DOCSLIB.ORG

Human Rights Council Issue: ​Empowering Minority Religions Student Officer

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Human Rights Council Issue: ​Empowering Minority Religions Student Officer th th The Hague International Model United Nations 2021| 25 ​ January 2020 – 29 ​ January 2020 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Forum: Human Rights Council Issue: Empowering minority religions ​ Student Officer: Anngu Chang ​ Position: President ​ Introduction The Violence Iceberg concept simplifies violence into two simple fields. The tip if the iceberg is explicit violence that is easy to witness, such as conflicts, discrimination, and terrorism. Addressing direct violence only requires short-term solutions that may temporarily alleviate and ease the violence but impart little to no impact, decreasing future violence chances. However, combating violence under the surface is the long-term solution that chips away at the root cause of conflict: our beliefs and decisions. Per the analogy, in the status quo, one of the most pressing icebergs that inhibit our path towards cultural cohesion is the lack of recognition and empowerment of minority religions. Such process is fundamental towards achieving a less conflict-driven world as clashes can be mitigated given appropriate dialogue and understanding. In such a religiously diverse world, empowering minority religions has presented itself as one of the iceberg roots the international community ought to tackle. Lack of recognition and representation serves as the root cause of why religious minorities seek empowerment: oftentimes, they are mute in international policies, and excluded in decisions over domestic laws and acts. Additionally, oppressed religious minorities are subjected to maltreatment and violence in a multitude of member states, and when met with violence, minorities may foster violent tendencies and actions of their own. The problem is not as visible as many think, and frequently intangibles such as stigmas and ingrained beliefs about members of minority religions prohibit conversations surrounding empowerment to even occur. While religious empowerment might appear to be situated in cultural and societal discussions, this topic’s nuances are innately rooted in human rights and dignity as, in many places, religious minorities are denied fundamental rights or lack access to representation and voice. Definition of Key Terms Religion Research Report | Page 1 of 14 ​ ​ th st The Hague International Model United Nations 2020| 26 ​ January 2020 – 31 ​ January 2020 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ According to Cambridge dictionary, religion is defined as the belief and worship of god or gods. Religion can further be divided into religious sects, or different branches of religion. One such example will be for Christianity, where the main religion is separated into three distinct sects: Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox. Empowering minority religions can entail empowering the religion as a whole or referring to specific sects under persecution. Empowerment Empowerment is when one is granted the right, authority, and freedom to control one’s life and perform a certain act. In the context of empowering minority religions, cultural and societal empowerment is of the utmost importance. Cultural empowerment stems from an understanding society that accepts cultural differences, and societal empowerment refers to everyone being treated equally. Sectarianism Sectarianism is defined as an excessive attachment to a particular religious sect, and is founded upon an in-group out-group dynamic (and thus inherently discriminatory). Within the Middle East, sectarianism typically refers to the Sunni Shia conflict that has been raging on for decades; in-groups are often the majority while the out-groups are the minorities. Stigmas Stigmas are the marks of shame or disapproval regarding a specific individual or a minority group, often imposed by the majority. By highlighting the differences between the two groups, stigmas are often the impetus of discrimination in multiple countries. In the context of this issue, stigmas are imparted by the religious majority to the minority, which lends itself to stereotyping and discrimination. Ethnocentrism Ethnocentrism is the process where people evaluate other cultures in accordance with the cultural standards of their own. Nevertheless, beyond forming unfounded prejudice and judgment, the implicit notion embodied in ethnocentrism is that a person’s culture is better than another. This promotes a hierarchical view of self-superiority, which this notion is then enabled to perpetuate into every facet of society. Background Information This issue's premise is that there are a majority and minority religions present in a given country. This is crucial for understanding how these majority and minority groups are formed and decide on the Page 2 of 14 | Research Report ​ th th The Hague International Model United Nations 2021| 25 ​ January 2020 – 29 ​ January 2020 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ optimal solution to empower minority religions. The disparity between majority and minority religions and their presence in a country often derives from superimposed borders or borders created by external powers. These borders arbitrarily group people of different ethnicities and religions together, sparking and often catalyzing cultural tensions. Examples of superimposed borders and how they are formed are the Sykes-Picot Agreement and the Berlin Conference. During these conferences, the then colonial powers divided the Middle East and Africa, unaware and inconsiderate about the locality and different groups present. As such, many multicultural nations were formed in the wake of these agreements, enabling further religious conflicts down the line. When discussing methods to promote minority religions, delegates must first think about the myriad of concerns present in the status quo that dissuades possible solutions. In that regard, empowering minority religion has historically been a tremendously difficult task because of the stigmas imparted by the majority. Stigmas then translate to institutional discrimination, where the majority oppresses the minority (explicit or not). Finally, when tensions reach a tipping point, conflict spills over, and violence and war arise. In this report, the three stages are divided, and delegates are encouraged to write clauses and resolutions pertaining to a specific stage relevant to their country. Social Stigmas A driving factor in religious divisions and lack of empowerment for religious minorities derives from cultural, religious, or societal stigmas. As a result of stigmas, religious minorities are often perceived as an out-group in many countries, leading to social discrimination. An abundance of research studies has suggested that religious minorities often under-report the discrimination and stigmas they experience in everyday life, mostly because of their belief that little to no action will be taken. The difficulty of addressing stigmas against religious minorities is the profound scale and intangibility: unlike physical violence, societal stigmas attached to religious minorities are harder to trace on the surface, and many fail to recognize the severity and impact they levy onto individuals. Pertaining to religious minorities, stigmas and discrimination does not just exist on the highest levels of government. In fact, as members of a country, civilians often overlook the pervasiveness that social stigmas affect religious minorities. For example, after the 9/11 Incident in the United States, the employment rate for young Muslim adults dropped significantly for the next three years despite no profound changes to labor laws. Moreover, unfavorable and false portrayals of religious minorities on social media further skews and exacerbates the labels attached to these minority groups. Islamophobia serves as the prime example for social stigma, where increased media coverage of terrorist attacks has contributed to populist notions depicting all Muslims as terrorists. Unlike stigmas attached to health or class, religious stigmas bisect economic conditions and affect developed or less developed countries Research Report | Page 3 of 14 ​ ​ th st The Hague International Model United Nations 2020| 26 ​ January 2020 – 31 ​ January 2020 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ indiscriminately. With the increase of mosque attacks even in developed countries, solutions must be implemented to stop the spread of negative stigmas or social hierarchy against religious minorities. Institutional Discrimination Institutional discrimination is the discrimination of a particular group from the society or institution as a united whole. Institutional discrimination need not be explicit or intentional, but their intent is often apparent in religious conflicts. An important note about institutional discrimination is that it is not episodic: it runs across all sectors and is so ingrained that many often fail to realize their existence. In countries where there is an objective to achieve a unified member state―China, for instance―minority religions are viewed as a threat to state and cultural assimilation towards a larger culture. Moreover, minority religions in religiously-charged places represent competition for the official state religion. As such, religious minorities are often underrepresented in many member states, which sometimes include explicit prohibitions for them to take office. Institutional discrimination can derive from both governments or governmentally influenced bodies. In many countries, institutional discrimination is unimpeded by relevant organizations or government organs, such as courts, because of government influences. This allows unethical and unfair practices against minority religions to continue without dissent or opposition.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Cultural Orientation | Kurmanji
    KURMANJI A Kurdish village, Palangan, Kurdistan Flickr / Ninara DLIFLC DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER 2018 CULTURAL ORIENTATION | KURMANJI TABLE OF CONTENTS Profile Introduction ................................................................................................................... 5 Government .................................................................................................................. 6 Iraqi Kurdistan ......................................................................................................7 Iran .........................................................................................................................8 Syria .......................................................................................................................8 Turkey ....................................................................................................................9 Geography ................................................................................................................... 9 Bodies of Water ...........................................................................................................10 Lake Van .............................................................................................................10 Climate ..........................................................................................................................11 History ...........................................................................................................................11
    [Show full text]
  • Government Interference in Religious Institutions and Terrorism Peter S. Henne Assistant Professor Department of Political Scien
    0 Government interference in religious institutions and terrorism Peter S. Henne Assistant Professor Department of Political Science/Global and Regional Studies Program University of Vermont [email protected] 1 Abstract: Many states have adopted policies that monitor or attempt to control religious institutions in various ways. This ranges from limiting foreign born clerics to approving the sermons presented in these institutions. These policies are often justified as measures to limit religious strife or terrorism by minimizing extremism in the country. Are they effective? Or are they counterproductive, and promote resentment and violence? Using data from the Religion and State dataset and the Global Terrorism Database, I find that intensified government interference in religious institutions can lead to an increase in terrorism in a country. Bio: Peter S. Henne is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and the Global and Regional Studies Program at the University of Vermont. He received his Ph.D in Government from Georgetown University, and B.A. in Political Science from Vassar College. His first book, Islamic Politics, Muslim States and Counterterrorism Tensions, was published in 2017 by Cambridge University Press. After the 2013 coup in Egypt, the new regime intensified state control of mosques throughout the country. 1 Government officials shut down mosques that did not have official approval and banned their clerics from preaching. The regime claimed the new policies were intended to counter extremist voices and prevent terrorist threats from arising (Economist 2014). Critics, however, saw these actions as infringements on human rights and a means to undermine political opposition (Economist 2014).
    [Show full text]
  • Katie Russell Issue Brief: Native Americans and Minority Religion Keywords: Native Americans, Religious Freedom, First Amendment
    Katie Russell Issue Brief: Native Americans and Minority Religion Keywords: Native Americans, Religious Freedom, First Amendment Rights, Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Christianity, Native American Religions Description: The following brief describes religious affiliation of Native Americans, with an emphasis on historical movements and legal difficulties that have impacted Native Americans religious identity (i.e. religious freedom). Additionally, current religious freedom struggles are addressed. Key Points: • Native Americans have historically struggled to obtain First Amendment rights related to religious freedom; this is due in part to their unconventional citizenship status. • The federal government’s historically meddlesome approach to Native American religious tradition has greatly influenced Native American’s form of worship, causing a departure from traditional Native American religions and shift towards Christianity. • The federal government resettled Indians, outlawed the practice of native religion, and put into place a series of assimilation programs until the creation of the New Deal in 1933 (which revoked many of these limitations). • Native Americans had the majority of their religious rights formally restored to them with the enactment of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in the 1990’s. • Today, Native American’s primary religious struggles are to gain access to sacred sites and have sacred artifacts returned. They also face many opponents of their use of controversial items such as peyote and eagle feathers in rituals, despite being legally permitted to utilize these goods. Issue Brief: According to the 2010 United States Census, Native Americans make up approximately 1.7% of the population (5.4 million people) (Yurth). It is approximated that 9000 people, or less than 1% of this population, solely practice Native American religions which often incorporates a variety of ceremonies and symbolism focused on animalism (Ratts & Pedersen, 159).
    [Show full text]
  • Religion and Belief in Higher Education: the Experiences of Staff and Students Equality Challenge Unit
    Religion and belief in higher education: the experiences of staff and students Equality Challenge Unit This report was Acknowledgments researched and written by Professor Paul Weller of The team would like to thank colleagues in the International Centre for Guidance Studies, stakeholders, staff and students the Society, Religion and in the HEIs who supported and contributed to the project. Belief Research Group, Particular thanks go to Dr Kristin Aune, Lesley Gyford, Professor University of Derby, Dennis Hayes, Dr Phil Henry, Sukhi Kainth and Heather Morgan. and Dr Tristram Hooley and Nicki Moore of the The following organisations have provided ongoing support: International Centre = All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism for Guidance Studies, = Church of England Board of Education University of Derby. = Community Security Trust = Federation of Student Islamic Societies = GuildHE = Higher Education Equal Opportunities Network = Hindu Forum of Britain = Inter Faith Network for the UK = National Federation of Atheist, Humanist and Secular Student Societies = National Hindu Students Forum = National Union of Students = Network of Buddhist Organisations (UK) = Student Christian Movement = Three Faiths Forum = UK Council for International Student Affairs = Union of Jewish Students = Universities UK = University and College Union = Young Jains Contact Chris Brill Dr Tristram Hooley [email protected] [email protected] Religion and belief in higher education: the experiences of staff and students Contents Executive summary 1 Recommendations
    [Show full text]
  • The Importance of an Intersectional Perspective on Gendered Religious Persecution in International Law
    \\jciprod01\productn\H\HLI\61-2\HLI204.txt unknown Seq: 1 31-JUL-20 10:29 Volume 61, Number 2, Summer 2020 Suffering for Her Faith: The Importance of an Intersectional Perspective on Gendered Religious Persecution in International Law Isaac Conrad Herrera Sommers* Women around the world suffer from discriminatory treatment ranging from violent persecution to social differentiation. Likewise, religious people are routinely targeted because of their faith. Moreover, many women of faith have historically been and are still today subject to increased risk of harm or actually experience a greater level of targeted harm (as compared to non-religious women or religious men) because of the interplay between their religious and gender identities. Despite this, a number of the most prominent international legal institutions that deal directly with discrimination against women inade- quately use intersectional language to refer to religious women. In fact, there is a notable gap in scholar- ship and legal documents specifically addressing the disparate impact of discrimination toward religious women and a tendency to treat religion more as a source of oppression than as a distinct identity. Although many international organizations and agreements address issues of gender and religious discrimination separately, human rights bodies need to do more to address the intersection of gendered religious discrimina- tion. This Note is directed both at audiences who may be skeptical of or hostile toward intersectionality as a legal or policy framework, and at audiences who may support intersectionality but who are skeptical of or hostile toward religion. It addresses the importance of religious and gender identities and the ways those two identities are often inextricably linked.
    [Show full text]
  • Oman 2019 International Religious Freedom Report
    OMAN 2019 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT Executive Summary The Basic Law declares Islam to be the state religion but prohibits discrimination based on religion and protects the right of individuals to practice other religions as long as doing so does not “disrupt public order or contradict morals.” According to the law, offending Islam or any other Abrahamic religion is a criminal offense. There is no provision of the law specifically addressing apostasy, conversion, or renunciation of religious belief. Proselytizing in public is illegal. According to social media reports, in August police detained and brought in for questioning at least five individuals who had gathered to perform Eid al-Adha prayers a day before the official date announced by the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs (MERA). MERA monitored sermons and distributed approved texts for all imams. Religious groups continued to report problems with opaque processes and unclear guidelines for registration. Nonregistered groups, such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Church of Jesus Christ) and others, remained without permanent, independent places of worship. Non-Muslim groups said they were able to worship freely in private homes and government-approved houses of worship, although space limitations continued to cause overcrowding at some locations. MERA continued to require religious groups to request approval before publishing or importing religious texts or disseminating religious publications outside their membership, although the ministry did not review all imported religious material. In September Catholic and Muslim leaders, including a senior MERA official, attended the inauguration of a new Catholic church in Salalah. In February the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called on the government to remove a number of anti-Semitic titles being sold through the country’s annual state-run Muscat International Book Fair.
    [Show full text]
  • Oman 2018 International Religious Freedom Report
    OMAN 2018 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT Executive Summary The Basic Law declares Islam to be the state religion but prohibits discrimination based on religion and protects the right of individuals to practice other religions as long as doing so does not “disrupt public order or contradict morals.” According to the law, offending Islam or any Abrahamic religion is a criminal offense. There is no provision of the law specifically addressing apostasy, conversion, or renunciation of religious belief. In January the government issued a new penal code which significantly increased penalties for blasphemy and criminalized groups that promote a religion other than Islam. Proselytizing in public is illegal. In April Hassan Al-Basham, who had been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment in 2016 for blasphemy and disturbing religious values in his comments on social media, died in prison. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) based outside the country had previously reported he had won an appeal on medical grounds to commute his sentence, but reportedly a court later overturned it. The Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs (MERA) monitored sermons and distributed approved texts for all imams. Religious groups continued to report problems with opaque processes and unclear guidelines for registration. Nonregistered groups, such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Church of Jesus Christ) and others, remained without permanent, independent places of worship. Non- Muslim groups said they were able to worship freely in private homes and government-approved houses of worship, although space limitations continued to cause overcrowding at some locations. The MERA continued to require religious groups to request approval before publishing or importing religious texts or disseminating religious publications outside their membership.
    [Show full text]
  • USCIRF's 2021 Annual Report
    UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ANNUAL REPORT 2021 WWW.USCIRF.GOV ANNUAL REPORT OF THE U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM COMMISSIONERS Gayle Manchin Chair Tony Perkins Anurima Bhargava Vice Chairs Gary L. Bauer James W. Carr Frederick A. Davie Nadine Maenza Johnnie Moore Nury Turkel Erin D. Singshinsuk Executive Director April 2021 PROFESSIONAL STAFF Dwight Bashir, Director of Outreach and Policy Elizabeth K. Cassidy, Director of Research and Policy Roy Haskins, Director of Finance and Operations Thomas Kraemer, Director of Human Resources Danielle Ashbahian, Senior Communications Specialist Kirsten Lavery, Supervisory Policy Analyst Jamie Staley, Senior Congressional Relations Specialist Scott Weiner, Supervisory Policy Analyst Kurt Werthmuller, Supervisory Policy Analyst Keely Bakken, Senior Policy Analyst Mingzhi Chen, Policy Analyst Patrick Greenwalt, Policy Analyst Gabrielle Hasenstab, Communications Specialist Niala Mohammad, Senior Policy Analyst Jason Morton, Senior Policy Analyst Mohyeldin Omer, Policy Analyst Zachary Udin, Researcher Nina Ullom, Congressional Relations Specialist Madeline Vellturo, Policy Analyst U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 732 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite A714 Washington, DC 20401 (P) 202–523–3240 www.uscirf.gov TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction and Overview ..................................................1 About this Report ...........................................................1 Standards for CPC, SWL, and EPC Recommendations ...................................1
    [Show full text]
  • Beyond Controversy: Christian Mission and Communal Religious Violence in Contemporary India
    Beyond Controversy: Christian Mission and Communal Religious Violence in Contemporary India Dr David Emmanuel Singh, Oxford, UK INTRODUCTION This paper locates the recent Hindu-Muslim violence in a small Gujrati town called Godhra in North West India in theories seeking to understand violence and, in particular, religion and violence. Taking the recent violent conflicts between the Hindus and Muslims and their aftermath in Gujrat as its case, it presents an analysis of these events before outlining two quintessential examples of the response in such a situation. This paper suggests that the phenomenon of violence associated with religions has more than one centre and involves cultures other than Christians and Muslims and the categories of 'Islam and the West'. DESCRIPTION OF GODHRA MASACRE AND THE AFTERMATH Background Arguably, Christianity, a tiny minority in India today, arrived on the shores of the subcontinent in the 1st century CE and subsequently through a series of Syrian migrations, hundreds of years before the beginning of colonisations and missionary movements. The theory of the Aryan invasion of India has been and continues to be a far more controversial a subject.[1]The histories of the Sindh (in modern Pakistan) describe the invasion and conquest of the North-West frontiers (beginning in the 8th Century CE) by Muhammad b. Qasim as an event that liberated the lower castes from the Aryan or Brahminic tyranny.[2]Some historians and social scientists endorse this view, whereas, others argue that Brahminism (caste system legitimized religiously by Aryans) was relatively a flexible system, and that Brahmins did not enjoy absolute social and political hegemony.
    [Show full text]
  • Minority Voices in the Memorial Messages After the Terror Attacks in Norway 2011
    Article • DOI: 10.1515/njmr-2018-0002 NJMR • 8(1) • 2018 • 56-64 ”IT’S DIFFICULT TO BE A NORWEGIAN”: Minority Voices in the Memorial Messages after the Terror Attacks in Norway 2011 Abstract The terror attacks in Norway 2011, targeting what the perpetrator described Hans Lödén* as proponents of immigration and multicultural society, created exceptional circumstances for people to reflect on issues of belonging. In this kind of Karlstad University, Sweden situation, it is assumed that people emphasise their affinity with the affected country. This, in turn, makes the problematisation of the affinities displayed particularly interesting since the act of expressing them even in a very taxing situation indicates their importance. Texts by individuals from ethnic minorities, written soon after the attacks, are analysed in terms of conceptions of ‘Norwegianness’. Results show explicit support for civic values but also multiple expressions of not feeling recognised as part of majority society also from individuals obviously acculturated to Norwegian lifestyles and cultural codes. These expressions are explained in terms of whiteness – non-whiteness and religion. Keywords Terrorism • Critical event • Minority • Belonging • Religion Received 5 April 2016; Accepted 17 August 2017 Introduction A critical event perceived to threaten key societal values and also by persons not obviously – as seen by themselves or by institutions creates exceptional circumstances for reflections on others – included in this majority (Lödén 2014; cf. Lied & Undseth issues of belonging. The terror attacks in Norway on 22 July 2011, Bakke 2013). These individuals, ‘the minority’, belong to the non- with 77 people killed and more than 150 injured, constituted such European ethnic groups that make up a considerable proportion of an event.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Religious Discrimination in Christian-Majority Democracies from 1990 To
    Religious Discrimination in Christian-Majority Democracies from 1990 to 2014 Jonathan Fox Department of Political Studies Bar Ilan University [email protected] Abstract: This study examines patterns in societal and government-based religious discrimination (SRD and GRD) against 307 religious minorities in 67 Christian-majority democracies using the Religion and State-Minorities round 3 (RASM3) dataset. Despite expectations that all forms of religious discrimination, especially GRD, should be lower in Western liberal democracies, it is, in fact, lower in developing countries. I argue that three factors explain this discrepancy. Economically developed countries have more resources available for discrimination. Western democracies have higher levels of support for religion than Christian-majority developing countries and countries which more strongly support religion are more likely to discriminate against religious minorities. Finally levels of SRD are higher in the West and SRD is posited to be a cause of GRD. Empirical tests support these propositions. This study examines patterns of religious discrimination against 307 religious minorities in 67 Christian-majority democracies using the Religion and State-Minorities round 3 (RASM3) dataset.1 Specifically, I look at two types of discrimination included in RASM3. First, government-based religious discrimination (GRD) is defined as restrictions placed on the religious practices or institutions of minority religions by governments. (Fox, 2015; 2016) Second, societal religious discrimination (SRD) is defined as actions taken against minority religions by members of society who do not directly represent the government. While theories on religious freedom in liberal democracies predict that religious discrimination, especially GRD, should be lower in Western democracies, empirical evidence from this study as well as previous studies (Fox, 2008; 2015; 2016) shows that this is not the case and GRD is lower in developing countries.
    [Show full text]
  • College Student Religious Affiliation and Spiritual Identity
    COLLEGE STUDENT RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION AND SPIRITUAL IDENTITY: A QUALITATIVE STUDY by Jenny L. Small A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Education) in The University of Michigan 2008 Doctoral Committee: Professor Edward P. St. John, Chair Associate Professor Lesley A. Rex Adjunct Associate Professor David Schoem Clinical Professor John C. Burkhardt © Jenny L. Small All rights reserved 2008 Dedication To Josh, for constant support And To Sophie, for constant inspiration ii Acknowledgments I would like to thank the following people who helped to make this dissertation possible. Each one contributed in a valuable way. Thank you to the clergy and advisors who reviewed my protocol, to ensure cultural sensitivity: Reverend Susan F. Sprowls, Lord of Light Lutheran Church; Rabbi Nathan Martin, University of Michigan Hillel Foundation; and Michael Olrogge, undergraduate contact for Unitarian Universalist Campus Ministry (UUSRL). In addition, I am grateful to the many other clergy and student leaders who helped me to reach out to potential participants for the study. Thank you to the three graduate students who co-facilitated focus groups with me, to ensure my understanding of diverse religions: Julie DeGraw, CSHPE; Ethan Stephenson, CSHPE; and N’Mah Yilla, Modern Middle Eastern and North African Studies. Thank you to the Rackham Graduate School at the University of Michigan, which provided me with a research grant to cover the costs of this project. Thank you to the members of my “dissertation support group,” who have been my friends since we started together in CSHPE: Allison Bell, Danielle Molina, Ethan Stephenson, and Janel Sutkus.
    [Show full text]