● sanctions? THIS ISSUE East andNorth Africa The dawnof theSaudi petro-age ● Nostalgia and theoilcity :

Oil – Past, Present, Future Oil –Past, Future Present, ●

OPEC after the Arab uprisings ●

PLUS ● The cinemaofIraqi oil

Reviews andevents inLondon ● A curse orablessing? ● Libya’s nascent oil industry ●

Volume 10-Number 4 Europe, theMiddle June –July 2014 ● Lifeafter £4 Volume 10 - Number 4 June – July 2014 £4

THIS ISSUE: Oil – Past, Present, Future ● Europe, the Middle East and North Africa ● OPEC after the Arab uprisings ● A curse or a blessing? ● Life after sanctions? ● Nostalgia and the oil city ● The cinema of Iraqi oil ● Libya’s Nascent oil industry ● The dawn of the Saudi petro-age ● PLUS Reviews and events in London

To follow "Reza Shah" (2013) © Amin Roshan. Image courtesy About the London Middle East Institute (LMEI) of Janet Rady Fine Art Th e London Middle East Institute (LMEI) draws upon the resources of London and SOAS to provide Volume 10 - Number 4 teaching, training, research, publication, consultancy, outreach and other services related to the Middle June – July 2014 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. 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 SOAS has access to the SOAS Library, which houses over 150,000 volumes dealing with all aspects of the Middle East. LMEI’s Advisory Council is the driving force behind the Institute’s fundraising programme, for which Dr Hadi Enayat AKU it takes primary responsibility. It seeks support for the LMEI generally and for specifi c components of its Ms Narguess Farzad programme of activities. SOAS Mrs Nevsal Hughes Association of European Journalists Dr George Joff é Mission Statement: Cambridge University 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 of Arabia those who have a special interest in the region. In this task it builds on two essential assets. First, it is based in Dr Kathryn Spellman Poots London, a city which has unrivalled contemporary and historical connections and communications with the AKU and LMEI Middle East including political, social, cultural, commercial and educational aspects. Secondly, the LMEI is Dr Sarah Stewart at SOAS, the only tertiary educational institution in the world whose explicit purpose is to provide education SOAS and scholarship on the whole Middle East from prehistory until today. Mrs Ionis Th ompson Saudi-British Society and BFSA Dr Shelagh Weir SOAS LMEI Staff: Professor Sami Zubaida Birkbeck College Director Dr Hassan Hakimian Coordinating Editor Executive Offi cer Louise Hosking Megan Wang Events and Magazine Coordinator Vincenzo Paci Listings Administrative Assistant Shahla Geramipour Vincenzo Paci Designer Shahla Geramipour Disclaimer: Letters to the Editor:

Th e Middle East in London is published fi ve times a year by the London Middle Opinions and views expressed in the Middle East Please send your letters to the editor at East Institute at SOAS in London are, unless otherwise stated, personal the LMEI address provided (see left panel) views of authors and do not refl ect the views of their or email [email protected] Publisher and organisations nor those of the LMEI and the MEL's Editorial Offi ce Editorial Board. Although all advertising in the Th e London Middle East Institute SOAS magazine is carefully vetted prior to publication, the University of London MBI Al Jaber Building, 21 Russell LMEI does not accept responsibility for the accuracy Square, London WC1B 5EA of claims made by advertisers. United Kingdom T: +44 (0)20 7898 4490 SSubscriptions:ubscriptions: F: +44 (0)20 7898 4329 E: [email protected] www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/ To subscribe to Th e Middle East in London, please visit: ISSN 1743-7598 www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/affi liation/ Contents

LMEI Board of Trustees 4 19 Professor Paul Webley (Chair) Director, SOAS EDITORIAL Political and civic life at the Professor Richard Black, SOAS dawn of the Saudi petro-age Dr John Curtis Iran Heritage Foundation 5 Claudia Ghrawi Sir Vincent Fean INSIGHT Professor Ben Fortna, SOAS Europe, the Middle East and 21 Mr Alan Jenkins North Africa: oil and gas REVIEWS Dr Karima Laachir, SOAS George Joff é BOOKS Dr Dina Matar, SOAS Th e Caravan Goes On: How Dr Barbara Zollner Birkbeck College 7 Aramco and Saudi Arabia Grew OIL – PAST, PRESENT, Up Together FUTURE Jörg Matthias Determann LMEI Advisory Council OPEC aft er the Arab uprisings Lady Barbara Judge (Chair) Professor Muhammad A. S. Abdel Haleem Paul Stevens 22 Near and Middle East Department, SOAS Law, State, and Society Mr Stephen Ball KPMG 9 in Modern Iran: H E Khalid Al-Duwaisan GVCO Oil in MENA: a curse or a Constitutionalism, Autocracy, Ambassador, Embassy of the State of Kuwait Mrs Haifa Al Kaylani blessing? and Legal Reform, 1906-1941 Arab International Women’s Forum Massoud Karshenas Saïd Amir Arjomand Dr Khalid Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa President, University College of Bahrain Professor Tony Allan 11 23 King’s College and SOAS Dr Alanoud Alsharekh Life aft er sanctions? On the Arab Revolts and the Senior Fellow for Regional Politics, IISS Hormoz Nafi cy Iranian Revolution: Power and Mr Farad Azima NetScientifi c Plc Resistance Today Dr Noel Brehony 13 Ghoncheh Tazmini MENAS Associates Ltd. Professor Magdy Ishak Hanna Nostalgia and the oil city British Egyptian Society Rasmus Christian Elling 24 HE Mr Mazen Kemal Homoud Ambassador, Embassy of the Hashemite BOOKS IN BRIEF Kingdom of Jordan 15 Th e cinema of Iraqi oil 26 Founding Patron and Mona Damluji OBITUARY Donor of the LMEI Hossein Shahidi (1953-2014) Sheikh Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber MBI Al Jaber Foundation 17 Saeed Barzin Th e USA and labour relations in Libya’s nascent oil industry 27 Elisabetta Bini EVENTS IN LONDON

June-July 2014 The Middle East in London 3 EEDITORIALDITORIAL © Aryan Lavasani © Aryan

DDearear RReadereader

“Oil and Gas” by Aryan Lavasani. Part of Black Gold exhibition curated by Leila Varasteh and Vida Zaim. Image courtesy of Aryan Lavasani & Shirin and Homa Art Galleries

Nelida Fuccaro, Hassan Hakimian, SOAS

il has cast a long shadow over the Stevens considers the implications of of oil, explaining how fi lms produced by Middle East for the better part of new technologies (such as fracking and the Iraq Petroleum Company (IPC) in the Othe last century. While opinion extraction of shale oil and gas) for the future 1950s sought to present a new and modern has been divided over whether the ‘black of oil in the Middle East. image of Iraq. gold’ has been a curse or a blessing for the Massoud Karshenas looks back at the Elsewhere in the magazine, Elisabetta region, there is agreement that its impact evolution of oil economies arguing that Bini and Claudia Ghrawi tell us a diff erent has nevertheless been pervasive, generating while oil has provided major developmental story: that of the labour and social struggles fabulous wealth and striking inequalities, opportunities for oil-exporters in the region, generated by the development of the oil environmental disasters and spectacular it has also slowed down, if not derailed, industry in Libya and Saudi Arabia under urban development, hyper-modern the timetable for major economic reforms the control of foreign companies. Bini sheds lifestyles and cultures of repression. in these economies. Hormoz Nafi cy takes light on the little known world of Libyan Th is issue of the magazine visits the vexed a similar line in his piece on the future of oil before the rise of the Qaddafi regime relationship between oil and the Middle Iran’s oil sector in the post-sanctions period in 1969, a world dominated by US Cold East and North Africa (MENA); multi- to make a plea for rational reforms to put War concerns with left ist trade unionism. faceted, multi-dimensional and nuanced the management of the sector on a sound Focusing on another corner of America’s oil perspectives seek to shed light on the past, and apolitical footing. empire, Ghrawi unveils the links between just as much as to understand the present Th e next four pieces go beyond the oil industrialisation, political mobilisation and the future of oil in MENA. politics and economics of oil by focusing on and civic solidarity in the Eastern province Th e fi rst two contributions ask whether its social and cultural infl uences. Rasmus of Saudi Arabia before the 1973 oil boom. oil will continue to have the same Christian Elling and Mona Damluji present infl uence in the future of the region. In new and exciting aspects of early oil life Th e next issue will be published in Insight, George Joff é considers this in the and cultures. Elling explores the nostalgia October aft er our summer recess. May we context of the recent crisis in Ukraine and surrounding the bygone oil age in the take this opportunity to thank our readers asks whether the Middle East can allay Iranian city of Abadan since the Islamic and contributors for their support and European energy security concerns in Republic and the Iran–Iraq War. Similarly, wish you all a good break over the summer its stand-off with Russia. Similarly, Paul Damluji looks at the cinematic experience months.

4 The Middle East in London June-July 2014 IINSIGHTNSIGHT

George Joff é weighs the importance of Middle East oil and gas in Europe’s standoff with Russia EEurope,urope, tthehe MMiddleiddle EEastast aandnd NNorthorth AAfrica:frica: ooilil aandnd ggasas © Siamak Nasr

“Untitled” from the “Emergency” series by Siamak Nasr. Part of Black Gold exhibition curated by Leila Varasteh and Vida Zaim. Image courtesy of Siamak Nasr & Shirin and Homa Art Galleries

ost of us assume that the Middle Middle East and North Africa supplied 30.7 European fears East and North Africa, through per cent of Europe’s imported oil and 21.2 However, over the past three months, the MOPEC, dominate European per cent of its gas imports. Norway, Europe’s diplomatic horizon for both Europe and the horizons as far as access to oil and gas is third major supplier, provided 24.7 per cent United States has been dominated by the concerned. Aft er all, Britain opened up oil of European gas and 13.3 per cent of the oil. crisis over the Ukraine, Russia’s annexation production in Iran in 1908 and in Iraq and And that makes European states peculiarly of Crimea and fears of a new Cold War. the Gulf in the 1920s and 1930s respectively, vulnerable to Russian sensitivities over its While it is clear that Russia’s resentments whilst America became embroiled in oil in geopolitical role. Indeed, in January 2006 over NATO expansion and European Union Saudi Arabia at the end of the 1930s and and 2009, Europe had a foretaste of what encroachment into what it regards as its France developed the Algerian oil industry could happen when Russia and Ukraine western ‘near abroad’ are not going to erupt in the 1960s, just before oil from Libya came fell out over payment delays and much of into a hot war, Western opposition and on-stream. Ironically enough, the reality is Europe shivered for weeks as a result. It a general sanctions regime seem certain somewhat diff erent and, today, it is Russia is a diffi cult dilemma, given the number to poison the diplomatic atmosphere which is Europe’s major supplier of both oil of Eastern European countries that have for many months, if not years, to come. and gas. acute memories of Soviet oppression and And, for Europe in particular, there is an In fact, Russia supplied 46.4 per cent of their own dependence on Russian gas; uncomfortable awareness that its energy Europe’s oil imports and 35.2 per cent of understandably, they fear Russia’s renewed links to Russia are going to be a powerful its gas imports in 2012. In comparison, the diplomatic ambitions. constraint on what it can do to oppose Russian ambitions and thus exclude it from this contested arena. In Europe, there is an uncomfortable awareness that its energy Against that background, Europe’s links to Russia are going to be a powerful restraint on what it hesitancy over too robust a reaction to Moscow’s threats to Kiev seem to be can do to oppose Russian ambitions prudent, however annoying they may be

June-July 2014 The Middle East in London 5 Th e real problems are whether the oil and gas is operating plants and, although many more are planned, it will be years before they available for Europe, whether it can be accessed are available and the destinations for their by the European consumer and if so at what price outputs are already set. Th at means that, for Europe, the only to Washington! Brussels, to be fair, has westwards towards the United States for its real alternative to Russia is Central Asia, long been aware of the danger and has all-important gas. the Middle East and North Africa, either desperately sought to ensure its energy through pipelines or via LNG tankers. But, security by diversifying its sources of Solutions once again, the solution is not so easy, for supply and through diplomacy. Diplomacy, Unfortunately, the situation is more demand for gas in the Arab world is rapidly however, has failed; Russia refuses to sign complicated. As far as oil is concerned, accelerating as electricity demand spirals the European Energy Charter which is OPEC producers, dominated by the Gulf and long-term contracts in Asia eat up the supposed to ensure that energy supplies with the world’s lowest production costs, are majority of its output. Within a decade the will not be broken off by unilateral action, still the key players with up to 70 per cent Gulf could become a net importer of gas and and alternative sources of supply are of world reserves. And even if shale oil has political problems hamper North Africa’s hard to fi nd, particularly given the global freed America from its import dependence ability to expand production, whilst the new competition for gas today as a partial now, in 15 years time it will once again be supplies in the Eastern Mediterranean are solution to the problem of climate change. importing oil, if falling oil prices do not too small to be signifi cant. Since the Ukraine crisis erupted, accelerate its return to import dependence Iran, too, despite having the largest gas many commentators have assumed that earlier, simply because shale and other reserves in the world, needs them to satisfy unconventional oil and gas resources or unconventional forms of oil are so expensive escalating domestic electricity demand and other traditional suppliers will save the day. to produce. As far as gas is concerned, the for reinjection into its oil fi elds, particularly Europe, they suggest, can easily switch away problem is one of transport. Russia and if it is prevented from accessing nuclear from dependence on Russia. Th ere is the the Arab World, even Central Asia too, power. And, in any case, it would far rather Middle East, for example, with Qatar by are easily accessible through pipelines, the supply South Asia by pipeline than Europe. far the world’s largest exporter of liquefi ed cheapest form of gas transport; America is Th ere is, in short, little additional marginal natural gas (LNG), providing 30 per cent not, there gas must be liquefi ed and shipped supply for Europe and Russia, by default, of the world’s demand in 2012, or, in North across the Atlantic. is likely to remain its key supplier – as Mr Africa, Algeria, already linked by pipeline to Th e technology involved in producing Putin must have calculated! Spain via Morocco and to Italy via Tunisia, LNG and turning it back to gas again is or even Libya with its own pipeline to complex and expensive. Furthermore, until George Joff é teaches at the Department of Sardinia. Th en there are the new discoveries very recently, the United States was a net Politics and International Studies in the off the coasts of Israel and Lebanon, with gas importer and is only now beginning to University of Cambridge and is a member of the promise of more in the sea by Gaza. export gas instead. It takes two-to-fi ve years the Editorial Board Central Asia, too, could be an alternative. to build the necessary plant and, because Th ere is also shale gas, in Europe, the Arab of the costs, sales markets are determined World or even America where gas, at least, in advance. Th e United States has only two is far cheaper than it is in Europe and Asia, although the same is not true for oil. © Public domain, Wikimedia Commons Indeed, vast reserves of oil and gas certainly exist but that is not the issue. Th e real problems are whether the oil and gas is available for Europe, whether it can be accessed by the European consumer and furthermore, if so, at what price. Although the world’s oil market is truly global, with prices set through market demand, gas markets are regional, with gas oft en sold on long-term contracts and prices linked to the price of oil – the tradition in Europe and Asia – or determined by the spot and short-term markets at local distribution points, like the famed ‘Henry Hub’ market in the United States, with prices ranging from $3 to $16 per million British Th ermal Units worldwide. Clearly, if price were the only consideration, Europe should turn

A pumpjack, pictured here, is used to extract oil from a well. Photograph by Eric Kounce

6 The Middle East in London June-July 2014 OOILIL – PAST,PAST, PRESENT,PRESENT, FFUTUREUTURE

Paul Stevens ponders on some interesting dilemmas for Middle East oil producers in the aftermath of the Arab uprisings OOPECPEC afterafter tthehe AArabrab uuprisingsprisings © Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

Entrance of OPEC headquarters in Vienna, Austria. Photograph by Priwo

he Arab uprisings have posed demand destruction and increase non- All three regions have had a long history some interesting and unexpected OPEC supply. of highly subsidised oil prices for their Tdilemmas for OPEC members since Oil demand destruction arises when consumers, fuelling high demand growth the Tunisian change of regime in 2011. One consumers reduce their demand for oil on rates. major consequence has been that Arab oil a permanent basis (for instance through However, this state of aff airs is changing. producers now need signifi cantly higher oil conservation and energy effi ciency). Th us, In India, the old administrative price revenues to keep protestors off the streets by buying more fuel-effi cient cars such as system was abolished with prices being supplying jobs and subsidies. However, this hybrids or taking to bicycles are examples moved to international levels. At the start of is only possible through higher oil prices as of demand destruction. Th is occurs when 2009, China also switched to higher prices any attempt to raise revenues by increasing consumers try to off set the impact of higher based on international prices, coupled production would simply undermine prices. oil prices by improving appliance effi ciency with sales taxes on some products. In both It has been estimated that in 2005 Saudi and/or switching fuels. Th e International countries the domestic oil product prices Arabia needed $50 per barrel to balance its Energy Agency’s ‘New Policies’ scenarios rose dramatically. In the Middle East, budget. By 2012 this had risen to well over show that 68 per cent of the expected domestic oil price reform is being discussed, $95. Th is gives rise to a simple problem increase in world oil demand between 2011 but now is not a good time politically to of basic economics: high prices will lead and 2035 will come from the Middle East, increase energy prices and higher prices will to market feedback loops that create oil India and China (known as the MIC’s). eventually lead to demand destruction. Th is suggests that the conventional wisdom that 2012 saw the highest single year sees oil demand outside of the OECD rising forever is likely to be wrong. increase in US oil production ever Similarly, higher crude oil prices globally

June-July 2014 The Middle East in London 7 will encourage the development of non- OPEC members’ dilemma is that they need high OPEC supplies. Th is is strongly reinforced by the technological revolution associated prices to survive politically, but these high prices with the development of shale gas and oil. will sow the seeds of their own destruction Th is technology – horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing – is in the process of transforming oil supply, most obviously in abandoned in 1985 leading to the famous (perhaps with the exception of Dubai) has the US. According to BP’s latest Statistical 1986 price collapse. Since the start of 2011, singularly failed to show any sensible signs Review of World Energy (released in June it has been manipulating supply to try and of diversifying its economies away from 2013), 2012 saw the highest single year balance a market faced with signifi cant dependence on oil. A collapse in oil prices increase in US oil production ever. Th e geo-political outages of oil supply. Between would cause very serious macroeconomic currently high prices are also encouraging December 2010 and December 2013, some problems in terms of budget balances and increased supply from other conventional 3.5 million barrels per day (mbd) of oil balance of payments. Unemployment sources of oil. have been lost from the market (partly due would inevitably rise and with it the sorts It is not hard to see that the current to economic sanctions restricting Iran’s oil of political tensions which preceded the last situation is unsustainable. It is impossible exports). While this has been off set by a 3.5 round of Arab uprisings. for any length of time to have a market with mbd gain in oil production for the US and Th e economic prospects for the region are high prices facing falling demand and rising Canada, the losses have not been smoothly thus not good. Th e only realistic solution supply. Th us OPEC members’ dilemma off set by the gains. Saudi Arabia has would be for the Arab governments to is that they need high prices to survive eff ectively been fi lling any gaps to balance initiate serious policies to encourage politically – the uprisings are not confi ned the markets. However, a question emerges: economic diversifi cation. However, this to the Middle East – but these high prices if this balancing role means that Saudi is easier said than done. Such moves have will sow the seeds of their own destruction. production (and therefore revenues) simply been talked about regularly and at length Th e situation is very reminiscent of the falls in the face of lower demand and greater throughout the region since the fi rst oil oil market in the period 1980-1986 which supply from elsewhere, how long can they shock of 1973 but with little serious impact. culminated in the oil price collapse of 1986. aff ord to balance the market? A replica of According to an IMF report on the GCC in Th e key to how long the current situation the 1986 collapse is thus looming. However, 2011, the contribution of non-hydrocarbon in the market can survive depends upon then it was an agreement between Saudi GDP to total GDP had fallen to 51 per cent the position of Saudi Arabia. Since the start Arabia and Iran within OPEC that helped in 2010 from 61 per cent in 1990. As for the of the Arab uprisings, Saudi Arabia has prices to recover. Today, given the growing non-hydrocarbon primary fi scal defi cit – an quietly resumed its ‘Swing Role’ in the oil Sunni–Shi’a divide in the region, such an excellent proxy measure for oil dependence market. Th is role, which it played between agreement seems unlikely. – for Saudi Arabia this rose steadily from 1980 and 1985, eff ectively forced it to lower Should this view of the future come to an average below 50 per cent in the 1990s to production in order to support oil prices. pass, it would have very serious implications 140 per cent by 2010. Other GCC countries Eventually the pain became too great as for the whole of the Middle East and have shown a similar trend of growing revenues plummeted and the policy was North African (MENA) region. Th e region dependence on oil revenues. Sadly the undoubted entrepreneurial talents in the Arab world that would be essential for a process of diversifi cation have consistently been stifl ed by the political system. Ruling elites have grabbed all the best deals for themselves leaving, at best, crumbs for the rest of the private sector. Given the way in which the Arab uprisings have now stalled this situation is unlikely to change in the near future.

Professor Paul Stevens is a Distinguished Fellow at Th e Royal Institute of International Aff airs

© Joshua Doubek, Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia © Joshua Doubek, Photograph of a fracking operation

8 The Middle East in London June-July 2014 OOILIL – PAST,PAST, PRESENT,PRESENT, FFUTUREUTURE

Massoud Karshenas takes issue with monolithic views on the impact of oil in the Middle East region, which depict it as a mainly negative force OOilil inin MMENA:ENA: a ccurseurse oorr a bblessing?lessing?

“Black gold” by Neda Zarfsaz. Part of Black Gold exhibition curated by Leila Varasteh and Vida Zaim. Image courtesy of Neda Zarfsaz & Shirin and Homa Art Galleries

achieved parity with countries at similar income levels. Particularly pronounced were the rapid closure of the gender gap in education and the remarkable decline in fertility rates. By century’s end the MENA region had reached a new phase of development whereby the continuation of economic growth required qualitatively diff erent strategies. A main distinguishing feature of this phase was the availability of an abundant supply of educated, young labour. In this phase, oil income was supplemented with growing private savings resulting from lower fertility and dependency rates. Contrasting the earlier decades’ emphasis © Neda Zarfsaz of economic development on physical infrastructure and showcase urban projects, here is little doubt that oil has had Other more diversifi ed oil economies aft er the 1990s combining the growing a major transformative eff ect on such as Iran, Algeria and Iraq with supplies of educated labour and capital Tthe economies of the Middle East complementary land and labour resources became a precondition for sustained and North African (MENA) region since benefi ted even more. Even the non-oil growth. It was clear now that growth had the middle of the 20th century. However, economies stood to benefi t from oil thanks reached its limits and the new economic opinion is sharply divided as to whether it to migration and remittances, transport and priorities required deep-seated and far- has been mainly a curse or a blessing for the trade and capital fl ows. By the end of the reaching economic reform aft er the early region as a whole. century, most countries in the region were 1990s. Th e pace of economic reform, Th e oil era in the region began in earnest thus ranked amongst the middle income or however, was painfully slow and prolonged. in the post-World War II period as the high income countries, with the exception Th e reasons for the slow pace of economic demand for low-cost, Middle Eastern oil of Yemen and Sudan which remain amongst reform in almost all countries were mostly surged and a series of contractual changes the least developed countries in the world. internal, although the EU’s protectionist with international oil companies increased Oil revenues provided the resources for policies also did not help. Mounting youth the revenue share of the exporting countries. massive public investments in physical unemployment and sluggish economic Th e economic development of current and social infrastructure such as health growth, combined with continued GCC states in recent decades epitomises and education. While in the 1960s the dependence on oil or foreign assistance, this transformative eff ect of oil. Within the MENA countries were amongst the most were indicators of the lack of success of time span of two generations these simple underdeveloped in terms of health and economic reform and the inability of and underdeveloped economies have been education indicators, by the 1990s they had the MENA economies to withstand the transformed into high per capita income nations with sophisticated infrastructures Th e real question is: to what extent can the slow pace of reform and highly advanced welfare systems for their citizens. be explained by the availability of oil income in the region?

June-July 2014 The Middle East in London 9 Th e region has both the human capital and the fi nancial that even the GCC economies do not seem to have fi scal surpluses adequate to and other complementary resources to support the withstand fl uctuations in oil prices in the medium term. Furthermore, with the rapid emergence of dynamic and inclusive economies spread of non-conventional oil extraction technologies, the demand for Middle East challenges of this new development phase. had diff erent impacts on the economies oil is unlikely to remain buoyant at current But the real question is: to what extent can of the region. One consequence was the prices for long. the slow pace of reform and the general growing power of oil-exporting GCC At present the region has both the inability to generate productive employment countries. But it also set the clock back for human capital and the fi nancial and be explained by the availability of oil income the reforming economies, where aft er the other complementary resources to in the region? popular uprisings in 2011 the domestic support the emergence of dynamic and From a strictly economic point of view economic reform agenda seems to have inclusive economies – if the right policies the availability of oil income is likely to been largely derailed. Th e immediate are adopted. Th is requires economic facilitate – rather than hinder – economic reaction to public implosion was an increase rationality – rather than partisan political reform. A good example of this is the in wages and salaries of public employees interferences – to guide the allocation of recent subsidy reform in Iran where heft y and other appeasement policies by the regional fi nancial resources. Oil can thus price subsidy reductions were undertaken established regimes. Th is, combined with be a blessing if future oriented economic without any social protests, as part of oil additional fi scal expenditures to alleviate the rationality rather than partisan politics and revenues were used to compensate those eff ects of the ensuing economic recession, backward-looking and archaic ideologies aff ected. However, not everybody adheres has led to historically large fi scal defi cits guide regional policies. to this view with some maintaining that oil and unsustainable public debts with the income can hinder economic diversifi cation exception of the GCC countries. Massoud Karshenas is Professor of Economics by crowding out other productive sectors – A dangerous new tendency has been for at SOAS. He specialises on Middle East the so called Dutch Disease phenomenon. the oil-exporting countries to fl ex their economics, oil and economic development, In the case of the MENA economies with fi nancial power in their regional foreign poverty and growth, labour markets and large and growing unemployed labour, policy. Cynics may even argue that the employment policy however, this has not been the case, as increased regional tensions only help drive evidenced by the close correlation between oil prices even higher. But this overlooks oil cycles and the growth cycles in all the non-oil sectors of the economy. It is indeed © Ghodratollah Agheli this type of oil dependence that economic reforms are aimed at reducing through creating the conditions for greater economic diversifi cation. In reality, politics and policies based on short-sighted political compromises have been mainly responsible for the slow reform and sluggish economic growth in the region. Th e existence of oil income or foreign assistance has made it possible to postpone urgently required economic reforms. Another way in which oil has mingled with politics is the adoption of populist policies by the region’s governments, compounded over time by a sense of individuals’ entitlement to a share of the oil based on the mere citizenship of an oil economy. Th is has particularly plagued the oil-rich GCC countries, with their extremely dualistic labour markets characterised by segmentation across lines of nationality and citizenship. Th e outcome has seen large levels of youth unemployment with wage expectations well above the actual productivity of national labour. But the From the Middle East collection solution to the vexed problem of youth by Ghodratollah Agheli. Part of unemployment in small, rich oil economies Black Gold exhibition curated by Leila Varasteh and Vida Zaim. is diffi cult without ending the dual labour Image courtesy of Ghodratollah markets based on the nationality of workers. Agheli & Shirin and Homa Art Th e global fi nancial crisis of 2007/8 Galleries

10 The Middle East in London June-July 2014 OOILIL – PAST,PAST, PRESENT,PRESENT, FFUTUREUTURE

Hormoz Nafi cy takes a critical look at prospects and challenges for Iran’s oil and gas industry after years of tough economic sanctions LLifeife aafterfter ssanctions?anctions?

NIOC Directors (circa 1950s). Fatollah Nafi cy and Bagher Mostofi at the site of a major oil well blowout, Alborz Oilfi eld near Ghom. Photo courtesy of

© Mohammad Ali Ala Dr Mohammad Ali Ala of Imperial College

ran is home to the oldest oil industry in gas sector is preparing to free itself of the a past of unacceptable subservience to the Middle East. Oil was fi rst discovered constraints and detrimental eff ects of the outside infl uences, to a degree of radicalism Iin Masjed Soleyman, in Iran’s Khuzestan international sanctions regime. or isolation that has been, and still is, province in 1908. Since then, the socio- Th e weakness and sheer incompetence preventing Iran from achieving the ultimate political history and economic development of the Qajar rulers in the early 20th century, goal of an equitable partnership with foreign of Iran have been inextricably linked when oil concessions were fi rst granted, investors and partners. Iran has to free with, and impacted by, oil and the politics meant that from the outset oil agreements herself of what can only be described as of international oil. It is therefore not were one-sided and heavily favoured the the ‘action and overreaction syndrome’ of surprising to see opinion sharply divided foreign party. Iran had little experience, the past. A calm and considered national between those who see oil as a ‘blessing’ until then, in negotiating commercial deals, dialogue, led by industry professionals, for Iran and those who view it more like a in any sphere or sector, with savvy outside could lead to consensus building and a well ‘curse’. Whatever one’s view on this old and investors well practised in their desire to thought out and calibrated response. vexed question, there is little doubt that a maximise returns. A long and noble struggle Th e fact that the oil industry has willingness to learn from past missteps has to gain a fairer deal thus ensued. But both been deeply impacted by that ruinous to be considered an essential ingredient during the Mosaddeq era and again in interference of politics is neither surprising for future planning. Many such lessons the 35 years since the 1979 Revolution, nor unique to Iran. A review of the history stem from the responses of Iranians to a the pendulum has swung too far, from of other major oil producers in the Middle real and perceived confl ict with, and the intentions of the West. Accepting at least Depoliticising means putting the sector on a more commercial partial responsibility for past errors is thus important, especially as the Iranian oil and footing and adopting a more modern business model

June-July 2014 The Middle East in London 11 East and North Africa region will off er the A key reform would be the decoupling of the same conclusion. Aft er all, they too have experienced the same curse that comes with policy and regulatory functions of the state the oil blessing. from the operational aspects of the industry Benefi ting from its longer exposure to oil and given its cadre of highly trained is untenable. Energy policy and related these challenges alone and will have to form and experienced oil personnel, Iran, regulations can and should continue to be joint ventures with those very IOCs. however, has a golden opportunity to fi nally generated by the Ministry of Petroleum. But before the sector reopens to the decouple politics from oil and to begin to Th e Ministry can also continue to monitor international oil industry, well considered take the next steps required for reforming the industry, ensuring the maximisation of and well craft ed laws and regulations must the economy and the oil sector. Th is in returns for and on behalf of the nation. But be in place in order to properly monitor and turn will require greater confi dence and a the Ministry and its various subsidiaries and regulate a freed up sector. Some important bolder look at other models for managing affi liates cannot remain involved in day-to- fi rst steps have indeed been taken already. her oil industry. Specifi cally, depoliticising day oil and gas related operations. Th at task In February, NIOC organised a timely will mean putting the sector on a more is essentially a commercial operation and conference on the intended revisions to commercial footing and adopting a more has to be left to private sector entities that the current ‘buy back’ oil contracts. At the modern business model. Ideally, that are entirely independent of the National conference, the fi ndings of an expert panel, working model would involve an approach Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and other that had been tasked with seeking the views that is neither too distrustful of the other meddling organs of the state. of the oil companies and other domestic party nor too naïve in believing in the Moreover, as a consequence of the stakeholders, and had also assessed the inherent best intentions of others. sanctions and, well before that, the merits of other oil and gas contracts in the In order to achieve a healthier business paranoia with respect to working with the region, were presented to a larger public. A climate, Iran may well have to overhaul international oil companies (the so called similar conference has been slated for later the entire structure of the industry. A key IOCs), the industry now requires massive this summer in London. reform would be the decoupling of the injections of capital and new technology. However, the Iranian Parliament (the policy and regulatory functions of the state Unfortunately the Iranian private sector, Majles), poorly versed on the subtleties and from the operational aspects of the industry. which has suff ered the most as a result of intricacies of international oil contracts, Th e current mingling of the two functions the sanctions, is no longer able to cope with will have to review and approve any new contract. Th at will be a major challenge and a huge selling job for NIOC. Th e hope must be that a legal and political framework will eventually evolve that is in sync with the reasonable expectations of the international oil industry, while at the same time safeguarding the long-term interests of Iran. Since the Iranian presidential elections last June, the offi cialdom, at least within the oil industry, has rediscovered – and is now emphasising – the merits of creating ‘win- win’ scenarios. Th at approach to driving future business will lay the foundations for attracting the right kind of long-term investment and partnerships for Iran’s oil and gas industry and hopefully rid it of the shackles of the harsh sanctions and years of underperformance.

Hormoz Nafi cy is a London based oil consultant and Managing Director of Petroventures Advisory Limited. He has worked in the public sector of Iran as well in the private sector, with the international oil industry, in London

The Nasr off shore platform in the Persian Gulf, from NIOC publications (2001)

12 The Middle East in London June-July 2014 OOILIL – PAST,PAST, PRESENT,PRESENT, FFUTUREUTURE

Rasmus Christian Elling explores oil as the stuff of imagination in Abadan, south-western Iran NNostalgiaostalgia aandnd tthehe ooilil ccityity Fine Arts Library, Harvard University © Charles Schroeder Image, Courtesy of Special Collections,

Abadan was Iran's leading entry point for Western products and consumerism. Here two expat children pose with a Pepsi Cola truck near the newly opened Pepsi bottling plant in Khorramshahr, neighbouring city to Abadan (1958)

ostalgia is a thriving business imaginaries. In order to understand this, fl ocked from all over the country to Abadan in the bazaars of Abadan. In its we must appreciate Abadan’s dramatic in search of work. As they settled, they Nheyday, the city was home to the trajectory from a sleepy village of a couple forged a new culture, distinctly global in its world’s biggest oil refi nery and one of the of hundred Arab date farmers when oil was orientation. Middle East’s most modern, cosmopolitan struck in 1909 to a complex cultural and As a key entrepôt of new technology, societies. Today, Abadan is a mere shadow political city of over 220,000 inhabitants in fashion and consumerism, Abadan’s image of its former self, and Abadanis yearn the 1950s. as a liberal, even hedonistic haven and for bygone times. Pride in the past and During the Anglo–Persian (later Anglo– left ist hotspot was cemented in the years embarrassment over the present becomes Iranian) Oil Company’s four decades of aft er World War II. In July 1946, the oil palpable when locals present their city to presence in Iran, Abadan developed into labour movement staged a strike at Abadan the now only occasional foreign visitor. a multi-cultural if segregated city with a refi nery, which foreshadowed the ousting Th e popular nostalgia is expressed in progressive if unequal society. It had middle of British imperialism during the 1951 memoirs and fi ction, in urban myths and class suburban houses with all mod-cons oil nationalisation movement. Th e latter local historiography, in online and exile alongside impoverished shantytowns. It saw movement was headed by the popular communities. both ruthless suppression of labour activists Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq, Th is culture of nostalgia is a product of as well as gradually increasing social who in turn was overthrown by a CIA- oil’s transformative, creative and destructive mobility and welfare. Abadan was then engineered coup in 1953. powers, and it illustrates how oil modernity populated by Europeans, Jews, Armenians, As American ideals replaced British can shape societies but also animate their Arabs, Indians and Iranians who had infl uence, Abadan entered a golden age of cultural production and consumption Th is culture of nostalgia is a product of oil’s that spawned some of Iran’s most famous powers and it illustrates how oil modernity can artists, novelists, cinematographers and musicians. Political dissent remained strong, shape societies but also animate their imaginaries and one of the key events that took the

June-July 2014 The Middle East in London 13 Abadanis routinely re-invoke the image of a city that was the epitome of industrial progress, aspiring for a place in the world and symbolising the once the epitome of industrial progress, aspiring for a place possibilities of the future. Abadanis are not in the world and symbolising the possibilities of the future in denial that the promises of modernity remain largely unfulfi lled, and they are conscious of the tormented chapters of their anti-Shah movement into its revolutionary onlookers gather around me. Nostalgia even city’s history. Th ey are aware – and proud phase was a disastrous fi re, set by unknown thrives amongst those too young to possibly – of Abadan’s role in Iran’s bloody national perpetrators, in one of Abadan’s cinemas in remember. struggles, with holes in the walls and streets, August 1978. Th e Islamic Revolution was In the album, we see pictures of picnics erratic power cuts and horrendous water followed by Iraq’s bloody 1980 invasion of in parks, parties in backyards and poolside quality reminding them daily of the price Iran, during which Abadan was evacuated. recreation; we see smiling nurses, football their city has paid. Yet while oil brought Although it is today repopulated, it has teams, shiny cars on orderly streets, boat social injustice, political oppression, ethnic never regained its pre-revolutionary status races, fi re brigades and nightclubs. We do tensions and environmental degradation, and glory. It is on this background that see poor neighbourhoods, but the idyllic it also broadened horizons and enlivened nostalgia fl ourishes. white fenced suburbs are overrepresented. imaginaries. Abadani nostalgia, then, is During my most recent trip to Abadan, Th ere is a series of depressing sceneries the embodiment of the contradictory my host took me on a tour of the places of Abadan as a ghost town during the experience of oil modernity as perceived by that to him symbolised the past. To each war, but most pictures are from before a city that refuses to forget. location, he attached a personal memory or the revolution. Women are dressed like popular anecdote. Th ere was, for example, the American and Italian movie starlets Rasmus Christian Elling is PhD in Iranian the roundabout on which Iran’s best stocked of the day, fancy hair styles, chic skirts, Studies and Assistant Professor at the shopping store, Alfi e, used to be, and short pants; men sport jeans, Clark’s shoes, Institute for Cross-Cultural and Regional where newspapers would arrive the same smart shirts and Ray-Ban sunglasses. In the Studies, Copenhagen University. He has morning they were published in London; colour photos, trumpet pants, batik t-shirts, published on identity politics in post- the place where the Greek photographer longer hair and bigger mustachios enter the revolutionary Iran (Minorities in Iran: had his fancy atelier; and the area that was picture. One photo catches my attention: Nationalism and Ethnicity aft er Khomeini) once inhabited by Indians, the only traces it shows Dizzy Gillespie, standing next to and is currently writing a book on the history of whom can be found in Hindi loanwords Mohammad-Reza Shah’s sister, Princess of Abadan and a fondness for curries and pakora. Shams. It turns out the picture was taken Some of the material frames of these during Gillespie’s US government-funded spaces are still standing but seem eerily 1956 tour of the Middle East as a goodwill abandoned, rusting or in the process of ambassador. being reclaimed by nature: the former Today, only some Abadanis know that holiday residence of the Shah; the university, their city was once graced by visits from the National music competition organised by the which used to be one of the world’s fi nest likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck and Khane Javanan (‘House of Youth’) in 1977. Abadani bands often won fi rst place in these academies for petroleum engineering; Duke Ellington. Th ey do however routinely competitions. Photo courtesy of Shahriar or the airport, which – locals are keen re-invoke the image of a city that was once Tashnizi to stress – used to have direct fl ights to

London but now appears dilapidated and © Shahriar Tashnizi provincial. Other buildings still stand in all their might, reminding Abadanis that their city was once the recipient of the fi nest in architecture and engineering: the Cinema Taj, a colossus of imported red bricks, which used to showcase the best from Hollywood, Bollywood and Egypt; and even the refi nery itself, insisting on its presence right in the city centre, but seemingly archaic. Th e tour ends with a surprise gift . In a little shop in the bazaar that develops fi lm and sells sunglasses, the vendor has prepared his signature speciality: a thick, faux leather-bound photo album stuff ed with pictures from old Abadan. Th e vendor, a young man with a knack for the nostalgia business, has meticulously gathered hundreds of pictures from the internet and local sources. He tells me the photo album is a best-selling product, and as I fl ip through the pages, a crowd of young

14 The Middle East in London June-July 2014 OOILIL – PAST,PAST, PRESENT,PRESENT, FFUTUREUTURE

Mona Damluji takes a critical look at the evolution of fi lms produced about Iraq before and after the inception of ‘oil cinema’ TThehe ccinemainema ooff IIraqiraqi ooilil

IPC Film Unit shooting the fi rst episode of Beladuna in Basra, Iraq (early 1950s). Pictured are Peter Kelly, British Director (left) and Simon Mehran, Iraqi Cameraman (right). Photo courtesy of

© Peter Kelly Peter Kelly

ritish petroleum companies have a hilltop cluster of desert-toned structures, fantasy of a timeless Baghdad, epitomised played an integral – but oft en foregrounded by a sea of pastel domes and by the sets constructed in London for Th e Bunrecognised – role in the history of minarets. Th ief of Bagdad, conceal the socio-spatial cinema in oil producing countries of the Th e Th ief of Bagdad epitomises orientalist transformations that shaped the real city: Middle East. Modern Iraq’s cinematic debut cinema, in which fi lmmakers used motion the modern capital of Iraq. in petroleum company sponsored fi lms pictures to animate rich imaginary worlds Just ten years aft er the theatrical release of came aft er decades of orientalist storytelling of the so-called Orient that were fi rst craft ed Th e Th ief of Bagdad, the British-controlled and representation in literature, painting in the letters, oil paintings and photographs Iraq Petroleum Company (IPC) began to and cinema. of European orientalists during the previous produce its own fi lms about the legendary A cinematic history of Baghdad could two centuries. Central to this production of city. In stark contrast to the popular fantasy begin in London on the eve of World War this imagined geography is that Baghdad is fi lms, which relied on hackneyed visual II. For the Academy Award-winning Th e imagined as a city frozen in time and space. tropes in order to conjure a fantastical city Th ief of Bagdad (1940), British fi lmmakers Orientalist depictions in every medium backdrop, the IPC documentaries of the created an imaginary version of the city are a closed loop of spatial tropes: the city 1950s attempted to project the fi rst ‘real’ on an elaborate, London-based fi lm depicted in the fantasy fi lm mirrors the images of contemporary Baghdad to general set. Th e urban landscape, based on the urban scenery portrayed in lavish orientalist audiences in Europe and the Middle East. fantastical setting of One Th ousand and paintings from the late 19th century, which Th ese fi lms recast the image of Baghdad, One Arabian Nights, painted Baghdad echo the passages of orientalist literature formerly an urban fantasy of fl ying as an exaggerated portrait of extremes: from the 18th century, which harken to carpets and magic lamps, as a modern oil brilliant hues and massive forms of opulent, the translated tales of One Th ousand and metropolis. palatial architecture juxtaposed with One Arabian Nights. Yet the cinematic Th e IPC documentaries framed Baghdad monochromatic sand-coloured facades and chaotic informal market stalls belonging Modern Iraq’s cinematic debut in petroleum company to the people’s city below. An image of a sponsored fi lms came aft er decades of orientalist storytelling make-believe Baghdad was pasted into the background as a two-dimensional cut out of and representation in literature, painting and cinema

June-July 2014 The Middle East in London 15 as the central stage for the modernisation of Iraq, known famously as the ‘cradle Th e IPC documentaries of the 1950s recast the image of of civilisation’. Th ese fi lms and their Baghdad, formerly an urban fantasy of fl ying carpets related publications, advertisements and photographs captured nuanced aspects of and magic lamps, as a modern oil metropolis the production of space and transformation and an equally sketchy knowledge of company speculated that the state looked of society on screen for the fi rst time. development projects’. to the IPC ‘to do a job of general publicity In other words, these fi lms were among In 1951, IPC established a company that, for various reasons, they were unable the earliest cinematic representations of fi lm unit based in Baghdad. According to to do themselves’. Senior advisor to the fi lm modern Iraq. founder John Shearman, the fi lm unit’s unit, Arthur Elton, noted enthusiastically Yet the IPC fi lms are not about oil in its stated goals were, fi rst, ‘to train Iraqi fi lm that the IPC documentary series Beladuna crude form. Rather, these fi lms set out to technicians in [the British] tradition of ‘happened to be almost the fi rst fi lm ever depict space and society in Iraq as visible technical and documentary fi lmmaking’, made about Iraq, almost the fi rst time evidence of the promise of petroleum as and second, ‘to make fi lms which would anyone had recorded what was happening a modernising force. Th e fi lms worked explain to the people of Iraq what the oil in Iraq.’ According to the company, during to made ‘black gold’ visible to Iraqis as company was doing in their territory… the 1950s one- to two-thirds of the total national wealth that manifested in modern that it was not really taking away the black Iraqi population had seen the IPC fi lms. infrastructure, public buildings and gold because it was putting money back Th e Th ird River was the earliest boulevards. into national development’. Moreover, the documentary fi lm about modern Iraq to Unlike its industrial contemporaries in IPC prioritised the production of Arabic- be made for and circulated to audiences the region, the IPC was deeply concerned language fi lms and circulation among mass not only in Iraq but around the world. with its public image among the national audiences in Iraq. Sponsored by the British-controlled Iraq population. An internal IPC report In addition to special premieres in Petroleum Company, produced by Film emphasised the cooperation of the Iraqi Baghdad for nobility, government ministers Centre in London, shot on-location in Iraq government, ‘which welcomed the concept and other dignitaries, IPC fi lms and and Syria and translated into both English that fi lms would publicise the country’s especially episodes of the cine-magazine and Arabic versions, this fi lm signifi ed historical traditions, plans for development Beladuna (meaning ‘our country’ in a new approach in the long orientalist and, generally speaking, arouse public Arabic) were shown regularly in theatres history of representing Baghdad. In Th e interest, both inside and outside Iraq’. of Iraq’s major cities prior to feature fi lms. Th ird River the land, people and places of Th e same report claims that these fi lms Additionally, mobile cinema van units Iraq fi gured as a primary subject of a fi lm ‘probably contributed to bringing Iraq would travel to remote towns, refi neries narrative rather than serving merely as an before the public eye, both in the sense of and pump stations and stage screenings for exotic backdrop. Th e fi lm’s director, Michael awakening the interest of the Iraqi people small audiences of IPC employees. In this Clarke, addressed the weight of these themselves, many of whom had little or way, the IPC fi lms constructed a ‘national’ competing imaginaries, writing, ‘in making no concept of their own country’s history cinematic imaginary of Iraq for Iraqis. Th e Th e Th ird River we were faced with Iraq as it is, not with the luscious and cloying luxuries of a Hollywood gorgeous East’. Th e Th ird River was the fi rst among the oil company’s attempts to produce a national imaginary for Iraqis residing in all parts of the country using the power and allure of cinema. Ultimately, the IPC fi lms aimed to ‘project modern Iraq’ as a modern oil state in part as a counter-narrative to the persistent orientalist imaginaries, using a positivist narrative to link extraction to petroleum’s promise to modernise Iraq.

Mona Damluji is the Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow of Islamic and Asian Visual Culture in the Department of Art History at Wheaton College, Massachusetts. She received her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. Her recent publications can be found in Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East; Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review; International Journal of Islamic Architecture and in the IPC Film Unit shooting forthcoming edited volume Subterranean an episode of Beladuna on location Estates: Lifeworlds of Oil and Gas in Oman. Photo

© Peter Kelly courtesy of Peter Kelly

16 The Middle East in London June-July 2014 OOILIL – PAST,PAST, PRESENT,PRESENT, FFUTUREUTURE

Elisabetta Bini examines US policy towards labour organisations in Libya’s oil industry during the 1950s and 1960s TThehe UUSASA andand llabourabour rrelationselations iinn LLibya’sibya’s nnascentascent ooilil iindustryndustry © Exxon Mobil Historical Collection, The University of Texas at Austin, box 2.207/H18

Two Esso geologists scouting for oil in the Libyan desert. “Esso in Libya” (1963)

n the second half of the 1950s, Libya but also in terms of labour policies. As US union, the AFL-CIO, marginalised radical became one of the main oil producing oil companies established their position in Libyan oil workers. Yet, during the Six Day Icountries of the Mediterranean. Libya, they brought with them the forms War of 1967, oil workers emerged as one Following the Suez Crisis, US and British of exploitation and discrimination that of the main forces behind Libya’s challenge oil companies and governments sought characterised America’s informal empire to international oil politics support for to diff erentiate the sources of oil coming in Latin America and the Middle East. In oil nationalism and set the stage for the from the Middle East, in order to avoid order to challenge US policies, the Libyan emergence of Qaddafi ’s regime in 1969. being entirely dependent on the Suez Canal. government and trade unions embraced Starting in the mid-1950s, aft er the Libya’s geographic position west of the canal the idea that the Libyan workforce should discovery of large quantities of crude oil, and close to the markets and refi neries of be crucial in assuring Libya’s independence Libya’s society changed dramatically. As Western Europe made it an ideal place for and that workers should be granted decent dozens of international oil companies foreign companies to invest public and working and living conditions. In the late applied for concessions, thousands of corporate resources. 1950s, a concerted eff ort led by the US male Libyans moved from the desert to International oil politics in Libya were administration, conservative Libyan trade the large cities. Compared to other oil not defi ned only in terms of oil revenues, unions and the main American trade producers, in Libya the oil industry did not act as a wage leader or as a promoter of International oil politics in Libya were not defi ned only in employment. Since Libyan workers were mostly unskilled, US oil companies oft en terms of oil revenues, but also in terms of labour policies relied on Italian technicians, who were not

June-July 2014 The Middle East in London 17 Th e nationalisation of Iranian oil had shown the Federation of Trade Unions (LGFTU), led by Shita, while the US strategy became part power large numbers of concentrated and organised of a new policy introduced by the National workers could have over the international oil market Security Council (NSC), which according to a Statement of US Policy toward Libya only more qualifi ed to work in the oil fi elds carried out by international oil companies, issued on 15 March 1960 (NSC 6004) aimed but less hostile to American fi rms. Th ey the PWU denounced employers for at ‘encourag[ing] the Free World orientation hired Libyans on a weekly or monthly basis, not respecting the Labour Law, and for of Libyan labor organizations with a view to without any benefi ts or allowances, while establishing hierarchies between Libyan, infl uencing Libya to follow courses of action off ering Italians better working and living Italian and foreign workers. While its favorable to US interests and US–Libyan conditions, thus reinforcing the hierarchies language was similar to that adopted by the relations.’ that had existed during the colonial period. Libyan government, the PWU promoted Despite such forms of repression, oil Th e highly exploitative conditions that rights for unskilled as well as skilled workers’ activism continued throughout characterised American camps kept many workers. the decade and emerged as a crucial force Libyans away from the oil fi elds, leading As in other contexts, the US during the Six Day War of 1967. Oil and them to prefer to be employed by the state. administration reacted to the emergence of dock workers in Tripoli and Benghazi, Th ere were other reasons why labour confl ict by off ering its support to an together with students, organised a series of international oil companies tried to anti-Communist trade union, the Libyan strikes to stop the export of oil to Western avoid hiring or training Libyans. Th e General Workers’ Union (LGWU), under Europe and the US. Th e embargo they Abadan Crisis of 1951, which followed the Salim Shita’s leadership, and mobilised the placed on oil exports was unprecedented nationalisation of Iranian oil, had shown the AFL-CIO to establish a strong relationship and forced the US government to come power large numbers of concentrated and between the LGWU and the International to term with Arab oil producers. By doing organised workers could have over crucial Confederation of Free Trade Unions so, oil workers played an important part nodes of the international oil market. As a (ICFTU). Furthermore, it sent Kekhya in preparing the outbreak of the Libyan result, oil companies increasingly limited to study at the ‘Centro Studi CISL’ in revolution and the rise of Qaddafi ’s regime the number of local workers they employed Florence, an institute funded by the ICFTU in 1969. in their oil camps and divided them and run by the anti-Communist Italian according to nationality and skill in order to Confederation of Trades’ Union (CISL). Elisabetta Bini is a Research Fellow at the prevent the emergence of organised political Th e US government assigned an American University of Trieste. She received her PhD confl ict. labour advisor to Libya, to work both with in History from New York University and As US and British oil companies the government and with trade unions, has been a Max Weber Postdoctoral Fellow pursued their interests in Libya, the Libyan and promoted Shita’s leadership inside at the European University Institute. She is government started considering the the LGWU and his participation in the the author of La potente benzina italiana. importance oil workers might have for the ICFTU. Shita, for his part, took advantage Guerra fredda e consumi di massa tra Italia, country’s self-determination. In 1957, it of the support he received from the US Stati Uniti e Terzo mondo (1945-1973) passed a Labour Law aimed at ‘Libyanising’ to marginalise other trade unionists. By the oil workforce, in order to create a class 1959, all Libyan trade unions were placed of skilled workers that could constitute under the control of the Libyan General

the backbone of the country’s economy © Antony Stanley, Flickr.com and independence. Th e Law promoted the employment of Libyan – rather than foreign – workers, it recognised workers’ right to proper living conditions and minimum wages and challenged existing hierarchies between Libyans and Italians. As a result, despite the Libyan government’s strong control over workers’ organisations and strikes, in the late 1950s Libyans established a variety of trade unions, such as the Petroleum Workers Union (PWU), led by Abd al-Latif Kekhya. Kekhya came from an infl uential family, and had studied in Egypt and Italy. In the late 1950s, he worked for Mobil Oil Canada as Assistant Manager for Industrial Relations and was married to Prime Minister Mahmud Muntasser’s daughter. In order to challenge the forms of discrimination

The popular face of the Libyan oil industry: gas station sign

18 The Middle East in London June-July 2014 OOILIL – PAST,PAST, PRESENT,PRESENT, FFUTUREUTURE

Claudia Ghrawi discusses the role of oil industrialisation in mobilising resistance in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province PPoliticalolitical aandnd ccivicivic llifeife aatt tthehe ddawnawn ooff tthehe SSaudiaudi ppetro-ageetro-age

Segregated oil town Dhahran. Photo courtesy of

© J.P. Mandaville © J.P. J.P. Mandaville

ocalising the eff ects of oil development Far from being the remote and desolate young men from the Saudi heartland and helps us to understand how this place, which commonly held perceptions the wider Gulf region streaming into the Lprecious commodity has shaped the of the ‘oil frontier’ make us believe, Saudi province seeking work in the oil industry. social and political conditions of a society, Arabia’s Eastern Province was traditionally By the early 1940s, the Arabian challenging the idea that oil has had similar a space of socio-economic and political American Oil Company (Aramco) had repercussions across time and space. A interaction, connecting the interior of the built labour camps in the three oil districts common belief is that in some countries Arabian Peninsula to the Gulf. Even before to accommodate its large American oil industrialisation has stifl ed civic the advent of oil, local businesses and fertile labour force as well as several thousand engagement and subjugated indigenous oases attracted numerous immigrants Saudi oil workers, following a system of societies under the imperatives of oil from inland provinces such as the Najd strict segregation of the two nationalities. production and rent seeking. Th is argument and Qasim. Th e province’s large Shi’a Americans and Saudis lived in two worlds loses plausibility when examining political communities, known locally as baharina apart. Th e fenced American camps provided and civic life in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern (literally ‘people from Bahrain’), added a living standard similar to that of middle Province at the dawn of the Saudi petro- to the heterogeneous and trans-regional class suburbs in the United States, including age from the beginning of commercial oil character of the area. Th e beginning of oil lush greenery and ample recreational areas. production in 1938 until the oil boom of extraction in 1938 further reinforced this Saudi workers were housed in tents or 1973. In this period the impact of oil on social condition with thousands of mostly concrete dormitories in separate areas that the local communities was by no means unidirectional but also worked in reverse, Th e impact of oil on local communities was by no means with various local actors and the nascent Saudi state shaping oil life and politics at unidirectional – various local actors and the nascent various levels. Saudi state shaped oil life and politics at various levels

June-July 2014 The Middle East in London 19 were bare of vegetation and thus directly Oil industrialisation gave new meaning to local resistance, exposed to heat and dust. Company services such as transportation, hospitals, cafeterias giving birth to a sense of Saudi solidarity and national and water fountains were provided affi liation that transcended earlier divisions separately for Americans and Saudis and diff ered considerably in quality. Saudi workers started to mobilise in 1945 Province. Workers from the Qasim region 1960s witnessed various initiatives for the as a result of their adverse work and living had a reputation of being particularly establishment of an independent press, conditions in Aramco’s towns. Aramco’s rebellious in the same way as the local elected municipal councils and forums discriminating policies vis-à-vis the Saudi Shi’ites who were especially aff ected by the for cultural and (barely covered) political workforce played a decisive role in raising religious policies of the Saudi regime. activities in the form of public libraries, their awareness as a national labour force. Oil industrialisation gave new meaning sports and literary clubs, some of which Being Saudi meant an existence at the to local resistance, giving birth to a sense of have survived into the present day. bottom of the socio-economic hierarchy of Saudi solidarity and national affi liation that Research on Saudi Arabia has oft en Aramco towns, with hardly any access to transcended geographic, tribal and sectarian turned a blind eye to the fact that the share modern amenities, and under the fear of divisions. During the 1953 strike Shi’a of oil wealth that was channelled towards local Saudi offi cials who resorted to harsh residents harboured hundreds of protesters local communities did in fact plant the punishment when a Saudi disobeyed law from Saudi police and army troops. seeds for a more inclusive and participatory or order. Execution of bodily punishments Local merchants helped to prolong work public life in the province. Th is is illustrated against lawbreakers was recurrent at the stoppages by extending credit to the strikers. by the case of Saleh Ambah, the fi rst Dean gates of company towns, and defi ant Aft er the strike, many labour activists who of the College for Petroleum and Minerals workers were readily deported from the oil came from outside the Eastern Province in Dhahran between 1963 and 1970, and production area. During the labour unrest escaped to their home communities his wife Aisha al-Fasi, who were among of 1945 and 1953 the central government where they were hidden from the Saudi those who actively promoted the formation sent Saudi soldiers and paramilitaries to authorities. In the following decade, the of students and women associations and restore order in the oil districts with the labour movement became more radicalised, the introduction of higher education for result that by the mid-1950s, the Eastern embracing left ist and anti-imperialist girls. Ambah’s liberal ideas and al-Fasi’s Province had developed into a heavily ideas. Th e movement’s nationalist core connection to the nationalist ‘Front for militarised security zone. established close ties with intellectuals and the Liberation of the Peninsula’ (‘jabḥat While the early labour movement was state offi cials in the Eastern Province and taḥrir al-jazira’), which was active in the nurtured by the discrimination of the beyond, sharing with them reformist ideas: Hijaz, led to Ambah’s imprisonment in foreign oil company and by the disciplinary from more inclusive and participatory 1970. Similarly, politically active left ists, power of the local administration and forms of government to independence from nationalists and modernisers among central government, it also blended with American hegemony. oil workers, students, well established traditional localist resentment against Th is alliance of political activists, businessmen and state offi cials were Saudi rule that formed an integral part of reformers, and advocates of modernisation arrested in the hundreds in the Eastern the Kingdom’s young history. Many labour engaged actively in the process of oil Province between 1969 and 1970 alone. activists had been under the infl uence of urbanisation by carving out vibrant spaces Since the early fl ow of oil rent created the resistance movements in their home regions of civic activism in the grey zones of state conditions for large scale mobilisation and before settling in the oil areas of the Eastern and company control. Th e 1950s and vivid civic engagement, a question remains to be answered by research on the local history of Saudi Arabia’s oil life: how and to what extent did oil contribute to the suppression of grass root activism aft er the oil boom of 1973?

Claudia Ghrawi holds a Magister Degree in history and political science and studied Arabic in Damascus and Berlin. She works as a research fellow at the Zentrum Moderner Orient in Berlin. Her PhD thesis examines transformations in space, rule and popular politics in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province between 1945 and 1970

Street life scene in the oil town of al-Khobar (1954) © Public domain, The-Saudi.net © Public domain,

20 The Middle East in London June-July 2014 RREVIEWS:EVIEWS: BOOKSBOOKS TThehe CCaravanaravan GGoesoes OOn:n: HHowow AAramcoramco aandnd SSaudiaudi AArabiarabia GGrewrew UUpp TTogetherogether

By Frank Jungers

Medina Publishing, December 2013, £12.95

Reviewed by Jörg Matthias Determann

he Arabian American Oil Company ‘expanded in parallel, relying on each by a nephew in 1975. Jungers also shares (Aramco), which became Saudi other to achieve common goals’ (12). Th is his own memory of this assassination. He TAramco in 1988, has published a partnership has lasted from the 1930s to the claimed that he was the fi rst person called number of accounts of its own history present. In his conclusion, Jungers relates by the Head of the Royal Protocol Offi ce and the history of Saudi Arabia over the that the Saudi government asked Aramco aft er Faisal had been shot. As President of past few decades. Frank Jungers, a former to build the King Abdullah University Aramco, Jungers was asked to send urgent leader of Aramco, adds to these accounts a of Science and Technology in 2006. He medical help and an airplane for King book that is part history and part personal quotes King Abdullah as saying that he Faisal. memoire. Born in North Dakota, Jungers knew Aramco would not misuse any funds While the book contains much interesting joined Aramco in 1947 and worked for when implementing such projects. Jungers information, a potential future edition it for 30 years. In 1971, he became the concludes that the story of Aramco and might benefi t from an engagement with company’s President and, between 1973 and Saudi Arabia is a ‘history of mutual progress more recent scholarly literature. Jungers 1978, served as Chairman of the Board and over more than 75 years, with each partner describes Aramco as exceptional compared CEO. Jungers’s book is mainly based on his relying on and supporting the other’ (230). to other foreign-owned oil companies, own memories, input from other Aramco Jungers’s book is accessible and which ‘oft en had adversarial, exploitative employees, as well as a few other books informative. Its 255 pages are divided or even colonialist relationships with their on Saudi Arabia. Th e book begins with a into twenty-six chapters in addition to host governments’ (15). But he shows chapter on ‘Aramco’s Origins’ and ends with appendices on chronology and company little awareness of a book by Robert Vitalis the company’s ‘75th Anniversary’ in 2008. leaders. With each chapter having less than entitled America’s Kingdom: Mythmaking on As the subtitle of his book suggests, ten pages on average, the chapters are easy the Saudi Oil Frontier. Vitalis argues that it is Jungers argues that Aramco and the to read and digest. Th ey are also beautifully a myth that Aramco acted less exploitatively Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are ‘roughly the illustrated with many photographs provided than similar companies in other countries. same age’ and ‘were destined to grow up by Saudi Aramco. Th e book contains much To get a more balanced view of Aramco and together’ (Jungers, 12). In the beginning of general information on the history of the its relationship with Saudi Arabia, I thus his book, he narrates that King Abdulaziz Kingdom and the company in addition to recommend that readers read both Frank created Saudi Arabia in 1932. Th e following rare memories and anecdotes about some Jungers’s and Robert Vitalis’s books. year, Standard Oil of California (Socal) lesser-known episodes of Saudi history. secured a concession from the Saudi Jungers narrates an attempt by the Vatican Jörg Matthias Determann is Assistant government to explore for, and produce, and Saudi Arabia to establish diplomatic Professor of History at Virginia petroleum in the Kingdom. To this end, relations in the early 1970s, for instance. Commonwealth University in Qatar. He Socal established the California Arabian Th is attempt saw a visiting cardinal is the author of Historiography in Saudi Standard Oil Company, which was renamed walking the streets of Riyadh in religious Arabia: Globalization and the State in the the Arabian American Oil Company in garments without arousing negative public Middle East 1944. Over the decades, Jungers writes, reactions. Th is rapprochement came to an Aramco and the Saudi government end with the assassination of King Faisal

June-July 2014 The Middle East in London 21 RREVIEWS:EVIEWS: BOOKSBOOKS LLaw,aw, SState,tate, aandnd SSocietyociety iinn MModernodern IIran:ran: CConstitutionalism,onstitutionalism, AAutocracy,utocracy, aandnd LLegalegal RReform,eform, 11906-1941906-1941 By Hadi Enayat

Palgrave Macmillan, July 2013, £57.50

Reviewed by Saïd Amir Arjomand

n this theoretically informed account constitutionalists to a House of Justice in did so in close cooperation with the clerical of the modernisation of law in 1906. jurist, Seyyed Hassan Modarres, who was IIran, Hadi Enayat discusses the It soon became clear, however, that the informally acting as the spokesman for the intractable dilemmas faced by the Iranian reform of the Judiciary was not as easy as high-ranking mojtaheds and went along constitutionalists when they sought to establishing constitutional government by on the condition that the reform should translate the popular notion of the House a royal decree. Th e Shi’i hierocracy was not aff ect substantive law. Th is condition of Justice (edalat-khana) into a system of the guardian of ‘the sharia of Mohammad’, was by and large honoured by Davar, who constitutional government based on the and its conception of divine law and justice relied on the expertise of reputable clerical rule of law from 1906 to 1941. Enayat has a had clear implications for judiciary reform. and former clerical jurists for the inclusion consistent analytical framework for dealing Unlike the Ottoman Sultan, the Shah of Iran of much of Shi’i law in Iran’s Civil Code with constitutional laws and judiciary had no religious authority, which rested (1928-35). organisation in the course of state-building with an independent Shi’i hierocracy. Th e With Davar’s codifi cation and his new and modernisation of Iran, with ad hoc authoritative jurists (mojtaheds) of the round of judiciary reorganisation under explanations being few and far in between. Shi’i hierocracy exercised this independent Reza Shah Pahlavi, Iranian law became just As Enayat shows in painstaking detail, authority not only to secure themselves the state law (qanun), which was henceforth the translation of justice into modern law right to veto all parliamentary legislation the offi cial embodiment of justice to be was far more intractable in Shi’i Iran than through a committee of fi ve ‘high-ranking administered by a judiciary consisting in the Sunni Ottoman empire because mojtaheds’, but insisted that equality before of a modernised hierarchy of lower and state law (qanun) and sacred law (sharia) the law meant the equality of Muslims and appellate courts that divided the old were not integrated but were rather under non-Muslims before state law (qanun-e Kadis’ function between the judge and separate jurisdictions, respectively, of the dawlati), implicitly leaving their patent the public prosecutor. Sharia courts were Shah and his governors on the one hand, inequality in the sharia untouched. initially incorporated into the judiciary, and of the Shi’i hierocracy on the other. Th e Th e Iranian constitutionalists’ solution to but subsequent laws quickly restricted legitimacy of monarchy in the Persianate integrating state law and the sharia, carefully their jurisdiction, and they disappeared conception was based squarely on justice. detailed with much new information altogether before long. Th e Shah was the ‘fountain of justice’ and and insightfully analysed by Enayat, is an Enayat’s book also includes an his tribunal for injustices (mazalem), divan- achievement well worth noting by students informative and original chapter on legal khana, was the highest court of justice in the of comparative constitutionalism. Th e great institutions in practice from 1906 to 1941. realm. In the course of the reforms of Naser judiciary reformers of modern Iran – Hasan All in all, it is a major achievement and an al-Din Shah (1848-96), the royal tribunal Pirniya in 1907-11 and Ali Akbar Davar auspicious beginning for a brilliant career. was fi rst expanded with the installation of in 1927-35 – secured the cooperation of ‘justice boxes’ (sadnuq-e edalat) in major a number of prominent jurists for their Saïd Amir Arjomand is Distinguished cities, and then by transforming it into the respective reforms. Pirniya’s 1911 Law of Service Professor of Sociology at Stony Brook Judiciary (adliyya) (Enayat, 39-46). Hence Judiciary Organization adopted modern University and Editor of the Journal of the assimilation, in popular conception, procedural law that was at complete Persianate Studies of the parliament demanded by the variance with the sharia Kadi justice, and

22 The Middle East in London June-July 2014 RREVIEWS:EVIEWS: BOOKSBOOKS OOnn thethe AArabrab RRevoltsevolts aandnd tthehe IIranianranian RRevolution:evolution: PPowerower aandnd RResistanceesistance TTodayoday

By Arshin Adib-Moghaddam

Bloomsbury Academic, October 2013, £65.00 (hardback), £22.90 (paperback)

Reviewed by Ghoncheh Tazmini

t is probably one of the most challenging highlighting the way in which the Arab A good yardstick for any review is to scholarly endeavours to capture revolts are shift ing our perception away ask whether the title has achieved its goal. Ithe complexity of the revolutionary from the orientalist idea that the Arab– In his introduction, the author describes movements that have convulsed the Muslim ‘other’ is ultimately diff erent. Th e his intention to map out continuities Arab world before the dust has settled. uprisings have rendered these depictions in the politics of power and resistance Few scholars would venture into such even more obsolete and devoid of analytical within various disciplines that go beyond tempestuous waters and even fewer would purchase. experiences of the Western world. hazard to juxtapose the dynamics of the Indeed, one of the strongest merits of Evocative, erudite and empirically rich, the Arab uprisings alongside a revolution that this wide-ranging inquest is the reminder book has defi nitely achieved this goal. Well- predates the revolts by three decades: the that the demand for democracy is not structured and user-friendly, it is organised 1979 Iranian Revolution. Th e common confi ned to the West. Moving even further into seven chapters that weave into each thread, Arshin Adib-Moghaddam argues, beyond the ‘us versus them’ bifurcation, the other seamlessly. is the quest for self-rule and the emphasis author argues that the fi eld of International With careful handling of what has on national independence. Th e author Relations needs to be reconstituted become an emotionally charged subject, shows how these two political events have accordingly, and that the ossifi ed canons the prose is engaging and dramatic, with engendered profound changes in the ‘rules and convictions of the Western social anecdotal snippets from mass media, of knowledge’ and in the way politics is sciences and humanities need to be popular culture, social sciences and made, power is exercised and resistance is reformulated in order to accommodate this humanities interspersed throughout. organised. Th e author addresses the praxis new reality. Th e chapters systematically build up a and theory of power and resistance – both Stressing the global interconnectedness momentum and are consummated with very slippery words in political terminology of contemporary manifestations of power a concluding message: that we have been – and focuses on why the dialectics of and resistance, the author contends that living in the end of times of the West power and resistance are universal. current transformations in the region and the East, and that it is time to move Th e events in the Arab world have promise to foster a unifi ed fi eld of global beyond geopolitics and infl ated notions of provoked mutations in ‘truth conditions’: politics and a cosmopolitan spirit that feed territoriality and ideological cohesion in specifi cally, the idea that democracy and into a new form of globalised resistance. order to fi nally live at peace with ourselves social justice are not strictly ‘Western’ Acts of resistance reveal a human default and our global neighbours. By fostering the aspirations. Th e author supports this claim position that is provoked whenever a conceptual habitat and the cognitive space by painting the Arab uprisings onto an sense of normative and material injustice for such a vision, On the Arab Revolts and even larger canvass – sketching out the prevails. Th is statement is theoretically the Iranian Revolution takes an intellectual protests that have occurred from Tehran grounded in the fourth chapter, which leap in that direction. to Cairo to New York, London, Madrid discusses how forms of power act upon and Athens, in order to make the case that resistance via a dialogue between Michel Ghoncheh Tazmini is Iran Heritage Visiting resistance is a truly universal phenomenon Foucault and Edward Said. Th e book is not Fellow in Iranian Studies at London as are calls for human rights, social justice, short of highlights, but this chapter stands Middle East Institute. She holds a PhD in political empowerment and national out in delivering the necessary theoretical International Relations and her latest book is dignity. He identifi es the contours of this anchorage to support the book’s compelling titled Revolution and Reform in Russia and new, ‘borderless’ globalised political space, claims. Iran

June-July 2014 The Middle East in London 23 BBOOKSOOKS ININ BRIEFBRIEF AArmiesrmies aandnd SState-buildingtate-building iinn tthehe MModernodern MMiddleiddle EEast:ast: PPolitics,olitics, NNationalismationalism aandnd MMilitaryilitary RReformeform By Stephanie Cronin Th e uprisings of 2011 which spread across the Middle East once again propelled the armies of the region to the centre of the political stage. Th e experience of the fi rst decade of the twenty-fi rst century provides ample reason to re-examine Middle Eastern armies and the historical context which produced them. By adding an historical understanding to a contemporary political analysis, Stephanie Cronin examines the structures and activities of Middle Eastern armies and their role in state- and empire-building. Focusing on Iran, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia, Armies and State-building in the Modern Middle East presents a clear and concise analysis of the nature of armies and the diff ering guises military reform has taken throughout the region.

January 2014, IB Tauris, £17.99 A ConciseConcise HHistoryistory ooff tthehe AArabsrabs

By John McHugo

John McHugo unfolds centuries of political, social and intellectual development, from the Roman Empire to the present day. Taking the reader beyond the headlines, McHugo presents a series of turning points in Arab history: the mission of the Prophet Muhammad, the expansion of Islam, the confl icts of the medieval and modern ages, the struggles against foreign domination, the rise of Islamism and the end of the rule of dictators. Th is concise history reveals how the Arab world has come to assume its present form and illuminates the choices that lie ahead in the wake of the ‘Arab Spring’.

April 2014, Saqi Books, £10.99

TThehe RReckoningeckoning ooff PPluralism:luralism: PPoliticalolitical BBelongingelonging aandnd tthehe DDemandsemands ooff HHistoryistory iinn TurkeyTurkey By Kabir Tambar

Th e Turkish Republic was founded simultaneously on the ideal of universal citizenship and on acts of exclusionary violence. Today, nearly a century later, the claims of minority communities and the politics of pluralism continue to ignite explosive debate. Th e Reckoning of Pluralism centres on the case of Turkey’s Alevi community, a sizeable Muslim minority in a Sunni majority state. Alevis have seen their loyalty to the state questioned and experienced sectarian hostility, and yet their community is also championed by state ideologues as bearers of the nation’s folkloric heritage. Th is book off ers a critical appraisal of the tensions of democratic pluralism, exploring the coupling of modern political belonging and violence, of political inclusion and domination.

April 2014, Stanford University Press, £21.50

24 The Middle East in London June-July 2014 BBOOKSOOKS ININ BRIEFBRIEF TThehe KKurdsurds ooff SSyria:yria: PPoliticalolitical PPartiesarties aandnd IIdentitydentity iinn tthehe MMiddleiddle EEastast By Harriet Allsopp

Since the beginning of 2011, the political situation in Syria has consistently found itself at the top of news broadcasts, newspaper headlines and the agendas of politicians. Little known, however, has been the struggle of the Kurds in Syria to have their voice heard on the political stage and to have equitable access to both economic and political resources. Here, Harriet Allsopp examines contemporary Kurdish politics in Syria, concentrating on the Syrian–Kurdish political parties which operate illegally in the country. It is these parties which, despite state sanctions, have attempted to promote their political agendas and to bring about change for the approximately 3 million Kurds that currently reside in Syria. Th is book explores the fundamental issues of minority identity and the concept of being ‘stateless’ in a turbulent region.

April 2014, I.B. Tauris, £59.50 CCopticoptic CCivilization:ivilization: TTwowo ThousandThousand YYearsears ooff CChristianityhristianity iinn EEgyptgypt Edited by Gawdat Gabra

Egypt’s Copts make up one of the oldest and largest Christian communities in the Middle East. Yet despite the availability of a large number of books on aspects of Coptic culture, including art and architecture, monasticism, theology and music, there is to date no single volume that provides a comprehensive cultural history of the Copts and their achievements. Coptic Civilization aims to fi ll this gap by introducing the general reader to Coptic culture in all its variety and multi-faceted richness. With contributions by twenty scholars, there are chapters on monasticism, the Coptic language, Coptic literature, Christian Arabic literature, the objects and documents of daily life, magic, art and architecture and textiles, as well as the history of the Coptic Church, its liturgy, theology and music.

March 2014, Th e American University in Cairo Press, £29.95

PPoliticalolitical AAidid aandnd AArabrab AActivism:ctivism: DDemocracyemocracy PPromotion,romotion, JJusticeustice aandnd RRepresentationepresentation By Sheila Carapico

What does it mean to promote ‘transitions to democracy’ in the Middle East? How have North American, European and multilateral projects advanced human rights, authoritarian retrenchment or Western domination? Th is book examines transnational programs in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Yemen, Lebanon, Tunisia, Algeria, the exceptional cases of Palestine and Iraq, and the Arab region at large during two tumultuous decades. To understand the controversial and contradictory eff ects of political aid, Sheila Carapico analyses discursive and professional practices in four key fi elds: the rule of law, electoral design and monitoring, women’s political empowerment and civil society. Her research explores the paradoxes and jurisdictional disputes confronted by Arab activists for justice, representation and ‘non- governmental’ agency.

January 2014, Cambridge University Press, £19.99

June-July 2014 The Middle East in London 25 OOBITUARYBITUARY HHosseinossein S Shahidihahidi ((1953-2014)1953-2014)

Saeed Barzin

society, Hossein shift ed his focus towards In the conclusion to the book, Hossein journalism. He worked as a stringer for laments the closure of newspapers and foreign journalists frantically trying to detention of journalists in Iran but says the cover the re-emergence of politicised Islam, modernisation and expansion of Iranian and then for English-language Kayhan journalism need to be supported by International, which by then was fi rmly in educational, legal and political progress to the grip of the revolutionaries in Tehran. create a stable and secure environment for At this point, a trip to Britain proved journalists. critical. In London, he successfully applied Immersing himself further in the subject, for a job with the BBC Persian Service. Hossein became an Assistant Professor, Iranians looked to BBC Persian as a source teaching communications at the American of reliable news, and it is well known University of Beirut, and then in Kuwait that the revolution’s leader, Ayatollah and Amman for six years. He had a one- Khomeini, had his fi ddly shortwave radio year stint in Afghanistan with the UN set permanently tuned to the station. Th ese Development Fund for Women, supporting facts could not have escaped the attention of the emerging freedoms of Afghan any aspiring journalist. journalists. Hossein was with the BBC for nearly Fluent in Persian, English and Arabic, two decades. Th ere he excelled not only in his last scholarly work was a translation the Persian and Arabic sections, but also in of Katouzian’s Th e Persians. As a member the World Service central newsroom and of the Centre for Iranian Studies, he ossein Shahidi, university lecturer, in the training department, where he was contributed to the Centre’s magazine. His BBC journalist and Associate appointed a chief manager. piece ‘Iranian Journalism and the “Land of HMember of the Centre for Iranian His BBC colleagues remember not Freedom”’ was published last year in our Studies at LMEI, passed away on 10 April, only his professional abilities but also February-March 2013 issue – on Media – aged sixty-one. his personal qualities. He was seen as which was edited by Roger Hardy. Hossein, a prominent fi gure in Iranian a passionate man, sometimes sensitive Hossein is survived by his wife, Roya, and academic and journalistic circles in and emotional, who cared about and two sons, Farhad and Farhang. London, was a man whose life and passions looked aft er the people around him: a well Hossein Shahidi, lecturer, broadcaster and revolved around journalism and teaching, mannered man who approached others Iran media specialist, born 20 April 1953 nurtured and shaped by a cultured family with humility. in Tehran, passed away on 10 April 2014 in background, personal eccentricities and Hossein was also regarded as a talented London. historical events. journalist who worked and lived devoutly, He was the son of a literary scholar, Ja’far if not obsessively, by the BBC editorial Dr Saeed Barzin is a retired BBC journalist Shahidi, head of the Dehkhoda Institute for guidelines of impartiality, fairness and (Iran analyst, Monitoring Service) Persian studies in Tehran and the Persian accuracy. He was disciplined in his editing translator of ‘Nahj al-Balagha’, sermons and steadfast in his teaching. attributed to Ali, the fi rst Shi’i Imam. Ironically, it was probably his devotion As with many middle-class Iranian to journalism that took him away from youngsters in the 1960s – when an the BBC. He wanted to look at the subject education in medicine or engineering was from a higher, more abstract plateau, and the accepted norm – Hossein favoured the he found this in PhD research at Oxford latter, and received a Bachelor’s degree from University. Under the tutorship of Dr Homa the American University of Beirut. Katouzian, he wrote, and later published, But destiny had other plans. As the Journalism in Iran: From Mission to 1979 Revolution swept through Iranian Profession.

26 The Middle East in London June-July 2014 LISTINGS EEventsvents iinn LLondonondon

HE EVENTS and BM – British Museum, Great Palestinian writers translated into Leili and Majnouna, a love triangle organisations listed Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG English for the fi rst time. Admission unravels. Tickets: £10/£6 conc. 52- Tbelow are not necessarily SOAS –SOAS, University of free - Pre-registration required E 54 Kennington Oval, London SE11 endorsed or supported by The London, Th ornhaugh Street, Russell [email protected]. Th e Mosaic 5SW. T 020 7582 7680 W www. Middle East in London. The Square, London WC1H 0XG Rooms, A M Qattan Foundation, ovalhouse.com accompanying texts and images LSE – London School of Economics Tower House, 226 Cromwell Road, are based primarily on information and Political Science, Houghton London SW5 0SW. T 020 7370 9990 Wednesday 4 June provided by the organisers and do Street, London WC2 2AE E [email protected] W www. not necessarily reflect the views mosaicrooms.org 6:10 pm | Omar (Film) Organised by: of the compilers or publishers. Zenith Foundation in collaboration While every possible effort is JUNE EVENTS Tuesday 3 June with BFI Southbank. Part of the made to ascertain the accuracy of Discover Arab Cinema season. Dir these listings, readers are advised Monday 2 June 7:30 pm | Heart by Zendeh Hany Abu-Assad (2013), Palestine, to seek confirmation of all events (Performance) Until Saturday 7 96 min. A young man is caught using the contact details provided 7:00 pm | Th e Book of Gaza (Book June. A political love story told between loyalty to his friends, the for each event. Launch & Discussion) Organised through physical theatre and girl he loves, and freedom. With Submitting entries and updates: by: Th e Mosaic Rooms. Join Gazan performance poetry. Taking place English subtitles. Tickets: £8.15 - please send all updates and writers Atef Abu Saif and Abdallah between Durham and Tehran as a £11.50. BFI Southbank, Belvedere submissions for entries related Tayeh to celebrate the launch of British and American orchestrated Road, South Bank, London, SE1 to future events via e-mail to Th e Book of Gaza - a 'compilation coup d’état destabilises a nation, 8XT. T 020 7928 3232 W https:// [email protected] of human stories from Gaza' by ten and inspired by the love poem whatson.bfi .org.uk

* Travel portraits: People working, playing, celebrating Th e 2014 Middle East in London * Outdoor scenes: Landscapes, aerials, wildlife, waterscapes Photo Competition * Sense of place: Buildings & architecture, culture & food * Current aff airs: Political and social events, protests, demonstrations As the summer holidays approach, the London Middle East Institute at SOAS is pleased to announce a photo By submitting a photograph, each entrant confi rms and accepts competition for its bimonthly magazine, Middle East in London. the following terms and conditions: * Th e photograph, in its entirety, is a single work of original Harness the power of photography and share your experiences material taken by the contest entrant. from around the Middle East. A selection of entries will be * Th e entrant warrants that the photograph submitted is their published in a future edition of the Middle East in London own work, that they own the copyright for it and that no other magazine. Th e winner, chosen by members of the Editorial party has any right, title, claim or interest in the photograph. Board, will be awarded £100 worth of Amazon tokens. * Th e entrant accepts the responsibility to ensure that any Entries should be emailed to [email protected] by images submitted have been taken with the permission of the 5:00pm on 29 September 2014 and should include your name, subject and do not infringe the copyrights, trademarks, moral email address, telephone number, photo title and photo-caption rights, rights of privacy/publicity and/or intellectual property including place and date. Th is information is mandatory; we are rights of any entity, third party or any laws. unable to consider entries without it. * Copyright in all images submitted for this competition remains with the respective entrants. However, each entrant Photographs must be in digital format (JPEG or .jpg) and digital grants a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual license to London fi les must be 5 megabytes or smaller and at least 1,600 pixels Middle East Institute at SOAS, University of London to feature wide (if landscape/horizontal) or 1,600 pixels tall (if portrait/ any or all of the submitted images in any of their publications, vertical). We are unable to consider print or fi lm submissions. their websites and/or in any promotional material with full You may submit as many entries as you wish, although we credits given to the photographer. recommend sending a separate email for each individual entry. Th emes are not restricted, but the following categories may Th e Middle East in London will not enter into correspondence serve as helpful guidelines: regarding the fi nal decision.

June-July 2014 The Middle East in London 27 6:30pm | Th e Future of Iranian Arab Uprisings: What is the Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF) in main means of propaganda and Th eatre (Panel Debate) Organised Current State of Play? (Panel association with the British Museum legitimisation, the seminar seeks by: Iran Heritage Foundation Discussion) Organised by: Maghreb Middle East Department. In to explain how city planning and (IHF). A panel of theatre insiders Academic Network and the London memory of F Nigel Hepper. Lecture architecture not only refl ect the will discuss the current state and Middle East Institute, SOAS. With to follow the PEF's AGM at 3:30pm. structure of the Caliphate State but future of Iranian theatre. Th e panel Gilbert Achcar, SOAS; George Admission free – Pre-registration also its most pressing concerns and includes Nassim Soleimanpour, Joff e, University of Cambridge; required T 020 7323 8181 W www. issues. Admission free. B104, Brunei author; Ramin Gray, Actors Mohamed-Salah Omri, University britishmuseum.org. BP Lecture Gallery, SOAS. E [email protected] Touring Company; and Mehrdad of Oxford; and Michael Willis, Th eatre, Clore Education Centre, W www.soas.ac.uk/art/events/ Seyf, 30 Bird. Chaired by: Nelson University of Oxford. Chaired by: BM. E [email protected] W www. Fernandez, NFA International Arts Karima Laachir, SOAS. Admission pef.org.uk 7:30 pm | Heart by Zendeh and Culture, and formerly of the free. MBI Al Jaber Conference (Performance) Until Saturday 7 Arts Council England. Followed Room, London Middle East 5:30 pm | Th e Cordoba Caliphate June. See listing for Tuesday 3 June. by a Q&A. Admission free - Pre- Institute, SOAS, University of through Madinat Al-Zahra: registration required. Asia House, London, MBI Al Jaber Building, from its proclamation to its 63 New Cavendish Street, London 21 Russell Square, London WC1B consolidation (Seminar) Antonio Friday 6 June W1G 7LP. T 0203 651 2121 E 5EA. T 020 7898 4490/4330 E vp6@ Vallejo Triano, former director of [email protected] W www. soas.ac.uk W www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/ the Madinat Al-Zahra Architectural 10:00 am | Religious Diversity and iranheritage.org events/ Complex (1985 to 2013). Tolerance in Europe and Turkey Organised by: Anna Contadini, (Conference) Organised by: LSE 7:30 pm | Heart by Zendeh 4:00 pm | Palestine, Poland and Th e Department of the History Contemporary Turkish Studies. Th e (Performance) Until Saturday 7 the PEF: Lucjan Turkowski's of Art and Archaeology, SOAS. conference will aim to understand June. See listing for Tuesday 3 June. manuscript 'Material Culture of Research Seminar in Islamic Art the larger socio-political processes the Peasants in the Judaean Hills' and Archaeology. Madinat al-Zahra and discourses that shape and defi ne Th ursday 5 June in context (Lecture) Carol Palmer, was the great urban creation of the religious diversity with an emphasis Council for British Research in the Umayyad Caliphate of al-Andalus on similarities and diff erences. 2:30 pm | Th e Maghreb and Th e Levant, Amman. Organised by: and was one of the Caliphate’s Admission free. NAB.LG.01,

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28 The Middle East in London June-July 2014 Wolfson Th eatre, New Academic 8XT. T 020 7928 3232 W https:// in the 1920s: Colonialism, History W1. E [email protected] Building, LSE. T 020 7955 6067 E whatson.bfi .org.uk and the Image of God in Ancient W www.saudibritishsociety.org.uk [email protected] W www.lse. Israel (Lecture) Garth Gilmour, ac.uk 7:00 pm | Algerian Supper Club University of Oxford. Organised 6:45 pm | Arabic Poetry (Reading) Organised by: Th e Mosaic Rooms. by: Anglo Israel Archaeological Stefan Sperl, SOAS. Organised by: 2:00 pm | Avicenna and Discover the fl avours of authentic Society (AIAS). Lecture to follow Centre for Cultural, Literary and Avicennisms: A Colloquium at Algerian cuisine at this special the Society's AGM at 2:30pm. Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS), SOAS (Two-Day Colloquium: supper club hosted by Chris Admission free. Stevenson Lecture SOAS and P21 Gallery. CCLPS Friday 6 - Saturday 7 June) Benarab of Azou Restaurant. Th eatre, Clore Education Centre, Reading Group. Admission free Organised by: Department of the Tickets include a three course meal BM. T 020 8349 5754 W www.aias. - Pre-registration required. P21 Languages and Cultures of the with wine. Tickets: £35 (includes org.uk Gallery, 21 Chalton Street, London Near and Middle East, SOAS and a three course meal with wine) - NW1 1JD. T 020 7121 6190 E info@ sponsored by Neal A Maxwell Pre-booking required. Th e Mosaic 8:50 pm | Last Days in Jerusalem p21.org.uk / [email protected] W Institute for Religious Scholarship Rooms, A M Qattan Foundation, (Film) Organised by: Zenith www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/ / www.p21. and the Brigham Young University Tower House, 226 Cromwell Road, Foundation in collaboration with org.uk London Centre. Bringing together London SW5 0SW. T 020 7370 9990 BFI Southbank. Part of the Discover a range of Avicenna scholars from E [email protected] W www. Arab Cinema season. Dir Tawfi k 7:00 pm | Fabulous Fakes and established names to younger, mosaicrooms.org Abu Wael (2011), Palestine, 80 min. How to Spot Th em: some Recent up-and-coming scholars, this Before they leave the city for good, 'Historic' Metalwork (Lecture) colloquium will focus on the impact 7:30 pm | Heart by Zendeh a Palestinian couple revisit their Rachel Ward, Independent Scholar. and reception of Avicenna in (Performance) Until Saturday 7 past lives and loves. With English Organised by: Islamic Art Circle scholasticism and in the Islamicate June. See listing for Tuesday 3 June. subtitles. Tickets: £8.15 - £11.50. BFI at SOAS. Part of the Islamic Art world. Admission free - Pre- Southbank, Belvedere Road, South Circle at SOAS Lecture Programme. registration required for Day 2. Day Saturday 7 June Bank, London, SE1 8XT. T 020 7928 Chaired by: Doris Behrens- 1: KLT, SOAS & Day 2: B102, Brunei 3232 W https://whatson.bfi .org.uk Abouseif, SOAS. Admission free. gallery, SOAS. E [email protected] 4:20 pm | When I Saw You (Film) Khalili Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. T W www.soas.ac.uk/nme/events/ See listing for Friday 6 June. Also on 0771 408 7480 E rosalindhaddon@ at 6:40pm. Tuesday 10 June gmail.com W www.soas.ac.uk/art/ 6:30 pm | A Lens on the Middle islac/ East - CISD Annual Lecture 2014 9:00 am | Avicenna and 7:00 pm | #FCBBCWS Egypt’s by Jeremy Bowen (Middle East Avicennisms: A Colloquium at Roadmap (Panel Debate) 8:40 pm | When I Saw You (Film) Editor, BBC) (Lecture) Organised SOAS See listing for Friday 6 June. Organised by: Th e Frontline Club See listing for Friday 6 June. by: Centre for International Studies in partnership with BBC World and Diplomacy (CISD). Jeremy 7:30 pm | Heart by Zendeh Service. Over three years on Th ursday 12 June Bowen is the author of Six Days: (Performance) Until Saturday 7 from the fall of Hosni Mubarak, how the 1967 war shaped the Middle June. See listing for Tuesday 3 June. Egypt is gearing up for its second 7:30 pm | Rome Rather Th an You East (2003), War Stories (2006) democratic presidential election. (Film) Organised by: Th e Mosaic and Th e Arab Uprisings - Th e Sunday 8 June Having resigned as army chief and Rooms. Set in the Algeria of the People Want the Fall of the Regime announced his candidature, there 1990s, ravaged by civil war and (2012). He is the current Royal 4:20 pm | When I Saw You (Film) are strong indicators that Field corruption Tariq Teguia's fi lm Television Society journalist of the See listing for Friday 6 June. Also on Marshal Abdul Fattah al-Sisi will get Rome Rather Th an You takes year and has won two Bayeux war at 8:45pm. a majority. Are we seeing a return us on a journey with Zina and reporting awards. Lecture followed to military dominance of politics Kamel, a resourceful young couple by a reception. Admission free - 7.00 pm | London Festival and what does that signal for Egypt? who, disillusioned by the ongoing Pre-registration required. Brunei of Kurdish Music (Concert) Tickets: £12.50/£10 conc. Th e civil war, decide to seek a future Gallery Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. T Organised by: Peyman Heydarian, Frontline Club, 13 Norfolk Place, in Italy. Tickets: £5. Th e Mosaic 020 7898 4840/4830 E cisd@soas. SOAS. Doors open at 6:30pm. 4th London W2 1QJ. T 020 7479 8940 Rooms, A M Qattan Foundation, ac.uk / [email protected] W www. festival of Kurdish music from four W www.frontlineclub.com Tower House, 226 Cromwell Road, cisd.soas.ac.uk parts of Kurdistan. Instrumental London SW5 0SW. T 020 7370 9990 and vocal music will be performed 8:50 pm | When I Saw You (Film) E [email protected] W www. 6:40 pm | When I Saw You (Film) in Kalhor, Sorani and Kurmanj See listing for Friday 6 June. mosaicrooms.org Organised by: Zenith Foundation in dialects. Th e theme of the festival collaboration with BFI Southbank. is diversity in diaspora and musical Wednesday 11 June Friday 13 June Part of the Discover Arab Cinema interactions with other cultures. season. Dir Annemarie Jacir (2012), Tickets: £10/£8 conc. & students/£6 5:30 pm | Experiences of Arabia 7:00 pm | Preview Screening: Palestine, 93 min. Set in Jordan SOAS students. DLT (G2), SOAS. E (Lecture) Rt Hon Baroness Symons Return to Homs + Q&A in 1967, a young boy in a refugee [email protected] W www. of Vernham Dean. Organised by: (Documentary) Organised by: Th e camp stumbles upon a group of thesantur.com Saudi-British Society. Talk following Frontline Club. Dir Talal Derki Palestinian freedom fi ghters. With the Society's AGM. Admission free (2013), 90 min. Filmed between English subtitles. Tickets: £8.15 - Monday 9 June – Pre-registration required. Arab- August 2011 and August 2013, £11.50. BFI Southbank, Belvedere British Chamber of Commerce, 43 Return to Homs is an intimate Road, South Bank, London, SE1 3:00 pm | Archaeology in Jerusalem Upper Grosvenor Street, London portrait of a group of young

June-July 2014 The Middle East in London 29 A new 2-day course ‘Understanding Political Islam: Contemporary Challenges’

Offered by the London Middle East Institute (LMEI), SOAS, University of London Dates: 12–13 June 2014 Location: London Middle East Institute (LMEI) MBI Al Jaber Building, 21 Russell Square, London WC1B 5EA

World-renowned academics, experts and practitioners discuss Political Islam and its prominence within Muslim countries and the wider world. Despite its political centrality, Islamism remains poorly understood, partly because of its complexity and controversial aspects, and partly because of sweeping generalisations and misrepresentations by the media.

This course aims to enrich the participants’ understanding of the various components of Islamism and their contemporary political signifi cance at the national, regional and global levels.

Thursday 12 June • The emergence of Islamic Political thought • Al Qaeda and Global Jihad • Salafi sm and the Muslim Brotherhood • Hamas and Hezbollah

Friday 13 June • The Arab Spring • Islamists in Government: Egypt; Turkey; Malaysia • Political Islam in Asia: Pakistan and India • Political Islam in Africa

For programme details, fees and Terms and Conditions, please visit our website: www.soas.ac.uk/political-islam Registrations will be accepted until one week before the start of the course. Book early to avoid disappointment! Please note, a cancellation and refund policy applies. For enquiries, please contact [email protected].

30 The Middle East in London June-July 2014 revolutionaries in the city of Homs. 6:20 pm | Last Days in Jerusalem 1958 Revolution. Admission free for Saturday 14 June for more Filmmaker Talal Derki followed the (Film) See listing for Monday 9 June. - Pre-registration required. Th e information and tickets. journey of two close friends whose British Academy, 10 Carlton House lives were turned upside down by Terrace, London SW1Y 5AH. T 020 the events in Syria. Th is screening Monday 16 June 7969 5274 E [email protected] W Saturday 21 June will be followed by a Q&A. Tickets: www.bisi.ac.uk £10/£8 conc. Th e Frontline Club, 8:40 pm | Divine Intervention 10:00 am | Syria - Correcting the 13 Norfolk Place, London W2 (Film) Organised by: Zenith 6:10 pm | A World Not Ours + Narrative, Building Solidarity 1QJ. T 020 7479 8940 W www. Foundation in collaboration with Panel Discussion (Documentary) (Conference) Organised by: Center frontlineclub.com BFI Southbank. Part of the Discover Organised by: Zenith Foundation in for Middle East Studies, Josef Korbel Arab Cinema season. Dir Elia collaboration with BFI Southbank. School of International Studies, 8:00 pm | Lena Chamamyan Suleiman (2002), Palestine, 93 min. Part of the Discover Arab Cinema University of Denver and the (Concert) Organised by: Th e A middle-class neighbourhood season. Dir Mahdi Fleifel (2012), London Middle East Institute, SOAS Barbican and the Palestine Film in Palestine provides a surprising UK-Denmark-Lebanon-United (LMEI). Admission free. Khalili Foundation. Th e Syrian-Armenian backdrop for a series of darkly- Arab Emirates, 93 min. Personal Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. T 020 7898 singer Lena Chamamyan performs comic vignettes. With English recordings, family archives and 4490/4330 E [email protected] W new songs written from her Parisian subtitles. Tickets: £8.15 - £11.50. BFI historical footage create a sensitive www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/events/ exile. Tickets: £15 - £22.50 plus Southbank, Belvedere Road, South portrait of Palestinian refugees. In booking fee. Hall, Barbican Centre, Bank, London, SE1 8XT. T 020 7928 Arabic and English with English Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS. T 3232 W https://whatson.bfi .org.uk subtitles. Followed by a panel Sunday 22 June 020 7638 8891 W www.barbican. discussion with fi lm producer org.uk/ Patrick Campbell and Andrej 11:00 am | Palestine Israel - A Tuesday 17 June Mahecic of UNHCR, Maya Sanbar Cultural Exploration: Voices from 8:30 pm | When I Saw You (Film) (Co-Producer of When I Saw You, the Palestinian Diaspora Voices See listing for Friday 6 June. 8:50 pm | When I Saw You (Film) Associate Producer of Time that from the Israeli and the Jewish See listing for Friday 6 June. Remains) and Haim Bresheeth, Diasporas (Symposium) Organised Saturday 14 June SOAS. Chaired by: Aine O’Brien, by: Exiled Writers Ink. Th e Wednesday 18 June Counterpoints Arts. Tickets: £8.15 symposium will explore cultural 6:40 pm | When I Saw You (Film) - £11.50. BFI Southbank, Belvedere representations of the Palestine See listing for Friday 6 June. 8:40 pm | When I Saw You (Film) Road, South Bank, London, SE1 Israel 'situation' through diaspora See listing for Friday 6 June. 8XT. T 020 7928 3232 W https:// arts to reveal a range of personal 7:30 pm | Jashn-e Tirgan whatson.bfi .org.uk interpretations and insights. celebrations with Persian, Kurdish Literature, food and visual arts and Azeri music (Concert) Th ursday 19 June 7:00 pm | Press Architecture: panels and participatory workshops. Organised by: Peyman Heydarian, Uncategorized Buildings in With Rabai Al Madhoun, novelist, SOAS and the SOAS Iranian Music 3:00 pm | Some of the Palestinians Algeria (1958-1962) (Talk) Zeina Ghandour, academic, Atar Society. Doors open at 7:00pm. + Q&A with Mamoun Hassan Organised by: Th e Mosaic Rooms. Hadari, poet, writer, translator, Tickets: £10/£8 conc. & students/£6 (Documentary) Organised by: Architect and researcher Samia Emmanuel Moses, poet, novelist, SOAS students. Khalili Lecture Zenith Foundation in collaboration Henna discusses architectural translator, Anwar Hamed, novelist, Th eatre, SOAS. E events.santur@ with BFI Southbank. Part of the modernism in Algeria, specifi cally Jonathan Wilson, novelist and yahoo.com W www.thesantur.com Discover Arab Cinema season. the signifi cance of the Plan de academic, Idit Nathan, visual artist, Dir Mamoun Hassan (1976), Constantine, a national socio- Rachel Moses Klapisch, video 8:00 pm | Piano & Organ Recital UK-Jordan-Ukraine, 55 min. A economic modernization plan artist. Tickets: £14/£12 conc./£10 Series Carl Bahoshy, resident documentary that delves into announced by General Charles de EWI members Pre-registration organist of St Elizabeth’s of the everyday situations facing Gaulle in Algeria in 1958. Admission required. Notre Dame University, 1 Portugal RC Church, Richmond, refugees. Tickets: £6.00 - £8.00. BFI free - Pre-registration required E Suff olk Street (off Trafalgar Square), will perform solo piano and organ Southbank, Belvedere Road, South [email protected]. Th e Mosaic London SW1 4HG. E jennifer@ recitals in aid of the UK-registered Bank, London, SE1 8XT. T 020 7928 Rooms, A M Qattan Foundation, exiledwriters.fsnet.co.uk W www. charity ICIN (Iraqi Christians In 3232 W https://whatson.bfi .org.uk Tower House, 226 Cromwell Road, exiledwriters.co.uk Need). Tickets: £15 each (children London SW5 0SW. T 020 7370 9990 under 10 years permitted for free) 6:00 pm | Oil Cultures in Iraq E [email protected] W www. 11:00 am | Lebanese Festival Day available from W www.icin.org. under the Monarchy (Lecture) mosaicrooms.org Annual event held in London uk. St Margaret's of Scotland RC Nelida Fuccaro, SOAS. Organised which gives members of the Church, 130 St. Margaret's Road, by: Th e British Institute for the Study 8:30 pm | When I Saw You (Film) Lebanese community in the UK Twickenham TW1 1RL. of Iraq (Gertrude Bell Memorial). See listing for Friday 6 June. the opportunity to meet each other, Doors open at 6:00pm with the irrespective of their religious or lecture starting at 6:10pm. Followed political views and aims to create Sunday 15 June by a reception.Since its discovery Friday 20 June awareness and educate the wider in the late 1920s oil has been a key British community about Lebanese 4:20 pm | When I Saw You (Film) commodity in modern Iraq. Th is 7:30 pm | Piano & Organ Recital culture, customs and traditions. See listing for Friday 6 June. Also on lecture presents contrasting aspects Series Ealing Abbey, Charlbury Live entertainment from 2:00pm. at 8:50pm. of oil lives and cultures before the Grove, London W5 2DY. See listing Admission free. Paddington

June-July 2014 The Middle East in London 31 Gallery, 21 Chalton Street, London extensive but little-known Algerian NW1 1JD. T 020 7121 6190 E info@ work of celebrated Brazilian p21.org.uk / [email protected] W architect Oscar Niemeyer: a key www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/ / www.p21. fi gure in the evolution of modern org.uk architecture. Admission free - Pre- registration required E rsvp@ Th ursday 26 June mosaicrooms.org. Th e Mosaic Rooms, A M Qattan Foundation, 9.00 am | Ottoman Pasts, Present Tower House, 226 Cromwell Road, Cities: Cosmopolitanism and London SW5 0SW. T 020 7370 9990 Transcultural Memories AHRC E [email protected] W www. Research Network (Two-Day mosaicrooms.org Conference: Th ursday 26 - Friday 27 June) Speakers include Karen Friday 27 June Barkey, Columbia University; Edhem Eldem, Boğaziçi University; 9.00 am | Ottoman Pasts, Present Ulrike Freitag, Free University of Cities: Cosmopolitanism and Berlin; and Claudia Roden, Chef, Transcultural Memories AHRC Writer and Cultural Anthropologist. Research Network (Two-Day Organised by: Arts & Humanities Conference: Th ursday 26 - Friday Research Council, University 27 June) See listing for Th ursday of Leeds, Birkbeck College, 26 June for more information and University of London, University tickets. of Westminster, University of Portsmouth. One of the largest and 8:40 pm | Omar (Film) See listing one of the longest, running from the for Wednesday 4 June. early 1300s to 1922 and stretching Golnaz Fathi, Untitled 26, 2013. Acrylic and marker on canvas, 146 x 128 cm. Image courtesy of the artist. Golnaz Fathi: Dance Me to the End of the East to West, the Ottoman Empire Night (See Exhibitions, p. 34) is still relatively understudied. EVENTS OUTSIDE Th e conference aims to explore all LONDON Green, London W2. E info@ Tuesday 24 June aspects of the ex-Ottoman city and lebanesefestivalday.com W http:// its many intercultural encounters. lebanesefestivalday.com/ 8:40 pm | Omar (Film) See listing Admission free - Pre-registration Friday 13 June for Wednesday 4 June. required. Birkbeck College, 6:20 pm | Divine Intervention University of London, Malet Street, Time TBC | Th e Clash of Empires: (Film) See listing for Monday 16 Wednesday 25 June London WC1E 7HX. E ottoman. World War I and the Middle East June. [email protected] W (Two-Day Conference: Friday 13 6:10 pm | Omar (Film) See listing http://ottomancosmopolitanism. - Saturday 14 June) Organised by: 6:30 pm | Walaa (Loyalty) for Wednesday 4 June. wordpress.com/events/ University of Cambridge Centre (Performance) Play by Ahmed international-conference-2014/ for the Study of the International Masoud. When Walaa, a middle 6:30 pm | Presentation of ORTS Relations of the Middle East aged pharmacist and government Cup Awards Organised by: Th e 7:00 pm | ‘From third force to and North Africa (CIRMENA), supporter living on the outskirts Oriental Rug and Textile Society. critical dialogue’: German-Iranian University of Utah and Turkish of Damascus, returns to collect his Talk by last year’s ORTS Cup relations in the 20th century Historical Society. To mark the things from his small chemist shop, Award winner Iona Ramsay (Lecture) Oliver Bast. Organised 100th anniversary of WWI, this he makes a shocking discovery and followed by show and tell presided by: Th e Iran Society. Admission free two-day conference will examine is suddenly faced with a terrible by Clive Rogers, Aaron Nejad, for Society members and one guest. the clash between the British and choice. Where does loyalty lie? To Chris Legge and Ron Stewart. Marlborough Suite, Th e Army and the Ottoman Empires and will country, family or political position? Tickets: £7.St James Piccadilly Navy Club, 36-39 Pall Mall, London provide an international forum on Walaa explores these themes in the Conference Room, 197 Piccadilly, SW1Y 5JN (Dress code calls for the demise of the Ottoman Empire current Syrian crisis. Followed by a London W1J 9L. E ortscup@ gentlemen to wear jacket and tie). T and the birth of the modern nation- panel discussion at 8:00pm. Tickets: orientalrugandtextilesociety.org. 020 7235 5122 E info@iransociety. state system in the Middle East. £11/£9 conc. New Diorama Th eatre, uk W www.orientalrugandtextile org W www.iransociety.org Admission free - Pre-registration 15-16 Triton Street, Regents Place, society.org.uk required. Little Hall, University London NW1 3BF. T 020 7383 9034 7:00 pm | Jason Oddy: Concrete of Cambridge (Sidgwick Site). E W www.newdiorama.com 6:45 pm | Contemporary Spring (Talk) Organised by: Th e [email protected] W www.cirmena. Moroccan Literature (Reading) Mosaic Rooms. Photographer polis.cam.ac.uk Monday 23 June Karima Laachir, SOAS. Organised Jason Oddy and Tania Sengupta of by: Centre for Cultural, Literary the Bartlett School of Architecture, 7:30 pm | Walaa (Loyalty) and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS), University College London, discuss Saturday 14 June (Performance) See listing for SOAS and P21 Gallery. Admission Oddy's new photograph series Sunday 22 June. free - Pre-registration required. P21 Concrete Spring which explores the Time TBC | Th e Clash of Empires:

32 The Middle East in London June-July 2014 Middle East Summer School 2423 JuneJune-24 – 26 July July 2014 2013

An intensive five-week programme which includes two courses: an Arabic Language Course (introductory or intermediate) and another on ‘Government and Politics of the Middle East.' or ''Culture and Society in the Middle East '.

BeginnersArabic 100 Arabic (Level 1) Government andand PoliticsPolitics of of the Middle East This is an introductory course in Modern Standard Arabic. It teaches students the Arabic script and This coursecourse provides serves as an an introduction introduction to theto the politics politics of the provides basic grounding in Arabic grammar and ofMiddle North East Africa and (TheNorth Maghreb), Africa (MENA) the Arab region. East It gives(The on a syntax. On completing the course, students should Mashriq)country by including country basis,the Gulf, an overview the Arabian of the Peninsula, major political be able to read, write, listen to and understand simple Israel,issues andTurkey developments and Iran. It ingives, the region on a country since the by Arabic sentences and passages. This course is for countryend of the basis, First anWorld overview War and of addressesthe major keypolitical themes complete beginners and does not require any prior issuesin the studyand developments of contemporary in theMiddle region East since politics, the knowledge or study of Arabic. endincluding: of the the First role World of the War military, and addresses social and key economic themes indevelopment, the study of political contemporary Islam, and Middle the recent East uprisingspolitics, Arabic 200 including:(the ‘Arab Spring’). the role of the military, social and economic Beginners Arabic (Level 2) development, political Islam, and the recent uprisings (the ‘Arab Spring’). This coursecourse is focuses a continuation on reading, of Beginners writing Arabicand grammar Level 1. Itand completes provides the training coverage in listening. of the grammar The course and syntax will also of Culture and Society in the Middle East Its main aim is to develop the students’ understanding introduce modern media Arabic to prepare students to Modern Standard Arabic and trains students in reading, Thisof the course major examines trends in the Middle major Easterncultural politicspatterns and and read newspapers, magazines and internet news sources comprehending and writing with the help of a dictionary institutionstheir skills ofof politicalthe MENA analysis region through. It is taught critical through reading, a study published in the Arab world today. On completing the more complex Arabic sentences and passages. oflectures, some lively presentations topics such and as religious informed and discussion. ethnic diversity, course, students should be able to read and understand impact of the West, stereotyping, the role of tradition, texts of an intermediate level, compose short texts in education (traditional and modern), family structure and Arabic on a variety of topics and be able to follow oral To qualify for entry into this course, students should value, gender politics, media, life in city, town and village, communication in Arabic. Students will also be trained have already completed at least one introductory labour and labour migration, the Palestinian refugee in the basic skills necessary to read and understand course in Arabic. problem and Arab exile communities, culinary cultures, Arabic news media with the aid of a dictionary. music and media, etc. This is an intermediate course. To qualify for entry into this course, students should have already completed at least one introductory course in Arabic.

FEES Session (5 weeks) Programme fee* Accommodation fee** 2324 June–26June-24 July July 2014 2013 (two (two courses)courses) £2,500 from £300/week

* An Early early bird bird discounts discount of 10%10% applyapplies to to course course fees fees before before 1 March31 May 2013. 2014. ** Accommodation fees must be paid by 1 March 2013 to secure accommodation. ** Rooms Please cancheck be ourbooked website at the from Intercollegiate mid-October Halls 2012 which for confiare located rmed prices. in the heart 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/lmei June-July 2014 The Middle East in London 33 World War I and the Middle East BM. T 020 7323 8181 W www. fi lms alongside posters from the 7242 7367 E press@octobergallery. (Two-Day Conference: Friday 13 britishmuseum.org revolutionary era. Admission free co.uk W www.octobergallery.co.uk - Saturday 14 June) See listing for to the exhibition. Rich Mix, 35 - 47 Friday 13 June. Bethnal Green Road, London E1 Th ursday 5 June EVENTS OUTSIDE 6LA. E info@palestinefi lm.org W LONDON www.theworldiswithus.org Until 2 August | Walid El Masri: JULY EVENTS Cocoon Solo exhibition by Paris- Th ursday 10 July Until 27 June | Seasons of Mud New based Lebanese painter Walid El Wednesday 2 July paintings by Iraqi artist Yousif Naser Masri featuring a new body of work, Time TBC | ‘Bread, Freedom and – an exhibition in collaboration with inspired by the violent confl ict 6:30 pm | Th e Art of Iran (Lecture) Social Justice’: Organised Workers the Iraqi Cultural Centre, London. that has besieged his native Syria. A S Melkian-Chirvani, Aga Khan and Mass Mobilizations in the Admission free. Th e Street Gallery, Admission free. Ayyam Gallery, Trust for Culture. Organised by: Arab World, Europe and Latin Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, 143 New Bond Street, 1st Floor, Iran Heritage Foundation (IHF). America (Two-Day Conference: University of Exeter, Stocker Road, London W1S 2TP. T 020 7409 3568 Melkian-Chirvani, a leading Th ursday 10 July - Friday 11 July Exeter EX4 4ND. E jane.clark@ E [email protected] W specialist in Iranian art history, 2014) Organised by: CRASSH exeter.ac.uk W http://socialsciences. www.ayyamgallery.com will give a lecture arguing the (Centre for Research in the Arts, exeter.ac.uk/iais/events/exhibitions/ reasons for using the term ‘Iranian Social Sciences and Humanities). Friday 6 June art’ as opposed to ‘Islamic art’ in Scholars, journalists and activists Until 27 June | Farhad Ahrarnia: a historical context. Followed by compare the challenges faced by the Stage on Fire Farhad Ahrarnia Until 5 July | Volkan Aslan: A a reception. Tickets: See website Latin American movements against combines his interest in dance, high Day Not Yet Lived Istanbul based below for tickets. Asia House, 63 neoliberalism in the early years of modernism, and the arts of Central Turkish artist Volkan Aslan's fi rst New Cavendish Street, London the 21st century with the experience Asia and the Middle East to explore major show in the UK in which W1G 7LP. T 0203 651 2121 E of mobilizations for similar the relationship between various he will transform the gallery with [email protected] W www. demands in the Arab world and national, cultural and political a site-specifi c installation that will iranheritage.org Europe since 2011. Tickets: TBC. institutions and 20th-century avant- act as an unconventional platform CRASSH, Alison Richard Building, garde arts. Admission free. Rose for his well-known broken fi gurine Monday 28 July 7 West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DT. Issa Projects, 82 Great Portland series. Admission free. Pi Artworks T 1223 766886 E enquiries@crassh. Street, London W1W 7NW. T 020 London, 55 Eastcastle Street, 10:00 am | Ancient Egyptian cam.ac.uk / conferences@crassh. 7602 7700 / 0207 323 1710 E info@ London W1W 8EG. T 020 7637 Coffi ns: craft traditions cam.ac.uk W http://www.crassh. roseissa.com W http://roseissa.com 8403 E [email protected] W and functionality (Two-Day cam.ac.uk/events/25028 www.piartworks.com Colloquium: Monday 28 - Tuesday Until 28 June | Intervening Space: 29 July) Organised by: Department Friday 11 July From Th e Intimate To Th e World Monday 16 June of Ancient Egypt and Sudan, BM. First London group show of six Annual Egyptological Colloquium. Time TBC | ‘Bread, Freedom and contemporary Algerian artists, Until 11 July | Internal Worlds- Leading academics will discuss the Social Justice’: Organised Workers featuring newly-commissioned External Relations A travelling circumstances in which Egyptian and Mass Mobilizations in the and reimagined works from Fayçal exhibition of paintings by Iranian coffi ns were made, considering Arab World, Europe and Latin Baghriche, Amina Menia, Atef artist Lida Sherafatmand. Th e workshop practices and regional America (Two-Day Conference: Berredjem, Hanan Benammar, paintings explore the diff erent variability. Tickets: £40-£15. BP Th ursday 10 July - Friday 11 July Massinissa Selmani and Sadek internal life states of humans, Lecture Th eatre, BM. T 020 7323 2014) See listing on Th ursday 10 Rahim. Working in a range expressed through the symbolism 8181 W www.britishmuseum.org July. of media, their work explores and movements of fl owers, interstices in time and space. stimulating a journey for the viewer Tuesday 29 July Admission free. Th e Mosaic into the infi nite aspects of the human EXHIBITIONS Rooms, A M Qattan Foundation, spirit. As part of this exhibition there 10:00 am | Ancient Egyptian Tower House, 226 Cromwell Road, will be a public lecture on Monday Coffi ns: craft traditions London SW5 0SW. T 020 7370 9990 16 June at 6.30pm. Admission free. and functionality (Two-Day Sunday 1 June E [email protected] W www. Atrium Gallery, LSE. T 020 7849 Colloquium: Monday 28 - Tuesday mosaicrooms.org 5342 E [email protected] W www.lse. 29 July) See listing for Monday 28 Until 15 June | Th e World is ac.uk July. With Us: Global Film and Until 28 June | Golnaz Fathi: Poster Art from the Palestinian Dance Me to the End of Night 6:00 pm | Th e Coffi ns of the Revolution, 1968-1980 A gallery Golnaz Fathi's new solo exhibition Lector Priest Sesenebenef: a show accompanied by talks, comprising large scale canvases, Middle Kingdom Book of the screenings, and performances. works on paper and video. Her bold Dead? (Lecture) Harco Willems, Th e exhibition’s design is inspired strokes and traditional calligraphy University of Leuven. Organised by: by fi lm depictions of early PLO creates a new form of expression; an Department of Ancient Egypt and information bureaus, with their imaginary language deeply rooted Sudan, BM. Sackler Distinguished disorderly array of technologies, in Persian tradition. Admission free. Lecture in Egyptology. Tickets: artworks, and offi ce paraphernalia October Gallery, 24 Old Gloucester £25/£20/£10. BP Lecture Th eatre, and presents some twenty-fi ve Street, London WC1N 3AL. T 020

34 The Middle East in London June-July 2014 CALL FOR MANUSCRIPTS THE SOAS PALESTINE STUDIES SERIES WITH I.B.TAURIS PUBLISHERS, LONDON

The SOAS Centre for Palestine Studies (CPS) The SOAS Palestine Studies Series is open at the London Middle East Institute (LMEI) to submissions by academics at various has announced the launch of the first, and levels of their career, from writings by presently the only, university series in recognised scholars to monographs Palestine Studies in the English language. derived from PhD theses adapted for publication. Submissions from all The SOAS Palestine Studies Series will be countries and from various disciplines are edited by the CPS and published by I.B. welcome as long as they fall plainly within Tauris, the well-known London-based the category of Palestine Studies. publishing house specialising in Middle East Studies. The aim is to publish the first books in the new series in the autumn of 2015. The aim is to publish three to five books Only manuscripts at an advanced stage per year. Manuscripts will be peer- of writing and post-examination theses reviewed and selected for publication provided along with the examiners’ reports by the CPS and under its editorial will be considered. responsibility. Selected authors will get a contract with details on copy-editing and royalties from I.B. Tauris.

Submissions should be sent in electronic format to Louise Hosking at LMEI ([email protected]). For enquiries, you may also contact her on +44-20 7898 4330.

June-July 2014 The Middle East in London 35 CENTRE FOR IRANIAN STUDIES – SCHOLARSHIPS

SOAS, University of London, is pleased to announce the availability of several scholarships in its Centre for Iranian Studies (CIS). The Centre, established in 2010, draws upon the range of academic research and teaching across the disciplines of SOAS, including Languages and Literature, the Study of Religions, History, Economics, Politics, International Relations, Music, Art and Media and Film Studies. It aims to

build close relations with likeminded p 25 . of the School Oriental and African Studies, London, 2007, Treasures institutions and to showcase and foster the best of contemporary Iranian talent in art and culture. MA in Iranian Studies *O

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Thanks to the generosity of the Fereydoun Djam Charitable Trust, a number of Kamran Djam scholarships are available for BA, MA and MPhil/PhD studies. MA in Iranian Studies For further details, please contact: Dr Nima Mina (Department of the Languages and Culture of the Middle East) Scholarships Offi cer E: [email protected] E: [email protected] T: +44 (0)20 7898 4315 T: +44 (0)20 7074 5091/ 5094 W: www.soas.ac.uk/nme/programmes/ W: www.soas.ac.uk/scholarships ma-in-iranian-studies Centre for Iranian Studies Student Recruitment Dr Arshin Adib-Moghaddam (Chair) T: +44(0)20 7898 4034 E: [email protected] E: [email protected] T: +44 (0)20 7898 4747 W: www.soas.ac.uk/lmei-cis

36 The Middle East in London June-July 2014