingdom SSubscriptions:ubscriptions: T: 44 (0)20 7898 4490 F: 44 (0)20 7898 4329 E: [email protected] To receive Th e Middle East In London regularly, please refer www.lmei.soas.ac.uk to the LMEI affi liation form inside the back cover of this magazine. ISSN 1743-7598 Contents: 4 18 26 FROM THE DIRECTOR London: A hub for contemporary Lebanese Cuisine: Past and Iranian art Present by Andrée Maalouf and LMEI Board of Trustees Mohammad Mirbashiri Karim Haidar Professor Paul Webley (Chairman) 5 Nadje Al Ali and Mark Douglas Director, SOAS EDITORIAL H E Sir Vincent Fean KCVO Consul General to Jerusalem 19 Iran’s lost pixels 27 Dr Ben Fortna, SOAS 6 Haleh Anvari Th e Rise and Fall of a Palestinian Professor Graham Furniss, SOAS INSIGHT Dynasty: Th e Husaynis 1700-1948 Professor Robert Hillenbrand Whither sanctions? by Ilan Pappé Edinburgh University Hassan Hakimian 20 Atef Alshaer Dr Karima Laachir, SOAS POETRY Mr Charles Richards Mohammad Reza Shafi ’i Kadkani Professor Annabelle Sreberny, SOAS 8 and Farzaneh Khojandi 28 Professor Sami Zubaida IRAN Books in Brief Birkbeck Flowers of Persian song and LMEI Advisory Council music: digitising the Golha 21 archive REVIEWS: RESTAURANT Lady Barbara Judge (Chair) 29 Jane Lewisohn Kandoo LISTINGS: FEBRUARY- Professor Muhammad A. S. Abdel Haleem Near and Middle East Department, SOAS Nadje Al-Ali and Mark Douglas MARCH EVENTS H E Khalid Al-Duwaisan GVCO Ambassador, Embassy of the State of Kuwait 10 Mrs Haifa Al Kaylani Making noise quietly: Iran’s Arab International Women’s Forum 22 contemporary music scene REVIEWS: FILM FESTIVAL Dr Khalid Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa President, University College of Bahrain Bronwen Robertson Britain’s fi rst Iranian fi lm festival Professor Tony Allan Fari Bradley King’s College and SOAS Dr Alanoud Alsharekh LMEI and Fellow, St Antony’s College 12 Th irty years in Britain: Iranian 23 Mr Farad Azima Iran Heritage Foundation organisations in London REVIEWS: EXHIBITION Professor Doris Behrens-Abouseif Sahba Ladjevardi and Adom Th e Bridge of Knowledge, Brunei Art and Archaeology Department, SOAS Saboonchian Gallery Dr Noel Brehony Madeleine Fry MENAS Associates Ltd. Mr Charles L. O. Buderi Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP 14 Dr Elham Danish Manoto: the new face of Iranian 24 Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia television? REVIEWS: BOOKS Professor Nasser D. Khalili Mohammad Mirbashiri Iran’s Infl uence: A Religious- Nour Foundation Political State in the Region and Mr Kasim Kutay Moelis & Company the World by Elaheh Rostami- Ms Heidi Minshall 15 Povey Middle East & North Africa Research Tasting blood: ‘Caligula’ in Tehran Ziba Moshaver Group, Foreign & Commonwealth Offi ce Parastoo Dokouhaki Mr Rod Sampson Barclays Wealth, Dubai Dr Mai Yamani 25 Carnegie Middle East Centre 16 Istanbul: A Cultural and Literary Will there be war on Iran? A History by Peter Clark Founding Sponsor and fresh yet divergent look at an old Andrew Mango Member of the question Advisory Council Ali Fathollah-Nejad Sheikh Mohamed bin Issa al Jaber MBI Al Jaber Foundation February-March 2011 » The Middle East in London » 3 FFROMROM THETHE DIRECTORDIRECTOR FFromrom tthehe DDirectorirector Hassan Hakimian elcome to Th e Middle East for us to re-examine the content, style and • a better balance between current aff airs in London’s new series! Th e appeal of the magazine. What you see is and art and culture Wmagazine you have before you the result of much discussion, dialogue and • replacing the ‘Letter from the LMEI’ has been re-designed to look, feel and read refl ection within the Editorial Board over with a lively opinion section entitled diff erently, to capture better the LMEI’s the past months. ‘Insight’ aspirations and also to refl ect our growth While continuing with our commitment • turning the popular poetry page into a and evolution. to exploring the richness and breadth of permanent fi xture Th e Middle East in London has evolved Middle East-related activities in our capital • widening the ‘Profi le’ feature to embrace over the years into a signature publication city, the magazine’s remit will be widened those outside the academic fi eld of the LMEI, assisting us in key ways with to manifest more clearly LMEI’s strategic • adding a new section entitled ‘Books our mission of ‘promoting understanding of intentions to connect better with the Middle in Brief’ to provide concise, to-the-point the Middle East’. Seven years – or 67 issues East region. You will therefore notice a introductions to new titles on the region, to be precise – aft er its launch, time was ripe number of key changes: and • a fresh, new design. We have also decided to move the magazine to a new, bi-monthly format to enable us to focus on higher quality. Meanwhile, we are increasing the number of pages.pages. st Ea It remains for me to thank our ȱ dle ȱȱ Mid The loyallo readers on whose support the in n 5 magazine’sm continuation depends; 00 do ber 2 n ovem o 6, N L | N° me 2 Volu UK£ 3 | € 5 | US$ 5 ourou numerous contributors over thethe years on whose good will we havehav relied; the staff of LMEI and everyever member of the Editorial Board, includinginclu our able Co-ordinating Editor,Edito whose commitment and competencecomp is second to none. AmendingAmen Iraqi Constitution Turkey and the EU I hopeho what is before you will refl ect ourour commitmentcom to a new future for the Interview with John Curtis magazinemagazi and one that you will continue A Heckler as Terrorist? to likelike anda value. Middle Eastern Films at LFF ItIt goesgoes without