THE CENTER FOR MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES NEWS HARVARD UNIVERSITY

SPRING 2016

2 LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR A message from William Granara

3 WINTER TERM IN TURKEY AND TUNISIA CMES inaugurates two new study excursions

5 NEWS AND NOTES Updates from faculty, students, alumni, and visiting researchers; Q&A with Sheida Dayani

16 EVENT HIGHLIGHTS Spring lectures, workshops, and conferences LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

SPRING 2016 HIGHLIGHTS

AS WE DRAW TO THE CLOSE OF ANOTHER ACADEMIC YEAR, CMES can take great pride in this year’s roster of events and accomplishments. Among the highlights were visits by Ambassadors Frank Ricciardone (fall) and Greta Holtz (spring) from the US Department of State, who met with our master’s students to discuss careers in government and foreign service. CMES also hosted a lecture by Algerian journalist and novelist Kamel Daoud, author of the highly acclaimed Meursault Investigation, who discussed the role and challenges of public intellectuals in today’s Middle East. This year’s symposia and workshops included Symposium on Gallipoli 1915, Iraq: Possible Futures—­ Including a Return to the Past, both convened by Professor Roger Owen, and The Iran–Iraq War: Literature, Art, and Film. CMES visiting scholars Elizabeth Shlala and Saime Ozcurumez organized a workshop, Migration and Health Care. Finally, I would like to congratulate Professor Cemal Kafadar for completing an outstanding year with his Sohbet-i Osmani forum, which enjoyed a record-breaking number of lectures and attendance. Among the most exciting additions to CMES this year were the inaugural winter term programs for CMES students. In January, I led a group of nine students to Tunis, Tunisia, to tour the country, meet with writers, filmmakers, and academics, and to introduce them to national sites for archival research. Also in January, CMES doctoral student Jesse Howell and CMES administrative and academic assistant Carol Ann Litster accompanied eight undergraduates to Cunda, Turkey, to explore the country’s rich heritage as a bridge between east and west. I would take this time to pay special tribute to Professor Roy Mottahedeh, Gurney Professor of History and former CMES director, who will retire after thirty years of stellar teaching of Islamic history, mentoring students, supervising dissertations, and adding richly to the CMES community. We offer him and his wife, Pat, all best wishes for a flourishing retirement! In closing, I’m happy to say that I have concluded my first three-year term as CMES’s director, and have happily accepted the offer to serve another term. I thank my highly efficient and professional staff, my esteemed colleagues, and especially our magnificent students, who make CMES such a pleasurable workplace. Wishing you all a well deserved summer break, full of peace, good health, and many days at the beach,

—William Granara, CMES Director

ON THE COVER: Street in the medina of Kairouan, Tunisia, by PhD student Chloe Bordewich WINTER TERM IN TURKEY AND TUNISIA

“The Middle East is a part of the world that you’ll never really understand fully unless you get your feet on the ground, unless you go there and smell it and taste it and feel it and breathe and eat and sleep it,” says William Granara, CMES Director and Gordon Gray Professor of the Practice of Arabic. “It’s very important that all of our students, whether Alex Dagi, Caleb Lewis, Raya Koreh, Colton Peppelman, Cybele Greenberg, master’s or PhD students or Alice Hu, Seniha Ipekci, Carol Ann Litster, and Nancy Ko in Turkey undergraduates who enroll in our language programs or in any Middle Eastern regional studies uates to Tunis, so we devoted all assistant Carol Ann Litster. about how history was right in courses, have opportunities to the spaces in the Turkey trip to Howell has traveled to all front of us, and Jesse would ex- go to the region.” This January undergraduates,” said Granara. corners of Turkey, spent a year plain the histories and how they CMES created two more The students began with living in Istanbul as a research connect to the present context such opportunities. Through four days in Istanbul, visiting fellow, and during the past two in a way that was academic vigorous fundraising efforts and the Sultanahmet Mosque, summers has worked as the but also accessible. It really the generous support of donors, Topkapı Palace, the Hagia program coordinator for the epitomized what learning on CMES inaugurated what will Sophia Museum, and other Harvard–Sabancı University the ground is about,” said Alice become annual winter term monuments from the city’s Summer Program. Litster has Hu (’18). “There was a synergy study excursions to the Middle Byzantine and Ottoman past. visited Turkey on several oc- between our formal learning, East and North Africa region: They explored the layers of casions and previously helped what we were reading, and “Continuity and Change in history found in the old city lead a group of high school what was before our eyes: being Aegean Turkey and Istanbul” and along the Bosphorus, students on a month-long trip on the Bosphorus, seeing the and “Tunisia: Mediterranean taking time to sample Turkey’s to the country. fog, the water, and the waves, Crossroads.” exquisite cuisine along the way. “One of the best features of learning about hüzün, this Eight undergraduates made The trip was led by Jesse this trip was the opportunity untranslatable term that kind the trip to Turkey. Some had Howell, an advanced PhD to travel with Jesse, who is of means melancholy but also previously traveled to the student at CMES currently such a well-informed source on something different. Everything ­Middle East while others had completing his dissertation on Ottoman history,” said Cybele just pieced together so well.” not. “Because of travel restric- overland travel networks in the Greenberg (’16). The heart of the trip was an tions, this first year we were Ottoman Balkans, and CMES “In Istanbul we walked to extended stay on Cunda Island advised not to send undergrad- administrative and academic all these monuments, thinking on Turkey’s Aegean coast, at the (continued on next page)

SPRING 2016 | CMESNEWS 3 Ayışığı (Moonlight) Monastery,­ shopping in the city’s famed think what highlighted this was endpoint of what Harvard tries a recently restored Greek bazaars. the fact that we were on Cunda, to do in a lot of ways.” monastery. Located directly “Even though there weren’t an island that used to be ‘Greek’ The Tunisia excursion was on the sea and surrounded by formal academic requirements, and is now ‘Turkish,’ and I led by Professor Granara. Three olive groves, the monastery is we studied every day on this put those in quotation marks PhD and six master’s­ students a serene location for reading, trip,” said Greenberg. “But our because these nation-state made the trip, which covered reflection, and conversation. study was to be immersed in identities are very real but also Tunisia’s Carthaginian, medi- During their stay on the island, this new environment. There constructed by modernization. eval Islamic, Ottoman, French students engaged with the were no superfluous activities. Being on that island that is at Colonial, and modern (republic) region’s complex past through All the activities had been very once Turkish but also Greek histories, combining readings a variety of readings and well developed and orga- made me more alert to other and visits to sites of academic films, explored enduring local nized so that we could learn possible legacies of empire into and cultural interest including traditions such as olive oil pro- something about the culture. modernization, not just in Tur- ruins at Carthage, the grand duction and shipbuilding, and We studied by doing and by key but around the world.” mosque of Kairouan,­ the Bardo enjoyed a hands-on introduc- experiencing, and that was “I was surprised by how and Raqqada museums, and the tion to Aegean cuisine. supplemented on Cunda with deep a connection I feel like I medinas of Tunis and Kairouan. “I think the food was a more traditional seminar-style made with Turkey, even though “We covered a lot of terri- ­central part of the learning discussion. Walking around, we were only there for three tory,” said Granara, “geographic, in that the most interesting seeing monuments, learning the weeks,” said Caleb Lewis (’17). historical, and academic as well. conversations we had happened place of the bazaars in everyday “Turkey had never really been Most of the students already over food,” said Greenberg. culture for Turkish people— on my radar in a thoughtful, had some experience with “Food is such a good way to that was definitely the biggest real way, but now I find myself Middle Eastern cultures and connect to people when you’re learning experience.” reading news about Turkey, countries but not Tunisia per in a foreign place, and food is Regardless of students’ about Istanbul, things that are se, so this trip opened the door a core part of the culture: this expectations or previous going on in areas that we saw, to them, not only to Tunisia but is what people eat here; this is experience going in, they all and I feel like I have some sort also to North Africa, and to the their ­sustenance.” encountered surprises during of connection to or investment specificities of Tunisia within “It was the best food I’ve the course of the trip. in a part of the world that I had the broader North African, ever had, period,” said Hu. “I expected to be immersed never come into contact with Mediterranean, and Middle “I dream about it,” added in the history and culture of before. I feel like I learned more East and Islamic worlds. We Nancy Ko (’17). Turkey,” said Ko. “What I didn’t on the trip than I’ve learned in also had the opportunity to give From their base on Cunda expect was this increased a lot of classes on campus.” students time in the archives, students spent a day exploring awareness of how there wasn’t “It was very much learning the Bibliothèque Nationale the archaeological sites of just a transition from the for the sake of learning,” said and the Archives Nationales, ancient Bergama (Pergamon), Ottoman Empire to Turkey, but Greenberg. “And that’s what a to access documents and other made an overnight trip to a transition from the Ottoman liberal arts institution’s goal for material they may be interested Efes (Ephesus) and the port Empire to a kind of moderniza- its students is: to get them to a in for their academic work.” city of Izmir (Smyrna), and tion that affected what would point where they want to learn then returned to Istanbul for become all the nation-states just for the sake of learning. I → Read the complete story at cmes.fas.harvard.edu additional museum visits and surrounding Turkey as well. I think this trip represented the

4 CMESNEWS | SPRING 2016 NEWS AND NOTES

FACULTY NEWS Melani Cammett’s book Compassionate Communalism: Dalia Abo-Haggar, Preceptor Welfare and Sectarianism in in Arabic, was awarded a Lebanon (Cornell University Certificate of Teaching Press, 2014) won the 2015 Excellence for fall 2015. CMES Giovanni Sartori Book Award, Associate Don Babai gave the American Political Science talk “Dueling Narratives on the Association Section on

Saudi Economy” in Riyadh in Qualitative and Multi-Method Dalia Abo-Haggar Kristen Stilt and Khaled Fahmy January 2016 before the Research, and Honorable INSEAD Alumni Association. Mention for the 2015 Gregory He wrote “The Washington Luebbert Book Award, Consensus” in The SAGE American Political Science Encyclopedia of Economics and Association Section on Compar- Society (SAGE, 2016). Sibel ative Politics. The Politics of Bozdoğan, Lecturer in Urban Non-State Social Welfare, Planning and Design at the co-edited with Lauren Morris Graduate School of Design, MacLean (Cornell University delivered a talk at SALT, Press, 2014), won Honorable Istanbul, in October 2015 on the Mention for the 2015 Outstand- work of the late Behruz Çinici, ing Book in Nonprofit and David Roxburgh and William leading modernist architect of Voluntary Action Research of Granara at the Iranian Gala Turkey, and served on the jury the Association for Research on selecting the Turkish pavilion Nonprofit Organizations and for the Venice Architecture Voluntary Action. Gareth summer 2016. William Vehbi Koç Professor of Turkish Biennale 2016. She published Doherty, Assistant Professor of Granara, CMES Director and Studies, co-organized a one-day “A Case for Spatial Agency and Landscape Architecture and Gordon Gray Professor of the symposium in October 2015 on Social Engagement in the Senior Research Associate at Practice of Arabic, organized the 1915 Battle of Gallipoli, as Middle East” in the Inter­ the Graduate School of Design, the symposium The Iran–Iraq part of the CMES program national Journal of Islamic co-edited Is Landscape . . . ? War: Literature, Art, and Film, commemorating various Architecture 4.1 (2015) and a Essays on the Identity of in February 2016. In January he centenaries associated with the chapter on Turkish architec- Landscape with Charles led graduate students on a First World War in the Middle tural culture in the 1950s in Waldheim (Routledge, 2016). A three-week trip to Tunisia, one East. He co-convened the Mid-Century Modernism in revised edition of Ecological of two annual winter term conference Soccer as a Global ­Turkey (Routledge, 2016). Urbanism, edited with Mohsen study excursions CMES inaugu- Phenomenon, sponsored by Professor of Government Mostafavi, is forthcoming in rated this year. Cemal Kafadar, Harvard’s Weatherhead (continued on next page)

SPRING 2016 | CMESNEWS 5 NEWS AND NOTES

Initiative on Global History, in Foreign Policy panel, Northeast April 2016. Ousmane Kane, Political Science Association Professor of Near Eastern Meeting, Philadelphia, and two Languages and Civilizations talks in March 2016, “The and Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Neoliberal Relationship Professor of Contemporary Between the Kurdish Regional Islamic Religion and Society, Government and Turkey: Is published Beyond Timbuktu: An There a Role for China?” Intellectual History of Muslim Conference on China in the West Africa (Harvard Univer- Middle East, Qatar University, sity Press, 2016) and “Arabic and “Turkey and the Middle Sources and the Search for a East,” Peace at Home, Peace in CMES Associates Sara Roy, left, and Lenore G. Martin with Middle East Seminar New Historiography in Ibadan the World: How Relevant in Co-Chair Herbert C. Kelman and April 2016 speaker James Dorsey in the 1960s,” Africa 86.2 (2016). Turkish Foreign Policy? He received the Harvard roundtable, Inter­national University Center of African Studies Association Meeting, 500th anniversary of the Venice Payam Mohseni, Director of Studies Faculty Grant in Atlanta. Susan Gilson Miller, Ghetto. Her article “Moïse the Iran Project and Fellow for January 2016. He presented the CMES Associate and Professor Nahon and the Invention of the Iran Studies, Belfer Center for Frederick Lugard Lecture, of History at the University of Modern Maghrebi Jew” Science and International “Islamic Education in West California at Davis, was keynote appears as a chapter in French Affairs, HKS, was an honoree at Africa: The Past and the speaker at the annual American Mediterraneans: Transnational the Second Annual Iranian Gala Present,” at the International Institute for Maghrib Studies and Imperial Histories (Univer- in April 2016. He was awarded a African Institute in Paris in July Dissertation Workshop at the sity of Nebraska Press, 2016). Certificate of Teaching 2015. Lenore G. Martin, CMES University of California at Justine Landau, Assistant Excellence for his fall 2015 Associate and Chair of the Berkeley in October 2015 with a Professor of Near Eastern course on Iranian politics. He Department of Political Science talk titled “A Global Maghrib: Languages and Civilizations, spoke at the Middle East at Emmanuel College, wrote Thinking beyond the Thesis.” received the World Award for Institute’s 69th annual “Turkish–Chinese Bilateral and She presented the paper the Book of the Year of the conference, gave talks on Iran’s Multilateral Security Coopera- “Writing about the Holocaust Islamic Republic of Iran in the domestic and foreign policy at tion,” Sociology of Islam 4.1-2 on the Imagined Periphery” at field of Iranian studies, for her the Naval War College, MIT, (2016). She gave two talks in the New Directions in Sephardi book De rythme & de raison. Tufts, and Harvard, and November 2015, “Turkey Under Studies conference at the Lecture croisée de deux traités de published several op-eds in the Siege, Inside and Out: The Graduate Theological Union, poétique persans du XIIIe siècle National Interest and the Regional Dimension,” Herbert Berkeley, in February 2016. In [Of Rhythm and Reason: A Washington Post. Roy P. C. Kelman Seminar on March 2016 she presented the Comparative Reading of Two Mottahedeh, Gurney Professor International Conflict Analysis paper “Sacred Ruins and Thirteenth-Century Persian of History, gave two talks in and Resolution, Harvard, and Secular Politics in Contempo- Treatises on Poetics] (Presses February: “`Aja’ib in the Book of “Turkish Foreign Policy: The rary Morocco,” at Ca’ Foscari Sorbonne Nouvelle/Institut Qazwini,” at the Yarmouk Kurdish Challenge,” University, Venice, at a Français de Recherche en Iran, Cultural Center in Kuwait, and ­Decision-Making and Cases of conference celebrating the 2013) in Iran in February 2016. “Jihad and the Caliphate in

6 CMESNEWS | SPRING 2016 Islamic History,” as part of the Crimes in Islamic Law,” in online portal and peer-reviewed 1370–1430: The Mimeticism of ISIS and Islam panel at the New Accusations of Unbelief in Islam: scholarly forum designed to Mosaic Faience,” in Ornament York City Bar Association. A Diachronic Perspective on develop and provide access to as Portable Culture: Between Afsaneh ­Najmabadi, Francis Takfīr (Brill, 2016), “ ‘Reason- authoritative legal and Globalism and Localism Lee Higginson Professor of able Doubt’ in Islamic Law,” academic content and context (Princeton University Press, ­History and of Studies of Yale Journal of International on Islamic law to academic, 2016). He will lead a study Women, Gender, and Sexuality, Law 40.1 (2015), and “Against media, and policy circles, an group to Iran in May 2016 for was an honoree at the Second Kadijustiz: On the Negative initiative of the Islamic Legal the Harvard Alumni Associa- Annual Iranian Gala in April Citation of Foreign Law,” Studies Program. David tion. Kay Kaufman Shelemay, 2016. Her digital archive and Suffolk University Law Review Roxburgh, Prince Alwaleed G. Gordon Watts Professor of website, Women’s Worlds in 48.2 (2015). She received Iran’s Bin Talal Professor of Islamic Music and Professor of African Qajar Iran, has received Book of the Year Award for Art History, presented a lecture and African American Studies, another two-year grant from Doubt in Islamic Law (Cam- at Tsinghua University, Beijing, has spent the 2015–16 academic the National Endowment for bridge University Press, 2015). in August 2015, before embark- year on sabbatical as the Marta the Humanities. Roger Owen, She gave the inaugural ing on site visits throughout Sutton Weeks Fellow at the A.J. Meyer Professor of Middle Mohannad T. Malas Lecture in Beijing and in Zhengding, Xi’an, Stanford Humanities Center. Eastern History Emeritus, Islamic Legal Studies at the and Dunhuang with Professor She is writing a book on co-organized a symposium in University of California at Eugene Wang and graduate musicians from the Horn of October 2015 on the 1915 Battle Irvine, “The Decline of Doubt students in Chinese and Africa in their North American of Gallipoli, as part of the in Islamic Law,” in September Japanese art. He also traveled diaspora. Kristen Stilt, CMES program commemorat- 2015, and participated in panels to India and the Deccan, in Professor of Law, Co-Director ing various centenaries and workshops at the Radcliffe January 2016, with Professor of the Islamic Legal Studies associated with the First World Institute for Advanced Study, Jinah Kim and her seminar Program, and Director of the War in the Middle East. He HLS, the University of students on the South Asian Animal Law Program at HLS, co-organized the symposium Pennsyl­vania Law School, and temple. They visited Buddhist, hosted the workshop Animals Iraq: Possible Futures—Including the Library of Congress. She Hindu, Jain, and Muslim in Comparative Constitutional a Return to the Past in March presented “Procedure in monuments in Mumbai, Law in February and presented 2016. He gave the talk “A Life in Motion in Early Islamic Law: Kanheri, Elephanta, Ajanta, a recent article, “Constitutional Middle East Studies,” based on Some Notes on Law and Ellora, Aurangabad, Dawlata- Animal Protection in Egypt and his book of the same title Literature, Sources and bad, Khuldabad, Bijapur, the Making of a Social Move- forthcoming from Tadween Methods,” at the workshop Pattadakal, and Badami. In ment.” She presented “Animals Publishing, at the Arab Studies Sharia in Motion at Yale April 2016 he participated in a in Motion: Slaughter, Animal Institute at George Mason University, April 2016, and conference on new approaches Welfare, and Islamic Law” at University in April 2016. organized the conference to the study of Islamic painting the workshop Sharia in Motion Intisar Rabb, Professor of Law, Courts and Judicial Procedure in at Northwestern University. He at Yale University, April 2016, Co-Director of the Islamic Early Islamic Law at Harvard in reviewed the Walid Raad and is hosting at Harvard this Legal Studies Program at HLS, May 2016. She was selected for retrospective at MoMA in spring the workshop Animals, wrote “Society and Propriety: 2015–16 MacArthur Foundation Artforum (January 2016) and Law, and Religion, which will The Cultural Construction of and Luce Foundation awards wrote “Timurid Architectural bring together experts on many Defamation and Blasphemy as for work on SHARIAsource, an Revetment in Central Asia, religious traditions.

SPRING 2016 | CMESNEWS 7 NEWS AND NOTES

Q&A WITH SHEIDA DAYANI

Sheida Dayani is a Preceptor in active figures turned to modern Persian in the Department of playwriting to advocate for Near Eastern Languages and their values and implement Civilizations. Her research is on cultural change. Meanwhile, modern theatre and playwriting my earlier passion was in in nineteenth- and twentieth- literature and theatre, and my century Iran. undergraduate degree was in English literature with a What does your current focus on translation. I took on research focus on? this research because theatre I work on Iranian theatre of is a perfect conjunction of the mid-nineteenth to early- history and literature, so twentieth centuries. I look at it accommodates my two cultural and political history interests, but also because to understand the transition Persian and Iranian studies of Iranian comedy from have paid little to no attention traditional spectacles to modern to the field of theatre. poet in two languages, or an out the impossibilities of one playwriting. My focus is on the original poet in one language. language; the latter they do by relationship of Iranian theatre In addition to your scholarly Exactly because there are things travailing in one language, and to translation, journalism, work, you write and translate in every language that can be alienating and defamiliarizing lawmaking, and civil rights poetry. Do you write poetry said in that language alone, we with the help of the other movements. I am interested in in Persian, English, or both? have poets in this world, whose language(s). Of course, every how the correlation between I used to write in both first job is to think of those bilingual poet has moments text and performance in languages, but now I stop things in the most innovative when s/he does the impossible modern playwriting changes myself from writing in English. way, and their second job is in the other language(s). in relation to established About ten years ago, I vowed to write those thoughts in It is not just inevitable but theatrical traditions, and vis-à- to myself to write in only one the most impossible way. So, necessary; you need testing vis the sociopolitical events of language. The vow has been the job of the poet is first to grounds to determine what is each period. broken at times, but I’m mostly alienate, then to defamiliarize, the right place for you. But in faithful. There are certain and then to create the means order to create a canon, there How and why did you start things in every language for saying the impossible. is no option but to choose one looking at Iranian theatre in that can be said only in that Bilingual writers have this language, and “sweat white this context? language. Once you really grasp capability twice as much, but beads” over it. The job of a Before this project, I was what this means, and I mean this capability is a double- bilingual poet is twice what studying legal history of Iran, experience it with your blood edged sword. Either, they can Aristotle assigns to the poet. and I realized that during the and flesh, then you understand practice saying the ordinary in He has famously said, “The Constitutional Revolution, that as a bilingual poet, you have ordinary ways in two languages, poet should prefer probable a large number of politically a choice of either being a boring or they can master bringing impossibilities to improbable

8 CMESNEWS | SPRING 2016 possibilities.” The bilingual modern plays, folk literature, STUDENT NEWS sarily Solve,” at the CMENAS poet can either strive for saying travelogues, poetry, short Graduate Student Symposium, the likely impossibilities twice stories, novels, etc., in the AM STUDENTS University of Michigan, March better than a monolingual poet, original Persian from mid- Zena Agha’s poem “The Sea Is 2016, and “Iran in the Post or can fail twice miserably by nineteenth century until Big” was filmed in collabora- Deal Era, Shifting Global Sys- saying the unlikely possibilities. today. When there is not a tion with PRI’s The World and tem,” at the Pardee Graduate Now, we are left with technological barrier, we also was followed up with a radio Conference, Boston University, which language to choose. It read audio-visual material; interview and article on the February 2016. Aya Majzoub is a personal decision. I chose feature films, documentaries, Syrian migrant crisis. In addi- co-chaired Harvard Arab Persian over English, partly songs, etc. My Intermediate tion to being a panellist, she Weekend, North America’s for reasons that I will not course is half language, half performed it at The Forum at largest student-led pan-Arab reveal here, and partly because film; after every lesson, we the Harvard Kennedy School conference, with over 1300 living in an English-speaking watch a feature film or a in a talk entitled “Taking attendees and 75 speakers, in environment gives me a critical documentary related to the Action on the Syrian Refugee Novemeber 2015. She also led a distance from the Persian material of the previous lesson Crisis.” She delivered a talk 10-day trip to the Middle East language, and this critical to solidify the vocabulary, we at the Harvard Arab Week- over spring break, taking 120 distance is to some extent what discuss the film in class, and end HAWTalks event on the students from Harvard to meet alienates and defamiliarizes for their weekly assignments, need for poetry and art in the with politicians, journalists, me from Persian, and makes students write film reviews. Middle East and performed and civil society activists. my poetics grotesque in the My Elementary courses are poetry at the finale of the theatrical sense of the word. traditional language courses, Boston Palestine Film Festival PHD STUDENTS This grotesqueness of poetics but from the very first weeks, I and Berklee College of Music. Belle Cheves presented her is a curious animal; it is not just bring dabs of Persian poetry to In September, she wrote an work for the first time at the in diction, but in other aspects class; we start with modern and article in The Independent on symposium Iran: Animating the such as structure, rhythm, and work our way into classical. Europe’s selective compassion Archives, at NYU in fall 2015, subject matter; it works the For instance, this week, my regarding Syrian refugees. Over the summer she plans to same way that silence makes Elementary students read Amir Mahdavi published an continue her research in Tajik- alchemy for music. excerpts of Shāmlu, Sepehri, op-ed in The Washington Post, istan and Iran. Jesse Howell Sa’di, and Khayyām, and each “Iran’s Election Wasn’t about took part in the inaugural Digi- You teach Persian courses excerpt was directly related to Moderation or Democracy: tal Ottoman Platform work- from Elementary to their vocabulary and grammar It Was about How Iran Will shop organized by Amy Singer Advanced. How do you lessons of this week. Also, I Re-engage with the World,” at the Institute for Advanced incorporate your particular use the Elementary Persian in March 2016 and wrote Study at Princeton in summer areas of interest into the textbook by Mehdi Khorrami, “Can the Vienna Agreement 2015. He returned to Istanbul coursework, and are you which begins the lessons Solve Iran’s Problem?” Middle as coordinator for Harvard able to do this at all levels of with passages of a novel, and East Brief 96, Crown Center, Summer School’s History instruction? students tend to like that. Brandeis University (January and Human Rights program, My Advanced course is a 2016). He gave the talks “Two directed by Cemal Kafadar survey of modern Persian → Read the complete story at Major Iranian Crises the and taught in partnership with cmes.fas.harvard.edu literature. We read Ta’ziyehs, ­Nuclear Deal Does Not Neces- Sabancı University. In fall (continued on next page)

SPRING 2016 | CMESNEWS 9 NEWS AND NOTES

2015 he developed and taught including “Spirits and Mole- a history survey course, “The cules: Ethnopharmacology and World Before 1500,” at Soka Symmetrical Epistemological University of America, in Aliso Pluralism,” Ethnos: Journal of Viejo, California. Jesse was Anthropology (2015), “ ‘Jewish back in Turkey during winter Genetics’ and the ‘Nature’ of term as leader of a CMES study Israeli Citizen­ship,” Trans­ trip to Istanbul and the Aegean versal: Journal for Jewish Coast. He, co-leader Carol Ann Studies 13.2 (2015), “Patenting Litster, and the undergraduate Nature or Protecting Culture? participants were all dazzled Ethnopharmacology and In- by their accommodations at digenous Intellectual Property Jesse Howell and friends in Izmir, Turkey the newly restored “Moonlight Rights,” Journal of Law and the Monastery” on Cunda Island. Biosciences (2016), and “The In May 2016 he presented a Collective Nature of Person- paper on Ottoman road systems alized Medicine,” Genetics at the Rethinking the Adriatic Research 98.e3 (2016). In April conference at the University of 2016 he co-organized a two-day Minnesota. Nora Lessersohn interdisciplinary conference, presented her work on Ottoman The Molecularization of Iden­ Armenian history at the annual tity: Science and Subjectivity in meetings of both the Middle the 21st Century, co-sponsored East Studies Association and by CMES. Aleksandar Shopov the American Anthropological presented the paper “From Association in November 2015. Morocco to Istanbul via Cairo: Gülru Necipoğlu, Nora Lessersohn, Cemal Kafadar, and Sean Gilsdorf She published book reviews The Early Reception of a Manu- in the Journal of the Ottoman script on ‘A Green-Colored Leaf and Turkish Studies Association Called Tabaka’ (1608)” at the and the Armenian Review, and ­Middle East Studies Associa- organized and moderated the tion meeting in November 2015. symposium What Is Islam? in In April 2016 he was profiled in memory of Shahab Ahmed in the Harvard Gazette about his April 2016. Ian McConigle work to preserve urban gardens was awarded an Israel Institute in Istanbul. Keye Tersmette Postdoctoral Fellowship to received a Weatherhead Center undertake fieldwork in Israel, for International Affairs foreign where he is now a Fellow at language study grant and will the Edmond J. Safra Center for be a Graduate Student Affiliate

Aleksandar Shopov (Photo: Rose Lincoln/Harvard University) Ethics at Tel Aviv University. of the Weatherhead Center He published several articles, for 2016–17.

10 CMESNEWS | SPRING 2016 CONGRATULATIONS AM GRADUATES! ■■ Hind Al-Ansari of Gender on Frontline ■■ Wadah Al Shugaa—Thesis: Humanitarian Negotiations.” “The Race for the ­Money: The Advisor: Claude Bruderlein Rivalry between Doha, Dubai, ■■ John Hambley and Manama to Become the ■■ David Max Korzen Region’s Financial Center.” ■■ Medhini Kumar Advisor: Roger Owen ■■ Aya Majzoub ■■ David Babaian—Thesis: ■■ Kevin Moss “Omar ibn Said, Son of Adam, ■■ Finn Quigley and the People of ­Abraham.” ■■ Elad Vaida—Thesis: “The Advisor: Marc Shell Rise of Romanian National ■■ Federica du Pasquier Consciousness and Identity.” Federica du Pasquier, David Babaian, Elad Vaida, and Wadah Al Shugaa Thesis: “Assessing the Impact Advisor: Cemal Kafadar

UNDERGRADUATE PHOTOGRAPHY FROM THE REGION CMES awarded a first prize and three honorable mentions in the 2015–16 Harvard College International Photo Contest for photos taken in the Middle East region. Aubrey Stoddard (’17), studying history and government, received first prize for an image she captured during her internship at the Institute for Counter Terrorism during summer 2015 in Israel. Honorable mentions were awarded to archaeology concentrator Jingxiu Jin (’18), for this image of contrasting colors and ancient city walls in Jerusalem, social studies concentrator Siobhan McDonough (’17), who captured this blue architecture in Chefchaouen, Morocco, and NELC concentrator Charles Sutherland (’16), who photographed this traditional vessel on the Nile while in Egypt. “A Piece of Advice,” Aubrey Stoddard

“Black and Color,” Jingxiu Jin “(Window)shades of Blue,” Siobhan McDonough “Sailing in the Desert,” Charles Sutherland

SPRING 2016 | CMESNEWS 11 NEWS AND NOTES

ALUMNI NEWS Professor in Anthropology and violence, and religion, working presented at the First Annual Linguistics and Languages at to increase both the quality Conference of Psychology at AM ALUMNI McMaster University, recently and quantity of Arabic content Bethlehem University in April Pouya Alimagham (’09) published his sixth book, A on the World Wide Web. Iza 2016. She published two articles completed his PhD in History North West Caucasian Linguistic Hussin (’00) published The in the Washington Psychiatrist: at the University of Michigan Reader (LINCOM, 2015). His Politics of Islamic Law: Local “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in December 2015 and has seventh book, Tales of the Narts: Elites, Colonial Authority, and in Palestine” (Spring 2016) and accepted a position as lecturer Ancient Myths and Legends of the Making of the Muslim “School-Based Interventions to teach modern Middle East the Ossetians, is in press with State (University of Chicago Supporting Students in history at MIT beginning fall Princeton University Press. Press, 2016). Lami Kim Palestine” (Winter 2016). She 2016. Hannah-Louise Clark An earlier volume, Nart Sagas (’08), who joined the South will begin medical school at (’05) has two journal articles from the Caucasus: Tales of the Korean Foreign Service after Stanford in August 2016. Bruce forthcoming: “Expressing Circassians, Abkhazians, and graduation, is back in Boston, Maddy-Weitzman (’77) is a Entitlement in Colonial Algeria: Ubykhs (Princeton University teaching international relations professor in the Department Villagers, Medical Doctors, Press, 2002) will appear in a at Boston College as a lecturer of Middle Eastern and African and the State in the Early 20th paperback edition this summer. and pursuing a PhD degree at History, Tel Aviv University. Century,” IJMES 48.3, and Despite turning 70 last June, the Fletcher School of Law and His latest book is A Century “Administering Vaccination in he taught five courses this Diplomacy at Tufts. She will be of Arab Politics: From the Interwar Algeria: Auxiliaires past academic year and gave a predoctoral research fellow Arab Revolt to the Arab Spring médicaux, Smallpox, and talks at Baylor and Leiden at the Harvard Kennedy School (Rowman and Littlefield, the Colonial State in the Universities. Eric B. Evans (’97) starting this July. Turkish 2016). His previous book, The Communes mixtes,” French is a litigation partner at Mayer journalist Fehmi Koru (’82) Berber Identity Movement and Politics, Culture, and Society Brown LLP. He concentrates his published Ben Böyle Gördüm the Challenge to North African 34.2. John Colarusso (’70), practice in complex litigation [Thus I Have Seen] (ALFA States” (University of Texas matters, with special emphasis Publishing House, 2016). Scott Press, 2011), won the American on technology and electronic Liddle (’12) has been working Institute of Maghrib Studies discovery issues. He’s had for the Turquoise Mountain L. Carl Brown Book Prize occasion to use his Arabic to Foundation in Afghanistan since for outstanding new book help clients. Anna Carolin November 2014, and in June in the field of North African Haleblian (’14) moved to Qatar 2015 became Country Director Studies. Aaron Magid (AM last year to help build one of of the organization. Jeffrey K. ’15) is working as a journalist the fastest growing Arabic Lorch (’06) has been elected in Amman while also a CASA websites online, Kasra.co. Principal at McKinsey and fellow. Recent publications She started as a Community Company, where he is a global include “ISIS Meets Its Match?” Manager and now leads the mineral and metal commodity Foreign Affairs, February 17, Marketing Department of the market expert based in Dubai. 2016, and “Jordan Blocks Arabic publishing platform, Katherine Lyman (’15) 50,000 Syrian Refugees Near which trains youth in writing contributed to A Comprehensive Border,” Al-Monitor, April 5, bite-sized articles in a safe Student Support Program in 2016. Joseph V. Montville (’61) online space away from politics, Mental Health, which was currently heads the Program on

12 CMESNEWS | SPRING 2016 Healing Historical Memory in Education in the Islamic University. The center runs recent book, Women, Islam, and the School for Conflict Analysis Republic of Iran,” was recently programs that promote Abbasid Identity, was published and Resolution (S-CAR) at published in the Journal of entrepreneurship in Qatar and by Harvard University Press George Mason University. A Middle Eastern Women’s that connect entrepreneurs in 2015. She also co-edited the retired career Foreign Service Studies. He also published in Doha and Chicago. Alex book One Hundred and Fifty officer, he served in Iraq, two book chapters: “Urban Winder (’09) edited and (AUB Press, 2016), in celebra- Lebanon, Libya, and Morocco, Space and the Production introduced From Jaffa to tion of the 150th anniversary and was Near East division chief of Gender in Modern Iran” Mount Hebron: The Diaries of the American University of in the Bureau of Intelligence and “Are Iranians People of of Muhammad ‘Abd al-Hadi Beirut. Alireza Doostdar (’12) and Research in the State Color? Persian, Muslim, and al-Shrouf, 1943–1962, published published “Empirical Spirits: Department. He is involved in Model Minority Race Politics.” earlier this year in Arabic by the Islam, Spiritism, and the an effort to raise funds to name Hassan Shiban (’13) finished Institute for Palestine Studies. Virtues of Science in Iran,” in S-CAR for the late assistant the CASA program in Amman He also contributed a chapter Comparative Studies in Society secretary of state for the Near almost a year ago and is now titled “Rumor and Conspiracy and History 58.2 (2016). Aykan East and South Asia Harold H. working as Intake Coordinator Theory in Tahrir Square” to Erdemir (’04) was awarded Saunders, who was a key aid with the International Refugee the collection The Birth of the the 2016 Stefanus Prize for in Henry Kissinger’s Middle Assistance Program in Lebanon. Arab Citizen and the Changing Religious Freedom, joined East policy and Jimmy Carter’s Marian Elizabeth Smith Middle East (Interlink Books, the Foundation for Defense negotiation of the Camp (’12) is a PhD candidate in the 2016). John Zavage (’13) is of Democracies as a senior David agreements resulting Department of Near Eastern finishing a three-year tour at fellow, and co-authored a new in the Egyptian–Israeli peace Studies at the University of US Central Command and will book, Antagonistic Tolerance: agreement. Jennifer Quigley- Michigan. She was awarded a attend a one-year program at Competitive Sharing of Religious Jones (’15) spoke in March summer fellowship from the the Air War College at Maxwell Sites and Spaces (Routledge, 2016 at a hackathon hosted by American Institute for Iranian Air Force Base in Montgomery, 2016). The 11th edition of the European Broadcasting Studies to participate in a Alabama. Arthur Goldschmidt’s (AM Union in Geneva on digital language exchange program in ’61, PhD ’68) A Concise History storytelling and Europe’s Tehran. She received a Mellon PHD ALUMNI NEWS of the Middle East (Westview migration crisis. She spoke Fellowship for Dissertation Arbella Bet-Shlimon (’12) is Press) came out late in 2015. about her experience of the Research in Original Sources finishing the initial manuscript He was joined for this edi- Syria crisis and volunteering at from the Council on Library of her first book, a history of tion by Aomar Boum. Emily Moria camp in Lesvos, Greece, and Information Resources and Kirkuk in the twentieth century, Gottreich (AM ’93, PhD over Christmas. Alex Shams will be conducting 11 months based on her dissertation. She ’99) was named Chair of the (’13) is in the first year of a of fieldwork abroad starting has been invited to lecture on Center for Middle Eastern PhD program in anthropology in August 2016. George Somi her research at Ohio University Studies at the University of at the University of Chicago (’12) will start the JD program and the University of Georgia. California at Berkeley. She focused on gender politics and at Brooklyn Law School in fall Nadia Maria El Cheikh (’92), began a five-year term in July urbanism in modern Iran. An 2016. Mandy Terc (’04) became Professor of History at the 2015. Zahra N. Jamal (’08) article based on his AM thesis, the Director of the Sheikh Faisal American University of Beirut, started a new job as Associate “Revolutionary Religiosity and Center for Entrepreneurship has been appointed Interim Director for Community Women’s Access to Higher in the Middle East at DePaul Associate Provost. Her most Engagement at Rice Univer­ (continued on next page)

SPRING 2016 | CMESNEWS 13 sity’s Boniuk Institute for one and a half years ago but VISITING on Turkey in the Modern Religious Tolerance in July the Middle East and Islamism RESEARCHER NEWS World series in February 2015. She was named Rice are more in the news than 2016. Post-doctoral Fellow University’s representative to ever, so I am hard at work. I Visiting Scholar Ali Akbar Özge Ertem Artvinli gave President Obama’s Interfaith like to note that I began my Alikhani published two three talks in 2016: “The Pain and Community Service career writing books, then I articles, “Methodological of All: Coping with Post-War Campus Challenge by the US moved to long articles, then Impediments to Innovation Famine, Hunger, and Despair­ Department of Education. short articles, then newspaper on Political Thought of Islam,” in Ottoman Anatolia in 1870s,” Under the direction of its columns, then blogs . . . and Sociology and Anthropology Disease and Disaster in Ot­ founding chair, Professor now I tweet. (Other than the 10 (2015), and “Conceptual toman Anatolia conference, Philip S. Khoury (’80), the books and tweets, my writings Network of Islamic Political Skilliter Center for Ottoman Emile Bustani Middle East are available at DanielPipes. Philosophy,” Research Journal Studies, University of Cam- Seminar at MIT celebrated its org.) I head the Middle East of Political Science (Iranian bridge, in March; “Under the 30th anniversary this academic Forum, a think tank founded Political Science Association), Same Sun and Guns, Cold and year. Mana Kia (’11), Assistant in 1994 that has grown into a Spring 2016, and a book chap- Drought: A Shared History of Professor in the Department substantial organization with ter, “Fundamentals of Islam in Famine, Scarcity, and Survival­ of Middle Eastern, South two dozen staff and an annual International Relations,” Islam in Ottoman Anatolia (1879– Asian, and African Studies budget of over $4 million. I and International Relations: 1881),” at CMES in April; and at Columbia University, won founded Campus Watch in Contributions to Theory and “Cumhuriyet Dönemi Çocuk a Social Science Research 2002 with the purpose of Practice (Palgrave Macmillan, Dergilerinde Sahil ve Sokak Council fellowship for critiquing Middle East studies 2016). He gave a talk at CMES Çocuklari” [Children on the next year for her project at North America universities. in April, “Political Thought in Beaches and Streets of the “Significant Others: Forms of I wish I could say that CMES The Islamic World: Findings Republic in Children’s Periodi­ Companionship across Early is an exception to the generally from a Study of 280 Muslim cals in Turkey, 1930s–1940s], Modern Iran and India,” which dismal record but it is not. Scholars from the 7th Cen- International Symposium on focuses on the various forms Here’s hoping for (but not tury to the Present.” Visiting the History of Childhood in of companionship in early counting on) improvements.” Scholar Günil Özlem Ayaydin the Ottoman Empire, Akdeniz modern Persianate Asia. Asher John Voll (AM ’60, PhD ’69) Cebe presented “Advertising University, Antalya, in May. She Orkaby (’14) published “The spent his first year of retire- Literature in Ottoman-Turkish reviewed Nazan Maksudyan’s 1964 Israeli Airlift to Yemen ment (2014–15) enjoying a new Periodicals”­ at the ACLA Orphans and Destitute Children and the Expansion of Weapons flexibility of schedule and, Annual Meeting at Harvard in the Late Ottoman Empire Diplomacy” in Diplomacy with Georgetown University in March 2016. She gave a talk (Syracuse University Press, and Statecraft 26.4 (2015). He colleagues John Esposito and about the Turkish national 2014) in New Perspectives on was awarded a Harry Frank Tamara Sonn, wrote Islam anthem in May 2016 at CMES. Turkey 53 (November 2015). Guggenheim Research Grant and Democracy after the Arab Visiting Post-doctoral Fellow Post-doctoral Fellow Hilary for his forthcoming book on Spring (Oxford University Gökten Doğangün gave the Falb Kalisman gave two talks Egypt’s use of chemical weap- Press, 2016). He is currently talk “The Reconstruction of in March 2016: “Reading, Writ- ons in Yemen during the 1960s. working on a long-term Gender Regimes in Contem- ing, Revolution: Educators in Daniel Pipes (’78) writes: project on Muslim–Christian porary Turkey and Russia” for the Interwar Middle East,” at “My Medicare card arrived relations in world history. the WCFIA/CMES Seminar Brown University, and “School-

14 CMESNEWS | SPRING 2016 ing the State: A Trans­national History of Public Education and Governance in the 20th Century Middle East,” at CMES. She will be accepting a tenure-track position as Assistant Professor of History at Furman University in fall 2016. Visiting Scholar Hussein­ Kalout gave talks at the Senate Commission on Foreign Relations of Brazil,

March 2016, the Brazilian War Ali Akbar Alikhani Özge Ertem Artvinli Saime Ozcurumez College, January 2016, and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Sao and “Mo’ayid Aybeh, the Saljuq December 2015 convened an presented the paper “Poetry Paulo, Brazil, November 2015. Ruler,” Encyclopedia Iranica, international conference in An- and Intellectual Tolerance in He has begun writing a weekly Spring 2016. She gave three kara titled Radicalization in the Yemen” at the Middle East column, as a Senior Columnist talks in 2016: “Locating Iranian Mediterranean Region: Old and Studies Association annual on International­ Politics, in Historical Memory: The Trans- New Drivers. Visiting Scholar meeting in November 2015. the Brazilian daily Folha de São formation from Zoroastrianism Saime ­Ozcurumez published His article “Avicenna’s Philos- Paulo. In February 2016, he was to Islam,” at Stanford University, “What moves the High Skilled ophy of Education” has been short-listed by the UN Human in January; “The Concept of and Why? Comparing Turk- accepted for publication in the Rights Council in Geneva for Destiny in the Medieval Persian ish Nationals in Canada and Kuwait University Journal for the position of Special Rap- Historiography,” Mahindra Germany” in International Humanities. He gave the talk porteur on the situation of Humanities Center, Harvard, Migration. She gave the talks “The Imaginative Orientalism of human rights in the Palestin- in March; and “Collapse of “The Emerging Immigration Washington Irving” at CMES in ian territories occupied since the Khwarazmshah Dynasty and Asylum Regime in Tur- May 2016. Visiting Scholar Lisa 1967. He wrote “The Dynamics in Iran: Reasons and Conse- key,” for the WCFIA/CMES Urkevich received the Univer- of Hezbollah–Israel Mutual quences,” at CMES in April. Seminar on Turkey in the sity of Maryland Alumna of the Deterrence and Reshaping the Post-doctoral Fellow Lorenzo Modern World, “Refugees and Year Award in Visual and Per- Rules of the Game” in Tipping Kamel published two edited Health Care Policies: How Does forming Arts, received a grant the Balance? Implications of the volumes in 2016: Arab Spring ­Europe Cope?” at the University from Kuwait Foundation for the Iran Nuclear Deal on Israeli Se­ and Peripheries: A Decentring­ of Michigan, both in March Advancement of Sciences, and curity (Belfer Center for Science Research Agenda (Routledge) 2016, and “Health Care Service was promoted to full professor and International Affairs, HKS, and Changing Migration Delivery in Times of Crisis: at the American University of December 2015). Post-doctoral Patterns in the Mediterranean Turkey and the Syrian Crisis,” Kuwait. She gave the talk “The Fellow Maryam Kamali pub- (ENC). He was awarded a Marie at the Migration and Health Shaping of Modern Khaliji lished Social Change in Iran: the Curie Experienced Researcher Care panel discussion at CMES Popular Culture: Music, Mass Perspective of Persian Writing fellowship by the European in May 2016. Visiting Scholar Media, and Kuwait” at CMES in Historians (Roshangaran, 2015) Commission at FRIAS and in Mohammed­ ­Sharafuddin April 2016.

SPRING 2016 | CMESNEWS 15 EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

JANUARY 2016 and Sciences, University of On the Razor’s Edge: The Washington; Director, American State of the Judiciary in Muslim Research Institute. Turkey: A talk with Justice Robert Cordy, Associate Justice, Evangelicals and Warlords: Massachusetts Supreme Christian Television in the Judicial Court. Co-sponsored Middle East, 1981–2000: A with the Weatherhead Center presentation by Febe Armanios, Robert Labaree and Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol for International Affairs. Associate Professor of History at Middlebury College and FEBRUARY 2016 fall 2015 Visiting Fellow at the Current Challenges of Devel- Islamic Legal Studies Program opment Assistance in Pales- at HLS, which co-sponsored tine: The Politicization of Aid the talk. to Gaza and the West Bank: A talk by Bill Corcoran, President The Iran–Iraq War: Litera­ and CEO, American Near East ture, Art, and Film: A sym­ Refugee Aid. Co-sponsored posium organized by CMES Will McCants Cansu Çamlıbel with the Weatherhead Center Director William Granara. for International Affairs. “Abdul Razzak Abdul Wahid: Fighting a Secular Holy of Delaware; “Intertextuality, Chair of Religion and Politics, Studying Classical and Mod- War,” Yousif Hanna, Harvard Immortality, and the Universal University of Birmingham, ern Arabic Literature in the College; “Reading the Other Author in Muhammad UK; Senior Research Fellow, UAE Today: A lecture in Arabic in War: Americans Reading ­Khudayyir’s ‘Yusuf’s Tales,’ ” Georgetown Univer­sity Berkley by Omar Shehadeh Fajjawi, Iranians Reading Iraqis,” Sheida William Tamplin, Harvard; “The Center on Religion, Peace, and Arabic Language Professor, Dayani, Harvard; “Tales of Sacred Defense: Fade to Black— World Affairs; Visiting­ Profes- Department of Humanities War, Violence, and Loss in the Panahi, Kiarostami, Hatamikia,” sor of Religion and Politics and and Social Sciences, American Fiction of Muhsin Al-Ramli,” Justine Landau, Harvard; “The Associate, Prince Alwaleed Bin University of Ras Al Khaimah, Khaled Al-Masri, Swarthmore Enemy Is Us: Spectral Foes in Talal Islamic Studies­ Program, United Arab Emirates. College; “Cracks in the System: Iranian War Cinema,” Kamran and Director, Islam in the West Literary Challenges to the ­Rastegar, Tufts University. program, Harvard. Islamophobia in America: Iranian Narrative of Sacred General discussion moderated Empirical Evidence and Defense from Within,” Amir by Sinan Antoon, NYU. The ISIS Apocalypse: The Beyond: A talk by Karam Moosavi, NYU; “Desertion and History, Strategy, and Dana, Assistant Professor, Art during the Iran–Iraq War,” What Is Islamic in the Islamic Doomsday Vision of the School of Interdisciplinary Arts Ikram Masmoudi, University State? A talk by Jocelyne ­Cesari, Islamic State: A talk by Will

16 CMESNEWS | SPRING 2016 Kamran ­Rastegar, Yousif Hanna, William Granara, Ikram Masmoudi, Justine Landau Eric Davis, Sami Zubaida, and Roger Owen Amir Moosavi, Sheida Dayani, Sinan Antoon, and William Tamplin

McCants, Senior Fellow, Center Intercultural Musical Nieman Foundation Fellow, with the Weatherhead Center for Middle East Policy, and Di- Explorations in “A Coffee­ Harvard. Co-sponsored with for International Affairs and the rector, Project on US Relations house Opera”: Shakespeare’s the Weatherhead Center for Middle East Initiative, HKS. with the Islamic World, the Othello, an Ottoman Eunuch, International Affairs. Brookings Institution. and Bektashi Sufism: A Subterfuge and Deception in presentation with music by MARCH 2016 the Pre-Modern Mediterra- The Ceaseless Quest for Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol, Emerson Refugees in Turkey and nean: A workshop organized Saudi Arabia: Central College, and Robert Labaree, the US Response: A talk by by and co-sponsored with Arabian Nationhood New England Conservatory. Joseph Livingston, Associate the Mediterranean Seminar, and Its Spillover Effects: Director for Government and Brian A. Catlos, University A talk by Nadav Samin, The “New Turkey” and In- NGOs with Project C.U.R.E of Colorado at Boulder, and Lecturer, Anthropology and dividual Freedoms: Is There and former Foreign Service Sharon Kinoshita, University Government, Dartmouth Still Room for Coexistence? Officer, US Department of of California at Santa Cruz, College. Co-sponsored with A talk by Cansu Çamlıbel, State, Bureau of Population, Co-Directors. the Weatherhead Center for writer and Senior Diplomatic Refugees, and Migration, International Affairs. Correspondent, Hürriyet; 2007–16. Co-sponsored with How Did Salafism Become 2015–16 Nieman Fellow, the Weatherhead Center for an Ideology? A talk by Henri Episteme, Phronesis, and Harvard. Co-sponsored with International Affairs. Lauzière, Assistant Professor, Performance: Towards a the Weatherhead Center for Department of History, Ritual History of Qizilbash- International Affairs. Middle East Quagmire: What Northwestern University. Alevi People: A talk by Riza Hope for Palestine Refugees? Co-sponsored with NELC, the Yildirim, Associate Professor, Through the Lens: Iraq at A talk by Pierre Krähenbühl, Islamic Legal Studies Program History, TOBB University of War: A talk and photo presen- Commissioner General, United (HLS), Prince Alwaleed Economics and Technology, tation by Andrea Bruce, doc- Nations Relief and Works Islamic Studies Program, and Ankara; 2015–16 Fulbright umentary photographer with Agency for Palestine Refugees the Weatherhead Center for Scholar, Boston University. NOOR Images and 2015–16 in the Near East. Co-sponsored International Affairs. Lauzière

SPRING 2016 | CMESNEWS 17 EVENT HIGHLIGHTS also participated in a workshop Muhamed Almaliky; Sami University of Chicago; Roy Oman, Zanzibar, and the for graduate students and Zubaida, University of P. Mottahedeh, Harvard. Politics of Becoming Arab: faculty working in related areas. London; Kanan Makiya, ■■ Day 2 Session: Summing The annual CMES Lecture on Brandeis University. Up and Regional Impli­ Arabian Peninsula Studies, by Iraq: Possible Futures—­ ■■ Economic Panel: Oil, cations. Richard Norton, Mandana Limbert, Associate Including a Return to the Flood, and Corruption. Boston University. Professor, Anthropology, Past: A symposium organized Moderator: Roger Owen; Queens College and the by Roger Owen, A.J. Meyer Joseph Sassoon, Georgetown The Persian and Afghan Graduate Center, CUNY. Professor of Middle East History University; Luay al-Khateeb, Romance of Alexander the Emeritus, and Dr. Muhamed Columbia University. Great: Part II, The Seeker: A Continuity and Change in H. Almaliky, Associate, ■■ Cultural Panel: Expressing presentation by Michael Barry, Turkey’s Political Economy: Weatherhead Center for Identity through Poetry, Art, Lecturer, Near Eastern Studies, A talk by H. Tolga Bolukbasi, International Affairs, Harvard. and Religion. Moderator: Princeton University. Co- Assistant Professor of ■■ Political Panel: Reflection William Granara, Harvard; sponsored with the Association Political Science and Public on the Past and an Update Eric Davis, Rutgers for Central Asian Civilizations Administration, Bilkent on the Present. Moderator: University; Orit Bashkin, and Silk Road Studies. University, Ankara; Fulbright Senior Fellow and Visiting Scholar, Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies. Co-sponsored with the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

The Geopolitics of the Iran Deal: Winners and Losers: A talk by Karim Sadjadpour, Senior Associate, Middle East Program, Carnegie Gala co-chairs Kian Sani and Cameron Khansarinia and Mandana Limbert, Paul Beran, honoree Afsaneh Najmabadi at the Iranian Gala Hilary Rantisi, and Roy P. Mottahedeh Endowment for International Peace. Co-sponsored with

Performance of Feathers of Fire: A Persian Epic the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

Fail Better: The United Nations and Syria: A talk by Mouin Rabbani, Senior Fellow, Institute for Palestinian Studies; independent analyst

Halil Ibrahim Yenigun specializing in Palestinian affairs and the Arab–Israeli

18 CMESNEWS | SPRING 2016 conflict. Co-sponsored with the Defending Human Rights Adnan Onart, Professor, Boston Problem of Modern Iranian Middle East Initiative, HKS. in Palestine: A talk with Raji University. Historiography: A CMES Sourani and Shawan Jabarin, Director’s Series presentation APRIL 2016 moderated by Sara Roy, Harvard. Intellectuals and State: by Yann Richard, Professor The Second Annual Iranian Personal and Scholarly Emeritus, Director, l’Institut Gala: Preserving the Past, The Turbulent World of Reflections on Turkish d’études iraniennes, Université Building for the Future: A Middle East Soccer: A talk Democracy: A conversation Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris. fundraiser to support Iranian by James Dorsey, Senior with Halil Ibrahim Yenigun, studies at Harvard, organized Fellow, S. Rajaratnam School of “Academic for Peace” and Open Yet Invisible: The by CMES, the Harvard College International Studies, Singapore former Assistant Professor US Record on Israel and Iranian Association, and Nanyang Technological of Political Theory, Istanbul Palestine, 1948: The 2016 Harvard Iranian Alumni. University, co-director of the Commerce University. Hilda B. Silverman Memorial Featuring keynote speaker Institute of Culture, University Lecture, delivered by Irene Pejman Nozad, Founding of Wuerzburg. Co-sponsored MAY 2016 Gendzier, Professor Emeritus, Managing Partner of Pejman with the Weatherhead Center Coup d’État in Iran? Revisit­ Department of Politi­cal Science, Mar Ventures, and honorees for International Affairs. ing 1921 and 1953, and the Boston University. Ali Khademhosseini, Payam Mohseni, Afsaneh Najmabadi, Feathers of Fire: A Persian and Roxane Zand, DL. Epic: A visually breathtaking cinematic shadow play based Analyzing the 2016 on the Persian epic Shahnameh Parliamen­­tary and Experts (Book of Kings). Conceived, Assembly Elections in Iran: designed, and directed by visual A talk by Mehrzad Boroujerdi, artist and 2014 Guggenheim Professor and Chair of the Fellow Hamid Rahmanian in Political Science Department, collaboration with Larry Reed Maxwell School of Citizenship and ShadowLight Productions. and Public Affairs, Syracuse Ambassador Greta Holtz with CMES students and University. From the National Epic of Visiting Scholar Mohammed Sharafuddin Shahnameh to the National Turkish Foreign Policy Satire of the Rhyme of the This spring CMES hosted three more professional development between the Syrian Civil Mouse and Cat: A Translator’s talks for AM students. In conjunction with his public lecture War and Russia: A talk by Journey at the Extremes: in February, Will McCants talked with students about his work Soner Cagaptay, Bayer Family Ahmad Sadri, Professor of in government and at the Brookings Institution. Before his Fellow and Director, Turkish Sociology and James P. Gorter presentation in March, Joseph Livingston spoke with students Research Program, The Chair of Islamic World Studies, about his experience in the Foreign Service and with Project Washington Institute for Near Lake Forest College. C.U.R.E. And Greta Holtz talked about her career in the Foreign East Policy. Co-sponsored with Service, including four years as US Ambassador to Oman and her the Weatherhead Center for Philosophy in Turkey during current position on the State Department’s “seventh floor.” International Affairs. the Turbulent Years: A talk by

SPRING 2016 | CMESNEWS 19 Deniz Cakirer and Justice Robert Cordy

Final meeting of “Readings in Arabic Historians, Geographers, and Biographers,” with Roy P. Mottahedeh

Jocelyne Cesari­

AT A GLANCE

WINTER TERM IN TURKEY AND TUNISIA FACULTY NEWS Q&A WITH SHEIDA DAYANI STUDENT NEWS CONGRATULATIONS AM GRADUATES! UNDERGRADUATE PHOTO CONTEST ALUMNI NEWS VISITING RESEARCHER NEWS EVENT HIGHLIGHTS