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Aida Foroutan, 'Protest', 2002. No. 14 of a series of 28 paintings called Women's Life, About the London Middle East Institute (LMEI) 2001-2015. Oil on canvas. 80 x 80 cm. Image courtesy of the artist 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 Volume 12 - Number 2 East. It serves as a neutral forum for Middle East studies broadly defi ned and helps to create links between individuals and institutions with academic, commercial, diplomatic, media or other specialisations. February – March 2016 With its own professional staff of Middle East experts, the LMEI is further strengthened by its academic Editorial Board membership – the largest concentration of Middle East expertise in any institution in Europe. Th e LMEI also Professor Nadje Al-Ali has access to the SOAS Library, which houses over 150,000 volumes dealing with all aspects of the Middle SOAS East. LMEI’s Advisory Council is the driving force behind the Institute’s fundraising programme, for which Dr Hadi Enayat it takes primary responsibility. It seeks support for the LMEI generally and for specifi c components of its AKU programme of activities. Ms Narguess Farzad SOAS LMEI is a Registered Charity in the UK wholly owned by SOAS, University of London (Charity Mrs Nevsal Hughes Registration Number: 1103017). Association of European Journalists Professor George Joff é Cambridge University Mission Statement: Ms Janet Rady Janet Rady Fine Art Mr Barnaby Rogerson Th e aim of the LMEI, through education and research, is to promote knowledge of all aspects of the Middle Ms Sarah Searight East including its complexities, problems, achievements and assets, both among the general public and with British Foundation for the Study those who have a special interest in the region. In this task it builds on two essential assets. First, it is based in of Arabia London, a city which has unrivalled contemporary and historical connections and communications with the Dr Sarah Stewart SOAS Middle East including political, social, cultural, commercial and educational aspects. Secondly, the LMEI is Dr Shelagh Weir at SOAS, the only tertiary educational institution in the world whose explicit purpose is to provide education Independent Researcher and scholarship on the whole Middle East from prehistory until today. Professor Sami Zubaida Birkbeck College Coordinating Editor Megan Wang LMEI Staff: SSubscriptions:ubscriptions: Listings Vincenzo Paci Director Dr Hassan Hakimian To subscribe to Th e Middle East in London, please visit: Designer Executive Offi cer Louise Hosking www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/affi liation/ or contact the Shahla Geramipour Events and Magazine Coordinator Vincenzo Paci LMEI offi ce. Administrative Assistant Aki Elborzi Th e Middle East in London is published fi ve times a year by the London Middle Letters to the Editor: East Institute at SOAS Publisher and Please send your letters to the editor at Editorial Offi ce Disclaimer: the LMEI address provided (see left panel) Th e London Middle East Institute or email [email protected] SOAS Opinions and views expressed in the Middle East University of London MBI Al Jaber Building in London are, unless otherwise stated, personal 21 Russell Square views of authors and do not refl ect the views of their London WC1B 5EA United Kingdom organisations nor those of the LMEI and the MEL's T: +44 (0)20 7898 4330 Editorial Board. Although all advertising in the E: [email protected] magazine is carefully vetted prior to publication, the www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/ LMEI does not accept responsibility for the accuracy ISSN 1743-7598 of claims made by advertisers. Contents

LMEI Board of Trustees 4 19 Baroness Valerie Amos (Chair) EDITORIAL Swaying to Persian and Middle Director, SOAS Eastern tunes in London Professor Richard Black, SOAS Dr John Curtis 5 Roya Arab Iran Heritage Foundation INSIGHT Dr Nelida Fuccaro, SOAS Sounding the city: Tehran’s 21 Mr Alan Jenkins contemporary soundscapes REVIEWS Dr Karima Laachir, SOAS Laudan Nooshin CD Dr Dina Matar, SOAS Rhapsody of Roses: Persian Dr Hanan Morsy European Bank for Reconstruction 7 Classical Music from the 1950s and Development Dr Barbara Zollner PERSIAN MUSIC Pejman Akbarzadeh Birkbeck College Still singing: female singers in contemporary Iran 22 LMEI Advisory Council Parmis Mozafari BOOKS Iranian Classical Music: Th e Lady Barbara Judge (Chair) 9 Discourses and Practice of Professor Muhammad A. S. Abdel Haleem H E Khalid Al-Duwaisan GVCO A discursive study of music in Creativity Ambassador, Embassy of the State of Kuwait Iran during the 1960s Stefan Williamson Fa Mrs Haifa Al Kaylani Arab International Women’s Forum Mohammadamin Hashemi Dr Khalid Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa 23 President, University College of Bahrain Professor Tony Allan 11 BOOKS IN BRIEF King’s College and SOAS Shaping the Persian repertoire Dr Alanoud Alsharekh Senior Fellow for Regional Politics, IISS Houman M. Sarshar 26 Mr Farad Azima IN MEMORIAM NetScientifi c Plc Homa Nategh (1934-2016) Dr Noel Brehony 13 MENAS Associates Ltd. Th e introduction of piano Touraj Atabaki and Nasser Professor Magdy Ishak Hanna British Egyptian Society practice in Iran Mohajer HE Mr Mazen Kemal Homoud Maryam Farshadfar Ambassador, Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan 27 Mr Paul Smith Chairman, Eversheds International 15 Khodadad Farmanfarmaian Music, Islam and Persian (1928-2015) Founding Patron and Donor of the LMEI Sufi sm Ramin Nassehi Sheikh Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber Terry Graham MBI Al Jaber Foundation 28 17 EVENTS IN LONDON Music on the move in the Middle East Ilana Webster-Kogen

February – March 2016 The Middle East in London 3 EEDITORIALDITORIAL

DDearear RReadereader

Qajar era paintings of female musicians in Sa’dabad Palace Tehran, Iran. Photographs courtesy of Jane Lewisohn

Jane Lewisohn, SOAS

‘ he Iranian baby is rocked in its article describes the resilience of female Terry Graham explains how Sufi sm mother’s arms to the mode of performers in Iran, where musicians provides the spiritual base for music in TDashti; street vendors hawk their constantly run the risk of falling foul of Persia and throughout much of the Middle wares in mode of Abu ‘Ata’ or Afshari; the the authorities when it comes to their East. Ilana Webster-Kogen demonstrates mason calls for a brick from his partner performances. Pejman Akbarzadeh’s review that if there is one thing that conservative in Shur or Humayun or Isfahan; and the of Sepideh Raissadat’s CD shows how Shi’ite jurisprudents and the Wahhabi beggar appeals to the passers-by with a cry Persian female performers have found a fundamentalists agree on, it is that music in Gusha-yi Mansuri.’ (Ruhu’llah Khaliqi) receptive audience for their music in the should be kept on a tight leash or banned all West. together. Roya Arab in her essay on Persian From the beating human heart, the song Mohammadamin Hashemi, in his and Middle Eastern music in London today of the nightingales, the patter of raindrops analysis of the modern and traditional gives us a glimpse into the thriving Middle and the whistling of the wind, music discourses in Persian music in Iran in the Eastern music scene among the various pervades every aspect of human life. Each 1960s, shows how musicians in the Middle diaspora communities in London. Stefan region of the Middle East brings a unique East have strived to reconnect with their Williamson Fa reviews Laudan Noushin’s fl avour to their music, informed by their musical roots in the past and the present, book Iranian Classical Music: Th e Discourses native languages, dialects and local customs. distancing themselves from modern and Practice of Creativity and fi nds it a Although each region and ethnicity features innovations. Houman Sarshar and Maryam valuable resource for those looking for an its own unique local musical tradition, there Farshadfar zoom in to give a close-up in-depth approach to Persian music. Finally is a common thread underlying Middle of the contributions of specifi c Persian Ramin Nassehi recounts the contributions Eastern musical traditions that makes them musicians. Sarshar provides an overview of Khodadad Farmanfarmaian to the immediately recognizable. In this issue of of some of the important contributions of economic development of Iran, while Touraj Th e Middle East in London, we give you a Jewish musicians to Persian music during Atabaki and Nasser Mohajer remember the taste of the fl avours of Persian music. recent centuries. Farshadfar focusses on contributions of Homa Nategh to the fi eld Laudan Nooshin gives us insights into the introduction and reception of the piano of Iranian History. the soundscapes of an ever-changing in Persian music and the compositions Tehran metropolis, revealing how ancient of the iconic maestro Murtaza Mahjubi, sounds are intermixed with the modern whose compositions continue to be widely urban cacophony. Parmis Mozafari’s performed today.

4 The Middle East in London February – March 2016 IINSIGHTNSIGHT

Laudan Nooshin recounts the rhythms of modern Tehran SSoundingounding tthehe ccity:ity: TTehran’sehran’s ccontemporaryontemporary ssoundscapesoundscapes © Laudan Nooshin

Buskers in Park-e Qeytarieh, Tehran

‘ tanding on a fl at rooft op in north Pahlavi rule (1925-1979) an extensive on a project exploring the sounds of Tehran on a warm summer’s evening programme of urban expansion led to contemporary Tehran. Whilst Urban SI am immersed in sound: the the destruction of historic buildings Studies has tended to privilege the visual overlapping strains of the call to prayer regarded as symbolising the regressive and spatial, the recent attention to sound echoing from local mosques; a rock traditionalism of the preceding Qajar opens up exciting avenues of exploration beat from a passing car; the call of birds monarchs. Reza Shah Pahlavi envisioned a in relation to the ways in which it shapes circling the mountains; a distant ringtone; capital city fi t for a nation that was modern, and is shaped by the urban context, and picnickers in a local park; the low-level hum Western-facing and secular. Th e dominant how it acquires meaning in relation to of the city below’. (fi eld notes, August 2015) discourses promoted the idea of modernity both public and private, live and mediated Tehran is a vibrant metropolis of more as incompatible with tradition and the experiences. I became interested in such than 8 million inhabitants, cradled in the resulting tensions, which eventually erupted questions on my fi rst extended trip to Iran foothills of the Alborz Mountains; it has in the 1979 Revolution, can still be felt, seen as an adult in the late 1990s. One of my been a political and cultural centre for and – crucially – heard in many areas of life. lasting memories, having arrived late at over 200 years. During this time it has Inspired by the work of ethnomusicologists night and not having been in Iran for over experienced exponential growth from such as Abigail Wood on the sounds of 30 years, was being gently woken by the a walled town of around 60,000 to one Jerusalem’s old city and Matt Sakakeeny distant sound of the dawn azan, amplifi ed of the largest cites in the region. Under on New Orleans, I have recently embarked over a city still hushed in the half-light. I felt that I was experiencing something quite Recent attention to sound opens up exciting avenues unearthly. And of course, the beauty of its sound aside, the azan is a powerful symbol of exploration in relation to the ways in which it of religious devotion and piety, of the higher shapes and is shaped by the urban context authority of God, of essence, of eternal

February – March 2016 The Middle East in London 5 It’s interesting to consider both the immense changes to A more peaceful experience was a visit to the shrine of Emamzadeh Saleh in north the sonic environment, but also how the more stable Tehran. With the sunset-tinted mountains and familiar sounds – the azan, birds, water in the in the background, worshippers moved in and out of the shrine, picnickers sat joob – mediate the experience of rapid urban change in the courtyard, an electronic screen broadcast religious songs and images, and truth. Proclaimed by a disembodied voice juxtaposition of the traditional and modern, visitors prayed and wept at the graves of from minarets which were once the highest with ‘all the sounds present in industrial the assassinated nuclear scientists, lending points in the city, the sound is all-pervasive. metropolises existing alongside what this space national as well as religious Th is could indeed be the voice of God. Not has been heard for centuries, such as the signifi cance. Here I felt a strong sense of only does the azan mark signifi cant points sound of peddlers, mosques, traditional what Martin Stokes has termed ‘public in the day, until recently it would have been bazaars, etc. In many locations, trendy cafes intimacy’, mediated through the various the most far-reaching sound in Tehran and and restaurants where the modern and sounds which seemed to bind people the only sound to cross the boundaries fashionable youth go can be fi ve hundred together in an intense and immediate way. between public and private domains. steps away from a religious shrine or a Th e ‘Sounds of Tehran’ project has only Today, the peace and calm evoked by traditional place that is mainly used by just begun, but I hope that by exploring the azan continues to symbolise tradition, the older generations’. I encountered a some of the questions above, it will be continuity and stability but the public particularly interesting sonic juxtaposition possible to learn more about individuals’ soundscape over which it previously reigned during a visit to the old Qasr Prison, engagement with the sensory sound-worlds is an increasingly diverse collage, some of now a museum and park which during that they inhabit and the central role of which I sought to capture last summer: from the summer evenings of 2015 hosted a sound in enabling them to make sense of taxi drivers calling out their destinations, festival of ‘Old Tehran’. In the block where the world around them. the ubiquitous Tehran traffi c, water fl owing political prisoners were previously held, through the joob, the bustle of the Tehran the sounds of inmates and visitors shouting Laudan Nooshin is Reader in bazaar, the singing of birds – caged in shops across the wide corridor that kept them Ethnomusicology at City University London. and free in the mountains, the low-level physically separated, trying desperately She specialises in Iranian Music hum of Tehran from the mountains, the to communicate with one another, have buzz of electricity pylons, hawkers selling been reconstructed and broadcast to their wares on the Tehran metro, street museum visitors. It was a disturbing musicians, to the women’s section of a experience from which I emerged into the sports club or the muted sounds of a local festive outdoor sounds, with food stalls shrine. I also talked to people about their playing loud music and people enjoying sonic experiences of the city. One theme performances of traditional street theatre: that emerged constantly was the rapid pace the sharp disjuncture between the sonic of change in Tehran’s physical infrastructure reconstruction of the prison’s dark history – including new buildings, roads, tunnels, and the present-day evening entertainment and so on – something I certainly felt aft er was quite unsettling. Emamzadeh Saleh shrine, Tajrish, north Tehran

a fi ve year absence, particularly in more © Laudan Nooshin affl uent parts of the city. But even those living in Tehran described how the almost weekly changes left them disoriented, to the extent of occasionally getting lost in familiar neighbourhoods. Others talked about the city as an organic being, growing and metamorphosing almost like a character with its own will. In this context, it’s interesting to consider both the immense changes to the sonic environment, but also how more stable and familiar sounds – the azan, birds, water in the joob – mediate the experience of such change. I was delighted to discover that I am not the only person interested in the sounds of Tehran. Th e Iranian Anthropology Association’s ‘Anthropology and Culture’ group includes a project documenting Tehran sounds and conducting ‘sound walks’ around the city. It is led by Mohsen Shahrnazdar who writes about Tehran’s ‘unique and special sound’, the result of

6 The Middle East in London February – March 2016 PPERSIANERSIAN MMUSICUSIC After the 1979 Revolution, female solo singing performances were banned in Iran. Parmis Mozafari looks at some of the ways this ban is being challenged SStilltill singing:singing: ffemaleemale ssingersingers iinn ccontemporaryontemporary IIranran

Parisa and Dastan ensemble, Vancouver, 2012 < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnQnIqjCxt8 >

emale presence on stage has been modernisation – female performers were instrumentalists, singers, and dancers a matter of controversy in many mostly bound to court and indoor, female- performing in diff erent musical genres. Th e Fsocieties especially when this presence only performances. A decade aft er the presence of female musicians – especially is perceived to confl ict with the ‘duties’ of Constitutional Revolution women began to the stars of Persian classical music since a woman as a ‘faithful wife’ or ‘sacrifi cing appear in semi-public theatres and concerts. the 1920s and then the super stars of pop mother’, or is likely to distort her image of A few years later in 1924 the fi rst public music since the 1950s – transformed the propriety as a ‘decent lady’. Female singing concert with a female singer took place, music culture of the country and initiated in particular has encountered restrictions and in 1925 the fi rst female singer travelled drastic changes in the public space. Th is, and bans in various parts of the world and outside Iran to record her voice. Th is was in turn, made the restrictions imposed by at diff erent times. In Europe, until the end not an easy transition as nearly all of these the post-revolution Islamic government of the 17th century boys and castrati sang the performers faced social, familial or religious harder to tolerate for most people and music female vocals in choruses and operas. pressures and limitations despite Reza practitioners. Th e situation of female performers in Khan’s supportive policies for such activities Aft er the 1979 Revolution and the the Middle East has also been a direct (1921-25), which later became the offi cial imposition of new policies, which were consequence of the socio-political, Pahlavi policies during his (1925-1941) based on the offi cials’ interpretation of cultural and religious priorities of the and his son’s rein (Mohammad Reza Shah Shi’a Islamic law, many artists and musical governing systems. In Iran, prior to the 1941-1979). activities faced stark restrictions. Pop Constitutional Revolution (1906-9) – a In time, this support paved the way music, dance and female solo singing were major turning point in the history of Iranian for the appearance of many women as totally banned and other forms of music were limited. Th ese restrictions have gone through a great number of changes during Aft er the 1979 Revolution and the imposition of new policies, the last 37 years. Some forms of pop music pop music, dance and female solo singing were totally banned have been legalised, some dance forms have

February – March 2016 The Middle East in London 7 Ham-khani (co-singing) was not created for its beauty, but during the late 1990s when the reformists managed to authorise diff erent forms of simply as an act of resistance that generates a space for women performances, but failed to legalise female solo singing. Th e line of argument for this re-entered the public space under the name Another trend has involved holding is very straightforward. Firstly, as Shi’a of harakat-e mozun (rhythmic movements), concerts abroad. For some leading female jurisprudence has been the major source of but female solo singing is still banned. Th is singers this has become a regular practice, legitimacy for Iranian government, anything is due to the government’s reading of Shi’a particularly in places with large Iranian that goes against it is political. Secondly, jurisprudence which holds that the female diasporas such as parts of Europe and given the debates that are circulated in solo singing voice must not be heard by the US. Th e government seems to turn a the country, it seems there is no way to men. Th e more moderate members of the blind eye to such performances or allows legitimise female solo singing within Shi’a regime have so far been unable to fi nd a way them to happen as a safety valve. However, jurisprudence – for the time being. Th us to justify it within these given limits. Since most female singers do not have such the state cannot authorise female solo the early 1990s, however, female singers opportunities, as these performances singing because such an act breaks the aura have found diff erent ways to challenge this require formal invitations and external of religiosity that has been used to claim ban and continue their work. investments that only famous singers may legitimacy for Iran’s political system. Yet the Th e fi rst attempts began when some have access to. demands of the Iranian middle class, who singers tried to create new kinds of spaces Th e last method of resistance, which is have been changing the patterns of bans for female solo singing. Th ese included quite recent, is the recording of music and since the 1980s via their transgressions, increasing the size of their private indoor even music videos and posting them on is also a formidable force that cannot be (underground) performances with mixed the Internet. Th ere have been instances suppressed. or female-only audiences. Th e latter led to of actions being taken by the government the creation of offi cial female-only music against this method, but none of the Parmis Mozafari is an Ethnomusicologist festivals since November 1994. Men are performers have faced serious problems and who has taught and published on music, banned from attending such concerts, and many continue posting their songs. Th is is dance, and female performers in Iran. She is all the stage crew are women. Cameras a very simple and aff ordable way for any also a santour player and is currently a fellow and mobile phones must be handed to the singer to push the boundaries, and one can at the University of St Andrews female security guards upon entrance and fi nd online numerous simple or professional women’s bags and bodies are searched for voice recordings and videos. Th e reader can recording devices. Th e space allows women see examples of these by searching for ‘a to perform freely and enjoy direct contact Persian girl sings Hayedeh’s bahar song’ on with their audience, but it is limited in that YouTube, or ‘Solmaz Badri Rooze Azal’ on they cannot cooperate with male colleagues SoundCloud. Nevertheless, many singers and their concerts remain marginal. avoid this as no one can predict the state’s Another method is ham-khani (co- reactions. singing) singing with a second or third Since the 1979 Revolution, music, in voice. Th e advantage of this method is that general, has had a liminal position within female solo singers can perform in public Iranian political culture; so long as it with both male and female audiences. does not break its political bounds, its However, due to the nature of this method, transgressions may be tolerated and hushed. it would be impossible to perform avaz Th e case of female solo singing inside the khani (free rhythm singing) and bedaheh country, however, is more political than khani (improvisation), two important parts cultural or religious. Th is became clear of Iranian classical music solo singing. Moreover the beauty of the song and the voice of the main singer remain hidden and unappreciated. Th us, for many female singers the whole practice is akin to an unwanted situation that they have to tolerate in order to perform; this performing style was not created for its beauty, but simply as an act of resistance that generates a space for women.

Mahdieh Mohammad-khani and Mah ensemble, Iran, 2013. Home performance < https://www. youtube. com/watch?v=p65gvR4kG60 >

8 The Middle East in London February – March 2016 PPERSIANERSIAN MMUSICUSIC

Mohammadamin Hashemi traces the origins of the traditionalist vs modernist debate within Persian musical discourses A discursivediscursive sstudytudy ooff mmusicusic iinn IIranran dduringuring tthehe 11960s960s

Ali Akbar Shanazi teaching his pupil Pirayeh Pourafar at the Centre for the

© Public Domain Preservation of Iranian Traditional Music. Courtesy of Pirayeh Pourafar

he standard way of studying music Th e dastgah system was codifi ed by the the foundations of the Tehran Symphonic is to examine its history, genre, form Persian musicians of the 19th century. Orchestra, which introduced 18th century Tand aesthetics. Posing essential Prior to that time the standardised Persian European classical music to Iranians, were questions – such as how and why each musical repertoire known as radif had been in place. Th e prevalence of Western classical musical movement or genre emerged – passed down by way of oral transmission music greatly accelerated with the rise of the might be just as interesting. Like all human from master to student. Th e radif and Pahlavi dynasty in 1925 and its promotion endeavours, music is ‘created’ within a dastgah systems became the foundation of Western-style modernisation. In 1924, particular social and cultural context; for the popular music of the Constitutional Ali-Naqi Vaziri (oft en referred to as the the process of ‘creation’ is not isolated or Revolution of 1905-1911. It also formed father of modern Persian music) returned independent, but is a blend of elimination, the basis for the ‘traditional versus modern’ from studying in Europe and introduced absorption, assimilation, and projection of musical discourse of the 1960s that will be alternative elements into the traditional socially constructed concepts. By situating dealt with below. Iranian musical discourse. Although Vaziri music within its unique social context, one Classical Western music was introduced believed that Western musical theory was may gain a better understanding of why to Iran in 1868 when Alfred Jean-Baptiste more ‘developed and evolved’, his aim diff erent musical movements, such as the Lemaire, a French military musician was to ‘develop’ the traditional Iranian innovations introduced by Ali-Naqi Vaziri’s and composer, was invited to Iran by the dastgah as an alternative to the Europhile Superior School of Music (Madreseh-ye Qajar monarch Naser al-Din Shah to train musical discourse that was being offi cially Ali-ye Musiqi) on the one hand, or the musicians at the Dar al-Funun music promoted. To this end he applied Western traditionalist school of music on the other, school and form a military band. By 1908, musical theory and techniques to the waxed or waned in Iran during the 1960s. In the wider historical context, it is clear Ali-Naqi Vaziri applied Western musical theory that several diff erent strands of theory and practice infl uenced the development and techniques to the Persian musical radif of music in Iran over the past 200 years. in order to create a ‘modern Iranian music’

February – March 2016 The Middle East in London 9 Persian musical radif, reintroducing the ‘Modernised’ Iranian music had tried to incorporate dastgah system, which had been virtually abandoned, in order to create a ‘modern Western elements into Iranian music and so Iranian music’. created a confusion of identities As in many other countries in the Middle East, the opposing discourses of Th e second was the foundation of the until 1979 when they were taken off the ‘traditionalism versus modernism’ came to Centre for the Preservation of Iranian air. Th e Iranian music featured in the dominate Iranian music during the 1960s. Traditional Music (Markaz-i hifz o ishay- Golha programmes – which incorporated Traditionalists distanced themselves from yi musiqi-yi sunnati-yi Iran) in 1968 by both classical and modern poetry and Vaziri’s discourse by discarding what they Dr Dariush Safwat with the help of Reza music – was broadcast to a national saw as unnecessary musical ornamentation; Ghotbi, the Director of National Iranian audience and became extremely popular they rejected the notion that Western Radio-Television. Th is centre is oft en throughout Iran. Th ese programmes were music theory represented any real musical credited with saving traditional Persian broadcast during the midst of the Cold ‘evolution’, focusing only on the dastgah music from extinction. Nur Ali Borumand, War, when both nationalistic and anti- and radif as incarnating the precious, a colleague of Dr Safwat at Th e Centre, communist sentiments were riding high, ‘traditional’ national heritage of Iran. Th ey was also passionate about preserving and and were familiar and reassuring. Th eir aspired to ‘return’ to ‘authentic’ artistic and promoting the Persian dastgah and the great popularity was in part due to the cultural values and forms, so as to become radif. In 1965, at the invitation of Medhi fact that 1960s Iran was an era of return ‘purely Iranian’. Th ere was a general trend Barkishly, Head of the Music Department to traditional cultural values. At the same towards rejection of Western cultural at Tehran University, he began teaching time, the newly-formed National Iranian dominance in Iran at this time among classical Persian radif to his students there. Radio and Television began organising arts intellectuals. Some of his students went on to be the festivals, such as the Shiraz Arts and Culture Two important events served as catalysts most prominent Iranian musicians of the Festival (1967-1978) in which masters and to this traditionalist musical discourse. era, including the likes of Mohammad students from Th e Centre were featured. Th e fi rst was the UNESCO International Reza Shajarian, Dariush Tala’i, Mohammad In conclusion, it was during the 1960s Music Council’s Congress of 1961 on Reza Lotfi , and Hossein Alizadeh, to name that traditionalist musical discourses, the Preservation of Traditional Forms of but a few. In 1972 when the famous poet those which aspired to return to the the Learned Music of the Orient and the Hushang Ebtahaj (‘Sayeh’) became head ‘authentic’ and ‘purely Iranian’ musical Occident, held at Tehran University in of the music section at the Iranian Radio, roots, came to dominate much of the April of that year. Th is congress, with its he supported this ‘return to the roots’ of musical discourse in Iran. Th is traditionalist emphasis on preservation of traditional Persian music advocated by Buromand and discourse marginalised ‘modernised’ forms of world music, brought together Safwat’s students. Iranian music, without aff ecting the traditional music specialists from all over Th e famous Golha (Flowers) radio position of Western classical music in the world. It inspired the musicians and programmes are an interesting example Iran. Th e reasons underlying this were cultural authorities in favour of preserving of these discourses. Th ese programmes largely related to issues of identity. Western the traditional heritage of Iranian music and were conceived, and produced by Davoud classical music was always separate and those who were opposed to the introduction Pirnia in 1956 until his retirement in 1967. isolated from traditional Iranian music, of more modern methods and what they Th ey were then continued by a series of whereas ‘modernised’ Iranian music had considered an ‘artifi cial’ hybrid of Western- other producers until 1972, when Hushang tried to incorporate Western elements into Eastern forms pioneered by the likes of Ebtehaj began producing the Golchin-e Iranian music and so created a confusion Vaziri. haft eh (Weekly Bouquet) programmes of identities. In the end, the discourse of the return to traditional musical values excluded any compromise between modernity and tradition.

Mohammadamin Hashemi is a PhD researcher on Iranian popular music at SOAS. His MA dissertation focussed on the 1960s’ musical discourses of Iran

Right to left: Ali-Naqi Vaziri, Ruhullah Khaliqi, Ella Zonis in Tehran, c. 1963-5. Courtesy of the

© Public Domain Golha Project

10 The Middle East in London February – March 2016 PPERSIANERSIAN MMUSICUSIC

Houman M. Sarshar catalogues some of the contributions Jewish Iranian musicians have made to classical Persian music SShapinghaping tthehe PPersianersian rrepertoireepertoire

Morteza Khan Neydavoud, ca. 1920. Courtesy of Golha Project

ews have been living in Iran for over of the earliest musicians about whom we reintroducing the qanun (trapezoidal zither) 2,700 years. Th roughout this time have reliable biographical information. Also into Iran around 1900. Th e instrument had Jthey consistently remained the single admired for his singing voice, Musa Kashi not been in use there since the reign of the largest community of Jews east of the was given the honorifi c title of Khan by Zell Safavid Shah Tahmasp (r. 1524-1576). Th is Mediterranean outside of Israel and al-Soltan, prince governor of Isfahan and earned him the accolade Ghanuni, which infl uenced many aspects of life and culture son of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (r. 1848- he offi cially adopted as his last name in throughout greater Iran. One example 1896), in whose court Musa Khan served 1926. During his lifetime, Rahim Ghanuni of this infl uence can be observed in the for nearly 20 years. Musa Khan was famous remained the sole master of the qanun in realm of music; Iranian Jews played a for his innovation of the six-stringed Iran, and while he had some pupils, none role in the preservation and development kamancheh, a traditionally three-stringed surpassed him. Aft er Rahim’s death, his son of Persian music, both as masters of instrument that took on its now-requisite Jalal Ghanuni (1900-1987) became the next Persian classical music and as celebrated fourth string in the mid-19th century. While most renowned qanun player in Iran. popular entertainers or motrebs. Below is Musa Khan’s six-stringed kamancheh Born in Tehran, master tar player Yahya biographical information about some of the did not prove a lasting tradition among Haroun Zarpanjeh (1897-1932), also more important Jewish Iranian musicians of later players, his chief pupil Bagher Khan known as Yahya Khan, was one of the the 20th century whose achievements have Rameshgar was known to use one regularly. most prolifi c Jewish recording artists of his left a lasting impact on classical Persian Rahim Ghanuni Shirazi (1871-1944) is time. His surviving records demonstrate music. another Jewish musician from this period to his exceptional technical mastery on the Within this category, the kamancheh hold a position of particular esteem in the tar with his unusually fast and strong pick player Musa Khan Kashi (1856-1939) is one history of Persian music, most notably for and his eff ortlessly fl uid tremolos (riz). Of particular note among these recordings are his Sorud-e melli (national anthem) Solayman Ruhafza’s chief accomplishment is a in the Mahur mode with Jamal Safavi on series of recordings in 1959 of the complete radif of vocals and arrangements by Mohammad- Taghi Bahar (1886-1951; Columbia record the seven dastgahs, representing the fi rst ever recordings label 15038), and his sessions in 1928 of the complete repertoire of classical Persian music with Parvaneh on vocals for His Master’s

February – March 2016 The Middle East in London 11 Arguably the most renowned Jewish master of Persian classical music, namely Ruhangiz, Ezat Rouhbakhsh and Molouk Zarabi. th music, and indeed one of 20 -century Iran’s leading musicians, Morteza Khan was exceptionally gift ed in is composer and tar player Morteza Khan Neydavoud composing pish-daramads, chaharmezrabs, and tasnifs, most of which he wrote between 1926 and 1950. In addition to his Voice label. Yahya Khan’s other regular including the Patakh Eliahu, and fragments exceptional skills as a composer, Morteza collaborators were the singers Nahid of Selikhot prayers, all of which were also Khan’s unparalleled mastery of the complete Nikbakht and Ali Khan Farazi, with each re-released in Los Angeles in the mid-1980s. repertoire of Persian classical music ranks of whom he recorded several albums Arguably the most renowned Jewish him among such late 19th-century pillars as for the Columbia label, again in 1928. master of Persian classical music, and Mirza Abdollah by having his own signature Yahya Zarpanjeh died of an infection in indeed one of 20th-century Iran’s leading radif. Known as the Neydavoud radif, this a hospital in Tehran due to post-surgical musicians, is composer and tar player arrangement of 297 gushehs of the seven complications, thus cutting short a Morteza Khan Neydavoud (1900-1990). dastgahs and fi ve avazes, each identifi ed by promising career as a classical musician. Neydavoud is among the very few Iranian name prior to performance, was recorded Master tar player Nasrollah Zarrinpanjeh is master musicians to have created a style in its entirety over the course of 18 months Yahya Khan’s most acclaimed pupil. of tar-playing so distinctly his own that it with Morteza Khan on tar in the studios Solayman Ruhafza (1900-1995) was a bears his name. Alongside this technical of Radio Iran starting in 1969. Th ese master tar player as well as a skilled violin, blueprint, he is credited with the discovery recordings contained 57 more gushehs than viola, and kamancheh player. In addition and training of a number of Iranian master Mirza Abdollah’s canon radif, and as such to his many recordings, Ruhafza’s chief musicians; most notably Qamar-al-Moluk remain the most expansive radif recorded accomplishment is a series of recordings in Vaziri and Gholam-Hosayn Banan, to date. 1959 of the complete repertoire or radif of two of Iran’s greatest recorded vocalists. the seven dastgahs or modalities of Persian Neydavoud fi rst met Qamar around Houman M. Sarshar is an independent classical music. Collected and arranged by 1920, and aft er a few years of training he scholar of modern Persian literature and Musa Marufi , this compilation included organised her fi rst concert held in 1924 Jewish Iranian history and culture. He has Mehdigholi Hedayat’s notation of Mirza at Tehran’s Grand Hotel. From 1926 until published widely on the history of Jews in Abdollah’s radif. Th is studio recording the end of their artistic collaboration, Iran, and his current project about the role of of Ruhafza’s performance subsequently Neydavoud and Qamar would become Iranian Jews in Persian classical and minstrel became the basis for the fi rst-ever complete the most recorded artists of their time, music is due to appear soon notation of the radif, published in 1963 by producing over 100 albums for His Master’s the Iranian Ministry of Fine Arts. Th ese Voice and Polyphon Records. Th ese albums recordings themselves also represent represent that period’s fi rst methodical the fi rst ever recordings of the complete recording of the complete radif of music repertoire of classical Persian music. and song combined. In addition to his Yona Dardashti (1903-1993) is the only collaboration with Qamar, Neydavoud Musa Khan Kashi with kamancheh. Kashan, Iran Jewish vocalist in recorded Persian classical regularly worked with at least three other ca. 1897. Courtesy of Houman Sarshar Kimya music history to have received wide national legendary female fi gures of Persian classical Foundation acclaim as a master vocalist. Dardashti learned the basics of the avaz radif from his father, a cantor, before studying with one of the most celebrated masters of his time Mirza Hosayn Sa,atsaz. A singer in the style of the Khorasan School, Dardashti was known for his powerful voice, high range and smooth yodelling. In 1947 Dardashti began singing for Radio Tehran, where, alternating with Taj Esfahani, he performed on the live weekly programme Shoma va Radio (You and the Radio) every Th ursday evening and Friday morning for nearly 19 years. Despite his numerous concerts and live radio performances, very few recordings were ever made of Dardashti’s voice, with even fewer having survived. Dardashti moved to Rishon-LeTzion, Israel in 1967, where he funded the construction of the Shushan ha-Bira Synagogue, himself becoming its cantor. During one of his trips back to Tehran in the mid-1970s, Dardashti recorded selections of liturgical music

12 The Middle East in London February – March 2016 PPERSIANERSIAN MMUSICUSIC

Maryam Farshadfar describes the introduction and the evolution of piano practice in Iran TThehe iintroductionntroduction ooff ppianoiano ppracticeractice iinn IIranran

Mahjoubi’s unique music notation based on Persian letters, numbers and symbols. Malekpour, Fakhri, Mashq-e Ostād, Tehran: 2012. Ava-ye Honar va Andisheh. Image courtesy of the author

iano, a Western musical instrument, ‘Persian piano’. Later, the educated elite most prominent composer and performer has a unique historical position in of the society and students of the fi rst who established the traditional Persian PPersian music. Iran has its own music military music school in Tehran (Sho’beh-ye piano (Piano-ye Sonnati) as a distinctive as part of its culture, a classical canon with Music-e Darolfonoun) were among the fi rst art form. Th e most notable element in an enduring repertoire and characteristic practitioners of Persian piano. traditional Persian piano is that the piano techniques handed down from generation Around the time of the Persian must be tuned in accord with Persian to generation with some improvements Constitutional Revolution (1905-1907), microtone intervals and not to the equal made along the way. When the fi rst keys piano was performed in private concerts temperament system that is typically used in were played on a piano in Tehran in the and at garden parties (Anjoman-e Western music. Th is means that each piano, 1870s, the members of the imperial court Okhovat) as a solo instrument, or as an depending on the set of songs to be played, were the exclusive audience. At the time, accompaniment for vocalists in small will be tuned exclusively for the diff erent Sorourolmolk, the master musician of the ensembles. During this period, Persian set of intervals found in the various native Qajar palace during the reign of Naser piano practice gradually matured, modes in those songs. Morteza Mahjoubi’s al-Din Shah Qajar (1848-1896), attempted culminating in the compositions and music for the Persian piano expresses to change the tuning of piano and play performances of Morteza Mahjoubi aesthetic elements of Persian classical music traditional Persian tunes in a way which (1900-1965). Mahjoubi is considered the including typical embellishments and was inspired by santour and tar techniques. Th us, the practice of piano in Iran was Sorourolmolk, a master musician of the Qajar palace, attempted immediately associated with the music to change the tuning of piano and play traditional Persian that had already existed for generations. Th is would eventually become known as tunes. Th is would eventually become known as ‘Persian piano’

February – March 2016 The Middle East in London 13 improvisational components characteristic Javad Ma‘roufi ’s innovative style of Persian piano became of original techniques played on local musical instruments. Moreover, because widespread and enjoyed great popularity for many years of the monophonic character of Persian music, Mahjoubi’s left hand mostly doubles harmony, and classical piano. Javad Ma‘roufi repertoire to the most promising students. the melodies in the right hand, echoing (1915-1993) was among the graduates of Other Persians pursued their piano the treble voice in the lower register, or it Vaziri’s school. Trained as a classical pianist, studies in European conservatories and plays single base notes. Mahjoubi’s audio Ma‘roufi was also an expert in Persian music became known the world over, such as recordings and manuscripts are the main and thus was able to transform the fi eld Emanuel Melik-Aslanian an alumnus of educational resource for the new generation of Persian piano by employing Western the Hamburger Konservatorium (1937), of traditional-style Persian pianists who harmonies within the Persian melodies. and Tania Achot, third place winner in the want to sustain this practice in the modern Th e result was an entirely new trend in sixth International Fryderyk Chopin Piano world. Persian piano practice, totally diff erent Competition in Warsaw (1960). During the reign of the Pahlavis (1925- from Mahjoubi’s traditional style, one that Classical piano is, in fact, the only fi eld 1979), a vast modernisation movement took conformed instead to Western tuning, and of offi cial pianistic study in Iran today. As place in Iran. Music schools were founded, required no tuning adjustments. Ma‘roufi ’s popular as the practice of Persian piano has many more pianos were imported, Radio innovative style of Persian piano became become in Iran, it has never been taught in Tehran established music programmes, widespread and enjoyed great popularity for the conservatories and universities there. and several performance venues were many years. Mahjoubi taught his traditional piano constructed – all of which lent support to In 20th-century Tehran, with the rapid style only in private lessons. His teaching the formation of a piano culture in society expansion of Western classical music, the materials were manuscripts that he created and made the piano more accessible to the practice of Persian piano based almost on his own, based on the Persian radif. He general public. In the early 1920s, Colonel entirely on indigenous Persian instrumental geared each lesson diff erently according to Ali-Naqi Vaziri shaped modern methods techniques, forms, and melodies, no each individual student’s needs. Ma‘roufi , of music education in Iran, founding a longer held an exclusive place in piano a classically trained pianist, also taught his private music school to train interested performance in Iran. Western classical own innovative style of Persian piano in students. In 1923, with the establishment piano co-existed with the Persian style. private lessons in Tehran. Currently, his of Vaziri’s Superior School of Music in With the inauguration of the Tehran style of Persian piano music is the more Tehran (Madreseh-ye Ali-ye Musiqi), young Conservatory (Honarestan Ali-ye Musiqi), prevalent, in large part because he published musicians began to learn Western music renowned European and Russian pianists his compositions with fewer tuning pedagogy such as solfeggio, aural skills, were invited to teach the Western classical constraints and made them available to a broader circle of interested students. Today, promising attempts to revitalise the art of Persian piano are on the rise. Th is is especially true for Mahjoubi’s style whose outstanding legacy marks a milestone in the evolution of Persian piano practice. Presently, Mahjoubi’s best student, Fakhri Malekpour, is teaching the traditional style of Persian piano in private lessons in Tehran. Th e eff ort to awaken interest and to train a new generation of practitioners might just mean that this unique form of piano art will become more widely known and practised alongside other pianistic trends in the future.

Maryam Farshadfar is a PhD candidate in ethnomusicology at University of Montreal. Her dissertation ‘Th e practice of Persian piano from 1879 to 1979’ is funded by a 2014-15 Bourse des Études Supérieures. She holds a Masters degree in piano performance

Master and pupil Morteza Mahjoubi and Fakhri Malekpour, Tehran, c. 1955. Malekpour, Fakhri, Mashq-e Ostād, Tehran: 2012. Ava-ye Honar va Andisheh. Image courtesy of the author

14 The Middle East in London February – March 2016 PPERSIANERSIAN MMUSICUSIC

Terry Graham traces Sufi infl uence in the development and evolution of music in Persia and Islamic countries MMusic,usic, IIslamslam aandnd PPersianersian SSuufi ssmm

The Khaniqah Nimatullahi Music Ensemble in concert during the conference on 'The Legacy of Medieval Persian Sufi sm', SOAS. 6 December 1990. Courtesy of Terry Graham

‘ ou beat the drum of separation; You and preventing it from becoming stagnant though considerably modifi ed and intoned play the fl ute of Iraq; You mix the or pretentious. What had once been the in rhythms shaped to the Arabic metrical Ygusha of Busalek with the gusha of court music of the Sasanian Shahs of the system. Hijaz!’ (Rumi, Diwan-i Shams) second Persian Empire (224-649 CE) was Consistent with both pre-Islamic Th e relationship between Sufi sm and retained by Zoroastrian converts to Islam traditions – the Jahiliyya poetry of the Arabs music in the lands of Islam has been very and blended with the Arabic language of the and the court minstrelsy of the Persians – it much that of a marital partnership, with Islamic revelation, eff ectively the new ‘court’ was the dictates of poetry which led the its full share of harmony and dissension. language of the caliphs. way to musical formulation. On the other While classical music was cultivated in the Indeed, musically a Sasanian courtier hand, it was the ancient tradition of modal Sufi khanaqah or zawiya (lodge), it was also would have been at home hearing the complexity which governed the choice of given a boost by the patronage of princes strains of an Abbasid period (751-1258 CE) mode and melody. Given this base, Arabic – fi rst the Arab caliphs of the Umayyad court orchestra. What would have struck melodies could be graft ed onto the Persian dynasty, followed by the Persianised caliphs him as a little strange would have been the trunk of the musical tree, as easily as those of the succeeding Abbasids. new cadences, matched to the metres of the of successive Turkish, Indian and other Th e palace provided a secular new Arabic poetry, which it was composed ethnic traditions – as refl ected in such environment for development of the genre, to fi t. However, if he travelled east to the names in the traditional nomenclature as ‘rising above’ the religious law, as it were, Samanid capitals of Tus and Nishapur in hijaz for one of the gushas, or melodies, of while the khanaqah provided the spiritual Khurasan on the Iranian plateau, by the Iranian traditional music; Bayat-i Turk for base, the wellspring which constantly fed the 11th century he would have encountered the one of the modes; and Rak-i Hindi (literally, musical tradition, keeping it vital and rich old familiar Persian language being sung, ‘Indian Raga’) for another gusha. However, if the caliphs and princes If the caliphs and princes took the lead in cultivating the with their courtly retinues took the lead traditional classical music in the Islamic context, it was left to in cultivating the traditional classical music in the Islamic context, it was left to the emerging Sufi s to give the new music a spiritual grounding the emerging Sufi s to give the new music

February – March 2016 The Middle East in London 15 Traditional music is, in fact, so marked by Sufi values that Cupbearer), the server of the spiritual wine, and so forth. With all the variations and many of the very terms that it employs are inspired by Sufi sm modulations that a mode undergoes in the course of a performance, there must be a a spiritual grounding. While the work region – the two traditions produced the unifying factor, and that is the ruh-i awaz of technical re-creation was undertaken mystical poetry and music of the likes of (spirit of the piece). by Persian musicians/composers under al-Shushtari (d. 1269 CE) and the renowned Sufi sm has permeated the most technical the Persian Barmakid viziers in Abbasid Ibn Arabi (1165-1240 CE), the last of the terminology of the traditional system as Baghdad, it was up to the Sufi s to make seminal Arabic-language Sufi poets. well, where the most critical, pivotal note in it a vehicle for spiritual expression – even With the fall of Baghdad to the Mongols a performance or development of a mode is more, of spiritual liberation. In contrast with in 1258, the hub of culture moved further called the shahid or ‘witness’. Th is is the Sufi the Christians and Jews, whose liturgical east and Persian came to take over from term for the contemplated beloved, whether chanting provided a sacred canon which Arabic as the prime language of Sufi poetry. a fi gurative, earthly form – the devotee’s could inspire the mystic along with the Th e Sufi , Qutb al-Din Shirazi (d. 1310 CE), master – or God. Th e witness note is the ordinary worshipper, Islam’s sacred music was the fi rst to expound in Persian on music centre around which the melody evolves, went no further into liturgy than the theory, devoting an important part of his where the performer fi rst establishes it; then chanting of the Qur’an, the call to prayer treatise Durrat at-taj (‘Pearl of the Crown’) keeps coming back to it, enriching it with fi ve times a day from the minarets, and to the ‘science of music’. ornamentation. It is sometimes but not invocatory prayers (du‘a or munajat) off ered In contrast to Western music, which always the tonic in the scale. publicly on particular occasions. enjoys horizontal freedom for exploration, Th e Sufi s came to create a middle-ground Islamic traditional music is aff orded Terry Graham is an independent scholar music – neither sacred nor profane, yet the vertical freedom of liberation. Th e specialising in Sufi sm and Persian poetry. He partaking of both domains. Th ey followed traditional musicians – whether Sufi or not spent 12 years in Iran, working for Iranian the same procedure as the court musicians/ – use a Sufi term to express the success of a television and English-language newspapers composers, building their music initially musical performance. Th ere needs to be a around poetry, except that they spiritualised heart-to-heart rapport between performer the process. Where the Abbasid court music and listener. If it succeeds, it is said to give would be woven around worldly Arabic state (hal). poetry by the likes of the court laureate Traditional music is, in fact, so marked Abu Nuwas, the Sufi s took the courtly by Sufi values that many of the very terms themes of love and wine and turned them that it employs are inspired by Sufi sm. into transmutatory symbols. In the process To begin with, there are the names of a one of the two greatest names in Arabic number of gushas (melodies) – Suz-o gudaz mystical thought emerged, that of the (Burn and melt), expressing the torment Egyptian Dhu’n-Nun (d. 859 CE), himself undergone by the lover and the traveller on a Sufi master. Th e other great fi gure was his the Path), Raz-o niyaz (Secret and need), countryman four centuries later, the poet expression of the devotee’s supplication to Ibn Farid (d. 1235 CE), whose Qasidat al and conversation with God, Sufi nama, khamriyya (‘Ode to Wine’) is the classic Saqi-nama (Th e Book of the Saqi, the work in the genre, while Dhu’n-Nun is noted for his innovation in forms of short poems of complaint to the Beloved. Th e line of transmission from pre-Islamic Persian tradition involved a Sasanian musical master teaching his art to Ibrahim al-Mawseli (d. 804 CE), who passed it on to his son, Ishaq (d. 850 CE). A pupil of the latter, Zeryab, carried the music to the court of the Umayyad Amir, Abdu’Rahman II, in Cordoba, Spain, in 821 CE. Aft er a period of incubation – during which Andalusian Arabic poetry enjoyed one of the richest expressions of any poetic tradition, along with a brilliant fl owering of Sufi sm in the

Mevlavi Sama. A Concert at Near East University, Nicosia, N. Cyprus. December 2005. Courtesy of Jane Lewisohn

16 The Middle East in London February – March 2016 PPERSIANERSIAN MMUSICUSIC

In the aftermath of the Arab uprisings, the musical cultures of the region are regrouping. Ilana Webster-Kogen describes the shifting trends MMusicusic oonn tthehe mmoveove iinn tthehe MMiddleiddle EEastast

Royal Opera House in

© Juozas Šalna, Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia © Juozas Šalna, Muscat, Oman

s we reach the fi ve-year anniversary maqam knowledge, and vibrant practices halal by conservative clerics, multiply across of the events that launched the of the samm’ia (virtuosic listeners) have social media as a propaganda component AArab Spring, the Arab world been replaced rapidly by youth culture of militant recruiters. Sung in literary and the Western press are revisiting the and corporate sponsorship of multimedia Arabic, evoking violent imagery, and oft en causes and outcomes of uprisings that performance practices. incorporating visuals from Western cinema have profoundly changed the region. Th e For the connoisseur who treasures the or video games, these songs meant to borders of states and the balance of power public concert and experience of tarab inspire would-be militants abroad dominate across the Arab world (including the rise of (ecstasy), the news sounds grim. Musicians a production landscape in places where Iran) have dramatically altered the terms of censored, tortured, driven into exile, or long-standing musical traditions have been musical life and cultural production from simply put out of business by ongoing shut down. Morocco to Oman, with the movement of war seem to dominate the headlines of Yet the young people of Beirut or people giving rise to new Middle Eastern arts magazines. Whether musicians are Casablanca continue to create and produce artistic cores and peripheries. Th e historic targeted by the Syrian regime, displaced despite the hardships. Electronica has centres of Baghdad, Aleppo and Cairo as by Islamists who disapprove of music, or never been more innovative than in powerhouses of musical infl uence have lose their audience to fl oods of exile, the Beirut today; it happens underground, in given way to two major trends in Middle great schools of Middle Eastern music clubs and away from the media spotlight. Eastern cultural production as each of are suff ering a loss of livelihood from Many of the musicians responsible for the those cities has undergone political turmoil. the political situation across the region. burst of creativity spend half the year in First, we see the bottom-up emergence of Meanwhile, musical production in northern Europe, while others collaborate with the a generation of musicians on the move, Syria continues apace, as polished videos of fl ood of Syrians now constituting a fi ft h of oft en involved in electronica or hip-hop, the nasheed genre, the vocal music deemed Lebanon’s resident population. Hip-hop, cropping up in Beirut or Europe. And second, one can no longer ignore the top- Th e borders of states and the balance of power across the down cultural initiatives of the resource- rich Gulf states. In either case, the grand Arab world have dramatically altered the terms of musical schools of oud education, transmission of life and cultural production from Morocco to Oman

February – March 2016 The Middle East in London 17 of course, has been sold as the soundtrack With the upheaval in the Middle East and North of the Arab Spring, ascribing it substantial imagined political clout. To music lovers, Africa, and the large-scale displacement of people, it is heartening to think that music might Europe has arisen as a major hub for Arab music make such a diff erence – such as the calls to release El General from prison in winter 2010, the heartfelt singing of ‘Biladi, biladi’ of projects unmatched anywhere in the most infl uential. Many of the artists who from Tahrir Square in 2011, or the ongoing world to build arts infrastructure. Th eir travel to the Gulf under protection of role of rap groups like DAM in advocating museum projects are well known, as are the petro-states, however, are grateful for for Palestinian self-determination. However, the Qatari royal family’s heavy investment the opportunity to make a living and feel the hope of actual infl uence of musicians in the contemporary art market (as well as committed to building an arts industry is cut down by the images of brutality European real estate, to say nothing of the that can guarantee the continuity of against those musicians, such as Ibrahim controversial funding, along with Saudi Arab cultural production as the future of Qashoush’s alleged assassination in 2011, Arabia of some of the militants causing Damascus and Cairo remain uncertain. or even the covering of Umm Kulthum’s the turmoil in Iraq and Syria). Less well- With the upheaval in the Middle East face on the iconic statue in Cairo by Salafi s. known are the musical endeavours such and North Africa, and the large-scale Th at music plays an important role in the as the Muscat Opera House, whose guards displacement of people, Europe has arisen mobilisation of ‘the people’ during popular are under direct instructions from Sultan as a major hub for Arab music. No doubt, protest is evident from these events, but the Qaboos to protect the building. Projects Paris has always been an important centre rapid crackdown on the rights of musicians like the Katara complex in Doha or the new for Rai production and performance, and and their audiences also demonstrates the performing arts centres on Saadiyat Island Berlin a de facto capital for Turkish hip- precarity of fi ghting powerful government in Abu Dhabi promise to bring talent from hop, but London and Scandinavia have or militant forces with song. all over the world to these emerging cities, become crucial nodes for Arab performers Perhaps the greatest irony of the past but they also provide support to Arab artists promoting their work and selling albums. fi ve years is the reconfi guration of cultural from the more troubled regions of the Arab Th e Barbican hosted Lebanese pop band prestige away from the historic centres of world (the former boasting a residency with Mashrou’ Leila in November (following a Cairo and Damascus and towards Doha and Marcel Khalife). Marcel Khalife festival), and the Palestinian Abu Dhabi, or the other non-democratic Th ese Gulf mega-projects earn criticism rap groups from Ramallah, Amman, Gulf mega-cities looked down upon as across the Middle East, whether from Beirut and Israel usually make London cultural backwaters only a few decades ago. secularists accusing them of attempting their fi rst stop on an international tour. Long considered musically relevant only to ‘buy culture’, or from purists who fi nd Th e representation of SOAS students at for its vast repertoire of the pearl divers, the glitziness distasteful. Scholars, too, these concerts is never anything short of the Gulf has emerged in the past decade have questioned the expansion of Gulf and staggering; our students remain committed as a major patron of the arts. Fuelled by Wahhabi interests across the region, with to learning about Middle Eastern music anxiety over how to remain sustainable experts like Kristina Nelson identifying whether through formal courses, or once the oil runs out, the petro-states of the increasing popularity of austere Saudi through our many ensembles run by the Abu Dhabi (plus neighbouring Dubai (Qur’anic) recitation styles across the Student Union or through supporting the and Sharjah), Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, Muslim world, threatening to eclipse the fl ourishing of Middle Eastern artists under as well as Oman, have embarked on a set virtuosic Cairo style that has long been intense pressure.

Ilana Webster-Kogen is the Joe Loss Lecturer in Jewish Music at SOAS. Her work on Ethiopian migrants in the Middle East has been published in Ethnomusicology Forum, African and Black Diaspora, and the Journal of African Cultural Studies. Th is year, she teaches ‘Klezmer: Roots and Revival’ and ‘Music, Religion and Society in the Middle East and North Africa’

Mashrou' Leila during their album release

© Tania Trabulsi - Mashrou3, Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia - Mashrou3, Trabulsi Tania © concert in December 2009

18 The Middle East in London February – March 2016 PPERSIANERSIAN MMUSICUSIC

Roya Arab gives a brief tour of the Persian and Middle Eastern music scene in London SSwayingwaying ttoo PPersianersian aandnd MMiddleiddle EEasternastern ttunesunes iinn LLondonondon © Public Domain

Hossein Alizadeh in concert with Hamavayan Ensemble London, November 8, 2015. Courtesy of Fariborz Kiani, Nava Arts UK

ondon has a thriving live music scene, For Persian and Middle Eastern music something going on musically in London. and Persian and Middle Eastern music London accommodates both classical Th e annual Nour Festival has a cornucopia Lis not left out: it is facilitated by a host and modern, young and old, although in of the region’s cultural off erings which of musical venues and festivals spread across my humble opinion not all with the same are presented at various venues across the city, various societies, institutions and frequency or indeed quality. A cursory Kensington and Chelsea, whilst Shubbak concert organisers. Together they serve overview on the Internet of musical events shares Arab culture biennially across an international audience living, visiting that took place across London since the start London. and studying in London. A major part of 2015 shows the wide range in age, styles When looking at the creation, is played by the educational institutions and venues used for musical events. From performance and consumption of teaching, disseminating and providing a many restaurants with popular Persian Persian and Middle Eastern music, one performance platform, such as SOAS which and Middle Eastern music to smaller gig must also consider the impact from the acts as a major venue for visiting artists and venues and large concert halls sharing unprecedented spread of people from students to perform, as well as other ethno- popular and classical music, there is always these regions in the modern world, musicological courses being taught across London (at City University, Goldsmiths, Th e exponential growth of diaspora communities over Kings College and Royal Holloway) which also play their part in spreading the region’s the past 40 years has created a mélange of artistic music. styles, manners, forms and expressions

February – March 2016 The Middle East in London 19 with an exponential growth of diaspora Across London in any given month Persian and communities over the past 40 years. A survey of demographics looking at Iranian Middle Eastern music is performed by native artists, and Middle Eastern people residing outside sometimes alongside their Western colleagues the region shows an uphill spike in the scale and spread of these peoples across Europe and America since the late 1970s. Th is has article – who writes and records English audience: diff erent ages and social classes, created a mélange of artistic styles, manners, songs – who performed with a nod to the the hall was packed, some nodding to the forms and expressions within the diaspora nostalgic state of exile by singing an old poems that moved them, some swaying, community, including those born in the Iranian song ‘Sultan Ghalbha’ from the some absorbing the music in immovable region, those born outside the Middle East eponymous movie made in 1968, which the silence. It had the feeling of a Western sometimes to both Middle Eastern and audience gustily joined with the smallest of classical musical concert listening to an mixed parentage and not least the Western prompts. Next came an Egyptian Iranian eminent conductor, soloist or a rarely-heard, students, teachers and consumers of the musician Lafwandah, who had never been much-loved composition performed by a region’s music. Together these groups to Iran, accompanied by her producer renowned ensemble or orchestra. It was, provide fertile grounds for continuation, on CDJ (Compact Disc Jockey). Th e however, tinged with sad political realities preservation and experimentation of old night ended with one of the fi rst highly- that separated many of these people from and new musical traditions. acclaimed, Western female electronic their countries of origin. Th ere was a On the experiential front, last September producers Leila, who at one point mixed a melancholic wistfulness amidst the joyous there was a night of Iranian music to live santour (dulcimer) into her electronic aural celebration that was palpable in the illustrate the huge range of Iranian musical world. Leila was born in Iran and has not audience’s warm and attentive embrace of life produced by Iranians of diff erent ages, returned since leaving with her family in the musicians on stage. genres and varying connections with Iran. 1979. Th is wide spectrum of musical styles Across London in any given month Th is was co-curated by myself and Arts and genres is not just the story of the Iranian Persian and Middle Eastern music is Canteen – which promotes the region’s musical experience in Europe and America, performed by native artists, sometimes culture – to coincide with the Inside it also refl ects large swathes of the Middle alongside their Western colleagues, playing Out Iran art exhibition 4-27 Sept 2015 East that have seen their peoples dispersed both traditional Middle Eastern and Persian showcasing young Iranian urban art. It with some unable to return. repertoires, Western classical repertoires began with Adib Rostami on kamancheh When sitting in the University College as well as fusions of Middle Eastern, world (Iranian spiked fi ddle) and Pouya London’s Logan Hall listening to the Persian music and modern Western-style popular Mahmoodi on a specially adapted guitar maestro Alizadeh (one of Iran’s leading music. In spite and perhaps because of with moveable frets – allowing quarter composers and musicians, a virtuoso tar the socio-political context of Persian and and semi-tones – improvising on ancient and setar player who has invented two new Middle Eastern musical performances in Persian themes. Th en it was the turn of the musical instruments: sallaneh and shurangiz London, the range and quality of music deeply electronic instrumental composer from the ancient Iranian lute) and his performed here competes well with any Pouya Ehsaie who took the audience on an ensemble, I was struck by the reverential other metropolis. audio/visual electronic Odyssey. All three silence and the numerous ways in which the musicians were born in Iran and reside audience was absorbing the music. I spent Roya Arab is a musician and archaeologist. in the UK. Next, it was the author of this more than half of the concert studying the She is currently Honorary Research Assistant at IoA, UCL and PhD candidate at City University researching music in Iranian fi lm

Adib Rostami and Pouya Mahmoodi performing at Inside Out Iran art exhibition at Rich Mix,

© 2015 ghalamDAR London, September 2015

20 The Middle East in London February – March 2016 RREVIEWS:EVIEWS: CDCD RRhapsodyhapsody ooff RRoses:oses: PPersianersian CClassicallassical MMusicusic ffromrom tthehe 11950s950s

Sepideh Raissadat (vocalist), Iman Vaziri (tar)

Released July 2014, available on iTunes, Amazon and CD Baby

Reviewed by Pejman Akbarzadeh

ince the establishment of the Islamic Even though they belong to the post- album is not noteworthy, Sepideh Raissadat Republic in Persia [Iran] in 1979, revolutionary generation, Sepideh Raissadat may attract new listeners to the beauty of Swomen have not been allowed to and Iman Vaziri are keen to show their Persian songs from the 1950s through her sing solos in public. Th is issue has had an appreciation for the beauty of the works warm voice. adverse eff ect on the presence of women of pre-revolutionary Persian musicians. singers in the country. Sepideh Raissadat, Sepideh and her ensemble have been quite Pejman Akbarzadeh is a Persian-Dutch who studied Persian vocal music in Tehran faithful to the original song structure, pianist, journalist and music historian. He is and ethnomusicology in Toronto, is one but surprisingly their versions are almost the author of a four-volume book about 20th- of very few women singers from Iran who completely unison without even the basic century musicians of Iran. Currently he works has been able to perform actively outside harmonies of the 1950s’ performances and with the BBC Persian Service her homeland. She has been cited as a ‘new can be boring for today’s listeners. Given female hope for Persian vocal music’. the extraordinary skill of Iman Vaziri as a In Rhapsody of Roses, one of her latest performer and composer, it is puzzling that albums, Sepideh has turned to Persian the arrangements in Rhapsody of Roses are songs from the 1950s, works which were even simpler than those of Golha. performed originally in the Radio Tehran Th e CD contains six songs by Morteza programme called Golha (Flowers) that Mahjoubi (1900-1965), Ali Tajvidi (1919- was broadcast for more than three decades. 2006) and Parviz Yahaghi (1936-2007), Composers who wrote for the Golha three iconic Persian music masters and Orchestra were masters in Persian music, songwriters from the 1950s. While the most of whom had a basic knowledge of album’s goal is introducing the Persian songs Western harmony and orchestration. In spite from that era, one work by Iman Vaziri (b. of their simple orchestration and harmony, 1970) is also included in this collection. many of the Golha songs remained Persian Th e old pieces were originally performed favourites because of their rich melodies with a chamber orchestra of around 25 and emotional impact. Aft er the 1979 musicians playing Western and Persian Revolution, the cultural authorities banned instruments. But in the current performance those composers from the Persian music eight Western instruments have been scene as they believed that music had to be used with only one Persian percussion revolutionary or religious, not romantic or instrument, the tombak. poetic. Although the instrumental part of the

February – March 2016 The Middle East in London 21 RREVIEWS:EVIEWS: BOOKSBOOKS IIranianranian CClassicallassical MMusic:usic: TThehe DDiscoursesiscourses aandnd PPracticeractice ooff CCreativityreativity

By Laudan Nooshin

Ashgate Press, February 2015, £65.00

Reviewed by Stefan Williamson Fa

he central creative role of the classical music has been shaped signifi cantly to challenge the constraints of the radif performer in Iranian classical music by the processes of modernisation and through the development of a musical Thas led to an emphasis on the role of Westernisation, and by the introduction voice which is both rooted in tradition and ‘improvisation’ in describing the tradition. of new ideas about ‘authenticity’ and responsive to the contemporary moment. Drawing on years of in-depth research with nationalism in the post-revolution period. Drawing on extensive interviews with the Iranian musicians, Nooshin challenges such She argues that there has been an emergence artists, Nooshin gives space to the musicians’ a description by questioning the dichotomy in binary thinking in relation to creative own articulations on their approaches to between notions of ‘improvisation’ and practice in Iranian music, between the act of the creative process in making the album. ‘composition’, suggesting such a binary has composition and improvisation. Building on Th e fi nal focus on this project not only hints served to mark essentialised diff erences the work of other ethnomusicologists, she towards the future direction of creative between Western art and Other music. goes on to challenge this strict division by performance in Iranian music but also sums Nooshin provides a detailed analysis and focussing on the limits of improvisation and up many of the key themes of the book. examination of the practices, discourses and the authority of the radif. Nooshin sees the Nooshin successfully incorporates social life of the radif, the repertoire which ways in which musicians vary the material elements of postcolonial theory in a has been at the centre of the performance of the radif as central to keeping the balance way which has long been absent in of Iranian classical music over the past between creative freedom and respecting the ethnomusicology. A particular strength century. Th e radif is a collection of pieces demands of tradition. Th is balance leads to a of the book is the attention given to local organised according to the mode which is constant negotiation through performance. discourses and terms used by the musicians studied and memorised by students and Chapter three focusses on the radif, themselves. Th is book is clearly aimed forms the basis for creative performance. outlining more specifi cally the repertoire towards ethnomusicologists and is not Despite only becoming standardised fairly and its transmission. Chapter four, perhaps an introductory guide to Iranian classical recently through the advent of notation, impenetrable to the non-musicologist, music. However, by combining musical sound recording and the institutionalisation turns to the music ‘itself’, examining more analysis, social and cultural context and of musical education in Iran, the radif traditional forms of performance practice by ethnographic insights it provides a broad has become the marker and framework comparing a number of musicians playing and in-depth overview of Iranian classical of authenticity and tradition within the a range of instruments spanning a period music which will appeal to a wider audience. performance of Iranian classical music. of more than 30 years. Here the focus is on Th e book makes important contributions one particular section of repertoire, dastgah Stefan Williamson Fa is a PhD candidate towards understanding musical creativity Segah, to examine how musicians use the in social anthropology at UCL whose and the creative process through the lens learnt repertoire to create new material in research looks at the role of sound in Shi’i of Iranian classical music. Chapter two performance. ritual in Eastern Turkey. He is co-founder of provides the wider context to the study in Th e fi nal chapter turns away from this ‘Mountains of Tongues’ a project working to hand, summarising the historical and social musicological focus through a portrait of preserve and promote the musical traditions developments which have led to changes a contemporary music project between nei of the Caucasus region in musical discourse in Iran over the last player Amir Eslami and pianist Hooshyar century. Here, Nooshin outlines how Iranian Khayam. Th eir album All of You sought

22 The Middle East in London February – March 2016 BBOOKSOOKS ININ BRIEFBRIEF CCycleycle ofof Fear:Fear: SSyria’syria’s AAlawiteslawites iinn WWarar aandnd PPeaceeace

By Leon T. Goldsmith In early 2011 an elderly Alawite sheikh lamented the long history of ‘oppression and aggression’ against his people. Against such collective memories, the Syrian uprising was viewed by many Alawites and observers as a revanchist Sunni Muslim movement and the gravest threat yet to the unorthodox Shia sub-sect. But was Alawite history really a constant tale of oppression and the Syrian uprising of 2011 an existential threat to the Alawites? Th is book surveys Alawite history from the sect’s inception in Abbasid Iraq up to the start of the uprising in 2011. Goldsmith shows how Alawite identity and political behaviour have been shaped by a cycle of insecurity that has prevented the group from achieving either genuine social integration or long-term security. Rather than being the gravest threat yet to the sect, the Syrian uprising, in the context of the Arab Spring, was quite possibly a historic opportunity for the Alawites fi nally to break free from their cycle of fear.

May 2015, Hurst, £25.00

LLightight ffromrom tthehe EEast:ast: HHowow thethe ScienceScience ooff MMedievaledieval IIslamslam HHelpedelped ttoo SShapehape tthehe WWesternestern WWorldorld By John Freely Long before the European Renaissance, while the Western world was languishing in what was once called the ‘Dark Ages’, the Arab world was ablaze with the creativity of its Golden Age. Th is is the story of how Islamic science, which began in 8th-century Baghdad, enhanced the knowledge acquired from Greece, Mesopotamia, India and China. Th rough the astrologers, physicians, philosophers, mathematicians and alchemists of the Muslim world, this knowledge infl uenced Western thinkers – from Th omas Aquinas and Copernicus – and helped inspire the Renaissance and give birth to modern science.

March 2015, IB Tauris, £12.99 PPerformingerforming aal-Andalus:l-Andalus: MMusicusic aandnd NNostalgiaostalgia aacrosscross tthehe MMediterraneanediterranean

By Jonathan Holt Shannon

Performing al-Andalus explores three musical cultures that claim a connection to the music of medieval Iberia, the Islamic kingdom of al-Andalus, known for its complex mix of Arab, North African, Christian and Jewish infl uences. Jonathan Holt Shannon shows that the idea of a shared Andalusian heritage animates performers and afi cionados in modern-day Syria, Morocco and Spain, but with varying and sometimes contradictory meanings in diff erent social and political contexts. As he traces the movements of musicians, songs, histories and memories circulating around the Mediterranean, he argues that attention to such fl ows off ers new insights into the complexities of culture and the nuances of selfh ood.

July 2015, Indiana University Press, £52.00

February – March 2016 The Middle East in London 23 BBOOKSOOKS ININ BRIEFBRIEF OOmanman RReborn:eborn: BBalancingalancing TTraditionradition aandnd MModernizationodernization By Linda Pappas Funsch Th e Sultanate of Oman is one of the few ‘good news’ stories to have emerged from the Middle East in recent memory. Th is book traces the narrative of a little-known and relatively stable Arab country whose history of independence, legacy of interaction with diverse cultures, and enlightened modern leadership have transformed it in less than 50 years from an isolated medieval-style potentate to a stable, dynamic and largely optimistic country. At the heart of this fascinating story is Oman’s sultan, Taboos bin Sa’id, friend to both East and West, whose unique leadership style has resulted in both domestic and foreign policy achievements during more than four decades in offi ce. Exploring Oman from a historical perspective, Funsch examines how the country’s unique blend of tradition and modernisation has enabled it to succeed while others in the region have failed. Accounts of the author’s own experiences with Oman’s transformation add rich layers of depth, texture and personality to the narrative.

September 2015, Palgrave Macmillan, £62.50

TThehe PPenguinenguin SStatetate ooff tthehe MMiddleiddle EEastast AAtlastlas

By Dan Smith

Th e Middle East is in a constant state of change, and understanding it has never been more important. In this guide to the region and its politics, Dan Smith unravels the history of the Middle East from the Ottoman Empire to the present day. With the acute and fair-minded analysis readers have come to expect from him, Smith highlights key issues and maps their global implications to explain why the Middle East has become, and will remain, the focal point of foreign policy. Th ere can be no one-line summary of the Middle East, but in Th e Penguin State of the Middle East Atlas, Smith gives readers the primer they need to understand the ongoing confl icts in the region.

January 2015, Penguin Books, £25.00

IIranianranian MMusicusic aandnd PPopularopular EEntertainment:ntertainment: FFromrom MMotrebiotrebi ttoo LosanjelesiLosanjelesi aandnd BBeyondeyond By GJ Breyley and Sasan Fatemi

In Iranian Music and Popular Entertainment, GJ Breyley and Sasan Fatemi examine the historically overlooked motrebi milieu, with its marginalised characters, from luti to gardan koloft and mashti, as well as the tenacity of motreb who continued their careers against all odds. Th ey then turn to losanjelesi, the most pervasive form of Iranian popular music that developed as motrebi declined, and related musical forms in Iran and its diasporic popular cultural centre, Los Angeles. Th is book makes available musical transcriptions, analysis and lyrics that illustrate the complexities of this history, and it reveals parallels between the decline of motrebi and the rise of ‘modernity’.

November 2015, Routledge, £90.00

24 The Middle East in London February – March 2016 BBOOKSOOKS ININ BRIEFBRIEF TThehe IIranianranian PPoliticalolitical LLanguage:anguage: FFromrom tthehe LLateate NNineteenthineteenth CCenturyentury ttoo tthehe PPresentresent

By Yadullah Shahibzadeh

In this study of modern Iran, Yadullah Shahibzadeh examines changes in people’s understanding of politics and democracy. He analyses the way Iranian intellectuals and ordinary people talk about politics and democracy, individually and collectively, and the ways they rationalise their political postures and actions. He also investigates the historiographies of socio-political structures and cultural constructions in Iran. Th is challenges the monopoly of intellectuals’ and political elites’ perspectives on historical events and by demonstrating the intellectual and political agency of ordinary people.

October 2015, Palgrave Macmillan, £65.00

DDesertesert SSongsongs ooff tthehe NNight:ight: 11500500 YearsYears ooff AArabicrabic LLiteratureiterature

Edited by Suheil Bushrui and James M. Malarkey

Desert Songs of the Night presents some of the fi nest poetry and prose by Arab writers, from the Arab East to Andalusia, over the last 1,500 years. From the mystical imagery of the Qur’an and the colourful stories of Th e Th ousand and One Nights, to the powerful verses of longing of Mahmoud Darwish and Nazik al-Mala’ika, this captivating collection includes translated excerpts of works by the major authors of the period, as well as by lesser known writers of equal signifi cance. Th e collection showcases the vibrant and distinctive literary heritage of the Arabs.

August 2015, Saqi Books, £12.99 TThehe SSyria-Iranyria-Iran AAxis:xis: CCulturalultural DiplomacyDiplomacy aandnd IInternationalnternational RRelationselations iinn tthehe MMiddleiddle EEastast By Nadia von Maltzahn Since the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the close alliance between Syria and Iran has endured for over three decades, based on geopolitical interests between the two states and oft en framed in the language of resistance. In view of their strong relationship at a state-level, what have Syria and Iran each been doing to foster popular exchange and employ cultural tools to build an image in the other country? Th e Syria-Iran Axis examines the motivations, content and reach of cultural diplomacy between Syria and Iran to determine to what degree the two partners have been successful in bridging their worldviews and political outlooks. By analysing the extent to which a state-directed cultural exchange can foster bilateral relations in the Middle East, Nadia von Maltzahn off ers an analysis of the formation of foreign policy and diplomacy in the region.

April 2015, IB Tauris, £16.99

February – March 2016 The Middle East in London 25 IINN MMEMORIAMEMORIAM HHomaoma NNateghategh ((1934-2016)1934-2016) Touraj Atabaki and Nasser Mohajer

its completion, the thesis was published in the establishment of the National in 1969 by the French National Centre for Union of Iranian Women. Following the Scientifi c Research with a foreword by the Revolution of 1979, when the Fada’is split, famous Marxist scholar of Islam and the Nategh continued her association with Middle East, Maxime Rodinson. the ‘minority’ faction of the organisation In 1968 Nategh returned to Iran, that adopted an uncompromising stand joining the Faculty of Literature at the against the newly-established hierocratic University of Tehran, where she began to regime. During the ‘Cultural Revolution’ teach history. Her fi rst research following years she was removed from her teaching her return to Iran produced articles for position and was subsequently persecuted contemporary literary journals. A number because of her political ideals. Th is was of these were collated and published in a followed by her inevitable exile to France, book entitled Az mast keh bar mast (We where her political activism began to Reap What We Sow). Moreover, in 1976 gradually fade. Nategh wrote an introduction for a new In exile, Nategh continued her edition of the famous newspaper Qanun, profession by joining the Sorbonne published by the modernist intellectual nouvelle. During her teaching and later Malkum Khan. Her other research, a the retirement period, she published product of her fi rst decade of teaching her most seminal research including: and research inside Iran, covered the Karnameh va zamaneh-e Mirza Reza social history of the Qajar period and was Kermani (Th e Life and Times of Mirza published in 1979. Reza Kermani, 1984), Bazarganan dar Also noteworthy are Nategh’s dad va setad ba Bank-e Shahi va Rezhi translation into Persian of Albert Tanbakou (Th e Merchants in Trade With oma Nategh, an eminent Memmi's Th e Coloniser and the Colonised the Imperial Bank and Tobacco Regime, historian of Iran’s Qajar period (1970) and Th e Last Days of Lotf Ali 1992), Karnameh-e farhangi-ye farangi Hand Constitutional Revolution, Khan Zand with John Gurney of Oxford dar Iran (Th e Record of European Culture passed away on 1 January 2016 in the University published in 1977. It was in Iran, 1996), as well as two books on village of Arrou south of Paris. With her during this decade that Nategh’s decisive the great medieval poet Hafi z. Her fi nal death Iranian studies has lost a renowned encounter with the British-educated work was Rohaniyat-e Shi‘eh-e Iran, az pioneer of political and social history. historian, Fereydun Adamiyat, took parakandegi ta qodrat, 1828-1909 (Th e Nategh was born in the town of Urmia place. It was an acquaintance that would Iranian Shi’ite Clergy: From Dispersion to in Iran’s West Azarbaijan Province in result in longstanding friendship and Power, 1828-1909). Although completed, 1934 to a highly cultivated family. She collaboration until 1982. Th e volume that the latter was regrettably not published in attended primary school and high school resulted from this intellectual partnership her lifetime. in Tehran. was the important, Afk ar-e ejtema‘i, In 1957 Nategh left for Paris to study siyasi va eqtesadi dar asar-e montasher- Touraj Atabaki is the Senior Research literature at Sorbonne University, but nashodeh-e doran-e Qajar (Social, Political Fellow at the International Institute of soon took up the discipline of history and Economic Th ought in Unpublished Social History and holds the chair of the instead. She fi nished her PhD in 1967 Works of the Qajar Period, 1977). Social History of the Middle East and under the supervision of Marcel Colombe Nategh’s social and political activism Central Asia at the School of the Middle on Jamal Djamal-ed-Din Assad Abadi began when she was a student in Paris. East Studies of the Leiden University; dit Afghani (Ses sejour, son action et son She was one of the fi rst women to join Nasser Mohajer is an independent infl uence en Perse).Th e young scholar the Confederation of Iranian Students. historian of Modern Iran dedicated her thesis to her grandfather She was also active in the Iranian Mirza Javad Nategh ‘who was an advocate Writers Association on the cusp of the of the Constitutional Movement, Revolution. Later she became associated and to all those who fought for Iran’s with the People’s Fada’i Guerrillas of democracy and progress’. Two years aft er Iran, and she played an important role

26 The Middle East in London February – March 2016 IINN MMEMORIAMEMORIAM KKhodadadhodadad FFarmanfarmaianarmanfarmaian ((1928-2015)1928-2015) Ramin Nassehi

low infl ation rates (below 2 per cent on average), thanks to the eff ective monetary policies of the Central Bank. Farmanfarmaian and many other technocrats mistakenly believed that this economic miracle would gradually lead to political liberalisation in Iran. On the contrary, the Shah became more autocratic and aft er a while stopped listening to his economic experts altogether. Th is led to the alienation of many technocrats, including Khodadad. He resigned from his post in 1972 and joined the private sector as the Chairman ran’s rapid economic growth in high school in Iran, he went to the US in of the Industries Bank of Iran, a position the 1960s is one of the interesting, the late 1940s and received his BA and he held until the 1979 Revolution, aft er Ibut oft en neglected, development MA in economics at Stanford. He went on which he was forced to fl ee the country to success stories of the Cold War era. Th is to obtain his PhD under the supervision fi nally settle in London. economic ‘miracle’, like the ones that of Nobel Laureate Wassily Leontief at His legacy goes beyond the economic followed later in South Korea, Taiwan and Harvard. successes of the 1960s. At the Central Brazil, was instigated at least in part by Farmanfarmaian’s career changing Bank, he made great eff orts to promote an elite group of competent technocrats, moment came in the mid-1950s, when higher education in economics among who were fervently committed to Iran’s he met Hassan Ebtehaaj, the charismatic younger generations. Together with economic modernisation. and infl uential Director of the Iranian Mehdi Samiee, he created a scholarship Khodadad Farmanfarmaian, who Plan and Budget Organisation (PBO), in programme to send Iranian students to recently passed away in London at the the US. Ebtehaaj persuaded Khodadad be trained as accountants and economists age of 87, was a prominent member to come back to Iran to help him build in the UK. Th is programme produced a of that elite group. As a central banker a strong planning institution. Seeing generation of economists such as Hashem and a planner, he played a major role in himself as part of a ‘modernising Pesaran, Massoud Karshenas, Hassan propelling Iran’s economy towards an vanguard’, Khodadad returned home with Hakimian and Djavad Salehi-Isfehani, impressive industrial transformation in a zeal for economic reform. He assisted who are now training the next generation the 1960s. With average annual growth Ebtehaaj in turning the PBO into a of Iranian economists. rates of 9 per cent, it was comparable with competent technocratic institution in little At the personal level, too, Khoddad China’s recent growth record. However, time by hiring like-minded, Western- Farmanfarmaian was highly supportive this great success story ended in the early educated Iranian economists. Th is led of young scholars; he kindly helped me 1970s, when oil prices quadrupled and to the gradual rise of a new technocratic in my PhD research with great passion the infl owing petrodollars ‘made the Shah elite within the Pahlavi regime. Th e and patience. I believe he would consider drunk’, to use Farmanfarmaian’s words. turning point for these technocrats his contribution to promoting economics Going against the advice of technocrats, came in the early 1960s, when the Shah education among the younger generations the Shah decided to inject all the windfall embarked on an ambitious modernisation of Iranians as his most enduring legacy. oil revenues into the economy to realise project by empowering technocrats like his vision of a ‘Great Civilisation’. Th e Farmanfarmaian. Khodadad took the Ramin Nassehi is a PhD candidate in result was soaring infl ation and widening helm at the Central Bank, and together business management at Queen Mary income inequality in the 1970s, which set with experts in the Ministry of Economy University of London and a Senior the stage for the eventual downfall of the and PBO, he drove the economy towards Teaching Fellow at the Department of Pahlavi regime. rapid industrialisation, which resulted in Economics at SOAS Khodadad Farmanfarmaian was born the doubling of Iran’s income per capita in 1928 to one of the most infl uential in ten years. Impressively, this period of landowning families. Aft er completing industrialisation was accompanied with

February – March 2016 The Middle East in London 27 LISTINGS EEventsvents iinn LLondonondon

HE EVENTS and Near East. Ancient Near East Wednesday 3 February Morocco not gone the same way organisations listed below Seminar. Admission free. L67, as Tunisia? What of Mauritania? Tare not necessarily endorsed SOAS. E [email protected] W http:// 5:00 pm | Report Launch: Chair: John King (Society for or supported by The Middle East in banealcane.org/lcane/ Narratives of Conversion to Algerian Studies). Admission free. London. The accompanying texts Islam – Male Perspectives (Talk) Pre-booking required. Wolfson and images are based primarily Tuesday 2 February Organised by: Centre of Islamic Th eatre, New Academic Buiding, on information provided by the Studies, University of Cambridge. LSE. E info@algerianstudies. organisers and do not necessarily 5:00 pm | Th e Rise and Fall of Report launch to discuss and org.uk W www.lse.ac.uk/ reflect the views of the compilers Orientalism in Travel, Tourism refl ect on a report focused on the middleEastCentre/ or publishers. While every possible and Cultural Production: Report experiences of nearly 50 British effort is made to ascertain the from Palestine/Israel (Seminar) men of all ages, ethnicities, 6:30 pm | Sir Alfred Bilotti and accuracy of these listings, readers Tom Selwyn (SOAS). (Seminar) backgrounds and faiths (or no the End of Ottoman Crete, 1885– are advised to seek confirmation Organised by: Department of faith) – who have all converted 1899 (Lecture) Organised by: Th e of all events using the contact Anthropology and Sociology, to Islam. Admission free. DLT, British Institute at Ankara. Th e details provided for each event. SOAS. Anthropology of Tourism SOAS. T 01223 335103 W www. end of Ottoman Crete was marked Submitting entries and updates: and Travel Seminar Series. cis.cam.ac.uk by a bloody confl ict between its please send all updates and Admission free. Room 4426, Christian and Muslim populations, submissions for entries related SOAS. E [email protected] W www. 6:00 pm | Israel\Palestine\ David Barchard looks at the role of to future events via e-mail to soas.ac.uk/anthropology/events/ Africa: From Terra Nullius to the key diplomat on Crete during [email protected] Terra Incognita and Back (Book this period, a humanitarian 5:15 pm | Beyond the "Tunisian Launch) Organised by: Centre for administrator caught between BM – British Museum, Great Exception": (Un)changing Palestine Studies, SOAS. Haim great power politics and the Russell Street, London WC1B Politics and Social Movements Yacobi (Ben-Gurion University of confl icting nationalisms of 3DG (Lecture) Choukri Hmed (Paris the Negev, Israel) Event to mark Greece and Turkey. Barchard has SOAS –SOAS, University of Dauphine University). Organised the UK launch of Haim Yacobi’s worked as journalist, consultant, London, Th ornhaugh Street, by: LSE Middle East Centre. Based newest book, Israel and Africa: and university teacher in Turkey. Russell Square, London WC1H on an ongoing fi eldwork, Hmed A Genealogy of Moral Geography Tickets: £10. British Academy, 10 0XG presents his paper which proposes (Routledge, 2015) which examines Carlton House Terrace, London LSE – London School of an analysis of the (un)changing the ways in which Africa – as a SW1Y 5AH. T 20 7969 5204 E Economics and Political Science, frames and issues in both social geopolitical entity - is socially [email protected] W www.biaa. Houghton Street, London WC2 movements and the political manufactured, collectively ac.uk 2AE fi eld in the country. Chair: John imagined but also culturally Chalcraft (LSE). Admission free. denied in Israeli politics, and how 7:00 pm | Kamran Djam Annual Pre-booking required. Room 9.04, in turn such construction has Lectures at SOAS (2016): FEBRUARY EVENTS Tower 2, Clement's Inn, LSE. T 020 relevance to the spatio-politics of "Bûy-e jû-ye Mûliân": Some 7955 6198 E [email protected] W Palestine. Discussants: Camillo Considerations on Exile, Desire Monday 1 February www.lse.ac.uk/middleEastCentre/ Boano (UCL) and Sharri Plonski and Poetry from Rudakî to Jâmî (SOAS). Chair: Gilbert Achcar (Lecture) Organised by: Centre 5:15 pm | L'Aiguière de Saint- 5:45 pm | Between Radical Islam (SOAS). Admission free. MBI Al for Iranian Studies, SOAS. Leili Denis: Th e Life and Travels and Kurdishness: Hizbullah Jaber Conference Room, London Anvar (Institut des Langues et of a Fatimid Luxury Object in Eastern Turkey (Lecture) Middle East Institute, SOAS des Civilsations Orientales, Paris). (Seminar) Jeremy Johns Mehmet Kurt (Bingol University). (LMEI), University of London, First of two lectures by Anvar (University of Oxford). Organised Organised by: London Middle East MBI Al Jaber Building, 21 Russell on the subject of Poetry as the by: Department of History, SOAS. Institute, SOAS (LMEI). Kurt's talk Square, London WC1B 5EA. T Language of Desire, the second will SOAS Near and Middle Eastern will explore the personal, political 020 7898 4330/4490 E vp6@soas. take place on Th ursday 4 February History Seminar. Convener: and ideological motivations of ac.uk W www.soas.ac.uk/lmei- 2016. In her fi rst lecture she will Derek Mancini-Lander (SOAS). radicalised Islamists and will cps/events/ try to show that there is a deep Admission free. Room B104, contextualise these dynamics in thematic and aesthetic continuity SOAS. E [email protected] W terms of the Turkish state's ongoing 6:00 pm | Democratisation in that unites the fi rst poems www.soas.ac.uk/history/events/ confl ict with the PKK. Chair: the Maghreb (Lecture) Jonathan composed in modern Persian Nadje Al-Ali (SOAS). Part of the Hill (King's College London). in a courtly context to the verses 6:15 pm | New Data for the LMEI’s Tuesday Evening Lecture Organised by: Society for Algerian composed in a more spiritual History of Iron Age Karkemish: Programme on the Contemporary Studies in conjunction with LSE. atmosphere. Lecture preceded by Epigraphic Discoveries of Middle East. Admission free. Th e Arab Spring’s infl uence on the a reception in the Brunei Suite at the Turco-Italian Expedition Khalili Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. T Maghreb has been piecemeal and 6:00pm. Admission free. Khalili (Seminar) Hasan Peker (Istanbul 020 7898 4330/4490 E vp6@soas. partial. Why did Ben Ali’s regime Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. T 020 7898 University). Organised by: ac.uk W www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/ in Tunisia fall and Boutefl ika’s 4330/4490 E [email protected] W London Centre for the Ancient events/ in Algeria's survive? Why has www.soas.ac.uk/lmei-cis/events/

28 The Middle East in London February – March 2016 7:00 pm | First Wednesday: event listing above, Wednesday 3 taking us on her fi rst-time journey (Lecture) Ronny Reich (University In the Picture with Abbas - February). Anvar follows the quest back to her homeland, Palestine. of Haifa, Israel). Organised by: Documenting Iran from 1970 of Majnûn in the barren land of £6.50 online/£7.50 on the door. Spiro Ark. Tickets: £10 (+£1 (Talk) Organised by: Frontline exile and his tribulations as a lover E [email protected] Th e booking fee). Pre-booking Club. Join Magnum photographer and a poet through a comparative Mosaic Rooms, AM Qattan required. W www.spiroark.org/ Abbas who will be discussing his analysis of the Leyli o Majnûn Foundation, Tower House, 226 events/ 10a Canfi eld Gardens, body of work on Iran. Spanning by Nezâmî and the one by Jâmî. Cromwell Road, London SW5 London NW6 3JS. T 0207 7944 from the 1970s to his return in Admission free. Khalili Lecture 0SW. T 020 7370 9990 E info@ 655 E [email protected] 1997 aft er 17 years of exile, his Th eatre, SOAS. T 020 7898 mosaicrooms.org W http:// photographs capture every level 4330/4490 E [email protected] W mosaicrooms.org/ 8:00 pm | Miqwehs (Jewish Ritual of Iranian politics and society www.soas.ac.uk/lmei-cis/events/ Baths) in the land of Israel and in - from the Shah and his men to Saturday 6 February Ashkenaz (Medieval Germany) the streets of Tehran. Tickets: 7:00 pm | Rhythms of Hope (Lecture) Ronny Reich (University £12.50/£10 conc. (students & (Concert) Charity Concert by 7:30 pm | Dina El Wedid & Rasha of Haifa, Israel). Organised by: 65+). Frontline Club, 13 Norfolk the Chehade Brothers in support (Concert) Organised by: Marsm Spiro Ark. Tickets: £10 (+£1 Place, W2 1QJ. T 020 7479 8940 of Children’s Cancer Center of and sponsored by Alaraby TV booking fee). Pre-booking E [email protected] W Lebanon UK (CCCL UK). Tickets: Network. Egyptian Dina El Wedidi required. W www.spiroark.org/ www.frontlineclub.com £100/£150/£250. One Mayfair, will be sharing the stage for a events/ 10a Canfi eld Gardens, 13A North Audley St, London special double bill night with the London NW6 3JS. T 0207 7944 Th ursday 4 February W1K 6ZA. E [email protected] Sudanese singer Rasha. Tickets: 655 E [email protected] W http://cccluk.org/upcoming- £17.02. Islington Assembly Hall, 7:00 pm | Kamran Djam Annual events.php Upper Street, London N1 2UD. Tuesday 9 February Lectures at SOAS (2016): Th e E [email protected] W http:// quest of Majnûn: Tribulations 7:30 pm | My Love Awaits Me by marsm.co.uk/ 5:15 pm | EU Foreign Policy of a Lover (Lecture) Leili Anvar the Sea (Film) Organised by: Th e in the Middle East and North (Institut des Langues et des Mosaic Rooms. Mais Darwazah Sunday 7 February Africa: Lobbying, Networks and Civilsations Orientales, Paris). (2013), 90 mins. In Arabic Framing (Lecture) Benedetta Organised by: Centre for Iranian with English subtitles. Poetic 5:00 pm | Th e Herodian Temple Voltolini (LSE Middle East Studies, SOAS. Th e second of documentary which narrates the Mount in Jerusalem in the Light Centre and Sciences Po Paris). two lectures by Leili Anvar (see story of director Mais Darwazah, of Recent Excavations next to it Organised by: LSE Middle East

SAUDI ARABIA AND IRAN Power and Rivalry in the Middle East Simon Mabon

In the wake of the 1979 Iranian revolution, relations between states in the Middle East were reconfigured and reassessed overnight. Amongst the most-affected was the relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The existence of a new regime in Tehran led to increasingly vitriolic confrontations between these two states, often manifesting themselves in conflicts across the region, such as those in Lebanon and Iraq, and more recently in Bahrain and Syria. In order to shed light upon this rivalry, Simon Mabon examines the different identity groups (religious, ethnic and tribal) within Saudi Arabia and Iran, proposing that internal insecurity has an enormous impact on the wider ideological and geopolitical competition between the two.

‘...thoughtful and perceptive... essential reading for any NEW IN PAPERBACK informed understanding of a relationship whose scope and October 2015 dynamic will likely shape the political and strategic landscape £12.99 320 pages of the Middle East in the years ahead.’ 198 x 126 mm 9781784534660 - Professor Clive Jones, Chair in Regional Security, School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University www.ibtauris.com

February – March 2016 The Middle East in London 29 Centre. Voltolini presents her authoritarianism. Yet since the Tuesday 16 February of the people she has encountered paper investigating lobbying and unrest began we have seen the in Syria and her experience of framing in EU foreign policy Muslim Brotherhood rise to 5:45 pm | Money and Value: covering the country. Tickets: towards the Middle East and power, only to be overthrown From Qur'an to Contemporary £12.50/£10 conc. (students & North Africa. Chair: Federica by an army strongman - but is Islamic Economics (Lecture) 65+). Frontline Club, 13 Norfolk Bicchi (LSE). Admission free. Pre- this just the start? Additional Ersilia Francesca (University Place, W2 1QJ. T 020 7479 8940 booking required. Room B.07, 32 speakers to be announced. Tickets: of Naples “L’Orientale”). E [email protected] W Lincoln's Inn Fields, LSE. T 020 £12.50/£10 conc. (students & Organised by: London Middle www.frontlineclub.com 7955 6198 E [email protected] W 65+). Frontline Club, 13 Norfolk East Institute, SOAS (LMEI). www.lse.ac.uk/middleEastCentre/ Place, W2 1QJ. T 020 7479 8940 Francesca's presentation will aim 7:00 pm | Bright Finds, Big E [email protected] W to investigate the way that Islamic City: Production and Trade 7:00 pm | A Line in Lebanon's www.frontlineclub.com economic ethics – as derived from in Medieval Ephesus (Turkey) Sand (Talk) Organised by: British the Qur'an and Prophetic sunna (Lecture) Joanita Vroom (Leiden Lebanese Association. James Barr. Th ursday 11 February – can infl uence the believers’ University). Organised by: Islamic Talk by Barr on Edward Spears and attitude toward earning money Art Circle at SOAS. Part of the the events surrounding Lebanon's 7:00 pm | Possible and Imaginary and entrepreneurial activities in Islamic Art Circle at SOAS Lecture Independence in 1943. Tickets: Lives (Talk) Organised by: Th e contemporary times. Part of the Programme. Chair: Scott Redford £20/£10 students. Pre-booking Mosaic Rooms. Yasmine Eid- LMEI’s Tuesday Evening Lecture (SOAS). Admission free. Khalili advised. Royal Th ames Yacht Sabbagh discusses the exhibition Programme on the Contemporary Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. T 0771 Club, 60 Knightsbridge, London and book project that traces the Middle East. Admission free. 408 7480 E rosalindhaddon@ SW1X 7LF. T 020 7370 1966 E lives of four Palestinian-Lebanese Khalili Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. T gmail.com W www.soas.ac.uk/art/ [email protected] W www. sisters who are exiled in diff erent 020 7898 4330/4490 E vp6@soas. islac/ britishlebanese.org places across the globe. Admission ac.uk W www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/ free. Pre-booking required. E events/ 7:00 pm | Gaza as Metaphor Wednesday 10 February [email protected] Th e (Book Launch) Organised by: Th e Mosaic Rooms, AM Qattan 6:30 pm | C R Ashbee’s Vision of Mosaic Rooms and Hurst. Event 6:00 pm | Th e Road Taken - Main Foundation, Tower House, 226 Jerusalem, the English Arts and to mark the launch of Gaza as Discoveries in the Excavations in Cromwell Road, London SW5 Craft s Movement in the Middle Metaphor (Edited by Helga Tawil- the City of Jerusalem (Lecture) 0SW. T 020 7370 9990 E info@ East (Lecture) Benedict Leigh Souri and Dina Matar, Hurst, Ronny Reich (University of mosaicrooms.org W http:// (UCL Qatar, BM). Organised by: 2016), see listing below, Th ursday Haifa). Organised by: Anglo mosaicrooms.org/ Royal Asiatic Society. Admission 18 February, for more information Israel Archaeological Society free. Royal Asiatic Society, 14 on the book. Editors Tawil-Souri and the Institute of Archaeology, Monday 15 February Stephenson Way, London N1 and Matar will be in conversation UCL. Followed by refreshments. 2HD. E [email protected] with contributor Ilan Pappé. Admission free. B404 Lecture 5:15 pm | Th e Use of Law as an W http://royalasiaticsociety.org/ Admission free. Pre-booking Th eatre 2, Th e Cruciform Instrument of Power in Sudan required. E rsvp@mosaicrooms. Building, Gower Street, University and South Sudan (Lecture) Ali Wednesday 17 February org Th e Mosaic Rooms, A.M. College London WC1E 6BT. T 020 Agab (Sudanese Human Rights Qattan Foundation, Tower House, 8349 5754 W www.aias.org.uk Lawyer). Organised by: Centre 6:45 pm | Monir (Film) Organised 226 Cromwell Road, London of African Studies, SOAS (CAS). by: Asia House and the Iran SW5 0SW. T 020 7370 9990 E 6:30 pm | Saudi-British Society Sudan-South Sudan Series. Agab Heritage Foundation (IHF). [email protected] W http:// Annual Dinner Organised by: examines the nature, underlying Dir Bahman Kiarostami (2014), mosaicrooms.org/ Th e Saudi-British Society. Th e rationale and impact of the use of Iran, 54 mins. Documentary Society’s Annual Dinner held in law as an instrument of power in looking at the life and work of Th ursday 18 February conjunction with the presentation Sudan since 1989 and considers Iranian artist Monir Shahroudy of the Rawabi Holding Awards. emerging parallels in South Farmanfarmaian, who fi rst 5:45 pm | Building a Sense Th e awards, for making a Sudan, such as the broad National garnered attention in the 1970s of Community: People and signifi cant contribution to Saudi- Security Services Law adopted when she pioneered contemporary Architecture in Neolithic British relations, will be presented in 2015. Discussant: Mashood forms of geometric mirror Jordan (Lecture) Bill Finlayson by the donor, Abdulaziz al Turki, Baderin (CAS/SOAS). Chair: works. In Persian and English (Council for British Research to Judy Houry MBE and Ali Lutz Oette (Centre for Human with English subtitles. Followed in the Levant). Organised by: Almihdar LLM PhD. Tickets: Rights Law, SOAS). Admission by Q&A with the producer of MBI Al Jaber Foundation and £30. Pre-booking required. E free. Room 4429, SOAS. E cas@ the documentary, Leyla Fakhr. the Council for British Research [email protected] soas.ac.uk W www.soas.ac.uk/cas/ Tickets: £8/£6 conc. Asia House, in the Levant (CBRL). Part of Institute of Directors, 116 Pall events/ 63 New Cavendish Street, London the MBI Al Jaber Foundation Mall, London SW1. W1G 7LP. T 020 7307 5454 W Lecture Series. Admission free. 6:15 pm | Too Much www.asiahouse.org Pre-registration required. MBI Al 7:00 pm | Revolutionary Egypt Coincidence? Archaeological- Jaber Conference Room, London Five Years On (Panel Discussion) Textual Complementarity in 7:00 pm | Insight with Janine di Middle East Institute, SOAS Jack Shenker (former Egypt Anatolian Funerary Practices Giovanni - Dispatches from Syria (LMEI), University of London, correspondent for the Guardian (2nd millennium BC) (Seminar) (Talk) Organised by: Frontline MBI Al Jaber Building, 21 Russell and author of Th e Egyptians – A Yağmur Heff ron (UCL). Club. In May 2012, di Giovanni Square, London WC1B 5EA. E Radical Story). Organised by: Organised by: London Centre for travelled to Syria to cover the [email protected] W Frontline Club. It is half a decade the Ancient Near East. Ancient peaceful demonstrations. It www.mbifoundation.com since Egypt's revolution fi rst Near East Seminar. Admission would mark the beginning of a erupted, promising something free. L67, SOAS. E [email protected] relationship with the country that 6:00 pm | WHO’S HIDING HERE? more than a binary choice W http://banealcane.org/lcane/ would continue to draw her back. Artists and their Signatures between Islamism and military In this talk she shares the stories in Persian Manuscripts of the

30 The Middle East in London February – March 2016 Kamran Djam Annual Lectures at SOAS (2016) Wednesday 3 and Thursday 4 February 2016 Centre for Iranian Studies, London Middle East InsƟ tute Two Lectures by Professor Leili Anvar InsƟ tut des Langues et des CivilsaƟ ons Orientales, Paris

Poetry as the Language of Desire

Lecture One: “Bûy-e jû-ye Mûlîyân”: Some consideraƟ ons on desire, exile and

poetry from Rûdakî to Rûmî, Wednesday: 7.00pm Preceded by a recepƟ on at 6.00pm in the Brunei Suite

Lecture Two: The quest of Majnûn: tribulaƟ ons of a lover, Thursday: 7.00pm

Khalili Lecture Theatre SOAS, University of London, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG

Admission Free - All Welcome

Enquiries Tel. No. 020 7898 4330 E-mail [email protected] Website www.soas.ac.uk/lmei-cis/events/ February – March 2016 The Middle East in London 31 LONDON LONDON MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE MIDDLE EAST SOAS, University of London INSTITUTE

TUESDAY LECTURE PROGRAMME ON THE CONTEMPORARY MIDDLE EAST SPRING 2016

2 February Between Radical Islam and Kurdishness: Hizbullah in Eastern Turkey Mehmet Kurt, Bingol University Chair: Nadje Al-Ali 9 February Reading Week 16 February Money and Value: From Qur'an to Contemporary Islamic Economics Ersilia Francesca, University of Naples “L’Orientale” 23 February Lebanon and the 21st Century: Everyday Life in Times of Permanent Crisis Andrew Arsan, University of Cambridge 1 March Civil Resistance in North Africa since 2010 Panel Discussion with Adam Roberts, University of Oxford Chair: Charles Tripp, SOAS 8 March Decoding ISIS: A Contextual-Conjunctural Analysis of Sectarian Confl ict in Iraq Kamran Matin, University of Sussex 15 March Violence and the City in the Modern Middle East Nelida Fuccaro, SOAS Chair: Charles Tripp, SOAS

TUESDAYS 5:45 PM KHALILI LECTURE THEATRE, MAIN BUILDING, SOAS The Lectures are free and open to all. Tea and biscuits are available from 5:15 pm For further information contact: The London Middle East Institute at SOAS, University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London, WC1H OXG, T: 020 7898 4330; E: [email protected], W: www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/

32 The Middle East in London February – March 2016 Early Modern Period (Seminar) Renewal in the Age of Post- 5:00 pm | When Th ey Broke Boya (Shine Shine) (Film) Yasmin Marianna Shreve Simpson Mongol Prestige (Symposium) Down the Door (Book Launch Fedda, Karen Boswall, Ruba Al (University of Pennsylvania Dick Davis (Ohio State & Reading) Fatemeh Shams and Akash. Organised by: Department and Princeton University Art University), Leonard Lewisohn Dick Davis. Event to mark the of Anthropology and Sociology, Museum) Organised by: Th e (Institute of Arab and Islamic publication of Sham's When Th ey SOAS. Ethnographic Film Series. Courtauld Institute of Art. Various Studies, University of Exeter), Broke Down the Door which as Queens of Syria (2014), 70 mins. Persian manuscripts dating from Shivan Mahendrarajah (American described by Davis 'Th e power of Fift y women from Syria, all forced the 15th and 16th centuries contain Institute of Afghanistan Studies, poetry to map the human heart into exile in Jordan, come together illustrations and illuminations Kabul), Bernard O'Kane has been a hallmark of Persian to create and perform their own signed by their artists in minute (American University in Cairo), culture for at least a thousand version of the Trojan Women, script. Shreve Simpson will Julia Rubanovich (Th e Hebrew years, and Fatemeh Shams wields the Ancient Greek tragedy about speculate on the motivations for University of Jerusalem), Marianna it unforgettably.' Admission free. the plight of women in war. Boya and signifi cance of these hidden Shreve Simpson (University of Khalili Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. E Boya (2014), 18 mins. Portrait of signatures within Persian artistic Pennsylvania and Princeton [email protected] Syrian refugee Mohammed, a 12 practices and the image and University Art Museum). year-old shoe shine boy, "Boya self-image of the artist in early Organised by: Centre for Iranian Monday 22 February Boya" (shine, shine) looks at the modern Iran. Admission free. Studies, SOAS and Th e Courtauld reality of the growing population Research Forum Seminar Room, Institute of Art, University of 5:15 pm | Th e Making of an of urban refugees from the point of Th e Courtauld Institute of Art, London. Sponsored by: Soudavar Egyptian Middle Class Society: view of a child. Convener: Stephen Somerset House, Strand, London Memorial Foundation. Th e twelft h Change and Contestation in an Hughes, SOAS. Admission free. WC2R 0RN. E researchforum@ programme in Th e Idea of Iran Age of Oil Boom and Open Door Khalili Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. E courtauld.ac.uk W http:// annual series. Th e symposium Policy (Seminar) Relli Schecter [email protected] W www.soas. courtauld.ac.uk/research/ will explore the 14th century (Ben-Gurion University of the ac.uk/anthropology/events/ research-forum/events in its own right as the time of Negev). Organised by: Department the emergence of local Iranian of History, SOAS. SOAS Near and 6:00 pm | Walking in Woolley's 6:30 pm | Oral and Pictorial dynasties in the face of continuing Middle Eastern History Seminar. footsteps: Ur Brought to Life for Accounts of the Iran-Iraq War Mongol prestige aft er the collapse Social commentators across the the Digital Age (Lecture) Birger (Lecture) Shirin Shafaie (SOAS). of the Ilkhanid dynasty. Convener: political spectrum and secular- Ekornåsvåg Helgestad (BM) and Organised by: Th e Iran Society. Sussan Babaie (Th e Courtauld religious divide commented on Jon Taylor (BM). Organised by: Doors open 6:30pm. Admission Institute of Art). Tickets: £15/£10 1970s and 1980s Egypt as a period Th e British Institute for the Study free for Society Members and conc. & LMEI Affi liates/students riddled with crises of all sorts, of Iraq. Sir Leonard Woolley’s one guest. Pall Mall Room, Th e free. Pre-booking required. Brunei Schecter looks at the family crisis excavations (1922–1934) at the Army & Navy Club, 36-39 Pall Gallery Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. T at the centre of which was infl ation ancient city of Ur captured the Mall, London SW1Y 5JN (Dress 020 7898 4330/4490 E vp6@soas. in marriage costs. Convener: world’s imagination. Helgestad code calls for gentlemen to wear ac.uk W www.soas.ac.uk/lmei-cis/ Derek Mancini-Lander (SOAS). and Taylor will give a talk on the jacket and tie). T 020 7235 5122 events/ Admission free. Room B104, Ur Project which will digitally E [email protected] W www. SOAS. E [email protected] W reunify all the objects found by iransociety.org / www.therag. 7:00 pm | Th e Voice of the daf www.soas.ac.uk/history/events/ Woolley at Ur in a new online co.uk (Kurdish frame drum) (Concert) resource. Admission free. Pre- Tickets: £15/£10 concs./£6 SOAS Tuesday 23 February booking required. Th e British 8:00 pm | Gaza as Metaphor students. DLT, SOAS. T 0780 1998 Academy, 10 Carlton House (Panel Discussion) Helga Tawil- 193 E moonlight_culture@yahoo. 5:45 pm | Lebanon and the 21st Terrace, London SW1Y 5AH. T Souri (NYU), Dina Matar (SOAS), com W www.thesantur.com century: Everyday Life in Times 020 7969 5274 E [email protected] Nimer Sultany (SOAS), Khaled of Permanent Crisis (Lecture) W www.bisi.ac.uk Hroub (Northwestern), Atef 8:00 pm | Egyptian Project Andrew Arsan (University of AlShaer (Westminster) and Jehad (Concert) Organised by: Marsm Cambridge). Organised by: 6:00 pm | Th e Syrian Refugee Abu Salim (NYU). Organised by: and sponsored by Alaraby TV London Middle East Institute, Crisis and the Challenge to the Centre for Media Studies, School Network. Th e sounds of the SOAS (LMEI). Drawing on his Arab State (Lecture) Filippo of Arts, SOAS and the Centre for Nile Delta and Cairo with the current research, Arsan's talk will Dionigi (LSE). Organised by: Palestine Studies, SOAS. Event ambiances of trip-hop, electro, provide a brief overview of some LSE Middle East Centre. Dionigi to mark the publication of Gaza hip-hop, and even classical of the tactics ordinary Lebanese discusses how states such as As Metaphor (Edited by Helga music. Tickets: £15/£12 (advance have devised to make do with Lebanon and Jordan have coped Tawil-Souri and Dina Matar, booking). Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal instability and to fi nd a way to live with the challenges of mass Hurst, 2016), a selection of essays Green Road, London E1 6LA. with the enervating, exhausting displacement within their borders by journalists, writers, doctors, E [email protected] W http:// realities of everyday life - from and looks at the future prospects academics and others, who use marsm.co.uk/ electricity shortages to traffi c and implications of forced mass metaphor to record and historicise jams and trash crises. Part of the displacement in the Middle East Gaza and to contextualise its Sunday 21 February LMEI’s Tuesday Evening Lecture for states in the region. Admission everyday realities. Chair: Gilbert Programme on the Contemporary free. Pre-booking required. Room Achcar (SOAS). Admission free. 3:00 pm | Get to Know the Temple Middle East. Admission free. 2.04, Clement House, LSE. T 020 Khalili Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. T of Solomon Organised by: Spiro Khalili Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. T 7955 6198 E [email protected] W 020 7898 4330/4490 E vp6@soas. Ark. Tickets: Admission free. Pre- 020 7898 4330/4490 E vp6@soas. www.lse.ac.uk/middleEastCentre/ ac.uk W www.soas.ac.uk/media- booking required. Th e Liberal ac.uk W www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/ studies/events/ Jewish Synagogue, 28 St John's events/ 7:00 pm | Th e Kaleidoscopic World Wood Road, London NW8 7HA. of Mamluk Carpets (Lecture) Saturday 20 February T 0207 7944 655 E Education@ Wednesday 24 February Roberta Marin. Organised by: spiroark.org W www.spiroark.org/ Oriental Rug and Textile Society, 9:30 am | Th e Idea of Iran: events/ 1:00 pm | Queens of Syria + Boya UK (ORTS). Marin will focus

February – March 2016 The Middle East in London 33 on the carpet production of the SW5 0SW. T 020 7370 9990 E London Middle East Institute, 6:15 pm | New Literary Sources Mamluk Empire (1250-1517). [email protected] W http:// SOAS (LMEI). Admission free. on Old Babylonian Religion Special attention will be dedicated mosaicrooms.org/ Brunei Gallery Lecture Th eatre, (Seminar) Christopher Metcalf on the patterns, the carpet trade SOAS. T 020 7898 4840/4830 E (Oxford). Organised by: London between Egypt and Italy and the Friday 26 February [email protected] W www.soas. Centre for the Ancient Near representation of Mamluk carpets ac.uk/cisd/events/ East. Ancient Near East Seminar. on Italian Renaissance paintings. 12:00 pm | History in the Making Admission free. L67, SOAS. Tickets: £7/£5 students. £20 for or False Dawn? How Close are E [email protected] W http:// membership of one year for 11 we to a Cyprus Agreement? Monday 29 February banealcane.org/lcane/ events. St James Conference (Seminar) Ioannis Grigoriadis Room, 197 Piccadilly, London (Bilkent University) Organised by: 5:15 pm | Th e Bunian Corpus W1J 9LL. E membership@ Organised by the SOAS Modern and the Materiality of Invisible EVENTS OUTSIDE orientalrugandtextilesociety. Turkish Studies Programme Worlds (Seminar) Noah Gardiner LONDON org.uk W www. (London Middle East Institute, (Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms- orientalrugandtextilesociety.org. SOAS) and Modern Greek Universität Bonn). Organised by: uk Studies (Kings College London). Department of History, SOAS. Th ursday 4 February Sponsored by Nurol Bank. Part SOAS Near and Middle Eastern Th ursday 25 February of the Greek-Turkish Encounters History Seminar. Gardiner 5:15 pm | Th e Syrian Refugee Series. Admission free. Conveners: examines issues of materiality in Crisis and the Impact on the Arab 7:30 pm | Th e Moment Gamon McLellan (SOAS) and the study of premodern Islamic State: A Preliminary Assessment (Performance) Organised by: Yorgos Dedes (SOAS). Room 116, occultism, with a focus on the (Lecture) Filippo Dionigi (LSE). Th e Mosaic Rooms. Solo dance SOAS. E [email protected] / gm29@ late-Ayyubid and Mamluk era Organised by: Centre of Islamic performance by dancer, performer soas.ac.uk W www.soas.ac.uk/ circulation and reception of Studies and the Centre for the and choreographer Salah El lmei/events/ the written teachings of the study of the International Relations Brogy created during a month- North African Sufi and putative of the Middle East and North long residency in Morocco. 6:00 pm | Title TBC (Panel “magician” Ahmad al-Buni (d. Africa in Cambridge, University Followed by a Q&A with Salah El Discussion) Sharon Dolev (Israeli 1225 or 1231-2 CE). Convener: of Cambridge. Admission free. Brogy. Tickets: £10. Pre-booking Disarmament Movement - IDM), Derek Mancini-Lander (SOAS). Th omas Gray Room, Pembroke required. E rsvp@mosaicrooms. Dan Plesch (CISD) and others Admission free. Room B104, College, Cambridge CB2 1RF. T org Th e Mosaic Rooms, A.M. TBC. Organised by: Centre SOAS. E [email protected] W 01223 335103 W www.cis.cam. Qattan Foundation, Tower House, for International Studies and www.soas.ac.uk/history/events/ ac.uk 226 Cromwell Road, London Diplomacy, SOAS (CISD) and

Arabic Immersion Course 19-24 March 2016 This intensive language training is designed and will be delivered by an experienced team of tertiary-level language teachers. In addition to simulating the environment of studying in the Middle East, the course will also offer several one-off lectures delivered by academics and visiting scholars at SOAS.

Beginners Arabic This course offers an interactive Modern Standard Arabic course for complete beginners with an understanding of the differences between the spoken languages of the Arabic-speaking countries. A balance of receptive (reading, listening) and productive (speaking, writing) skills are developed through communicative classes and self-study. The aim of the course is to enable students to function at a basic everyday survival level.

Intermediate Arabic Students will continue to develop the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing at an intermediate level which will involve describing events and feelings, expressing opinions and plans while being able to enter unprepared into conversation. The course includes a wide range of topics relating to everyday life (family, hobbies, work, travel, and current events). This course is for students who have previously completed a Beginners level.

Fees: £400 (£300 for early bird before 1 March 2016) SOAS students, alumni and LMEI affi liates have 10% discount.

For further information contact: Louise Hosking E: [email protected] T: 020 7898 4330

34 The Middle East in London February – March 2016 Friday 5 February 6:45 pm | Persian Classical Middle East – Contextualising Iranian tenor Shahram Nazeri, the Music for Norouz (Performance) Community (Panel Discussion) fi rst performer to set the poetry 6:30 pm | Report Launch: Organised by: Asia House and the Organised by: Armenian Institute of Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic Narratives of Conversion to Iran Heritage Foundation (IHF). and the London Middle East Rumi to traditional Persian music, Islam – Male Perspectives (Talk) An improvised performance based Institute, SOAS (LMEI). Panel performs music from across his Organised by: Centre of Islamic on Iranian classical repertoire discussion on the book, Diasporas 35 year career – bringing together Studies, University of Cambridge. with a contemporary approach. of the Modern Middle East – sacred Sufi poetry with classical Report launch to discuss and With Hossein Alishapour (vocal), Contextualising Community Iranian music. Tickets: £29-£99. refl ect on a report focused on the Mehdi Rostami (setar), Adib (Edinburgh University Press, Hall, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, experiences of nearly 50 British Rostami (tombak). Tickets: £5. 2015) with the editors, Anthony London EC2Y 8DS. T 020 7638 men of all ages, ethnicities, Asia House, 63 New Cavendish Gorman (University of 8891 E [email protected] W backgrounds and faiths (or no Street, London W1G 7LP. T 020 Edinburgh) and Sossie Kasbarian www.barbican.org.uk faith) – who have all converted 7307 5454 W www.asiahouse.org (Lancaster University), and to Islam. Admission free. Room contributors May Farah (America Monday 7 March 3, Mill Lane Lecture Rooms, Wednesday 2 March University of Beirut), Maria Holt University of Cambridge CB21. (University of Westminster) 5:00 pm | Th e ‘Right’ Education T 01223 335103 W www.cis.cam. 6:00 pm | Alternative and Haris Th eodorelis-Rigas in Israel Versus the Counter- ac.uk Universalisms? Contemporary (Istanbul). Approaching the Knowledge of the Palestinian Turkish Discourses on Culture in Middle East through the lens of Teachers: Th e Case of Citizenship Th ursday 18 February International Relations (Lecture) Diaspora Studies, the 11 detailed Education” (Lecture) Ayman K Katerina Dalacoura (LSE). case studies in this volume explore Agbaria (Centre for Research and 5:15 pm | Can Yemen Remain Organised by: LSE Middle East the experiences of diff erent Evaluation in Muslim Education, United? (Lecture) Noel Brehony Centre. Drawing on the fi ndings diasporic communities in and UCL Institute of Education). (Menas Associates). Organised of a research project funded by of the region, and look at the Organised by: Centre for Palestine by: Centre of Islamic Studies, the British Academy, the lecture, changing conceptions and practice Studies, SOAS. Agbaria sheds University of Cambridge. and the project, aim to enrich of diaspora in the modern Middle light on the infl uence of the Admission free. Th omas Gray the theoretical study of culture East. Followed by a reception in Israeli right-wing politics on the Room, Pembroke College, in the discipline of International the Brunei Suite. Admission free. education system, focusing on Cambridge CB2 1RF. T 01223 Relations and contribute to the Room B102, SOAS. T 020 7898 citizenship education and explains 335103 W www.cis.cam.ac.uk current public debate on the 4330 E [email protected] W www. how these politics have moulded role of culture in world politics. soas.ac.uk/lmei/events/ the parameters of the Israeli Admission free. Pre-booking educational regime. Chair: Nimer MARCH EVENTS required. Wolfson Th eatre, New 7:30 pm | Akhnaten (Performance) Sultany (SOAS). Admission free. Academic Building, LSE. T 020 Until Friday 18 March (various MBI Al Jaber Conference Room, Tuesday 1 March 7955 6198 E [email protected] W dates and times). Th e last of Philip London Middle East Institute, www.lse.ac.uk/middleEastCentre/ Glass’s trilogy of ‘portrait’ operas. SOAS (LMEI), University of 4:30 pm | Th e Notion of Salafi yya: Divine ruler of Egypt, husband to London, MBI Al Jaber Building, Between Saudi Arabia and Th ursday 3 March Nefertiti, father of a new religion. 21 Russell Square, London WC1B Turkey (Seminar) Andrew Akhnaten decrees that the sun 5EA. T 020 7898 4330/4490 E Hammond (University of Oxford). 4:00 pm | Refl ections in Ancient god rules supreme, and the old [email protected] W www.soas. Organised by: LSE Kuwait Coins of the Maccabean Struggle gods must be banished from their ac.uk/lmei-cps/events/ Programme. Salafi sm, with its against Seleucid Rule (Lecture) temples. But instead, his people semantic confusions, is fi nding David Jacobson (UCL) Organised turn upon their Pharaoh as a 5:15 pm | Objects of Devotion: its way from Arabic and the Saudi by: Anglo Israel Archaeological traitor. Akhnaten must die. Will Palestinian Migrants and sphere into Turkey and the Turkish Society and the Palestine his new faith live on? Sung in Th eir Prayer Beads, 1850- language. How did it happen? Exploration Fund. Admission free. Egyptian, Hebrew and Akkadian 1948 (Seminar) Jacob Norris What are its consequences? Pre-booking required. T 020 7323 with no surtitles. Tickets: From (University of Sussex). Organised Admission free. 9.04, Tower 1, 8181 W www.britishmuseum.org £12. English National Opera, St by: Department of History, SOAS. Clement’s Inn, LSE. T 020 7955 Stevenson Lecture Th eatre, Clore Martin's Lane, London WC2N SOAS Near and Middle Eastern 6639 E [email protected] W Education Centre, BM. T 020 8349 4ES. T 020 7845 9300 E box. History Seminar. Norris revisits www.lse.ac.uk/middleEastCentre/ 5754 W www.aias.org.uk offi [email protected] W www.eno.org the early history of the Palestinian kuwait/events/Home.aspx diaspora: a period of Palestinian 7:30 pm | Cairokee (Concert) 8:00 pm | Alsarah and Th e migration marked by choice 5:45 pm | Civil Resistance in Organised by: Marsm and Nubatones (Concert) Organised and opportunity rather than North Africa since 2010 (Panel sponsored by Alaraby TV by: Marsm and sponsored by enforced exile. But he approaches Discussion) Organised by: Network. Cairokee’s sound Alaraby TV Network. East- these pre-1948 movements London Middle East Institute, evolved tremendously from one African retro-pop from the through a peculiar lens: that of SOAS (LMEI). Panel discussion album to the next, refl ecting their acclaimed Sudenese-born singer the prayer beads that Palestinian with Adam Roberts, other goals and continuous ambition Alsarah. Tickets: £15/£12.50 migrants commonly carried participants TBC. Chair: Charles to sing along with Cairo. Tickets: (advance booking). Rich Mix, 35- in their suitcases. Convener: Tripp (SOAS). Part of the £18.59. Students Central, Th e 47 Bethnal Green Road, London Derek Mancini-Lander (SOAS). LMEI’s Tuesday Evening Lecture Venue, Malet Street, London E1 6LA. E [email protected] W Admission free. Room B104, Programme on the Contemporary WC1E 7HY. E [email protected] http://marsm.co.uk/ SOAS. E [email protected] W Middle East. Admission free. W http://marsm.co.uk/ www.soas.ac.uk/history/events/ Khalili Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. T Saturday 5 March 020 7898 4330/4490 E vp6@soas. Friday 4 March 6:15 pm | Finding the Philistines: ac.uk W www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/ 8:00 pm | Shahram Nazeri - Th e Ceramic Evidence of the events/ 7:00 pm | Diasporas of the Modern Knight of the Voice (Concert) Th e Northern Sea Peoples at Tell

February – March 2016 The Middle East in London 35 Tayinat (Seminar) Brian Janeway of Vanja Hamzić's (SOAS) new (Booking Fee). Studio, ICA, 12 elevated to the status of public (Tayinat Archaeological Project). book on sexual and gender Carlton House Terrace, London icons. Convenor: Derek Mancini- Organised by: London Centre for diversity in the Muslim world SW1Y 5AH. T 020 7930 3647 W Lander, SOAS. Admission free. the Ancient Near East. Ancient Sexual and Gender Diversity in the www.ica.org.uk Room B104, SOAS. E dm40@soas. Near East Seminar. Admission Muslim World: History, Law and ac.uk W www.soas.ac.uk/history/ free. L67, SOAS. E [email protected] Vernacular Knowledge (IB Tauris, 6:00 pm | Th e Law of Denial: events/ W http://banealcane.org/lcane/ 2015). Admission free. Brunei Perinçek v. Switzerland (Seminar) Suite, SOAS. E [email protected] Başak Ertür (Birkbeck College) 6:15 pm | Life and Death at the Tuesday 8 March W www.soas.ac.uk/law/events/ Organised by: Organised by the Southern Border of Ancient SOAS Modern Turkish Studies Egypt: three case studies 5:45 pm | Decoding ISIS: A 6:00 pm | Caravans, Conquests, Programme (London Middle (Seminar) Martin Bommas Contextual-Conjunctural and Crossings: Aesthetics East Institute, SOAS). Sponsored (Birmingham University). Analysis of Sectarian Confl ict of African, Arab, and by Nurol Bank. Admission free. Organised by: London Centre for in Iraq (Lecture) Kamran Matin Mediterranean Movement in Convener: Gamon McLellan the Ancient Near East. Ancient (University of Sussex). Organised Algerian Sufi Music (Lecture) (SOAS) and Yorgos Dedes (SOAS). Near East Seminar. Admission by: London Middle East Institute, Tamara Turner (King's College Room 116, SOAS. E gd5@soas. free. L67, SOAS. E [email protected] SOAS (LMEI). Matin will seek London). Organised by: Society ac.uk / [email protected] W www. W http://banealcane.org/lcane/ to provide a holistic account for Algerian Studies in conjunction soas.ac.uk/lmei/events/ of ISIS through a historical with LSE. Presentation by Turner Tuesday 15 March materialist form of contextual and in which she analyses the complex 6:30 pm | Th e Hundred Year War conjunctural analysis and argues ways in which musical aesthetics in Palestine (Lecture) Organised 5:45 pm | Civil Resistance in that central to understanding in Algeria negotiate and perform by: Centre for Palestine Studies, North Africa since 2010 (Book ISIS's success is explaining Sunni politicized identities. Chair: John SOAS. Rashid Khalidi (Columbia Launch) Nelida Fuccaro (SOAS). Arab support-base in Iraq, ISIS's King (Society for Algerian Studies). University). Centre for Palestine Organised by: London Middle birthplace and geopolitical Admission free. Pre-booking Studies Annual Lecture. Th e East Institute, SOAS (LMEI). centre of gravity. Part of the required. Wolfson Th eatre, New Balfour Declaration of 1917 Event with the editor, Fuccaro, to LMEI’s Tuesday Evening Lecture Academic Buiding, LSE. E info@ launched what amounts to a mark the publication of her latest Programme on the Contemporary algerianstudies.org.uk W www.lse. hundred years of war against the book Violence and the City in the Middle East. Admission free. ac.uk/middleEastCentre/ Palestinians. A much distorted Modern Middle East (Stanford Khalili Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. T and maligned feature of this long University Press, 2016) which 020 7898 4330/4490 E vp6@soas. Th ursday 10 March war has been the Palestinians’ explores violence in the public ac.uk W www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/ continuing resistance, against lives of modern Middle Eastern events/ 6:00 pm | Scribes and Libraries heavy odds, to what amounts to cities, approaching violence in the Mamluk Period (Lecture) one of the last ongoing attempts as an individual and collective Wednesday 9 March Doris Behrens-Abouseif (SOAS). at colonial subjugation in the experience, a historical event, Organised by: Royal Asiatic modern world. Admission free. and an urban process. Chair: 5:00 pm | Knowledge Production Society. Admission free. Royal Brunei Gallery Lecture Th eatre, Charles Tripp (SOAS). Part of the in the Arab World (Lecture) Sari Asiatic Society, 14 Stephenson SOAS. T 020 7898 4330/4490 E LMEI’s Tuesday Evening Lecture Hanafi (American University of Way, London N1 2HD. E ar@ [email protected] W www.soas. Programme on the Contemporary Beirut). Organised by: Centre for royalasiaticsociety.org W http:// ac.uk/lmei-cps/events/ Middle East. Admission free. Palestine Studies, SOAS. Lecture royalasiaticsociety.org/ Khalili Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. T by Hanafi to mark the publication Saturday 12 March 020 7898 4330/4490 E vp6@soas. of Knowledge Production in 7:00 pm | Ideologies in ac.uk W www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/ the Arab World: Th e Impossible Archaeology: Re-imagination 7:00 pm | A Musical Celebration events/ Promise (Hanafi , S and Arvanitis, of Iranian Identity through of Nowruz with Persian, Kurdish R, Routledge, 2015) in which ‘Dialogue among Civilisations’ and Azari Music (Concert) 5:15 pm | Why Some Contentious the authors investigate research during the Khatami period Tickets: £15/£10 concs./£6 SOAS Movements Fail: Th e Case of practices in the Arab world, using (Lecture) Rana Daroogheh (Iran students. DLT, SOAS. T 0780 1998 the Syrian Opposition (Lecture) multiple case studies from the Heritage Foundation (IHF) 193 E moonlight_culture@yahoo. Jasmine Gani (University of region with particular focus on Visiting Fellow in Iranian Studies). com W www.thesantur.com St Andrews). Organised by: Lebanon and Jordan. Admission Organised by: Centre for Iranian LSE Middle East Centre. Gani free. MBI Al Jaber Conference Studies, SOAS. Admission free. Monday 14 March presents her paper, drawing upon Room, London Middle East DLT, SOAS. T 020 7898 4330/4490 a contentious politics framework Institute, SOAS (LMEI), E [email protected] W www.soas. 5:15 pm | Portrait of the Martyr to assess the successes and failures University of London, MBI Al ac.uk/lmei-cis/events/ as a Young Man: Th e Social Life of the Syrian external opposition, Jaber Building, 21 Russell Square, of Photographs in Revolutionary represented by the Syrian National London WC1B 5EA. T 020 7898 Friday 11 March Egypt (Seminar) Lucie Ryzova Coalition (SNC). Chair: John 4330/4490 E [email protected] W (University of Birmingham). Chalcraft (LSE). Admission free. www.soas.ac.uk/lmei-cps/events/ 1:00 pm | Culture Now: Hajra Organised by: Department of Pre-booking required. Room 9.04, Waheed (Talk) Organised by: History, SOAS. SOAS Near and Tower 2, Clement's Inn, LSE. T 020 6:00 pm | Sexual and Gender Institute of Contemporary Arts Middle Eastern History Seminar. 7955 6198 E [email protected] W Diversity in the Muslim World: (ICA). Artist Hajra Waheed Ryzova looks at the social lives of www.lse.ac.uk/middleEastCentre/ History, Law and Vernacular discusses her practice on photographs of young Egyptians Knowledge (Book Launch & the occasion of her fi rst UK who died in the revolution’s many Wednesday 16 March Reception) Rahul Rao (SOAS) presentation of the ‘fi rst chapter’ events over the past (almost) 5 years and Ziba Mir-Hosseini (SOAS). from her work Sea Change at Th e and who have become martyrs: 5:00 pm | On the Th reshold Organised by: SOAS School of Mosaic Rooms (see Exhibitions their ordinary ID photographs of Statelessness: Palestinian Law. Event to mark the publication pp...). Tickets: £5.00 + £1.00 or private snapshots have been Narratives of Loss and Erasure

36 The Middle East in London February – March 2016 (Seminar) Elena Fiddian- certain types of extremism? Chair: Highland Yemen (Lecture) Trevor Tuesday 22 March Qasmiyeh (UCL). Organised by: Peter Neumann (King's College Marchand (SOAS). Organised by: Centre for Migration and Diaspora London). Admission free. Pre- MBI Al Jaber Foundation and 4:30 pm | Th e Four Eras of Qatari Studies, SOAS. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh booking required. Sheikh Zayed the British Foundation for the Foreign Policy (Seminar) David examines how Palestinians living Th eatre, New Academic Building, Study of Arabia (BFSA). Part of Roberts (King’s College London). in France, Sweden and the UK LSE. T 020 7955 6198 E s.sfeir@ the MBI Al Jaber Foundation Organised by: LSE Kuwait negotiate, mobilise and/or resist, lse.ac.uk W www.lse.ac.uk/ Lecture Series. Admission free. Programme. Without the capacity and ultimately problematize, middleEastCentre/ Pre-registration required. MBI Al to eff ectively involve itself in the notions of statelessness as a Jaber Conference Room, London Gordian confl icts that emerged concept and as a marker of identity. 7:00 pm | Th e Fift h Bahari Middle East Institute, SOAS from the Arab Spring, Qatar Admission free. Room G52, SOAS. Foundation Lecture in Iranian (LMEI), University of London, gained a reputation as a dangerous E [email protected] W www. Art and Culture: New Th oughts MBI Al Jaber Building, 21 Russell dilatant, stoking anger among key soas.ac.uk/migrationdiaspora/ on the Freer's Khusraw u Shirin Square, London WC1B 5EA. E allies in the Arab and western seminarsevents/ manuscript (Lecture) Simon [email protected] W worlds. Its young Emir must now Rettig (Freer Gallery of Art www.mbifoundation.com navigate a hazardous path between 6:00 pm | Engineers of Jihad: and Arthur M Sackler Gallery, promoting the maintenance of old Th e Curious Connection Smithsonian Institution). Friday 18 March associations and the reality that between Violent Extremism Organised by: Islamic Art Circle Qatar struggles to control and use and Education (Lecture) Steff en at SOAS. Part of the Islamic 1:15 pm | Th ey Tried to Kill Us, these relations eff ectively. Chair: Hertog (LSE) and Diego Gambetta Art Circle at SOAS Lecture We Survived Let’s Eat! Jewish Courtney Freer (LSE Kuwait (European University Institute, Programme. Chair: Scott Redford, Celebrations in the Israeli Programme). Admission free. Italy). Organised by: LSE Middle SOAS. Admission free. Khalili Household (Seminar) Claudia Room 9.04, Tower 1, Clement’s East Centre. Under which Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. T 0771 Prieto Piastro (Institute of Middle Inn, LSE. T 020 7955 6639 E socioeconomic conditions do 408 7480 E rosalindhaddon@ Eastern Studies, King’s College [email protected] W www.lse. people join extremist groups? Does gmail.com W www.soas.ac.uk/art/ London). Organised by: SOAS ac.uk/middleEastCentre/kuwait/ the profi le of extremists refl ect how islac/ Food Studies Centre. SOAS Food events/Home.aspx they self-select into extremism Forum. Convener: Harry West, or how groups recruit them? Th ursday 17 March SOAS. Admission free. Room Wednesday 23 March Does ideology matter in sorting 4426, SOAS. E soasfoodstudies@ who joins which group? Lastly, 5:45 pm | Architecture that ‘Fills soas.ac.uk W www.soas.ac.uk/ 6:30 pm | Th e Achaemenid is there a mindset susceptible to the Eye’: Building Traditions in foodstudies/forum/ Persian Heritage: Greeks and dŚĞ/ĚĞĂŽĨ/ƌĂŶ͗ZĞŶĞǁĂůŝŶƚŚĞŐĞŽĨWŽƐƚͲDŽŶŐŽůWƌĞƐƟŐĞ 9.30 - 18.00, Saturday 20 February 2016 Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre, SOAS, University of London, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG 9.30KƌŐĂŶŝƐĞĚďLJdŚĞĞŶƚƌĞĨŽƌ/ƌĂŶŝĂŶ^ƚƵĚŝĞƐ͕^K^͕hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJŽ - 18.00, Saturday 20 February 2016 Brunei Gallery LectureĨ>ŽŶĚŽŶĂŶĚdŚĞŽƵƌƚĂƵůĚ/ŶƐƟƚƵƚĞŽĨƌƚ͘ Theatre, SOAS, University of London Organised^ƉŽŶƐŽƌĞĚďLJƚŚĞ^ŽƵĚĂǀĂƌDĞŵŽƌŝĂů&ŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶ͘ŽŶǀĞŶĞĚďLJƌ^Ƶ by The Centre for Iranian Studies, SOAS and The CourtauldƐƐĂŶĂďĂĞŝ͕dŚĞŽƵƌƚĂƵůĚ/ŶƐƟƚƵƚĞŽĨƌƚ Institute of Art, University of London dŚĞDŽŶŐŽůŝŶǀĂƐŝŽŶƐŽĨƚŚĞĮƌƐƚŚĂůĨŽĨƚŚĞƚŚŝƌƚĞĞŶƚŚĐĞŶƚƵƌLJƐĞƚŝŶŵŽƟŽŶƉƌŽĨŽƵŶĚƚƌĂŶƐĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶƐ ŝŶƚŚĞŚŝƐƚŽƌŝĐĂůƚƌĂũĞĐƚŽƌLJŽĨ/ƐůĂŵŝĐtĞƐƚƐŝĂ͘dŚĞƉƌĞǀŝŽƵƐƐLJŵƉŽƐŝƵŵŝŶƚŚŝƐƐĞƌŝĞƐŽŶƚŚĞ/ĚĞĂŽĨ /ƌĂŶŝŶǀĞƐƟŐĂƚĞĚƚŚĞŝŵŵĞĚŝĂƚĞĞīĞĐƚƐŽĨDŽŶŐŽůƌƵůĞĚƵƌŝŶŐƚŚĞ/ůŬŚĂŶŝĚƉĞƌŝŽĚ͕ǁŚŝĐŚŚĂĚƐƉŽŶƐŽƌĞĚ ƚŚĞƌĞŝŶƐƚĂƚĞŵĞŶƚŽĨ/ƌĂŶŝĂŶĐƵůƚƵƌĂůŝĚĞŶƟƟĞƐŝŶ'ƌĞĂƚĞƌ/ƌĂŶ͕The Mongol invasions of the fi rst half of the thirteenth/ƌĂƋ͕ŶĂƚŽůŝĂ͕ĂŶĚƚŚĞĂƵĐĂƐƵƐ͘ZĂƚŚĞƌ century set in motion ƚŚĂŶŵŽǀŝŶŐŝŵŵĞĚŝĂƚĞůLJƚŽƚŚĞŶĞdžƚŵĂũŽƌĚLJŶĂƐƚLJŝŶƚŚĞƌĞŐŝŽŶ͕ƚŚĞƉƌĞƐĞŶƚƐLJŵƉŽƐŝƵŵǁŝůůĞdžƉůŽƌĞ ƚŚĞĨŽƵƌƚĞĞŶƚŚĐĞŶƚƵƌLJŝŶŝƚƐŽǁŶƌŝŐŚƚĂƐƚŚĞƟŵĞŽĨƚŚĞĞŵĞƌŐprofound transformations in the historical trajectoryĞŶĐĞŽĨůŽĐĂů/ƌĂŶŝĂŶĚLJŶĂƐƟĞƐŝŶƚŚĞ of Islamic West Asia. ĨĂĐĞŽĨĐŽŶƟŶƵŝŶŐDŽŶŐŽůƉƌĞƐƟŐĞĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐƚŚĞĐŽůůĂƉƐĞŽĨƚŚĞThe previous symposium in this series on the /ůŬŚĂŶŝĚĚLJŶĂƐƚLJĂŶĚƚŚĞĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚIdea of Iran investigated the ŽĨĂůƚĞƌŶĂƟǀĞŵŽĚĞůƐŽĨĂƵƚŚŽƌŝƚLJ͘LJƚŚĞŵŝĚĚůĞŽĨƚŚĞϭϯϯϬƐ͕immediate effects of Mongol rule during theƚŚĞ/ůŬŚĂŶĂƚĞŝŶ/ƌĂŶŚĂĚďĞĞŶƌĞƉůĂĐĞĚ Ilkhanid period, which had ďLJsponsored ƌĞŐŝŽŶĂů ƐƵĐĐĞƐƐŽƌ the reinstatement ƉŽůŝƟĞƐ͕ ŵĂŬŝŶŐ ƌŽŽŵ of Iranian ĨŽƌ Ă ŵƵůƟƉůŝĐŝƚLJ cultural ŽĨidentities ĐƵůƚƵƌĂů͕ ƉŽůŝƟĐĂů in Greater ĂŶĚ ƌĞůŝŐŝŽƵƐ Iran, Iraq, ĂƌĞŶ ǁŝƚŚƚŚĞŝƌŽǁŶƌĞŐŝŽŶĂůĐĞŶƚƌĞƐ͘dŚĞŵŽƐƚƉƌŽŵŝŶĞŶƚĂŵŽŶŐƚŚĞƐĞůŽĐĂůƉŽůŝƟĞƐǁĞƌĞƚŚĞ:ĂůĂLJŝƌŝĚƐ͕ DƵnjĂīĂƌŝĚƐ͕^ĂƌďĂĚĂƌƐĂŶĚ<ĂƌƚƐ͘Anatolia, and the Caucasus.

dŚŝƐRather ƉĞƌŝŽĚ ĂůƐŽthan ǁŝƚŶĞƐƐĞĚ moving ƚŚĞ immediately ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐŝŶŐ ƵƐĞ to ŽĨ the ƚŚĞ WĞƌƐŝĂŶnext major ůĂŶŐƵĂŐĞ͕ dynasty ĂůƌĞĂĚLJ in ĚŽŵŝŶĂŶƚ the region, ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ůŝƚĞƌĂƌLJƐƉŚĞƌĞ͕ĨŽƌĂĚŵŝŶŝƐƚƌĂƟǀĞ͕ŚŝƐƚŽƌŝĐĂůĂŶĚƐĐŝĞŶƟĮĐǁƌŝƟŶŐ͘WƌŝŶĐĞůLJƉĂƚƌŽŶƐǁŝƚŚĂƐƉŝƌĂƟŽŶƐƚŽƚŚĞ /ƌĂŶŝĂŶthe ƐĞĂƚpresent ŽĨ ŬŝŶŐƐŚŝƉ symposium, ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞĚ the ƚŽ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚtwelfth ůĂƌŐĞ in the ďƵŝůĚŝŶŐ series, ƉƌŽ ũĞĐƚƐwill ŝŶexplore dĂďƌŝnj͕ zĂnjĚthe fourteenth ĂŶĚ <ĞƌŵĂŶ ĂŵŽŶŐcentury ŽƚŚĞƌ in ĐŝƟĞƐ its own ĂŶĚ ĐŽŵŵŝƐŝŽŶĞĚright as the ůƵdžƵƌLJtime of ŵĂŶƵƐĐƌŝƉƚ the emergence ĐŽƉŝĞƐ͕ ĞƐƉ ofĞĐŝĂůůLJ local ŽĨ Iranian ƚŚĞ Shahnama dynasties ĂŶĚ ŝƚƐin ŝŵŝƚĂƟŽŶƐ͘ the face ^ĞǀĞƌĂů of continuing ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŐƌĞĂƚĞƐƚ Mongol WĞƌƐŝĂŶ prestige ƉŽĞƚƐ ʹ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶfollowingŐ <ŚǁĂũƵ the collapse <ĞƌŵĂŶŝ ;Ě͘ of ϭϯϰϭthe Ilkhanid Žƌ ϭϯϱϮͿ͕ hďĂLJĚͲŝĂŬĂŶŝ;Ě͘ϭϯϳϭͿĂŶĚ,ĂĨĞnj;Ě͘ϭϯϴϵͿʹĂŶĚŵĂũŽƌŚŝƐƚŽƌŝĂŶƐƐƵĐŚĂƐ,ĂŵĚƵůůĂŚDƵƐƚĂǁĮ;Đ͘ ϭϯϯϱͿ͕DƵॕŝŶĂůͲŝŶzĂnjĚŝ;Đ͘ϭϯϱϲͿĂŶĚEĞnjĂŵĂůͲŝŶ^ŚĂŵŝ;Đ͘dynasty and the development of alternative modelsϭϰϬϰͿǁĞƌĞĂĐƟǀĞĚƵƌŝŶŐƚŚŝƐƉĞƌŝŽĚ͘ of authority.

/Ŷ ƚŚĞ ƌĞĂůŵ ŽĨ ŝŶƚĞůůĞĐƚƵĂů ŚŝƐƚŽƌLJ͕ ƚŚĞ ĨŽƵƌƚĞĞŶƚŚ ĐĞŶƚƵƌLJ ǁĂƐ ĞdžƚƌĞŵĞůLJ ŝŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚ ǁŝƚŚ ƐƵĐŚ ŵĂͲ ũŽƌƚŚĞŽůŽŐŝĂŶƐĂƐॖĚƵĚĂůͲŝŶĂůͲ/ũŝ;Ě͘ϭϯϱϱͿ͕^ĂॖĚĂůͲŝŶdĂŌĂnjĂŶŝ;Ě͘ϭϯϵϬͿĂŶĚ^ĂLJLJŝĚ^ŚĂƌŝĨ:ƵƌũĂͲ Ŷŝ;Ě͘ϭϰϭϯͿ͘ŵŽŶŐƚŚĞƉƌŽŵŝŶĞŶƚ^ƵĮĮŐƵƌĞƐ͕ĞƉŽŶLJŵƐŽĨŝŵƉŽƌƚSponsored by the Soudavar Memorial FoundationĂŶƚƐŽĐŝŽͲƉŽůŝƟĐĂůŵŽǀĞŵĞŶƚƐĂŶĚ ^ƵĮtariqaƐ͕ǁĞƌĞĂŚĂĂůͲŝŶEĂƋƐŚďĂŶĚ;Ě͘ϭϯϴϵͿ͕&ĂnjůůůĂŚƐƚĂƌĂďĂĚŝ;Ě͘ϭϯϵϰͿĂŶĚ^ŚĂŚEĞॖŵĂƚ ,ŽůŽĚ ůůĂŚsĂůŝ;Ě͘ϭϰϯϬͿ͘dŚĞƉĞƌŝŽĚƐĂǁƚŚĞƌŝƐĞĂŶĚĐŽŶƐŽůŝĚĂƟŽŶConvened by Dr Sussan Babaie, The CourtauldŽĨĚŝƐƟŶĐƚ^ƵĮŐƌŽƵƉƐǁŝƚŚŽƌŝŐŝŶƐŝŶƚŚĞ Institute of Art ƚŚŝƌƚĞĞŶƚŚ ĐĞŶƚƵƌLJ͗ ƚŚĞ DĂǁůĂǀŝLJLJĂ͕ <ƵďƌĂǁŝLJLJĂ ĂŶĚ ^ĂĨĂǀŝLJLJĂ͘ dŚŝƐ ƐLJŵƉŽƐŝƵŵ͕ ƚŚĞ ƚǁĞůƚŚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƐĞƌŝĞƐ͕ ĞdžƉůŽƌĞƐ ĂƐƉĞĐƚƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĐƵůƚƵƌĂů ĐŽŵƉůĞdžŝƟĞƐ ŽĨ ƌĞŝŶǀĞŶƟŶŐ ƚŚĞ ŝĚĞĂ ŽĨ /ƌĂŶ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ƚŚŝƐ ƉĞƌŝŽĚAdmission: ŽĨ ƉŽůŝƟĐĂů £15; ĚĞĐĞŶƚƌĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ͕Conc. & LMEI Af ĨŽĐƵƐŝŶŐfi liates: £10; ŽŶ ƌĞƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĂƟŽŶƐStudents: Free. ŽĨPre-registration ĐƵůƚƵƌĂů ůŽŶŐĞǀŝƚLJ required: ĂŶĚ ŇƵŝĚ ƚƌĂŶƐĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶƐŝŶůŝŐŚƚŽĨƚŚĞĐŽŵƉĞƟŶŐĐƵůƚƵƌĂů͕ƉŽůŝƟĐĂůĂŶĚƌĞůŝŐŝŽƵƐĂƐƉŝƌĂƟŽŶƐŝŶƚŚĞƉŽƐƚͲDŽŶŐŽůǁŽƌůĚ͘ www.soas.ac.uk/lmei-cis/events/ Enquiries: Tel. 020 898 4330 E-mail: [email protected]

ĚŵŝƐƐŝŽŶ͗άϭϱ͖ŽŶĐ͘Θ>D/ĸůŝĂƚĞƐ͗άϭϬ͖^ƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ͗&ƌĞĞ͘WƌĞͲƌĞŐŝƐƚƌĂƟŽŶƌĞƋƵŝƌĞĚ͗ www.soas.ac.uk/lmei-cis/events/ Enquiries: Tel. 020 898 4330 E-mail: [email protected] ŶƚƌLJƉŽƌƚĂů͕DĂƐũŝĚͲŝ:Ăŵŝ͛ͲŝzĂnjĚ͕zĂnjĚ͕/ƌĂŶ;ϭϵϳϰͿΞZĞŶĂƚĂ

February – March 2016 The Middle East in London 37 Alexander (Lecture) Organised and the partial invisibility author Enikö Nagy has spent Somerset House, Strand, London by: Iran Heritage Foundation of women through veiling. several years collecting everyday WC2R 1LA. T 020 7832 1310 E (IHF). A lecture by Professor Admission free. Pi Artworks moments from over 45 tribes [email protected] W Sir John Boardman who was London, 55 Eastcastle Street, and ethnic groups across Sudan www.arabbritishcentre.org.uk / Professor of Classical Archaeology London W1W 8EG. T 020 7637 to produce the poetic picture www.somersethouse.org.uk at Oxford until retirement in 8403 E [email protected] book Sand in My Eyes: Sudanese 1994. Tickets: £10. Asia House, W www.piartworks.com Moments that the exhibition is Until 26 March | Nancy Atakan: 63 New Cavendish Street, London drawn from. Admission free. Sporting Chances Solo exhibition W1G 7LP. T 020 7651 2121 E Until 7 February | Egypt: Faith Brunei Gallery, SOAS. T 020 7898 by the American born Istanbul [email protected] W www. aft er the Pharaohs Discover 4046 (recorded information) E based artist, Nancy Atakan, iranheritage.org Egypt’s journey over 12 centuries, [email protected] W www.soas. which brings together new as Jews, Christians and Muslims ac.uk/gallery/ embroidered works and drawings. 7:00 pm | Medieval Anatolian transformed this ancient land, Atakan's practice investigates the Animal Carpets & Seljuk from a world of many gods to Until 19 March | In Search of relationship between the orient Art (Lecture) Scott Redford the worship of one God. Th e Lost Time Exhibition of works and occident, the meaning of (SOAS). Organised by: Oriental exhibition begins in 30 BC, when by 13 artists who seek to reframe belonging, gender politics, and Rug and Textile Society, UK Egypt became a province of the conventional interpretations diff erent concepts of femininity. (ORTS). Scott Redford is Nasser Roman Empire aft er the death of of time in the Gulf. Employing Artist Talk with Stephanie D Khalili Professor of Islamic Cleopatra and Mark Antony, and the strategies of archivists, Bailey at 6:00pm on Th ursday Art & Archaeology at SOAS. He continues until AD 1171 when the time-travellers, explorers and 18 February. Admission free. Pi has published widely on the art, rule of the Islamic Fatimid dynasty storytellers, the artists explore Artworks London, 55 Eastcastle archaeology, and architecture of came to an end. Tickets: Various. the complex relationship between Street, London W1W 8EG. T 020 medieval Anatolia and the eastern BM. T 020 7323 8181 W www. image, speed and time in the Gulf, 7637 8403 E london@piartworks. Mediterranean. Tickets: £7/£5 britishmuseum.org questioning the chronological and com W www.piartworks.com students. £20 for membership of territorial notion of the region and one year for 11 events. St James Until 20 February | Jerusalem// the paradigms of its underlying Tuesday 23 February Conference Room, 197 Piccadilly, Home Group exhibition bringing identity. Admission free. Brunei London W1J 9LL. E membership@ together the photographic works Gallery, SOAS. T 020 7898 4046 Until 30 June | Akhenhaten: orientalrugandtextilesociety. of three young photographers (recorded information) E gallery@ Heretic, Visionary and Icon org.uk W www. from Jerusalem, ceramic works soas.ac.uk W www.soas.ac.uk/ Exhibition exploring the orientalrugandtextilesociety.org. by two London-based artists, and gallery/ ambiguous and contentious uk digital artworks by a Palestinian fi gure of Akhenaten. Displayed American artist based in the Until 31 March | Last Of Th e in conjunction with Philip Glass’ US which aims to highlight the Dictionary Men: Stories From Akhnaten at the English National EVENTS OUTSIDE danger of dispossession that Th e South Shields Yemeni Sailors Opera (See March Events, Friday LONDON exists in every square inch of Over the course of 100 years, 4 March, March Events, p35). Palestinian life and property in thousands of seamen from Yemen Admission free. UCL Petrie the metropolitan Jerusalem area. settled in the small town of South Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, Saturday 19 March Admission free. P21 Gallery, 21 Shields and made it their home. A Malet Place, London WC1E 6B. T Chalton Street, London NW1 1JD. series of thirteen hand-coloured 020 7679 2884 E petrie.museum@ 10:00 am | Light & Knowledge T 020 7121 6190 E [email protected]. portraits by the internationally ucl.ac.uk W www.ucl.ac.uk/ (Symposium) Th e 33rd uk W www.p21.org.uk renowned photographer, Youssef museums/petrie Symposium of the Muhyiddin Nabil, captures the fi rst generation Ibn 'Arabi Society. With Todd Until 27 February | Suspended of Yemeni sailors with the pride Friday 11 March Lawson from Montreal, Sara Accounts: Young Artist of the they embody as individuals and Sviri from Jerusalem and Ahmad Year Award 2014 (YAYA14) as a community. Admission Until 21 May | Sea Change – Sukkar from Damascus and A selection of work from the free. Th e Street Gallery, Institute Chapter 1: Character 1, In the Oxford. Tickets: £70/£65 Society 2014 AM Qattan Foundation’s of Arab and Islamic Studies, Rough First UK presentation Member/£50 full-time students. Young Artist of the Year Award University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 of the ‘fi rst chapter’ from Hajra Wolfson College, University of (YAYA14). Th e biennial award 4ND. T 01392 724040 W http:// Waheed’s Sea Change – an on- Oxford, Linton Road, Oxford OX2 – organised by the Foundation’s socialsciences.exeter.ac.uk/iais/ going visual novel and multimedia 6UD. E events.uk@ibnarabisociety Culture and Arts Programme events/exhibitions/ archive, commenced in 2011, W http://ibnarabisociety.org/ in the Occupied West Bank city which revolves around the of Ramallah – is open to young Friday 19 February journey and disappearance of artists under 30 of Palestinian nine persons in the name of EXHIBITIONS descent, from any part of the Until 23 February | 'Blueprint salvation, a better life or new one. world. Admission free. Th e Mosaic Beirut' Th e Arab British Centre See talk by Waheed at the ICA, Rooms, AM Qattan Foundation, and the Starch Foundation present Friday 11 March, March Events, Until 6 February | Parastou Tower House, 226 Cromwell Road, Lebanon’s fi rst participation in p36 Admission free. Th e Mosaic Forouhar: Reimaging the London SW5 0SW. T 020 7370 ‘Fashion Utopias’, the British Rooms, A.M. Qattan Foundation, Illusion Th rough animations, 9990 E [email protected] W Council and British Fashion Tower House, 226 Cromwell Road, wallpapers, fl ipbooks, and http://mosaicrooms.org/ Council’s International Fashion London SW5 0SW. T 020 7370 drawings Forouhar examines the Showcase 2016 in association 9990 E [email protected] W power structures within certain Until 19 March | Sand in My Eyes: with London Fashion Week, with http://mosaicrooms.org/ authoritarian political systems, Sudanese Moments by Enikö ‘Blueprint Beirut’, an exhibition with particular attention to how Nagy Presenting very diff erent of eight emerging designers. they block oppositional discourse images to those one might expect Admission free. Pre-booking from entering the public sphere from Sudan photographer and advised. West Wing Galleries,

38 The Middle East in London February – March 2016 Middle East Summer School y 202423 June-21JuneJune-24 – 26 July July July 2016 2014 2013

AnAn intensive intensive five-week five-week programme programme which which includes includes a two choice courses: of two courses: a language one (Persian or Arabic, the latter at two levels) andan Arabicanother Language on the 'Government Course (introductory and Politics or ofintermediate) the Middle andEast' or 'Cultureanother and on Society‘Government in the andMiddle Politics East'. of the Middle East.

Beginners Persian (Level 1) Government and Politics of the Middle East This is an introductory course which aims to give the students a reasonable grounding in the basics of Persian grammar This course provides an introduction to the politics of the and syntax as well as to enable them to understand simple Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It gives on a and frequently used expressions related to basic language country by country basis, an overview of the major political use. They will be able to hold uncomplicated conversations issues and developments in the region since the end of the on topics such as personal and family information, shopping, First World War and addresses key themes in the study of hobbies, employment as well as simple and direct exchanges contemporary Middle East politics, including: the role of the of information related to familiar topics. By the end of the military, social and economic development, political Islam, and course they will also progress to read simple short texts. the recent uprisings (the ‘Arab Spring’). Beginners Arabic (Level 1) Culture and Society in the Middle East

This is an introductory course in Modern Standard Arabic. This course examines the major cultural patterns and It teaches students the Arabic script and provides basic institutions of the MENA region. It is taught through a study of grounding in Arabic grammar and syntax. On completing some lively topics such as religious and ethnic diversity, impact the course, students should be able to read, write, listen to of the West, stereotyping, the role of tradition, education and understand simple Arabic sentences and passages. This (traditional and modern), family structure and value, gender course is for complete beginners and does not require any politics, media, life in city, town and village, labour and labour prior knowledge or study of Arabic. migration, the Palestinian refugee problem and Arab exile communities, culinary cultures, music and media, etc. Beginners Arabic (Level 2)

This course is a continuation of Beginners Arabic Level 1. It completes the coverage of the grammar and syntax of Modern Standard Arabic and trains students in reading, comprehending and writing with the help of a dictionary Timetable more complex Arabic sentences and passages. Courses are taught Mon-Thu each week. Language courses To qualify for entry into this course, students should are taught in the morning (10am-1pm) and the Politics and have already completed at least one introductory Culture Courses are taught in two slots in the afternoon course in Arabic. (2:00-3:20 and 3:40-5:00pm).

FEES Session (5 weeks) Programme fee* Accommodation fee** 2024 June-21June–26 July July 2016 2013 (two (two courses) courses) £2,500 from £300/week

* Early bird discounts of 10% apply to course fees before 1 March 2013. * An early bird discount ofof 10%10% appliesapplies toto coursecourse feesfees beforebefore 30 15 April April 2016. 2014. ** Accommodation fees must be paid by 1 March 2013 to secure accommodation. ** Rooms Please cancheck be ourbooked website atat thethe from IntercollegiateIntercollegiate mid-October HallsHalls 2012 whichwhich for are confiare located located rmed prices.in in the the heart heart of of Bloomsbury: www.halls.london.ac.uk.

For more information, please contact Louise Hosking on

[email protected]. Or check our website www.soas.ac.uk/lmeiFebruary – March 2016 The Middle East in London 39 February-March 2014 The Middle East in London 35 CENTRE FOR PALESTINE STUDIES | SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON ANNUAL LECTURE 2016

THE HUNDRED YEAR WAR IN PALESTINE

PROFESSOR RASHID KHALIDI EDWARD SAID PROFESSOR OF ARAB STUDIES 1917CHAIRMAN, DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

6.30PM, FRIDAY 11 MARCH 2016 BRUNEI GALLERY LECTURE THEATRE ADMISSION FREE ALL WELCOME Enquiries: tel No. 020 7898 4330 email [email protected] www.soas.ac.uk/lmei-cps/events Soas, University of London, London WC1H 0XG 201640 The Middle East in London February – March 2016