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IRAQ AFTER THE US WITHDRAWALUS THE IRAQ AFTER December 2011 - January 2012 2011-January December » MAPPING IRAQI ART Volume 8-Number 2 » IRAQICINEMA £4 | €5 | US$6.5 » » Volume 8 - Number 2 December 2011 - January 2012 £4 | €5 | US$6.5

THIS ISSUE » IRAQ » IRAQ AFTER THE US WITHDRAWAL » IRAQI CINEMA » THE SEARCH FOR THE STOLEN COLLECTION OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM » SUMERIAN CUISINE » THE HYBRIDITY OF IRAQI CULTURE » MAPPING IRAQI ART » PLUS » REVIEWS AND EVENTS IN LONDON Maysaloun Faraj, Khalida: Kites and Shattered Dreams, 2008, Aya Gallery Volume 8 - Number 2 About the London Middle East Institute (LMEI) December 2011- Th e London Middle East Institute (LMEI) draws upon the resources of London and SOAS to provide January 2012 teaching, training, research, publication, consultancy, outreach and other services related to the Middle Editorial Board East. It serves as a neutral forum for Middle East studies broadly defi ned and helps to create links between Nadje Al-Ali individuals and institutions with academic, commercial, diplomatic, media or other specialisations. SOAS With its own professional staff of Middle East experts, the LMEI is further strengthened by its academic Narguess Farzad SOAS membership – the largest concentration of Middle East expertise in any institution in Europe. Th e LMEI also Nevsal Hughes has access to the SOAS Library, which houses over 150,000 volumes dealing with all aspects of the Middle Association of European Journalists East. LMEI’s Advisory Council is the driving force behind the Institute’s fundraising programme, for which Najm Jarrah it takes primary responsibility. It seeks support for the LMEI generally and for specifi c components of its George Joff é programme of activities. Cambridge University Max Scott Gilgamesh Publishing Sarah Searight Mission Statement: British Foundation for the Study of Arabia Th e aim of the LMEI, through education and research, is to promote knowledge of all aspects of the Middle Kathryn Spellman Poots AKU and LMEI East including its complexities, problems, achievements and assets, both among the general public and with Sarah Stewart those who have a special interest in the region. In this task it builds on two essential assets. First, it is based LMEI in London, a city which has unrivalled contemporary and historical connections and communications with Ionis Th ompson the Middle East including political, social, cultural, commercial and educational aspects. Secondly, the LMEI British Foundation for the Study of Arabia is closely linked to SOAS, the only tertiary educational institution in the world whose explicit purpose is to Shelagh Weir provide education and scholarship on the whole Middle East from prehistory until today. SOAS

Co-ordinating Editor LMEI Staff: Rhiannon Edwards Administrative Assistant Director Dr Hassan Hakimian Alice Piller Roner Deputy Director and Company Secretary Dr Sarah Stewart Listings Executive Offi cer Louise Hosking Vincenzo Paci-Delton Events and Magazine Coordinator Vincenzo Paci-Delton Designer Shahla Geramipour

Th e Middle East in London is published Disclaimer: Letters to the Editor: six times a year by the London Middle East Institute at SOAS Opinions and views expressed in the Middle East Please send your letters to the editor at Publisher and in London are, unless otherwise stated, personal the LMEI address provided (see left panel) Editorial Offi ce views of authors and do not refl ect the views of their or email [email protected] Th e London Middle East Institute organisations nor those of the LMEI or the Editorial School of Oriental and African Studies Board. Although all advertising in the magazine is University of London Th ornaugh Street, Russell Square carefully vetted prior to publication, the LMEI does London WC1H 0XG not accept responsibility for the accuracy of claims United Kingdom made by advertisers. T: +44 (0)20 7898 4490 F: +44 (0)20 7898 4329 E: [email protected] SSubscriptions:ubscriptions: www.lmei.soas.ac.uk ISSN 1743-7598 To subscribe to Th e Middle East in London, please email [email protected] to request subscription information and a form. Contents

LMEI Board of Trustees 4 16 26 Professor Paul Webley (Chairman) EDITORIAL Female academics in Iraq BOOKS IN BRIEF Director, SOAS Huda al-Dujaili, Inass al-Enezy, Dr John Curtis Irada al-Jeboury & Nadje Al-Ali British Museum H E Sir Vincent Fean KCVO Consul General to Jerusalem 5 27 Professor Ben Fortna, SOAS IRAQ LISTINGS: INSIGHT 18 DECEMBER – JANUARY Professor Graham Furniss, SOAS Iraq aft er the US withdrawal Th e Humanitarian Dialogue EVENTS Mr. Alan Jenkins Charles Tripp Foundation Dr Karima Laachir, SOAS Ali Saff ar and Ahmed Naji Professor Annabelle Sreberny, SOAS LMEI Advisory Council 7 Lady Barbara Judge (Chair) Space to think 20 Professor Muhammad A. S. Abdel Haleem Th e Council for Assisting Refugee Mapping Iraqi art Near and Middle East Department, SOAS Academics Janet Rady H E Khalid Al-Duwaisan GVCO Ambassador, Embassy of the State of Kuwait Kate Robertson Mrs Haifa Al Kaylani Arab International Women’s Forum Dr Khalid Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa 22 President, University College of Bahrain 9 POETRY Professor Tony Allan King’s College and SOAS Iraqi cinema: Under the shadow Sargon Boulus and ‘Abd al-Wahab Dr Alanoud Alsharekh of occupation al-Bayati LMEI and Fellow, St Antony’s College Hassan Abdulrazzak Narguess Farzad Mr Farad Azima Iran Heritage Foundation Professor Doris Behrens-Abouseif Art and Archaeology Department, SOAS Dr Noel Brehony 11 23 MENAS Associates Ltd. Looting ‘the memory of mankind’ REVIEWS Mr Charles L. O. Buderi Th e search for the stolen Th e BFI London Film Festival Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP collection of the National Mohammad Mirbashiri Dr Elham Danish Museum Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia Ionis Th ompson Mr Kasim Kutay Moelis & Company Mr Rod Sampson 24 Barclays Wealth, Dubai RESTAURANT Dr Mai Yamani Masgouf- Le Chef Carnegie Middle East Centre 13 Th e oldest cookbook in the world Nadje Al Ali and Mark Douglas Sumerian cuisine Founding Sponsor and Lamees Ibrahim Member of the Advisory Council Sheikh Mohamed bin Issa al Jaber 25 MBI Al Jaber Foundation BOOKS 14 Iraqi Marshlands Ed. Sam Kubba Th e hybridity of Iraqi culture Peter Clark Sami Zubaida

December 2011-January 2012 » The Middle East in London » 3 EEDITORIALDITORIAL

DDearear RReadereader The National Museum in Baghdad

Nadje Al-Ali, MEL Editorial Board

uring a recent trip to the US, Iraq (CARA) has been working relentlessly provides us with a very interesting account made headlines for several days for several years with Iraqi academics - a of the hybridity of Iraqi culture, not only in Daft er a long period of virtual news particularly vulnerable group in terms of the terms of a multi-ethnic and multi-religious blackout. Ironically, I was talking to a group lawlessness, lack of security and violence. mosaic, but he demonstrates that language, of retired military and business people at Her contribution introduces CARA’s Iraq music and food – the cornerstones of any the World Aff airs Council in Colorado City programme, which has been trying to culture – have been mixed and hybrid due (my most challenging audience ever) aft er address the crisis of Iraqi higher education to cultural encounters and entanglements. President Obama had just announced the both in terms of other great exoduses of Th e newly established Humanitarian withdrawal of all US troops by the end of academics but also within Iraq. SOAS Dialogue Foundation off Edgware Road, 2011. Aft er days of talking to impressive has supported CARA’s important work introduced by Ali Saff ar and Dr Ahmed students and staff at a progressive liberal during the past four years and is part of its Naji attempts to revive this very history arts college, this felt rather diff erent. Th e nationwide network of partner universities. and tradition of cosmopolitan and mixed overall story presented on the mainstream Th e article written by the team of Iraqi spaces for Iraqis within London. Hassan American TV channels was also prevalent academics – Irada Al-Jabbouri, Inass Al- Abdulrazzak – who has become known to amongst my audience: we have done our job Enezy, Huda al-Dujaili and myself - zooms many people through his wonderful play and it is high time to bring Americans back in to the specifi c problems and challenges Baghdad Wedding – discusses new talents home to safety. Very few voices in the media faced by female academics in contemporary linked to emerging Iraqi cinema, but also addressed the actual situation in Iraq which, Iraq. criticizes the fact that much of what we as Professor Charles Tripp so eloquently Yet, as we are showing in in this issue, have seen on screens about Iraq has been discusses in this issue’s Insight piece, does Iraq’s long history of cultural and artistic produced in the west through a western not look promising in terms of democracy productions and creations continues despite gaze. and human rights. His refl ections are the extremely diffi cult political, economic An issue about Iraq would not be illuminating but make also for a depressing and social conditions. Ionis Th ompson complete without reference to food. We read. We seem to have come full circle. interviews Lamia al-Gailani, one of Iraq’s have a special gem with Lamees Ibrahim’s Th e human costs of the war and the foremost archaeologists who has been article on Sumerian cuisine. Th e restaurant occupation in Iraq are written out of many instrumental in trying to reconstitute the review was another family production and current accounts. Kate Robertson from the stolen collection of the National Museum triggered a nostalgic journey into the past… Council of Assisting Refugee Academics in Baghdad. Professor Sami Zubaida Enjoy it!

4 » The Middle East in London » December 2011-January 2012 IINSIGHTNSIGHT

Charles Tripp discusses what political framework may emerge when the US troops leave Iraq IIraqraq aafterfter tthehe UUSS wwithdrawalithdrawal

President al-Maliki in London, 2009

n October 17 the governor of Th e ceremonies in Mosul signalled the An Iraq free of US forces has caused Ninawa province in northern Iraq, imminent departure of all US troops from mixed feelings and sometimes alarmist OAthil al-Nujaifi , raced from one Iraq nearly nine years aft er the invasion predictions in both the US and in Iraq itself, public institution to another across Mosul of 2003. Th is conformed to the Status of although it would be accurate to say that for for repeated fl ag ceremonies. Th e songs, Forces Agreement signed in the dying much of Arab Iraq the reaction has been parades and raising of the Iraqi fl ag marked months of the Bush administration in 2008. overwhelmingly positive. Nevertheless, it the fi nal withdrawal of all US forces from President Obama had tried to extend the is worth giving some thought to the kind the province – the fi rst in Iraq to be free of December 31 2011 withdrawal deadline, of Iraq that has been emerging as the US an American military presence. In fact, US but he had been unable to convince the presence became less visible, particularly forces there, as in much of Iraq, had scarcely Iraqi government to grant extraterritorial since the past few months have been been visible for the preceding 18 months, privileges to the thousands of US military marked by an upsurge of violence that having already withdrawn to their barracks personnel the US hoped to retain in Iraq, has caused some 550 civilian deaths in and camps across the country. ostensibly for ‘training purposes’. September and October alone. It is certainly not the case that the US forces will be leaving any kind of ‘vacuum’ Th e impulse to accumulate power has been in Iraq. On the contrary, under the watchful and oft en encouraging eye of the US, Nuri greater than the resources available to those al-Maliki, the prime minister for the past who want to make power accountable fi ve and a half years, has been busy ensuring

December 2011-January 2012 » The Middle East in London » 5 Nuri al-Maliki has been busy ensuring a strong institutions of the Iraqi state have become the battleground for a struggle amongst centralised state to impose the order that powerful oligarchs to control the ‘shadow state’, the sinews of power behind the has now become characteristic of Iraq’s political life public facade. Th e consequences have been that a strong centralised state should re- Wary of the organs of state controlled institutional degradation, abysmal public emerge to impose the kind of order that by his allies, let alone by his rivals, he has services and high levels of corruption, as has now become characteristic of Iraq’s taken steps to ensure his personal control well as the violence associated with eff orts political life. Flawed in many respects, and of anything connected particularly to to silence critics and to gain short-term vulnerable as recent suicide bombings, security and to the coercive arm of the advantage. assassinations and attacks on security state. Th us, nearly a year aft er the formation Th us, far from leaving a political or forces have shown, this political order has of his new government he still holds security vacuum in Iraq, the US forces already taken on features that have been the posts of Minister of Interior and of will be leaving a system that their own characteristic of previous periods in Iraq’s Minister of Defence, claiming that he is intervention and occupation helped to political history. It also shares much in ‘unable’ to fi nd candidates who could gain establish. It is one in which the oil continues common with other states of the region suffi cient political support. Meanwhile, to fl ow, generating revenues that are used to where the impulse to accumulate power has in his capacity as commander in chief of cement and create political alliances to the been greater than the resources available to the armed forces (a power vested in him benefi t of the few. Th e latter in turn guard those who want to make power accountable. by the constitution) he has made full use their privileges ruthlessly, in an Iraq where It has been precisely this trend that so of transfers, promotions and dismissals to there are now more men under arms than many young Iraqis, in the spirit of the ensure an offi cer corps that he can trust. At there were in the last decade of Saddam Arab Spring, have been trying to challenge. the same time, he has retained direct control Hussein’s rule. Meanwhile bombings, attacks Th e February Youth Movement, the over the Baghdad Brigade and the Counter- and assassinations form a backdrop that is organisation Ayna Haqqi? (where is my terrorism Task Force, making the prime used to justify putting security fi rst. Under right?) and the group Iraqi Streets for minister’s offi ce much more than simply the this system, the place of the still resilient, if Change have been demonstrating publicly offi ce of executive power. Th is impression battered Iraqi independent media, trades for greater accountability, an end to is reinforced by the proliferation of unions, civil liberties organisations and corruption and a radical improvement in intelligence agencies that report directly to human rights groups becomes ever more public services. However, the vicious attacks him, one of which has come to be known as precarious. But this does not appear to launched upon them by ‘civilians’ armed Awlad al-Hindiyya (the lads from Hindiyya) trouble unduly those who wanted to ensure with iron bars and knives in Baghdad’s since it is mainly staff ed by men who share that al-Maliki, or someone like him, should Tahrir Square, the arrests made by units of al-Maliki’s own provincial origins. emerge to rebuild the Iraqi state. the Iraqi armed forces and the trashing of Th e main obstacles to the gradual their offi ces by the security services, show extension of al-Maliki’s personal networks Charles Tripp is Professor of Politics with that it is an order of privilege ruthless in across the public institutions of Iraq are the reference to the Middle East at SOAS the defence of its position. Th e murder networks of other powerful fi gures, such as of the investigative radio journalist, Hadi those of his nominal allies Muqtada al-Sadr al-Mahdi, in September was an ominous and Ammar al-Hakim, or of his political sign. Long known for his fearless reporting, rivals Iyad Allawi and Athil and Usama his mockery of the powerful and for his al-Najaifi , or of the Kurdish political leaders, revelations of high level offi cial corruption, Jalal Talabani and Masoud Barzani. Th is he had been detained earlier in the year, may prevent al-Maliki from establishing the tortured and threatened with rape by kind of autocratic power that many fear he the security forces. He refused to be craves. However, the result has been that the intimidated and paid for this with his life. Ostensibly, of course, all this has been © Salman Abed happening while a democratically elected parliament has been in place as the supreme embodiment of the Iraqi people’s sovereign authority. However, as most Iraqis acknowledge, this is not where power lies. It is located instead in the networks of association and complicity that run behind and through the parliament, the ministries and all public institutions. As might be expected, one of the most crucial of such networks centres on the person of the prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki. By no means A cartoon of Al-Maliki unchallenged, he has nevertheless managed drawn by Iraqi artist to carve out for himself an increasingly Salman Abed in 2009. The artist went into powerful position, using personal hiding briefl y after its connections, patronage and intimidation. release

6 » The Middle East in London » December 2011-January 2012 IIRAQRAQ

Kate Robertson, of The Council for Assisting Refugee Academics, explains the work of their Iraq Programme

Dhiaa Al Asadi, a CARA academic, outside the main library University of Birmingham SSpacepace ttoo tthinkhink

he Council for Assisting Refugee risk in-country, or living in post-invasion engagement and contribution to society. Th e Academics (CARA) launched its Iraq exile in neighbouring countries. aims are: to support academic development TProgramme in late 2006, at the height Initially framed as a rescue mission, – in the case of Iraq, to help fi ll the of the targeted campaign of assassination providing periods of constructive sanctuary knowledge gaps born of nearly two decades against Iraq’s academics. Over 200 had been through doctoral and post-doctoral of international isolation as a result of wars murdered with each death prompting the placements in UK universities, the Iraq and sanctions; and to assist re-engagement outfl ow of dozens more. At that time, a Programme has been suffi ciently fl uid with the wider international academic UN report estimated that up to 40 per cent and responsive to evolve with changing community, even when in rescue mode. of Iraq’s pre-2003 university faculty were circumstances. Since 2009, it has worked Th e CARA UK Universities Network, either dead, in exile, or internally displaced. with academics still in post in Iraq as 68 universities collaborating to promote Th is irrefutable attack on Iraq’s educators, well as colleagues in exile to support both and defend academic freedom and provide coupled with a strong sense of moral their roles in the resurgence of the higher practical support to academics in need, imperative – the British government had education sector and the future of Iraq. Th e has been an extraordinary resource. It aft er all been in the front line of the invasion programme now encompasses a number of was to the Network members that CARA despite protest from some British people – complementary initiatives that each refl ect turned in 2006 with the question: ‘What forced CARA back to its 1933 roots and the CARA’s academic niche and organisational will the UK universities do to help their vision of its founder, Sir William Beveridge. objectives to facilitate continued academic Iraqi colleagues?’ and they have not been Th is vision was captured in an earlier CARA incarnation: Th e Society for the Protection In 2006 a UN report estimated that up to 40 per cent of Science & Learning. Iraq led CARA to reclaim its broader mandate, reaching of Iraq’s pre-2003 university faculty were either dead, beyond the UK to Iraqi academics still at in exile, or internally displaced

December 2011-January 2012 » The Middle East in London » 7 found wanting. Academics from 17 UK Th e killings have not stopped. Th e number of universities are leading or facilitating CARA-funded research collaborations, recorded assassinations rose to over 400 in 2011 combining small teams of Iraqi academics in exile and in-post with senior UK of the UK academics involved in the Iraq sociologists on a fi rst come fi rst served academics. 26 UK universities have Programme provide their services pro bono. basis. Some such as chemists have been hosted, or are still hosting, one or more Th ere is an evident hunger for knowledge more diffi cult to place where the discipline CARA Fellows as part of the original UK amongst the Iraqis involved in the trajectory in Iraq has been radically diff erent Fellowship Scheme for Iraqi Academics programme, as captured by a young Iraqi to that of international counterparts. at Risk, several of which – Cambridge, microbiologist: ‘I would off er to wash his Some CARA Fellows have faced threats Chichester, SOAS and Wolverhampton – socks if it allowed me to access every bit and sabotage by colleagues, but we have have contributed to the CARA Fellowship of his knowledge.’ Another captures the become adept at recognising those more fund, as well as waiving fees. A notable reality of many scientists in Iraq: ‘I have interested in personal career gain, or who contribution has been made by the SOAS been teaching how to use this piece of confuse academic opportunities with Alumni Association committed to an equipment from a book, having had neither shopping and travel opportunities. Th ere is annual fundraiser to support future CARA seen nor used it before I came to the UK.’ an enormous amount that still needs to be Fellows. Th e discourse on ‘brain drain’ in the done. Th e more recent Regional Round Table context of Iraq has been frustrating. It isn’t CARA’s work is driven solely by the desire (RRT) series has led to the formation of two by corralling Iraqi academics in the Middle to preserve intellectual capital wherever and standing topic-based networks on ‘gender’ East that you guarantee their return or whenever world events place academics and ‘social sciences’, with three more on continued contribution. Th ose we work in the fi ring line as independent or just ‘research’, ‘cross-university fertilisation’ with continually demonstrate their long- contrary thinkers. I have managed the (attempting to build communication term commitment to Iraq regardless of Iraq Programme since its inception. It between universities) and ‘teaching’ pending the need for a period of sanctuary. Even has been a steep learning curve, central new funding. Th e RRT Networks have those who came to CARA having survived to which is the awareness that nothing is provided an eff ective mechanism to address kidnappings and shootings, having lost straightforward where Iraq is involved. identifi ed challenges for higher education children and other family members and It has been a challenging, frustrating, in Iraq, introducing an important regional colleagues. Only a few have felt unable to humbling and extraordinary experience, dimension that informs and contributes to return. from which I have gained much, and many the development of practical strategies. Th e killings have not stopped. Th e friends. I still have an enormous amount to Following three calls for applications in number of recorded assassinations rose to learn, but I am extremely grateful to all who 2009 and 2010, the Iraq Research Fellowship over 400 in 2011. Th ere is no doubt that have contributed to my education. Programme (IRFP) now supports 12 CARA failed some, including a young pieces of research of direct relevance to Basrawi assistant lecturer in law who was Kate Robertson is Deputy Executive Secretary Iraq, selected through competitive process. killed before we could help him. It took of CARA and Iraq Programme Manager Eighty per cent of submissions originated us too long to understand the British CARA is a UK registered charity. in Iraq, with over 70 UK academics Government’s de facto blocking policy involved as independent experts in the before we successfully challenged UK visa www.academic-refugees.org. selection process. Th e IRFP also supports refusals in the appeal courts. No CARA UK university ‘hostings’, where fees are Fellow has been refused since. waived. Th ese ‘hostings’ provide invaluable Th e programme has not prioritised opportunities to experience alternative one discipline over another, nor senior (Below left) May Witwit, CARA Fellow and Bee systems and approaches to teaching and academics over younger academics, nor Rowlatt, BBC journalist and co-authors of the research, access to labs, equipment and males over females. We have supported book ‘Talking about Jane Austen in Baghdad’ at curricula that is unavailable in Iraq, and poets and physicists, etymologists, medics a book signing training and networking opportunities, also and microbiologists, chemist, psychologists, (Below right) Dr Hadi Abood, a CARA Fellow, at helping to cement longer-term relations. All paediatricians, political scientists and the University of Leicester

8 » The Middle East in London » December 2011-January 2012 IIRAQRAQ

Hassan Abdulrazzak discusses the Iraqi fi lmmakers who are putting their side of the story on screen IIraqiraqi ccinema:inema: uundernder tthehe sshadowhadow ooff ooccupationccupation

From Leaving Baghdad, 2010, Dogwoof Films

estern fi lms about Iraq are now a his double) conceded that the fi lm is early days of the 2003 invasion. Indeed ‘the genre of their own. Th ey tend to not concerned with historical or social soldier’s tale’ is still the predominant point Wfocus on either confl ict in general accuracy. Th is is history mined for pure of view in the majority of western dramas or Saddam and his family in particular. entertainment. about Iraq, particularly in fi lms. Th ese fi lms are rarely if ever concerned Indeed Iraq’s recent history has now In the Oscar winning Th e Hurt Locker with the private lives of ordinary Iraqis and served as fodder for several western TV and Iraqis mostly appeared as zombie-like so they constantly miss the opportunity to fi lm projects. Th e House of Saddam was a creatures in the background menacingly make a real human connection between joint BBC and HBO endeavour, breezily eyeing up the brave American soldiers who Iraq and the rest of the world. running through Saddam’s reign from the were trying to do their job in an inexplicably Th e Devil’s Double is the most recent Iran –Iraq war all the way through to his hostile environment. In Paul Greengrass’ feature fi lm of the genre. It is loosely based capture in the hole where he was hiding and Green Zone Iraqis were depicted more on the books of Latif Yahia, the man who his subsequent execution. Th e slaying of sympathetically but once again without claims he was forcibly recruited to be the Kamel Hana is also depicted in Th e House the nuance required to make them part body double of Saddam Hussein’s eldest son of Saddam but in less gory details than in of a compelling drama. Perhaps the most Uday. Th e fi lm doesn’t miss an opportunity Th e Devil’s Double. Th e BBC made another balanced and satisfying fi lm made about to depict all the excesses of Uday. Th is TV series called Th e Occupation showing the war thus far is Nick Broomfi eld’s Battle includes drug taking to terrorizing young the war through the experience of British for Haditha focusing on the massacre by girls into having sex with him to killing his soldiers and mercenaries. HBO made coalition troops of Iraqis living in the town father’s pimp, Kamel Hana, which if the fi lm a series called Generation Kill depicting of Haditha. Th e fi lm depicts all three sides is to be believed Uday achieved by slashing the experiences of US soldiers in the very in the confl ict with equal understanding him down the middle with a sword. In the Q&A session at the BAFTA screening where I saw the fi lm, the actor Th e Hurt Locker portrayed Iraqis as zombie-like creatures in the Dominic Cooper (who played Uday and background menacingly eyeing up the brave American soldiers

December 2011-January 2012 » The Middle East in London » 9 and compassion: the coalition soldiers, the Despite growing up during the sanction years, insurgents and the ordinary Iraqis caught between the soldiers and insurgents. young fi lmmakers had tried to educate themselves But where is Iraqi cinema in all this? Have by watching pirate DVDs of great directors like Fellini Iraqi fi lmmakers succeeded in putting their side of the story on screen? Th e answer is yes- but chances are you have never seen their output because the fi lms they made month at Leighton House in London as part pirate DVDs of great directors like Fellini, have not been on general release. of the Nour festival (for more details see: Scorsese and Tarantino. Th e fi lmmaker that has had the most nourfestival.co.uk). I caught up, via email with two success so far is Mohamed Al-Daraji. His Both Al-Daraji and Rasheed made their fi lmmakers who are still living in Iraq fi rst feature fi lm Ahlam (2005), follows fi lms inside Iraq in diffi cult circumstances. to see what they are up to. Oday Saleh is the lives of three Iraqi individuals forced Th is does not mean that Iraqi fi lmmakers working as cameraman on documentaries onto the war-torn streets of Baghdad outside Iraq have had it easier. Filmmaker commissioned by Western companies. aft er the US invasion destroys an insane Koutaiba al-Janabi was ready to shoot his Th ese are predictably either a historical asylum. Th e fi lm is a wonderful metaphor fi rst feature fi lm in Hungary when his review of events since the 2003 invasion for the invasion but is hampered by fi nancial backer suddenly and inexplicably or about Al-Qaeda. Oday complains that patchy performances and the pressure of pulled out of the project. Undeterred al- government backing for fi lmmakers is directing in occupied Iraq. Indeed Al-Daraji Janabi went on to make the fi lm on a next almost non-existent and that most of and some of his crew were captured by to nothing budget. Th e result is Leaving the work emerging is the eff ort of the insurgents during the fi lming process and Baghdad, a road movie following Sadik, private sector. Haydar Daff ar, whose fi lm later released. His follow up fi lm Son of personal cameraman to Saddam Hussein, at Th e Dreams of Sparrows was a hit at our Babylon (2009) is road movie about a young the end of the 1990s who is trying to escape documentary festival, disagrees. He works Kurdish boy trying to locate his father the grip of the regime, being pursued from now as assistant to the director of national aft er the fall of Saddam. He accompanies country to country. Th e fi lm won fi rst prize fi lm (part of the ministry of culture) and his grandmother on a trip that takes them in the Gulf Film Festival and was shown in informs me that he will start working as an from the recently liberated prisons to the this year’s Raindance Film Festival. assistant director on a feature fi lm soon as nightmare of the newly unearthed mass Iraq has much more untapped talent than well as three documentaries. Both Oday and graves. Despite certain fl aws in the script, the three fi lmmakers mentioned so far. In Haydar still harbour the dream of one day Son of Babylon is a leap forward for Al- 2006, I co-organised the Iraqi Documentary directing their fi rst feature fi lm. Daraji who is still in his early thirties and Film Festival at SOAS. Iraqi fi lmmakers With increasing stability and rising clearly improving with his accumulated both inside and outside Iraq submitted their oil revenue the Iraqi fi lm industry will experience. fi lms. I was particularly impressed with the inevitably fl ourish. But will it produce trashy Another name that has emerged from work of young, oft en fi rst time, fi lmmakers commercial fi lms or world-class cinema? Iraq is director Oday Rasheed who made his who were working inside the country. One only needs to look at Iraq’s fi rst feature fi lm Underexposure (2005) using Despite growing up during the sanction neighbour, Iran, that other member of the expired Kodak fi lm stock. His second fi lm years, these fi lmmakers had tried to educate ‘axis of evil’, to see a stark diff erence. Iraq Qarantina (2010) will be shown later this themselves as best they could by watching does not have a fi lmmaker to match the reputations of Kiarostami, Makhmalbaf or Farhadi but then few countries do. Iraqi fi lmmakers could learn from their Iranian counterparts by creating stories that focus on private lives and by doing so, they may begin making connections with audiences across the world.

Hassan Abdulrazzak’s fi rst play Baghdad Wedding won the George Devine, Meyer Whitworth and Pearson awards. He is working on a feature fi lm adaptation of the play for Focus Features.

From Son of Babylon, 2009

10 » The Middle East in London » December 2011-January 2012 IIRAQRAQ

Ionis Thompson talks to Dr Lamia al-Gailani-Werr about the search for the stolen collection of the National Museum in Baghdad LLootingooting ‘‘thethe mmemoryemory ooff mmankind’ankind’ © The Trustees of the British Museum

Carved ivory from Nimrud showing a bull striding through a fi eld of lotus fl owers. 8th – 7th century BC. Syrian style

emories of the terrible scenes cities fi rst arose and writing began. Th e such as the Warka vase, were recovered and which appeared on our screens country is covered in sites, many of which much of the priceless material, including Min April 2003 as the museum in have still to be excavated. Th is makes the a large collection of gold objects, had been Baghdad was ransacked by looters have plundering of its treasures so important for moved to the Central Bank’s vaults where it dimmed. Th e looting highlighted by this all of us. I asked what the full extent of the remained untouched. rampage, however, continues and its eff ects damage was, aft er many treasures reported Who had been responsible for the are still being felt. Dr Lamia al-Gailani- as missing at the time had been discovered looting, I asked? She said the fact that Werr,* an archaeologist now living in or returned by those who took them. It is the fi rst rooms looted were those easily England who was closely involved in the diffi cult to calculate the precise extent of the approached and items seized were not attempt to track stolen artefacts and record loss, she said, as many artefacts had never always the most precious (indeed the fi rst the Museum’s remaining holdings, talked to been catalogued or published: the fi gure of things taken included offi ce furniture and me about the events of 2003 and the state of 15,000 items given out at the time was an equipment) indicated that the looters were Iraqi archaeology today. estimate. One major loss, of great poignancy opportunists. Other items appear to have In the words of Dr Donny George, to Dr al-Gailani who is an expert in the been stolen to order, however, and by those director of the Museum in 2003, who died fi eld, is the entire collection of cylinder seals with insider knowledge. A huge illegal trade recently, Baghdad’s museum held ‘the (5000, many of them unpublished). Much in antiquities exists internationally, both to memory of mankind’. Ancient Mesopotamia Islamic material is missing and the entire supply the wants of individual collectors (modern Iraq) is commonly known as the archive of the Hashemite Royal family of and to money-launder the proceeds from cradle of civilization, (Dr al-Gailani calls it Iraq, burnt when the National Library went other illegal dealings in arms and drugs. ‘the Grandmother of all nations’): it is where up in fl ames. Many of the most iconic items, What was now being done to protect the museum? A sophisticated alarm system has Ancient Mesopotamia is commonly known as the cradle of been installed, but as the security situation in Baghdad as a whole is still precarious and civilization, it is where cities fi rst arose and writing began the museum is situated near ministries and

December 2011-January 2012 » The Middle East in London » 11 the Green Zone, making it vulnerable to Th e American troops stationed in Baghdad attack, the Director has up until now been reluctant to open it, apart from allowing have been much criticised for not realising special visitors in for limited times. the importance of protecting the museum Th e American troops stationed in Baghdad have been much criticised for not realising the importance of the (archaeological) sites, and the museum museum in Suleimaniya (in Kurdistan) protecting the museum and not going to is doing its own digital database of objects recently purchased thousands of objects, its aid when looting began. Dr al-Gailani it holds. In addition to this, a virtual tour which they mainly bought from dealers, thought the criticism justifi ed but told of the museum, made in Italy, is available profi ting from the illegal trade in antiquities me that American offi cers had been online at www.virtualmuseumiraq.cnr.it. Dr coming out of south Iraq on the way active in tracking down missing artefacts al-Gailani says this is a good introduction to being smuggled into Iran. Th is may immediately aft er the looting, even fi nding but more useful to the layman than the represent just the tip of the iceberg and some pieces hidden in a cesspit. I asked specialist. thousands of other antiquities may well be what damage had been done to sites by the Th e collaboration between Britain and reaching illicit markets in the rest of the occupation forces themselves. Dr al-Gailani Iraq, which started in 2003, continues with world. said the damage was mostly at Babylon, the project Dr al-Gailani is involved with, where a road for humvees and a helicopter run by BSAI’s successor, the British Institute Dr al Gailani won the Gertrude Bell pad were placed on Parthian remains, and for the Study of Iraq (BISI), to bring Iraqi Memorial Gold Medal in 2009 ‘for at Samarra, where a trench was cut through visiting scholars to UK for training. Over outstanding services to Mesopotamian the Abbasid race-course, destroying a the years 2005 to 2011 some 15 – 20 people archaeology’ unique construction. Near the zigurrat of Ur have taken advantage of this scheme, a US camp, established before the invasion, learning, for example, how to conserve and Ionis Th ompson is a member of the MEL expanded aft erwards and has now spread make inventories of antiquities. One female Editorial Board into the perimeter of the archaeological site. Iraqi scholar from Baghdad University Hatra suff ered when the Americans shelled came over to research the Nimrud ivories: an Iraqi ammunition store placed near the she also trained in their conservation at the site. British Museum. Dr al-Gailani said that Dr al-Gailaini told me that looting had in Iraqi institutions at present teaching in been going on for years before the 2003 the fi eld of archaeology was weak: in 2003 invasion. It started during the late 80s only one member of the teaching staff had a and early 90s, when the Iran-Iraq war degree from outside the country. She hoped distracted the government’s attention. that in future more Iraqis would gain PhDs Later guards were placed at sites and much in Europe and America, which would raise stolen material was recovered and sent the level of teaching and lead to improved to the museum (so much was coming in conservation and recording techniques. during the late 90s and early 2000s that In the meantime looting of sites continues Ivory horse blinker ornament from Nimrud with carved decoration showing a winged human the museum was unable to keep up with and thousands of artefacts leak out of the headed lion wearing an elaborate collar. 8th – 7th recording and publishing it all). Just before country into the rest of the world. Th e century BC. Phoenician style the invasion the guards all left and there © The Trustees of the British Museum was a free for all for looters. Guards are now back but they are unable to fully protect large sites, so the decision has been taken to undertake excavations on as many sites as possible, especially the ones being looted. We discussed the importance of keeping good records both of fi nds coming from the new excavations and of the museum’s holdings. Th e museum’s recording system at the time of the 2003 invasion was little more advanced than that installed by its founder, Gertrude Bell, in 1926. Th ere were ledgers and a card index system which was scattered by looters looking for gold. Help in recovering the index and restoring the records came from two archaeologists from the British School of Archaeology in Iraq (BSAI) and one, Dr Sarah Collins, from the British Museum. Now UNESCO and the World Monuments Fund are funding a digital inventory of all

12 » The Middle East in London » December 2011-January 2012 IIRAQRAQ TheThe OOldestldest CookbookCookbook inin tthehe WWorldorld Lamees Ibrahim discusses the origins of Sumerian cuisine

Baking fl at bread in a tannour dates back to 2700BC culinary recipes written in 350 lines were recovered in Ur and are housed today at the University of Yale library. Other tablets, also found in a temple in Ur, dated to around the 4th century BC and these also recorded comprehensive recipes, again with detailed ingredients, measured quantities and precise methods of preparation. Th ese records represent the development that took place since the cultivation of crops and domestication of animals in Mesopotamia, believed to have started around 6000 BC .Th e cuisine was immensely sophisticated even by today’s standards and alongside the basic cooking techniques there are also records of the traditional skills of drying, preserving in oil or brine and curing. Th e Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest story The house where beer is never lacking, she is boiling a pigeon in preparation of a broth. written in history, clearly points to the there. Recipes for vegetable broths and porridge diff erence between ingestion of natural Th e house rich in soup, that is her place. using diff erent kinds of fl our were also foods and the preparation of a cooked meal Th e house where there is bread in abundance; listed. Sweets were made with dates and fi gs using natural products. Th e epic recounts she is the one who cooks it. and honey. Other ingredients used included how the goddess Shamhat introduced the barley, wheat, chickpeas, lentils, beans, wild man Enkidu to a civilized way of life, (A literary piece written in both Sumerian onion, garlic, leek, cucumber, mustard and seducing him out of a feral existence in and Akadian languages dated to the cumin seeds. Gazelles, birds, lamb, beef the wilderness and into an urban way of second millennium BC, found in ancient as well as many kinds of fi sh were cooked. living. As part of this process she served Mesopotamia written by a man praising Th ere was no question of eating horses him bread and beer, and he ate and drank, his wife. From Th e Oldest Cuisine in the or dogs, still less of snakes, but pork was ‘until his face was glowing and he sang with World, Jean Bottero). raised and eaten, albeit discretely because joy.’ Th is path from wild to urban, from pig was considered dirty, as affi rmed by a nature to culture, manifests the self-image y the year 2700 BC, a full thousand Babylonian maxim. of the people of Mesopotamia: inventive, years before the fi rst legal system in Presentation of food was very important; intelligent, hard-working, and appreciative Bthe world was written in Babylon, a gold plates were used to off er food to the of their land and its produce. Th e highly sophisticated cuisine had developed Gods and for banquets in the ruler’s palace. sophistication of their lifestyle is refl ected in in the city of Ur, located in the south of Th e meal was accompanied by water and their cuisine. today's Iraq. milk but also frequently by beer or even It was written on 12 stone tablets forming wine and these were listed with accounts of Lamees Ibrahim was born in Iraq. She is the the oldest cookbook in the world. the diff erent tastes, colours, strengths and author of Th e Iraqi Cookbook (2009) Specialised menus were prepared quality. Th ese twelve tablets containing 40 for diff erent Sumerian occasions and ceremonies, for the Gods, the rulers or the Th e cuisine was immensely sophisticated even by today’s staff . Th e techniques described ranged from baking a small bird in an oven wrapped in standards and alongside the basic cooking techniques pastry and served with leek and garlic to there are also records of traditional skills

December 2011-January 2012 » The Middle East in London » 13 IIRAQRAQ

Sami Zubaida discusses the multi- cultural infl uences found in Iraq’s cultural heritage TThehe hhybridityybridity ooff IIraqiraqi ccultureulture © Bahai International Community

he diversity of Iraq in ethnicity, inhabitants of the Rusafa bank of the Iraq under the monarchy, was known to religion, language and culture in Tigris included a mix of Turkish and speak Turkish at home, and he was not Tgeneral, is oft en remarked upon. Circassian soldiers and administrators, alone. Popular magazines and colloquial Th ese are not always distinct unit cultures, Persian merchants, a Jewish community poetry of the period commonly included such as Arab and Kurdish, but oft en an speaking and writing in their own peculiar words and passages in Turkish, assumed intimate mix. With the foundation of Judaeo-Arabic, Christians of diff erent to be understandable to their audience. the modern nation-state, following the denominations, some speaking dialects of Subsequent generations, products of the Ottoman and colonial periods in the early Aramaic and, of course, Kurds, soldiers and national educational system and media decades of the 20th century, there was a workers, in addition to the local Arabic- regimes, were fully Arabised in their public process of cultural and linguistic integration speakers. Th ese elements of language discourses. Th e spoken language continued mediated by the processes of modernity, of and culture left important traces in the to show the traces. transport and communication, population 20th century and the beginnings of the Persian and Turkish words feature, of movements, and above all a common national state. Th e early generations of course, in many spoken Arabic dialects. education system, in Arabic, and the rise Iraqi politicians, intellectuals and soldiers Egyptians say kubri for bridge (the Turkish of print and broadcasting media in that were Ottoman. King Faysal and many of kopru) and dughri, for straight ahead language. Yet, the spoken Arabic language his entourage as well as the ministers and (Turkish dogru). But in Iraqi dialect such of Iraq continues to include hybrid statesmen, had an Ottoman education and vocabulary is not only extensive, but occurs vocabularies and expressions, as do other early careers. Th e major poets of the period, commonly in many sentences. Khosh for cultural spheres. Jamil Sidqi al-Zahawi and Ma`ruf al-Rusafi ‘good’ (as in khosh walad, good boy or Historically, Iraq had been as much part had both been members of the Ottoman man); heech for ‘nothing’; chara for ‘remedy’ of what may be called the Turko-Iranian parliament and shared the secular and (as in sawuli chara, ‘help me’). Terms for the world, as of the Arab. Th is world goes positivist outlook of the Ottoman reforms. parts of the house: tarma, terrace; sardab, beyond Turkey and Iran into Central Asia, Nuri al-Said, the principal statesman of cellar; kabishkan, attic; shanashil, hanging Afghanistan and the Caucasus. Until the early decades of the 19th century Iraq was ruled by a dynasty of Georgian Mamluks, Historically, Iraq had been as much part of what some of whose families survived as notables aft er their defeat by the Ottomans. Th e may be called the Turko-Iranian world, as of the Arab

14 » The Middle East in London » December 2011-January 2012 windows, panjra, window, and many others. Pacha, a tripe stew, is proudly proclaimed by many Baltu, for overcoat, comes from the Russian through Turkish, as does istikan for the Iraqis as their national dish but versions of it small tea glass, from the Russian via Persian. are common between India and Albania Music of the Middle East is a fi eld of great diversity and hybridity over the centuries, were multi-lingual. In the course of the France, for stews of this sort, served in street and the varieties of Iraqi music and song 20th century, the enunciation and sense stalls, to be shared in the early mornings as are part of it. Th e one constant in this of the verses became central, a process breakfast for workers on way to work and diversity is the maqam modes, in terms of promoted by the doyen of Maqam singers, revellers retiring from a night’s partying and which most musical forms can be classifi ed. Muhammad al-Qubbanchi (1901-1988), drinking. Yet, the term maqam has various specifi c who also more thoroughly Arabised the Over the course of the 20th century designations in particular contexts. In Iraq, words. Still, there remains to the present there developed a common public sphere the term applies not only to general modes day formulaic expressions in Persian and of culture and communication in Iraq, but to specifi c forms of chanted verse, each Turkish which are uttered at certain stages mostly in Arabic, in which intellectuals with its own designation: Maqam Bayat, of the rendering of certain maqams. Some and elites from the diff erent ethnicities for instance, is a general mode in Middle folksongs, distinct from maqam, were and regions participated. In the 1960s, Eastern music, but in Iraq corresponds to a bilingual in Arabic and Persian. At one stage for example, writers and artists known as specifi c chant, and there are many maqams in the 1980s it was reported that Saddam the ‘Kirkuk group’ came to prominence with designations specifi c to Iraq, such as Hussein issued an order that no songs with in Baghdad, infl uenced by French Lami, Bhairzawi, Mkhalaf and many more. foreign words should be broadcast on radio existentialist philosophy and literature. It is notable that many of the names, both or TV. In any case, Arabisation proceeded Kirkuk is the centre of the Turcoman of the general modes and the specifi c forms apace in all fi elds over the course of the later population and culture, and in earlier are Persian words or place names: bayat, 20th century. decades saw a Turkish literary renaissance, nahawand, segah, chargah/panjgah (three, In the culinary sphere it is well known but with an insistence on Iraqi national four and fi ve intervals); place names include that many of the designations of food items identity. Kurdish intellectuals and activists Tifl is, it is not clear why. It is generally stated are Turkish and Persian: dolma, kuft a, participated in common quests with that this maqam system of Iraq is quite pacha, sabzi, fezenjun, and many others. their Arab counterparts, especially on the unlike other Arab forms. But it does have Pacha, a tripe stew, is proudly proclaimed political Left . Jews, Arabic speaking (except much in common with the chanted verse by many Iraqis as their national dish: they in Kurdistan, where they spoke a dialect of in the Iranian tradition. Th e recordings that are surprised to learn that versions of it are Aramaic, like their Christian neighbours), survive from the early 20th century would common between India and Albania! Th e made notable contributions to literature indicate that the lyrics of the chants were word is Persian, the diminutive of ‘foot’, and journalism. In the fi rst half of the 20th obscured in favour of the voice modulations that is ‘trotters’, but in the Iraqi version century, the many of the most prominent which were the aesthetic object, and that includes tripe. Th ere seems to be a ‘tradition’ musicians and singers were Jewish. Th is rich in so far as the words were discernible they spread from Iran to the Balkans and even to mix of cultures, expressed mainly in Arabic, came to a halt in the later Ba`th decades of intensifi ed repression, impoverishment and fragmentation, forcing people into the protective niches of local, ethnic, tribal and sectarian enclaves, a trend aggravated in the aft ermath of the invasion and the violence that followed. Th e pockets of brave attempts at cultural revival have to contend with many dark forces of sectarianism and corruption.

Sami Zubaida is Emeritus Professor of Politics and Sociology at Birkbeck College

(Opposite) A view over the Tigris river, Baghdad c.1930

© Moal Wazan © Moal (Left) Dolma is a traditional Iraqi dish

December 2011-January 2012 » The Middle East in London » 15 IIRAQRAQ Huda al-Dujaili, Inass al-Enezy, Irada al-Jeboury & Nadje Al-Ali

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© Open Shutters IIraqraq

ue to the dictatorship of Saddam Given both the severe crisis in higher to talk to strangers, and perhaps not always Hussein, wars (1980-1988, education and the extremely diffi cult provide the correct information. Gaining D1991, 2003) and UN sanctions situation for women within contemporary the confi dence of our respondents was one (1990-2003), Iraq experienced decades Iraqi society, we asked ourselves: how do of the main challenges during the research of international isolation and academic female academics manage in this context? process. decline. Th e crisis of Iraqi academia in the And what specifi c challenges might they Being conscious that we are addressing post-invasion period since 2003 has been be facing? We, a team of female Iraqi a western readership, the fi rst point we wide-ranging. Th ere has been targeted academics of diff erent disciplinary, and should stress is the fact that Iraq has a assassinations of Iraqi academics, a high generational backgrounds, based in diff erent long history of women’s participation in rate of academic refugees who have fl ed locations (Irada and Inass in Baghdad; both the education sector and the labour violence and lack of security, the destruction Huda in Amman and Nadje in London) force more generally. While women have of related infrastructures, increasing have carried out qualitative research on this historically been present in all sectors of corruption within academic institutions, the issue. In addition to our own experiences higher education, Iraq, like most other lack of research and teachers’ training and and participant observation, we have countries, also has a history of gender-based the impact of sectarianism on both students interviewed over 90 female academics discrimination within its universities. One and members of staff . At the same time, based mainly inside Iraq, but some now common point of discrimination is related research carried out in the post-invasion living in neighbouring Jordan. It has not to the fear of female academics getting period suggests that women’s labour force been easy to carry out empirical research pregnant and requiring maternity leave. participation and general position within in an unsafe, insecure and non-trusting Th is continues until today, as Zina, one of Iraqi society has been negatively aff ected environment, where people tend to refuse our respondents who has been working at the University of al-Nahrain since 2008, told We asked ourselves: how do female academics manage us: ‘I remember when I put an application to work, the assistant university chancellor given the severe crisis in higher education and for administrative aff airs asked me if I was the situation for women in contemporary Iraq? married or engaged. Th at day I was very

16 » The Middle East in London » December 2011-January 2012 What is diff erent about the Iraqi context is the extent of the kind of work-related travels. For those respondents who are unmarried, it was clear crisis of higher education: the dangers and insecurities, that MA and PhD degrees have a direct the corruption inside and outside universities relationship to their marriage prospects: the higher the degree, the less the likelihood for disturbed and astonished by his question. participation, and this is part of wider them to fi nd a suitable spouse or even to When I started to work in the university, I thriving systems of patronage. identify any potential husband. came to know that they prefer to hire the While these issues hold true for both We realised that some of our interviewees unmarried. Had I been married, I might not male and female academics, women face a did not seem to be very much interested in have been able to get a job.’ number of social and cultural constraints staff development, research and an academic Yet, unlike many western countries, there as well. A female academic’s family plays career. For them, teaching at a university is no systematic gender pay gap within a very important role in opening up or was mainly a job to pay the bills. Th is is not higher education as men and women doing closing doors. Several of our respondents surprising given the economic climate and similar jobs are paid the same money. praised their parents, particularly fathers, general level of insecurity. However, what However, our interviews showed that for supporting their daughter’s education was really heartening for all of us was to there were institutional, cultural and social and labour force participation. Yet others see a small number of female academics obstacles for women to obtain equality remarked that it was their parents and of diff erent generations forging ahead within universities. Very few women have siblings who made a career very diffi cult as with passion and conviction despite the made it to positions of senior management they objected to long working hours and great number of challenges and obstacles. and senior administration while a large travelling abroad for training, conferences Women take great risks and make great number of the teaching staff without PhDs or studies. personal sacrifi ces to fulfi ll their dreams is female. Th is is also not unique to Iraq Husbands are also playing both of gaining PhDs, doing research, writing as Nadje notice parallels with institutions supportive and debilitating roles. Several and introducing new methods into their based in Britain, like SOAS, for example, of the female academics we interviewed established teaching routines. Seeing these where part-time and fi xed-term contract praised their husbands for their brave and dedicated female academics work staff are disproportionately female and encouraging and supportive role. But very in Iraqi universities today is humbling and of BME (black and minority ethnic) few men seem to translate this verbal and inspiring to us all. backgrounds as opposed to people with emotional support into practical sharing of permanent positions and staff in senior household responsibilities and child caring. Huda Dujaili was formerly lecturer in management. Most husbands expect female academics to economics at Mustansariya University; Irada What is diff erent about the Iraqi context is continue with these tasks and engage with al-Jabbouri is a lecturer in media and mass the extent of the crisis of higher education: what has been coined the double-burden communication, University of Baghdad; Inass the dangers and insecurities, the corruption of work inside and outside the home. al-Enezy is a lecturer in politics, University of inside and outside universities, sectarianism Unfortunately, some husbands are taking a Baghdad and Nadje Al-Ali is a member of the and political tensions that have crept more pro-active stand to prevent a woman’s MEL Editorial Board and Professor of Gender into academia. Many of our respondents career by objecting to long working hours, Studies at SOAS bemoaned the lack of academic freedom extra-curricular activities, training or any

and the lack of transparency in terms of © Open Shutters appointments, promotions and access to scholarships, training and conferences. Development and training opportunities are severely limited for all Iraqi academics. Dr Far’iah told us in an interview: ‘Attending conferences and participating in research projects is open to everyone inside Iraq. Oft en, names of participants are decided in advance for the benefi t of senior academics. However, when the training course or the conference falls outside their specialisations, they choose their own students whom they supervise, or they might select academics who might be able to pay them back in particular matters.’ In other words, there is no transparency in choosing training or conference

(Opp0site) Work from the Open Shutters photography project, 2006, where women from fi ve cities in Iraq learned about photography (Right)Women at work on the Open Shutters project, 2006

December 2011-January 2012 » The Middle East in London » 17 IIRAQRAQ

Ali Saff ar and Ahmed Naji discuss the work of the organisation set up to bring the Iraqi community in London together

TThehe HHumanitarianumanitarian DDialogueialogue FFoundationoundation

he Iraqi diaspora in London is concerted eff orts of their parents to preserve debates and art exhibitions could not one of the oldest and largest Arab and promote Iraqi culture and heritage has be hosted in these places. London was Tcommunities in the city. Iraqis taken a backseat. Th is is understandable; lacking a truly secular cultural centre that arrived in several waves: throughout the second-generation British Iraqis, could promote Iraqi heritage not only 1970s, as Iraq, newly awash with revenue particularly those who were born in the to those whose knowledge of Iraq was from its newly-nationalised oil industry, UK, will never have the same connection to confi ned to depressing news reports, but sent its best and brightest to be educated Iraq that their parents have. Th ere are also also to the young British Iraqis who were here, in the 1980s, as political refugees many more practical considerations: many growing further and further away from fl eeing Saddam’s increasingly despotic children of the 1980s are now reaching their parents’ heritage. In early 2009, the tendencies, and in the 1990s, seeking the age where they are getting married Humanitarian Dialogue Foundation in opportunities away from their forcibly and focusing on their careers, and do not London was created, in an eff ort to promote impoverished country. have time to organise or participate in Iraqi culture. We worked on a number of Iraqis have generally done well. Th ey set community events. key objectives, including a forum for frank up mosques that doubled up as community Mosques and religious centres have discussion and dialogue between fi rst centres, they fought hard to preserve their become increasingly ill-equipped to deal and second-generation British Iraqis, and identities, and their children, second- with the needs of the community. Films, between Iraqis of diff erent religious, ethnic generation British Iraqis, have fl ooded the UK’s fi nest universities and are now reaping the rewards of their hard work. Th e coming of age of this generation, who are now London was lacking a truly secular cultural centre leading the community, has meant that the that could promote Iraqi heritage

18 » The Middle East in London » December 2011-January 2012 and sectarian backgrounds in an eff ort to Iraqi culture is rich and diverse, but has not had promote understanding and friendship. Th is, for us, was particularly important a forum in which it can be continually displayed given the feeling that the tensions that and as a result it has oft en been overlooked were heightened between Iraq’s composite communities during the 2006-07 civil war had permeated the community here. Th e HDF's programme has not been and performances based on his creations Th e HDF’s English programme was limited to English-language events. We of the Re-Piano Project; a project that launched in November 2010 by Baroness have attempted to carry on the tradition recycled defunct pianos into instruments Emma Nicholson, who spoke about her started by the Kufa Gallery, a distinguished and objects for dialogue and addressed work in the country’s southern marshes. cultural centre that celebrated Iraqi culture issues as confl ict resolution, identity and Her talk in front of a packed audience set and arts between the 1970s and the 1990s. trauma therapy. Th e second art exhibition the standard for a successful schedule that We hold talks and lectures in Arabic every commemorated the death of one of Iraq’s also saw Professor Sami Zubaida present Wednesday, in a programme that has so leading artists Shaker Hasan Al-Said. on the topic of the anthropology of Iraqi far included notable speakers presenting Th e exhibition attracted lots of attention food, Dr Colin Rowat on his decade-long a variety of topics ranging from the from both Iraqi and Arab audiences who campaign against sanctions in Iraq in the tradition of intellectual dialogue between wanted to see a chronological selection of 90s, Professor Charles Tripp on the modern Islamic schools of thought as outlined by his works spanning eight decades of his history of Iraq and the prominent feminist Dr Rasheed al-Khayoon, to a plethora life. Th e exhibition was inaugurated by Dr scholar, Nadje Al-Ali, speak about women of subjects including Iraqi sociology, Mohammed Makiya, a world famous Arab in Iraq throughout the various stages of the healthcare, education, interfaith dialogue. architect and expert in classical Islamic country’s history. We also hosted raucous Some of the participating speakers so far architecture. Dr Makiya was the fi rst elected debate with Kanan Makiya, who fi elded include Dr Ali Allawi, Iraqi poets Fawzi president of the Iraqi Fine Arts Association questions on his best selling book, Cruelty Kareem and Awad Nasir, and many others. in the 1960s, and a close friend of al-Said. and Silence. Th e programme continues to be a platform Salam House has been chosen by many Th e HDF has worked hard to build for apolitical non-sectarian dialogue on Iraq other Iraqi artists as a place to exhibit their relations with other Iraqi groups, and and the region. works and showcase the forgotten face of together with the Iraq Youth Group held Iraqi art also is a focus of HDF given Iraq that is oft en veiled by political unrests a screening of Son of Babylon, the award- the importance and richness of Iraqi and sectarian tensions. winning fi lm on a mother’s search for her contemporary art since its birth at the Th e Humanitarian Dialogue Foundation missing son in Iraq, and also hosted the hands of Faeq Hasan and Jewad Salim hopes to continue to be at the forefront Iraqi Youth Foundation’s regular book club. and the other pioneers, with a continuing in representing the Iraqi cultural scene in A unique poetry translation workshop by infl uence by Iraqi artists scattered across London, not only as a forum for discussion the Poetry Translation Centre also takes the world map to the present day. Th e and dialogue, but also to re-establish links place every month at Salam House in Maida fi rst art exhibition at Salam House was in between Iraq and British Iraqis. Iraqi Vale, where the HDF is based, to translate November 2010 and was by the renowned culture is rich and diverse, but has not had contemporary Arabic poetry from diff erent Iraqi artist Rashad Salim. It spanned three a forum in which it can be continually Arab countries into English. weeks and was accompanied by workshops displayed, despite the fact that there are dozens of Iraqi organisations across the city, and as a result, it has oft en been overlooked. Th e HDF hopes to remedy this, and with the continued support of an array of distinguished speakers, artists and academics, there is every hope that it will continue to be successful in this endeavour.

Ali al-Saff ar is former Communications Offi cer for HDF and Dr Ahmed Naji is a trustee and former executive offi cer of HDF

(Opposite) Dr Mohammed Makiya speaking at a commemorative event for artist Shaker Hasan al-Said at HDF this year (Left) Ethics and Politics: Does a Contradiction Exist? lecture at Salam House in February this year

December 2011-January 2012 » The Middle East in London » 19 IIRAQRAQ © Meem Gallery/ Dia Azzawi Janet Rady meets Iraqi artists based in London

MMappingapping IIraqiraqi AArtrt inin LLondonondon

ention Iraq to anyone today and manipulated by the ruling parties as a tool inaugural exhibition last year at the Mathaf one’s thoughts immediately turn for self-glorifi cation and artists were losing Gallery in Doha turned for guidance and Mto a country in turmoil, a people their freedom to create truly independent support. in mourning and a future that remains, at works. It was at this time that several Working in a variety of media, his most least for the time being, uncertain. prominent artists left Iraq with some, like distinctive images are undoubtedly those In stark contrast, however and far Dia Azzawi, heading for London, where encapsulated in his powerfully evocative removed from the Middle East, is London. he became art consultant at former Iraqi paintings. Executed in neo-Cubist style, Albeit in the grips of economic recession, Cultural Centre in Tottenham Court Road. his blocks of brightly coloured pigments it is nevertheless a place which thrives on It is perhaps to Dia Azzawi that Iraqi combine seamlessly to refl ect oft en semi- opportunity, diversity and cultural plurality. artists in London owe most gratitude. abstract subject matter ranging from Given that so many Iraqis have chosen to With a career spanning over 49 years memories of Iraq’s rich heritage to more settle in London, I set out to fi nd out how (he graduated from Baghdad University political imagery, highlighting the pain these two polarities can be reconciled both with a degree in Archaeology in 1962 and of loss and struggle throughout the Arab on a personal and national level. the Institute of Fine Art in Baghdad in world. No story about contemporary Iraqi 1964), he has participated in more than Acknowledging Dia’s infl uence, the art in London can begin without 65 shows and has been editor of major American born, Iraqi artist, Maysaloun acknowledging the immense role that the international magazines including UR: Th e Faraj has, through her work as an artist, artistic movements of the 20th century International Magazine of Arab Culture, curator and gallerist, achieved acclaim for played within Iraq itself. It was in the early London; Funoon Arabia, London and on promoting Iraqi art in London. Conscious 1950s when a group of artists including the the Editorial Board of Mawakif, London. of the hardships suff ered by Iraqis in exile, sculptor Jawad Salim, instructor at newly Th rough his publications and exhibitions, Maysaloun wanted to bring together the established School of Fine Arts, together he has contributed widely to the intellectual country’s scattered ‘talents in the wind’ with the eminent theorist, Shakir Hassan development of the arts of the Middle East. and to communicate their positive and al-Said, formed the Baghdad Group for Tellingly, out of the 77 artists shown at the creative energies. Th us in 1995 her project Modern Art. Working with other artists British Museum’s Word in Art Exhibition entitled ‘Strokes of Genius: Contemporary such as Faiq Hassan, the group began to in 2006, nearly 25 per cent were from Iraq Iraqi Art’ was born. At fi rst its focus was germinate the seed of a modern artistic and it was to Dia that the curators of the a comprehensive database of Iraqi artists identity. Th eir aim was to articulate through an aesthetic synthesising of their knowledge of their birthplace with their studies abroad It is perhaps to Dia Azzawi that Iraqi artists in London the political rhetoric of a nascent Arab state. By the 1970s however, this solidarity of owe most gratitude. With a career spanning over 49 years identity had been diff used. Art was being he has participated in more than sixty fi ve shows

20 » The Middle East in London » December 2011-January 2012 Th e growing success of Iraqi art and artists exhibition entitled Wounded Water, made London based Iraqi Kurdish artist Walid globally can undoubtedly be measured in the Siti, not unsurprisingly, very happy. From a voyage out of Iraq via Yugoslavia, in 1984, participation of Iraq in this year’s Venice Biennale Walid has come a long way to the point where he now goes back regularly to assist www.incia.co.uk. With the help of others of his compatriots. Although infl uenced young artists in Iraq. He arrived in London including curator Ulrike al-Khamis and by Islamic culture, which he began to speaking virtually no English and knowing artists Rashad Selim and the then Baghdad appreciate while living in London, he sees no-one and it was through a meeting with based Hanaa Malallah, by 2000 the project his art as having universality not specifi c Rose Issa in 1987, who at the time was had grown into a touring exhibition and the to Iraq. For Rashad, being in London has running the Kufa Gallery, that he started subsequent publication of the eponymous broadened his creative side. Most indicative his career in the art world. Known for his book, the only comprehensive reference in of this is his current re-piano project, in distinctive monochromatic and highly English, on the subject. which he strips out and transforms old symbolic work, he pares down his subject by Maysaloun’s work continued when in pianos into living works of art, Rashad using simple shapes or symbols and refl ects 2002 she opened the Aya Gallery in west aims symbolically to re-engage with and war and violence and mankind’s ultimate London with her husband. Here Maysaloun transform the universality of broken culture. helplessness. curated a series of important Iraqi shows Hanaa Malallah by contrast, who came Such are the narratives depicted by Iraqi until her last exhibition in 2009, a solo show out of Iraq in 2006 (and now cannot return), artists. Others such as Yousif Nasser, who of her own paintings and ceramics entitled at fi rst found living in London diffi cult. left in Iraq in 1979 or Suad Attar who ‘Boats and Burdens: Kites and Shattered Here though now she is able to concentrate moved to London in 1976 and whose solo Dreams’. Th rough the joie de vivre imagery on her art and has exhibited widely. A exhibition at Leighton House has recently of her ceramics, to a more poignant expose deeply thoughtful and philosophical fi nished, have equally chilling memories of the tragic destruction of life symbolised person, Hanaa’s work addresses the subject and historical roots, that they feel compelled in withering date palms, her work attempts of ancient Mesopotamia, contemporary to explore. to capture a beauty and innocence lost destruction and exile. Like many artists of forever. her generation, she found traditional media Janet Rady is a specialist in contemporary art Not all Iraqi artists in London share inadequate to express her ideas. Instead she from the Middle East the same feeling about their homeland. uses burnt paper and cloths, barbed wire Rashad Selim, who was born in Sudan, of and bullets, with splintered wood and found a German mother and Iraqi father, resides objects. Oft en shown in Dubai, Hanaa in a more liminal mental space, neither is now preparing for an exhibition at the outside or inside Iraq or London. While Qattan Foundation in April 2012. he acknowledges his Iraqi identity (he Th e growing success of Iraqi art and is Jawad Salim’s nephew), his peripatetic artists globally can undoubtedly be childhood and time in London, where measured in the participation of Iraq in he has lived since 1982, have given him a this year’s Venice Biennale. Being one duality of perspective not prevalent in many of the six artists chosen to exhibit in the

(Opposite) Dia Azzawi, Relationship, 2007-08, Al-Noor Collection, United Arab Emirates (Left) Walid Siti, 5, 2010, White Cube Gallery

December 2011-January 2012 » The Middle East in London » 21 PPOETRYOETRY

The theme of exile also runs through many of the poems of the modernist poet Sargon Boulus, born in Iraq to an Assyrian family in al-Habbaniyah, on the Euphrates. After leaving Iraq, Boulus settled in Beirut for a short while before moving to the United States which became his home for the last 40 years of his life. Boulus, the poet and activist, expands the symbol of a handful of earth clutched by those banished into exile, into a moving allegory: Selecting a few literary stars from a galaxy of outstanding poets, rooted in a tradition that dates back to pre- Islamic Mesopotamia and boasts some of the fi nest Um Muhammad, the fortune-teller, poetry in the Arabic language, is not easy. Poetry is a the woman from whose thin neck well established Iraqi art- indeed the classical Iraqi style dangles what initially appears of lyrical composition has lent its name to the sublime to be a necklace, genre of romantic and mystical ghazal, composed not but is nothing but a black leather pouch. exclusively by the best classical poets of Iraq and the She said Hejaz, but throughout the Persianate world and the Indian it contains sub-continent. In modern times too, the renaissance of a handful of the homeland’s dirt. Arabic poetry has been led in part by deceased Iraqi poets She sat on a stone bench, such as Muhammad Mahdi Al-Jawahiri (1899-1997), ‘Abd at the Hashimiyya Square, al-Wahhab al-Bayati (1926-1999), Nazik Al-Malaika (1922- 2007), Badr Shakir as-Sayyab (1926-1964) and Sargon in Amman, Boulus (1944-2007), whose literary output is not only highly with thousands of others, praised in Iraq but is also critically acclaimed throughout waiting for a visa, the Arab world and borders beyond. The fi ve named poets’ to any country. treatment of the themes of love, death and particularly the She said tyranny of exile, torments of which was experienced by all that when of them, has created a body of work wherein myth, history, she crossed the border, interrogation of the self and snapshots of everyday life far she knew away from the homeland, are woven together in sombre that she might never see it and vivid poems. again in this world. The theme of exile- true exile and not the sentimental longings of expatriates or émigrés- informs the poetry Th erefore, of ‘Abd al-Wahab al-Bayyati, when time and again the she will carry it, poetic persona refuses to even contemplate closure, as like a yoke, encapsulated in lines from ‘Al-Nar wa al-Kalimat’, Fire and wherever she ends up. Words: ‘My homeland is exile, I carry Baghdad in my heart, Wherever she ends up, From one home to another.’ she will carry Robert Fisk, in his obituary of al-Bayati, recalled that this black pouch the poet ‘spent his last years from 1996 in the beautiful of dirt. but alien city of Damascus, drinking in its coff ee shops and lamenting his home.’ In his poem ‘Nusus Sharqiyyah’, A Pouch of Dirt From Azma ukhra li-kalb al-qabila 2008 Oriental Texts, al-Bayati refl ects: ‘I always dream at night that I'm in Iraq, and hear its heart beating and smell its Translated by Sinan Antoon fragrance carried by the wind, especially after midnight when it's quiet’ and poignantly reiterates: ‘I haven’t found life and light, in the cities of loss and lack; my poetry was the fi re to dispel the gloom of exile and frosty homes’. Foretelling the tragedy of a death he writes:

I dreamt I was a fugitive Hiding in a forest. Th e wolves in a distant country Hounded me through black deserts and over rough hills. My dear, our separation was torture. I dreamt I was without a home, Dying in an unknown city, Dying alone, my love, without a home.

From Th e Fugitive, Translated by Abdullah Udhari

Sargon Boulus

22 » The Middle East in London » December 2011-January 2012 RREVIEWS:FILMEVIEWS:FILM FFESTIVALESTIVAL TThehe BBFIFI LLondonondon FFilmilm FFestivalestival

Mohammad Mirbashiri reviews two fi lms from the Middle East that appeared at the festival

Asmaa ( ), Egypt (2011) in love with and marrying Mosaad (Hany Director: Amr Salama Adel). Th is is a stark contrast from the jaded smaa is the touching tale of a timid Asmaa of the fi lm’s present day. Salama’s HIV-positive airport cleaning cutting back and forth in time builds up a Aattendant who lives with her father fast-paced tension culminating in a ‘will she Hosni (Sayed Ragab) and daughter Habiba or won’t she’ climax. (Fatma Adel) in modern-day Cairo. Th e Lighting and colour tones are carefully story is made up of scenes going between used to distinguish between the moods the present situation and Asmaa’s past. between time frames, with bright colours In the opening scene Asmaa is wheeled abundant in the village scenes in contrast through a brightly-lit hospital corridor to dreary blue tones in the present day. about to enter an operating theatre. Th is is Salama’s fi lm provides a solid portrayal From Where Do We Go Now? 2011 intercut with a scene where Asmaa is in a of Egyptian society through the brave support-group meeting for AIDS suff erers. exploration of a highly stigmatised taboo Whilst the 45 year-old widow Asmaa is based on a real life story. living alongside one another in Lebanon. asymptomatic, she suff ers from a serious Amal, the protagonist, is played by the and life-threatening gall bladder problem. Where Do We Go Now? ( ), writer and director herself, Nadine Labaki No surgeon in the country will agree to Lebanon (2011) who gives a solid performance. Th e sub-plot carry out the operation because of her HIV- Director: Nadine Labaki of the infatuation of Rabih, who works as a positive condition. Staunchly resolute in A group of women walk in unison, some decorator in Amal's cafe is unfortunately left her refusal to reveal how she contracted the draped in black veils, others wearing short incomplete. virus Asmaa is faced with cruel prejudice black dresses beating their chests as they Despite, the unrealistic incidents in the and the true example of how ignorance walk, in a rhythmic style. Hands resting plot Labaki again demonstrates a nuanced breeds fear. on their chests as their feet simultaneously understanding of Arab societies and A TV producer assures her that appearing tap the ground the women are mourning Levantine culture. Taking generalisations of on a chat show will result in widespread the passing of their loved brothers, fathers Middle Eastern society, Labaki manipulates national attention and a doctor agreeing to and husbands. Th is is the opening scene of the melodrama of the devout yet doting perform the simple yet urgent operation. Nadine Labaki's theatrical second feature Christian and Muslim mothers and the Irritating chat show host, Mohsen (Maged fi lm. bad-tempered and feisty Arab men ready to El Kedwany) insists that she must make Following the success of her 2007 debut draw arms. her plea on screen revealing her face and fi lm Caramel, Labaki's second feature does Nonetheless, whilst the women in her name – an unprecedented act throughout not know whether it is coming or going. A fi lm are the strong-willed protagonists, the whole of the Arab world. However, with musical-fantasy genre, the fi lm highlights who cleverly plot and scheme to keep their even her daughter Habiba oblivious to her the struggles of a group of Lebanese husbands and sons from fi ghting against mothers’ HIV-positive status and through village-dwelling women keeping the peace one another, it seems somewhat simplistic fear of a backlash, Asmaa is put in a diffi cult in the volatile multi-confessional Middle to think of the gender binary in such a way. situation. Eastern state. Th e storyline takes us on a Where do we go now is an amusing take Writer and director Amr Salama’s second rollercoaster of tears and laughter and it on a grim reality, surprisingly with a cast feature fi lm is powerful and fi lled with is a shame that the plot is so unrealistic. made up of almost entirely non-professional emotion. Tunisian-born Hend Sabry whom However, if you sit back and don't let that actors. Salama had in mind when writing the consume you, it is defi nitely an entertaining screenplay provides a strong performance as fi lm in a theatrical style with catchy sing Mohammad Mirbashiri is a freelance writer protagonist, Asmaa. along songs and at times incredibly funny. and researcher on contemporary Middle Th e fl ashbacks of Asmaa’s youth in the However, unlike other light-hearted Eastern culture and society village show an independent, assertive girl comedies, this fi lm tackles a serious theme defi antly working in the village souk, falling - strife between Christians and Muslims

December 2011-January 2012 » The Middle East in London » 23 RREVIEWS:EVIEWS: RESTAURANTRESTAURANT MMasgoufasgouf – LLee CChefhef

41 Connaught Street, London W2 2BB

oing out to Masgouf-Le Chef to eat Iraqi food turned into a culinary Gjourney into the past. Masgouf is the name of one of the most famous Iraqi national dishes: fi sh (mainly carp or barb), butterfl ied, well seasoned, and roasted over wood embers. Th e Abu Nawas district of Baghdad, at the shore of the Tigris river, has the reputation of serving the most delicious masgouf, although it is served all over Iraq. Eating this in Iraq is an event, and Nadje recalled many family outings to renowned restaurants there, sipping cool Iraqi brewed beer, eating fava beans and home made crisps by the river, while anticipating the masgouf. Now, here we were sitting off Edgware road, and eating masgouf (here sea bass) that had actually been off ered on the house - a rare perk of this venture. And what a perk! Th e fl aky fl esh practically fell on to our forks and, savouring it, we felt we could almost see the Tigris. Th e restaurant We arrived to fi nd the table already laid that can be challenging. It reminded Mark certainly has an ‘authentic’ feel to it: most with white cheese, an assortment of crudité, of hating spinach as a child... Alhena of the clientele are Iraqi, Iraqi music plays turshi (mixed pickles) and olives. Hot nan wouldn’t touch it… but Nadje really in the background and, most importantly, bread came immediately from the tanoor. enjoyed it. True to form, Alhena ordered the various dishes we ordered tasted Mark loved the salty, herb fl ecked cheese mixed grill for her main course. She loved just like Nadje’s grandmother’s cooking. and found it a lively partner for the rest of most the tender, juicy lamb, but also Unfortunately, nostalgia has its fl ip side. Th e the food. Th ese were palate openers for our enjoyed the chicken sheesh kebab and the beer or wine that would probably once have ordered starters: kubba mosul - presented minced lamb kebab. accompanied this treat by the river were, here as a triangular crushed wheat casing Th e servings are generous , and with alas, absent. Masgouf-Le Chef, in common stuff ed with minced meat, raisins and pine the complementary Masgouf, we found with a couple of other Iraqi places we kernels - was a sophisticated off ering; kubba ourselves leaving the restaurant laden with phoned, serves no alcohol. It seems these halab – an egg-shaped sheath of ground doggie bags. days a new propriety rules. rice around lamb, herbs and fried onion; Masgouf – Le Chef has been around for and patata chap - lots of mashed potato ten years and seems to be thriving both for pressed around lamb and herbs. Th e latter eat-in and take-away. Six years ago, its Iraqi was our least favourite - like tasteless discs owner opened a second restaurant, simply of shepherd’s pie (Nadje prefers Mark’s called Masgouf in Knightsbridge. We might shepherd’s pie). go and compare some time in the future… Mark ordered kouzi –lamb shank (here called ‘knuckle’) with saff ron rice, raisins Main courses range from £9-17.50. Its sister and pine nuts. He found it pleasant and restaurant Masgouf is on 75 Knightsbridge, fi lling, though the spiced tomato sauce London SW1X 7QU. Tel. 020-7235 3888. seemed an unnecessary distraction. Nadje went for a spinach stew, a favourite at her Nadje Al-Ali is a member of the Editorial family home in Baghdad. Noomi Basra Board and Mark Douglas is her eating (dried lemon) gives this dish a sharp fl avour partner. Alhena is their daughter.

24 » The Middle East in London » December 2011-January 2012 RREVIEWS:EVIEWS: BOOKSBOOKS TThehe IIraqiraqi MMarshlandsarshlands aandnd tthehe MMarsharsh AArabs,rabs, TThehe MMa’dan,a’dan, ttheirheir CCultureulture aandnd tthehe EEnvironmentnvironment Edited by Sam Kubba

Ithaca Press, 2011, £60

Reviewed by Peter Clark

addam Hussein particularly had it the Marsh Arabs from the main lines of of southern Turkey or al-Ghab in central in for the Marsh Arabs of southern communication that had previously been Syria – or one might add the Huleh SIraq. A revolt against his rule aft er the river transport. Th ere was a steady out- Swamps in northern Israel – lives have been 1991 war for the restoration of Kuwait’s migration. Th e vibrant Marsh Arab culture transformed by the draining of malarial independence provoked Saddam’s ferocity. – songs and stories – was transferred to marshes during the 20th century, with A deliberate campaign was undertaken to and sustained in the suburbs of Basra and greater prosperity and opportunities and drain the marshes, deprive the people there Baghdad. expanded agriculture and nobody proposes of their natural livelihood and force the Th ere has been an Iraqi government to reverse the process. (Does anyone think people out of the area. Th is was in addition policy to restore the Marshes the presumed of restoring the English Fens?) to his normal recipes of arrest, detention, site of the Garden of Eden. ‘Th e marshes Th is book has much information of great torture and execution. represent a world of charm, beauty and value, but it has been appallingly edited. Th e book under review documents nature at its fi nest’, writes one of the Th ere is no consistency in the spelling of some of these atrocities in the context of a contributors, Hamed T Haykal. Th ere was place-names. Abbreviated references in the survey of the region’s unique way of life and ‘grandeur’ in the pre-Saddam life. Th e best text (Author, date) do not appear in full ecology. Diff erent chapters record the fl ora accounts of the Marshlands before Saddam form in the bibliography. Th e caption of and fauna, the customs, the handicraft s and are by the Iraqi anthropologist, Shakir ‘Marsh Arab and Ma’dan woman with child’ the methods of construction of the people Salim, in his 1962 study, Marsh Dwellers of could have been written by a nineteenth of the Marshlands. Th e editor, an architect the Euphrates Delta, and the British traveller, century European ethnologist, as if the himself, is particularly perceptive on the Wilfred Th esiger, who spent much time in subjects of the photographs have no name, ideas behind architectural practices. the region in the 1950s, and wrote about the no identity, no dignity. Th e publishers could Th e fi rst chapter on the history is sketchy. people in Th e Marsh Arabs, fi rst published do better, especially when the book is priced Th is is unfortunate because the question in 1964. Th ere was little grandeur in their at £60. of the Marshlands needs to be seen within accounts. Poverty-stricken and disease- a broader historical and geographical ridden, with oppressive and heartless Peter Clark was the joint-editor of Th e Iraqi context. Brutal and criminal though sheikhs, the Marshdwellers had every Marshlands: A Human and Environmental Saddam’s methods were, he was actually incentive to quit the area. Most Marsh Arabs Study, published by Politico’s (2002) only hastening a process that had been who have left have chosen not to return. going on for the previous century. Th e ‘Th is is mainly,’ write Sam Kubba and Abbas Marshlands, for over a thousand years, F Jamali, ‘because there is little incentive have been a place of refuge. Water coming to do so; why return to villages that lack into the Marshlands had been restricted essential utilities, sanitation, drinking water, by dams constructed in Iraq itself from the healthcare and modern schools?’ early 20th century. Th e construction of roads Th e Iraqi Marshlands is just one area and the development of cars, as well as the in the broader Middle East region that introduction of the railway, had isolated has been drained. In the Cukurova area

December 2011-January 2012 » The Middle East in London » 25 BBOOKSOOKS ININ BRIEFBRIEF

rederic Volpi, he treatment and role PPoliticalolitical Senior Lecturer in MMuslimuslim of women is one of FInternational Relations Tthe most discussed CCivilityivility iinn and Director of the Institute WWomenomen iinn and controversial aspects of Middle Eastern and of Islam. In this volume, tthehe MMiddleiddle Central Asian Studies at the AAmericamerica three scholars survey the University of St Andrews, situation of women in Islam, EEastast edits a volume that considers by Yvonne focusing on how Muslim what it means to be ‘civil’ and Yazbeck Haddad, views about and experiences ‘civilized’ in the Middle East. of gender are changing in by Frederic Volpi Th e analyses gathered Jane I. Smith, the Western diaspora. Th e challenge conventional and Kathleen M. authors off er an overview of ‘western’ perspectives on the teachings of the Qur'an civility as an expression MooreFromherz and the Prophet Muhammad of state-guaranteed free on gender, analyse the association in a non-violent ways in which the west has space of discourse and historically viewed Muslim behaviour. women, and examine how Th e book includes essays the Muslim world has on how the practices of changed in response to government aff ect everyday western critiques. civilities, using Egypt as an example.

Oxford University Press, Routledge, November 2011. November 2011. £80 £12.99

ver since the highly afavid Persia is known SSecularecular controversial IIranran aandnd for its wealth of cultural Eappointment of a pious Scontributions to the SStatetate andand president in the secular tthehe WWorldorld history of Iran and to the Turkish Republic in 2007, arts of the Islamic world. Its RReligiouseligious both the Turkish state and iinn tthehe robust military interventions society have been deeply with its Ottoman and SSocietyociety divided over the issue of SSafavidafavid Mughal neighbours, has also TTwowo ForcesForces iinn piety and Muslim politics. been extensively studied. Th e essays in this book AAgege Little is known however PPlaylay inin TurkeyTurkey reveal and analyse specifi c about the social, commercial, affi nities between the types of economic and diplomatic secularisms and pieties in a by Willem Floor and relations of the Safavids with by Berna Turam nation-state, by highlighting Edmund Herzig the rest of the world. Th is that secular state and the book presents research into devout are neither friends Iran's international relations nor strangers. during the 16th-18th centuries, a formative period for society and culture of the Iranian state.

Palgrave Macmillan, January IB Tauris, December 2011. 2011. £45 £55

26 » The Middle East in London » December 2011-January 2012 LISTINGS EEventsvents iinn LLondonondon

HE EVENTS and E8 2PB. T 020 7503 3584 / 07943 Windermere is a pub but the Lady (Th e Postmodern Existence of organisations listed below 183 800 W www.ltff .org.uk is defi nitely to be avoided. Tickets: Hımbılgil) (Film) London Turkish Tare not necessarily endorsed £8/£5.50 under 15s. To book tickets Film Festival. Toll Booth, Dir or supported by The Middle East in 4:15 pm | Eylül (September) + Ben T 020 7241 9410 W www.riocinema. Tolga Karaçelik (2010), Turkey, London. The accompanying texts Geldim, Gidiyorum! (I've Come org.uk Rio Cinema, 107 Kingsland 96 min. Th e life of 35-year old toll and images are based primarily and I am Gone!) (Film) London High Street, London E8 2PB. booth operator Kenan is a lonely on information provided by the Turkish Film Festival. September, one of monotonous work until organisers and do not necessarily Dir Cemil Ağacıkoğlu (2011), 7:30 pm | Rest Upon Th e Wind a newly appointed operations reflect the views of the compilers Turkey, 90 min. Drama that explores (Performance) Until Saturday 3 manager arrives + The Postmodern or publishers. While every possible the relationships between Yusuf, an December. Play by Nadim Sawalha. Existence of Hımbılgil, Dir Emre effort is made to ascertain the introverted goldsmith in Istanbul's Th e story of the birth of a book Aluç (2011), Turkey, 13 min. accuracy of these listings, readers Grand Bazaar, his sick wife Aslı that is still being read and quoted Mockumentary about Hımbılgil's are advised to seek confirmation and a young abused Russian woman by millions of people across the bitter-sweet 36 years of life. Tickets: of all events using the contact with whom he starts an aff air + I've world, and its author Khalil Gibran. £8. To book tickets T 020 7241 details provided for each event. Come and I am Gone!, Dir Metin Tickets: £12/£10 conc. Tristan 9410 W www.riocinema.org.uk Rio Submitting entries and updates: Akdemir (2011), Turkey, 15 min. Bates Th eatre, 1A Tower Street, Cinema, 107 Kingsland High Street, please send all updates and Th e street vendors of Istanbul still Covent Garden, London WC2H London E8 2PB. submissions for entries related use the most ancient of marketing 9NP. T 020 7240 6283 E boxoffi ce@ to future events via e-mail to techniques: their voices. Tickets: £6. tristanbatestheatre.co.uk W www. Friday 2 December [email protected] or by fax to To book tickets T 020 7241 9410 W tristanbatestheatre.co.uk 020 7898 4329. www.riocinema.org.uk Rio Cinema, 1:15 pm | Unknown craft smen: 107 Kingsland High Street, London 8:30 pm | Bir Zamanlar behind the scenes of Islamic art BM – British Museum, Great E8 2PB. T 020 7503 3584 / 07943 Anadolu'da (Once Upon a Time in (Gallery Talk) Louisa Macmillan, Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG 183 800 W www.ltff .org.uk Anatolia) (Film) London Turkish BM. Organised by: BM. Admission SOAS – School of Oriental and Film Festival. Dir Nuri Bilge Ceylan free. Room 34, BM. T 020 7323 8181 African Studies, Th ornhaugh Street, 6:30 pm | Two faced? A case (2011), Turkey, 150 min. A murder W www.britishmuseum.org Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG study of the history of collecting has been committed and a man has LSE – London School of Economics at the Petrie Museum (Lecture) confessed; all that remains is for him 1:15 pm | Ogul (Th e Son) + and Political Science, Houghton Organised by: Petrie Museum of to lead police to the body but the Barıs'ın Oyuncakları (Barıs's Street, London WC2 2AE Egyptian Archaeology. Doors open killer can't locate the place where he Toys) (Film) London Turkish Film at 6:00pm. In the uncertain world left his victim. Tickets: £10/£8 conc. Festival. Th e Son, Dir Atilla Cengiz, of heritage and cultural property To book tickets T 020 7073 1350 W (2011), Turkey, 97 min. Soner DECEMBER EVENTS museums are generally considered www.institut-francais.org.uk Cine leaves his hometown on the Black a good thing. Th is, however, has Lumiere, 17 Queensberry Place, Sea coast to see his girlfriend but Th ursday 1 December more to do with what people think London SW7 2DT. the journey becomes a dangerous a museum does and what it should adventure as his path crosses with 1:15 pm | Gölgeler ve Suretler be, rather than historical fact. 9:00 pm | Gise Memuru (Toll that of Musa, a Kurdish villager (Shadows and Faces) + Bellek – Admission free. Petrie Museum of Booth) + Yasin Ziya Hımbılgil whose son is a guerrilla fi ghter + Benim Kıbrısım (Living Memory Egyptian Archaeology, Malet Place, – My Cyprus) (Film) 17th London London WC1. T 020 7679 4138 E Eylül (See December Events, pages 27, 29 & 31) Turkish Film Festival: Th ursday 24 [email protected] W www. November - Th ursday 8 December. ucl.ac.uk/museums/petrie Shadows and Faces, Dir Derviş Zaim (2010), Turkey, 116 min. Story 6:30 pm | Sinyora Enrica ile Italyan set against the background of the Olmak (Being Italian with Signora beginning of the confl ict between Enrica) + Lady Windermere Turks and Greeks in Cyprus in (Film) London Turkish Film 1963. A teenage girl is separated Festival. Being Italian with Signora from her father when they are Enrica, Dir Ali İlhan (2010), Turkey, forced to fl ee from their village by 110 min. Legendary actress Claudia escalating violence + My Cyprus Cardinale is man-hating Signora Dir Rıza Baloğlu (2011), Turkey, 35 Enrica, renting rooms in her Rimini min. Th e history of Cyprus through house to female students only. the story of an 82 year-old Cypriot But with the arrival of young male woman Adile Alparslan. Tickets: £6. Turkish exchange student Ekin she To book tickets T 020 7241 9410 W decides to make an exception... www.riocinema.org.uk Rio Cinema, + Lady Windermere, Dir Taylan 107 Kingsland High Street, London Mutaf (2011), UK, 4 min. Th e

December 2011-January 2012 » The Middle East in London » 27 The Centre for Iranian Studies, LMEI, SOAS and the Faculty of Oriental Studies, Oxford are pleased to announce the ninth annual

Soudavar Memorial Foundation Symposium

The Idea of Iran: the age of the great Saljuqs

Saturday 4th February 2012 Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre, SOAS 10.00am-4.30pm

Enquiries & Bookings Venue Tel. No. 020 7898 4490 Brunei Gallery, SOAS E-mail: [email protected] Russell Square Website: www.soas.ac.uk/iranianstudies/ London WC1H 0XG

Barıs's Toys, Dir H Sercan Tunalı (Film) London Turkish Film Festival. 220 6000 W www.apollocinemas. 1:15 pm | Collecting Islamic (2010), Turkey, 6 min. Barış learns Our Grand Despair, Dir Seyfi com Apollo Piccadilly Circus, 19 Art (Gallery Talk) John Reeve, from his grandfather what happens Teoman (2011), Turkey-Germany- Lower Regent Street, London SW1Y independent speaker. Organised when seeds are sown. Tickets: £8/£5 Netherlands, 102 min. Two middle- 4LR. by: BM. Admission free. Room conc. To book tickets T 0871 220 aged lifelong best friends suddenly 34, BM. T 020 7323 8181 W www. 6000 W www.apollocinemas.com fi nd themselves sharing their Saturday 3 December britishmuseum.org Apollo Piccadilly Circus, 19 Lower apartment with young university Regent Street, London SW1Y 4LR. student Nihal with consequences 10:00 am | Symposium on 1:30 pm | Adalet Oyunu (Playing both predictable and unpredictable. Moroccan textiles with Moroccan the Justice) + Direk Aşk (Love is 3:45 pm | Kar Beyaz (White as + Scarecrow, Dir Adem Demirci designers A symposium exploring Blind) (Film) London Turkish Film Snow) + Music Box (Film) London (2011), Turkey, 10 min. A woman Moroccan textiles in their Festival. Playing the Justice, Dirs Turkish Film Festival. White as tries to carry on aft er the death of historical and social context with Mahur Özmen & Ali Özuyar (2011), Snow, Dir Selim Güneş, (2011), her husband. Tickets: £12/£10 conc. contemporary Moroccan textile Turkey, 107 min. A retired judge Turkey, 82 min. Adaptation of To book tickets T 0871 220 6000 W designers and artists presenting their continues to ensure that justice is Sabahattin Ali's short story 'Ayran' www.apollocinemas.com Apollo work. See Weaving the Th reads done, but now he's acting outside a fable-like tale of nine-year-old Piccadilly Circus, 19 Lower Regent of Livelihood: the aesthetic and the law and the accused is already Hasan and his struggle for survival Street, London SW1Y 4LR. embodied knowledge of Berber imprisoned in the judge's basement in the Black Sea mountains of Artvin weavers in Exhibitions. Admission cell + Love is Blind, Dir Ertuğ in the early 1970s + Music Box, Dir 7:30 pm | Rest Upon Th e Wind free. Pre-booking required E Tüfekçioğlu (2011), Turkey, 11 min. Cherish Perez de Tagle (2011), UK- (Performance) Until Saturday 3 [email protected] Jeremy Bentham A young woman fi nds love where Turkey, 10 min. Th e way to winning December. See listing for Th ursday Room, UCL. W www.soas.ac.uk/ she least expects it. Tickets: £12/£10 someone's heart is by giving 1 December for details. about/events/ conc. To book tickets T 0871 220 something from the heart. Tickets: 6000 W www.apollocinemas.com £8/£5 conc. To book tickets T 0871 8:30 pm | Saç (Hair) (Film) London 11:30 am | Discover Mesopotamia Apollo Piccadilly Circus, 19 Lower 220 6000 W www.apollocinemas. Turkish Film Festival. Dir Tayfun through Storytelling on a ZIPANG Regent Street, London SW1Y 4LR. com Apollo Piccadilly Circus, 19 Pirselimoğlu (2010), Turkey, 131 Day Out Organised by: Th e Lower Regent Street, London SW1Y min. Hamdi is the owner of an Enheduanna Society. Guided tour 2:00 pm | Spiritual Verses: 4LR. T 020 7503 3584 / 07943 183 Istanbul wig shop whose solitary looking at items which illustrate the readings from the fi rst book 800 W www.ltff .org.uk life is overshadowed by illness. An world of stories in Mesopotamian of the Masnavi by Jalal al-Din encounter with Meryem gives him mythology. See listing at 3:30pm. Rumi (Seminar) Alan Williams, 6:00 pm | Bizim Büyük a new reason for living but there is Admission free. BM (meet in the Manchester University. Organised Çaresizligimiz (Our Grand a price to pay for happiness. Tickets: Great Court beside the Information by: Th e Beshara Trust. Admission Despair) + Korkuluk (Scarecrow) £12/£10 conc. To book tickets T 0871 Desk). W www.zipang.org.uk free - donations welcome. October

28 » The Middle East in London » December 2011-January 2012 Gallery, 24 Old Gloucester Street, notices Sevgi becoming unusually 7:00 pm | Yurt (Home) + Yagmur ac.uk/europeanInstitute/Research/ London WC1N 3AL. T 020 8300 moody and detached, Sevil begins Duasi (Pray for Rain) (Film) ContemporaryTurkishStudies/ 7928 / 020 7263 9976 E london@ to uncover a dark secret + Don't London Turkish Film Festival. Home.aspx beshara.org W www.beshara.org / Go Dir Turgut Akaçık, (2010), Home, Dir Muzaff er Özdemir www.octobergallery.co.uk Turkey, 4 min. What do you think (2011), Turkey, 90 min. Doğan 6:45 pm | Atlıkarınca (Merry Go your cat is up to at home while you revisits the countryside of his Round) + Don't Go (Film) London 3:30 pm | Discover Mesopotamia are out working? Tickets: £12/£10 childhood for the fi rst time in many Turkish Film Festival. See listings through Storytelling on a ZIPANG conc. To book T 0871 220 6000 W years. But his search for the familiar for Saturday 3 December for fi lm, Day Out Organised by: Th e www.apollocinemas.com Apollo is an elusive one + Pray for Rain, venue and ticket details. Enheduanna Society. Doors open Piccadilly Circus, 19 Lower Regent Dir Eser Ünal (2011), Belgium, 6 at 3.00pm. Storytelling workshop Street, London SW1Y 4LR. min. Can you extinguish a fi re just 9:00 pm | Eylül (September) + Ali where you will hear a professional by wishing? Who do you turn to if Ata Bak (Film) London Turkish storyteller tell a Mesopotamian 7:30 pm | Rest Upon the Wind you aren't careful about what you Film Festival. September, see story and can have a go at telling (Performance) Until Saturday 3 wish for? Tickets: £12/£10 conc. To listings for Th ursday 1 December the story yourself with live Iraqi December. See listings for Th ursday book tickets T 0871 220 6000 W for fi lm details + Ali Ata Bak, Dir music. Admission free. Poetry Cafe, 1 December for details. www.apollocinemas.com Apollo Orhan İnce, (2011), Turkey, 12 min. 22 Betterton Street, Covent Garden Piccadilly Circus, 19 Lower Regent Primary school student Ali is visited WC2H 9BX. W www.zipang.org.uk 9:00 pm | Sinyora Enrica ile Italyan Street, London SW1Y 4LR. by his uncle, a teacher. Tragi-comic Olmak (Being Italian with Signora revelations about the education 4:15 pm | Unutma Beni Istanbul Enrica) + Yasin Ziya Hımbılgil 9:00 pm | Ogul (Th e Son) + Barış'ın system follow... Tickets: £12/£10 (Do Not Forget Me Istanbul) (Film) (Th e Postmodern Existence Oyuncakları (Barış's Toys) (Film) conc. To book tickets T 0871 220 London Turkish Film Festival. of Hımbılgil) (Film) London London Turkish Film Festival. See 6000 W www.apollocinemas.com Dirs Hany Abu-Hassad, Stefan Turkish Film Festival. See listings listings for Friday 2 December for Apollo Piccadilly Circus, 19 Lower Arsenijevic, Aida Bejic, Josefi na on Th ursday 1 December for fi lm fi lm details. Tickets: £12/£10 conc. Regent Street, London SW1Y 4LR. Markarian, Eric Nazarian, Stergios details. Tickets: £12/£10 conc. To To book tickets T 0871 220 6000 Niziris, Omar Shargawi (2011), book tickets T 0871 220 6000 W W www.apollocinemas.com Apollo Tuesday 6 December Turkey, 118 min. Six international www.apollocinemas.com Apollo Piccadilly Circus, 19 Lower Regent directors come together to explore Piccadilly Circus, 19 Lower Regent Street, London SW1Y 4LR. 1:15 pm | Scientifi c aspects of the the cultural diversity and historical Street, London SW1Y 4LR. royal graves at Ur (Gallery Talk) legacy that make up modern Monday 5 December Janet Ambers and Emma Passmore, Istanbul. Tickets: £12/£10 conc. To BM. Organised by: BM. Admission book tickets T 0871 220 6000 W Sunday 4 December 2:30 pm | Yurt (Home) + Yagmur free. Room 56, BM. T 020 7323 8181 www.apollocinemas.com Apollo Duasi (Pray for Rain) (Film) W www.britishmuseum.org Piccadilly Circus, 19 Lower Regent 2:15 pm | Gölgeler ve Suretler London Turkish Film Festival. See Street, London SW1Y 4LR. (Shadows and Faces) + Heartland: listings for Sunday 4 December for 1:30 pm | Gölgeler ve Suretler a story of Turkish Cypriotness in fi lm, venue and ticket details. (Shadows and Faces) + Heartland: 4:30 pm | Algeria: echoes of London (Film) London Turkish A story of Turkish Cypriotness in independence and cries of today Film Festival. Shadows and Faces, 4:30 pm | Sinyora Enrica ile Italyan London (Film) London Turkish + Al-Andaluz Group (Talk & see listings on Th urdsay 1 December Olmak (Being Italian with Signora Film Festival. Shadows and Faces, Concert) Martin Evans, author for fi lm details. Heartland, Dir Enrica) + Lady Windermere (Film) see listings for Th urdsay 1 December and Hicham Yezza, activist and Erdal Redjep (2011), UK, 10 min. London Turkish Film Festival. See for fi lm details. Heartland, see journalist. Organised by: Algeria A photo-fi lm study on Turkish listings on Th ursday 1 December for listings for Sunday 4 December for Solidarity Campaign (ASC) and Cypriot identity in the UK told fi lm details. Tickets: £12/£10 conc. fi lm details. Tickets: £8/£5 conc. To hosted by the Good Enough College through the story of one woman's To book tickets T 0871 220 6000 book tickets T 0871 220 6000 W Arabic Society. Algeria Solidarity experiences. Tickets: £12/£10 conc. W www.apollocinemas.com Apollo www.apollocinemas.com Apollo Campaign End of Year Event. By To book tickets T 0871 220 6000 Piccadilly Circus, 19 Lower Regent Piccadilly Circus, 19 Lower Regent the 1990s, Algeria’s revolutionary W www.apollocinemas.com Apollo Street, London SW1Y 4LR. Street, London SW1Y 4LR. political model had collapsed into Piccadilly Circus, 19 Lower Regent a civil war between the military Street, London SW1Y 4LR. 6:00 pm | Assyria and Israel - 4:00 pm | Bizim Büyük and the Islamist guerillas that killed Contact and Confl ict (Lecture) Çaresizligimiz (Our Grand some 200,000 citizens, this talk will 4:45 pm | Nar (Pomegranate) + Alan Millard, University of Despair) + Ali Ata Bak (Film) explore the complex roots of Algeria’s Osman (Film) London Turkish Liverpool. Organised by: Anglo- London Turkish Film Festival. Our predicament. Followed by a concert Film Festival. Pomegranate, Dir Israel Archaeological Society. Grand Despair, see listings for with Al-Andaluz Group. Tickets: Ümit Ünal, (2011), Turkey, 84 min. Admission free. Stevenson Lecture Friday 2 December for fi lm, venue £12/£8 conc. and members. Good Suspense thriller with a twist, an Th eatre, Clore Education Centre, and ticket details. Ali Ata Bak, see Enough College, 23 Mecklenburgh actress pretends to be someone else BM. T 0208 349 5754 W www.aias. listings for Monday 5 December for Square, London WC1N 2AD. T once too oft en when a fortune teller org.uk fi lm details. 0794 7074505 / 07791211253 E intent on revenge comes calling + Algeriasolidaritycampaign@gmail. Osman, Dir Turgut Akaçık (2011), 6:00 pm | Economic Liberalisation, 5:15 pm | Th e Arab Spring: a year com Turkey, 9 min. An ordinary man, Class Dynamics and New Business on (Panel Discussion) Hassan trapped in the daily grind, seeks Groups in Turkey (Lecture) Hakimian, LMEI & SOAS; Salwa 6:45 pm | Atlıkarınca (Merry Go comfort in watching television. But Gül Berna Özcan, School of Ismail, SOAS; Corinna Mullin, Round) + Don't Go (Film) Merry what he sees will give him a new Management, Royal Holloway, SOAS; Makeen Makeen, SOAS; Go Round, Dir İlksen Başarır awakening. Tickets: £12/£10 conc. University of London. Organised by: Charles Tripp, SOAS. Organised (2010), Turkey, 90 min. Erdem To book tickets T 0871 220 6000 LSE Contemporary Turkish Studies. by: London Middle East Institute, and Sevil and their two children W www.apollocinemas.com Apollo Admission free. J116, Cowdray SOAS (LMEI). A special panel on Edip and Sevgi are seemingly just Piccadilly Circus, 19 Lower Regent House, LSE. E euroinst.turkish. recent developments in the Middle an average family, but aft er she Street, London SW1Y 4LR. [email protected] W www2.lse. East and North Africa (MENA). A

December 2011-January 2012 » The Middle East in London » 29 year ago, the Tunisian street vendor Turkish Film Festival. See listings Passport) (Film) London Turkish www.apollocinemas.com Apollo Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on for Friday 2 December for fi lm, Film Festival. Dir Burak Cem Piccadilly Circus, 19 Lower Regent fi re. Th is act of self-immolation venue and tickets details. Arlıel (2011), Turkey, 91 min. An Street, London SW1Y 4LR. triggered a wave of change that swept untold story which reveals how the Middle East and North Africa. Wednesday 7 December Turkish diplomats helped save 5:00 pm | Visiting the Cyrenaican An analysis of recent developments hundreds of lives during the Second Pentapolis: more than just fi ve in the Middle East and North Africa 9:00 am | Inaugural Conference World War by issuing passports to cities (Lecture) Philip Kenrick, featuring a group of high-profi le on Iran’s Economy, 2011 (Two- Jews even if they had no Turkish Society for Libyan Studies' Honorary speakers followed by a debate and Day Conference: Wednesday 7 - connections. Tickets: £8/£5 conc. Treasurer. Organised by: Society Q&A from the audience. Chaired Th ursday 8 December) Organised To book tickets T 0871 220 6000 for Libyan Studies. Admission free. by Stephen Chan, SOAS. Part of the by: International Iranian Economic W www.apollocinemas.com Apollo Lecture Th eatre, British Academy, LMEI's Tuesday Evening Lecture Association (IIEA) and hosted by Piccadilly Circus, 19 Lower Regent 10 Carlton House Terrace, London Programme on the Contemporary the London Middle East Institute, Street, London SW1Y 4LR. SW1Y 5AH. E shirleystrong@ Middle East, Th e Middle East in SOAS (LMEI). Th e newly formed btconnect.com W www.britac. Transition: a new social economic IIEA's fi rst international conference 4:15 pm | Bölge (Th e Zone) + ac.uk/institutes/libya/ and political landscape? Admission on Iran’s Economy. Th e purpose Annem Barış İstiyor (My Mother free. Khalili Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. of the conference is to provide a Wants Peace) (Film) London 6:15 pm | Unutma Beni Istanbul T 020 7898 4490 E [email protected] venue for the best current research Turkish Film Festival. Th e Zone, (Do Not Forget Me Istanbul) (Film) W www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/events/ . on Iran’s economy and to generate Dirs Güliz Sağlam & Feryal London Turkish Film Festival. See information and encouragement for Saygılıgil (2010), Turkey, 40 min. listings for Saturday 3 December for 6:30 pm | Unutma Beni Istanbul future high quality research in this Seven workers, all women… Four fi lm details. Tickets: £10/£8 conc. (Do Not Forget Me Istanbul) area. Tickets: £200/£70 academic trade zones in four diff erent Turkish To book tickets T 020 7073 1350 W (Film) London Turkish Film rate/£35 conc. Pre-registration cities + My Mother Wants Peace, www.institut-francais.org.uk Cine Festival. See listings for Saturday 3 required. Brunei Gallery Lecture Dir Aziz Çapkurt (2011), Turkey, Lumiere, 17 Queensberry Place, December for fi lm, venue and ticket Th eatre, SOAS. T 020 7898 4490 E 50 min. Th e lives and struggles London SW7 2DT. details. [email protected] W www.soas.ac.uk/ of 'Peace Mothers' to overcome lmei/events/ the devastation and pain that war 6:30 pm | Adalet Oyunu (Playing 9:00 pm | Kar Beyaz (White as brings. Tickets: £12/£10 conc. To the Justice) + Direk Aşk (Love is Snow) + Music Box (Film) London 1:45 pm | Türk Pasaportu (Turkish book tickets T 0871 220 6000 W Blind) (Film) London Turkish Film

NEW

Tales from the Heart of Morocco Richard Hamilton, Foreword by Barnaby Rogerson ‘This is a wonderfully vivid and striking collection of stories which I heartily recommend.’ – Fergal Keane Hamilton has paid a fine and lasting tribute to Morocco’s storytellers by writing down their stories for posterity....and our enjoyment.’ – Rageh Omaar ‘In collecting these tales of wisdom, wonder, adventure and humour from the small and ageing group of Moroccan story -tellers Richard Hamilton has not only offered entertainment to his readers but he has also carried out a valuable form of rescue archaeology within the vanishing world of professional story-telling.’ – Robert Irwin 256 pages 228 x 155mm 9781848854918 hardback £18.99 www.ibtauris.com 30 » The Middle East in London » December 2011-January 2012 Festival. See listings for Saturday 3 that bridges all cultural and religious Benjamin Fortna, SOAS. Admission December for fi lm, venue and ticket divides. Tickets: £8/£5 conc. To free. Room 116, SOAS. T 020 7898 details. book tickets T 0871 220 6000 W 4431 E [email protected] W www.soas. www.apollocinemas.com Apollo ac.uk/lmei/events/ 7:00 pm | Th e Martyr and the Saint: Piccadilly Circus, 19 Lower Regent the Ottoman transformation of Street, London SW1Y 4LR. 1:15 pm | Th e coinage of the Persian two Medieval shrines (Lecture) kings (Lecture) Vesta Curtis, BM. Zeynep Yurekli-Gorkay, Oriental 4:00 pm | Th e Society of Biblical Organised by: BM. Admission free. Institute, University of Oxford. Archaeology 1870-1919 (Lecture) Room 52, BM. T 020 7323 8181 W Nar (See December Events, pages Organised by: Islamic Art Circle Graham Davies, University of www.britishmuseum.org 29 & 31) at SOAS. Part of the Islamic Art Cambridge. Organised by: Palestine Circle at SOAS Lecture Programme. Exploration Fund. Evans Memorial Saturday 10 December Monday 12 December Chaired by Doris Behrens-Abouseif, Lecture. Admission free. Stevenson SOAS. Admission free. Khalili Lecture Th eatre, Clore Education 9:30 am | Osiris, Isis, Horus 5:15 pm | Paradox and Passion in Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. T 0771 408 Centre, BM. E [email protected] and Seth: triumph over death the Tower of Babel: on scientifi c 7480 E [email protected] W www.pef.org.uk in ancient Egypt (Study Day) translation in the Moroccan W www.soas.ac.uk John Taylor, British Museum; classroom (Seminar) Charis 4:00 pm | Saç (Hair) (Film) London Terence DuQuesne, independent Boutieri, King's College. Organised 7:30 pm | Dash Café presents El- Turkish Film Festival. See listings scholar and author; Joanna Kyffi n, by: Department of History, SOAS. Andaluz (Performance) Organised for Friday 2 December for fi lm, researcher and Online Egyptological Seminar on the History of the Near by: Dash Arts. Dash Arabic Series venue and contact details. Bibliography; John J Johnston, UCL and Middle East. Admission free. Café. An evening of live classical and Th e EES. Organised by: Th e Room G3, SOAS. E hw15@soas. Arabic and Andalusian music from 6:30 pm | Th e US and the Arab Egypt Exploration Society. A look ac.uk W www.soas.ac.uk/history/ El-Andaluz. Admission free. To Revolutions (Lecture) William at the various ways in which the events/nmehistseminar/ book E [email protected]. Quandt, University of Virginia. deities of Osiris, Isis, Horus and uk Rich Mix, Bethnal Green Road, Organised by: LSE Middle East Seth aff ected beliefs and practice 7:00 pm | Th e Night Bus (Film) London E1 6LA. T 020 7377 6606 Centre. Although the US has been in ancient Egypt. Tickets: £32/£27 Organised by: Centre for Iranian E [email protected] W www. of minor relevance during the Arab EES members/£18 EES student Studies, SOAS. Part of the Centre's dasharts.org.uk uprisings of 2011, this lecture will members)/£22 student non- monthly fi lm screenings. Dir argue that the upheaval will have members). Brunei Gallery Lecture Kiumarth Pourahmad (2007), 9:00 pm | Gise Memuru (Toll deep implications for US policy in Th eatre, SOAS. T 020 7242 1880 Iran. Based on a short story by Booth) + Yasin Ziya Hımbılgil the region. Admission free. Sheikh E [email protected] W www.ees. Habib Ahmad-Zadeh. Issa and (Th e Postmodern Existence Zayed Th eatre, New Academic ac.uk Emad who are two young Iranian of Hımbılgil) (Film) London Building, LSE. T 020 7955 6250 E soldiers are assigned to transfer 38 Turkish Film Festival. See listings [email protected] W www2.lse. 7:00 pm | Invitation (Da'vat) Iraqi POWs to a garrison inside for Th ursday 1 December for fi lm ac.uk/middleEastCentre/home.aspx (Performance) Also on Saturday Iran with the help of a civilian bus details. Tickets: £12/£10 conc. To 17 December. Play in Persian driver. Th eir journey is far from book tickets T 0871 220 6000 W 6:45 pm | Eylül (September) + Ben directed by Soudabeh Farrokhnia easy. With an overview of Iran's www.apollocinemas.com Appollo Geldim, Gidiyorum! (I've Come with Soussan Farrokhnia. A new treatment of POWs from the Iran- Piccadilly Circus, 19 Lower Regent and I am Gone!) (Film) London interpretation of the work of the Iraq War by Shirin Shafaie, SOAS. Street, London SW1Y 4LR Turkish Film Festival. See listings renowned writer Gholam Hossein Chaired by Elaheh Rostami-Povey, for Th ursday 1 December for fi lm Saedi – A wealthy woman is SOAS. Tickets: £2. Khalili Lecture Th ursday 8 December details. Tickets: £12/£10 conc. To invited to a party. But she doesn't Th eatre, SOAS. T 020 7898 4490 E book tickets T 0871 220 6000 W know what party... Tickets: £15. [email protected] W www.soas.ac.uk/ 9:15 am | Inaugural Conference www.apollocinemas.com Apollo Omid Cultural Centre, 45 Queens iranianstudies/ on Iran’s Economy, 2011 (Two- Piccadilly Circus, 19 Lower Regent Walk, Ealing, London W5 1TL. T Day Conference: Wednesday 7 - Street, London SW1Y 4LR. 0781 884 0 824 / 0781 396 00 31 E 7:00 pm | Fulfi lling the promise Th ursday 8 December) See listings [email protected] of 2011: the Egyptian revolution, for Wednesday 7 December for 9:00 pm | Nar (Pomegranate) + / [email protected] W change in the Arab world and details. Korkuluk (Scarecrow) (Film) www.omidculturalsociety.com the response (Lecture) Sir Derek London Turkish Film Festival. Plumbly KCMG. Organised by: 1:30 pm | Rakip Saha (Away Pomegranate, see listings for Th e British Egyptian Society. Sir Game) + Bordo Mavi + Seppi Sunday 4 December for fi lm, venue Sunday 11 December Michael Weir Lecture. Doors open & Hias (Film) London Turkish and ticket details + Scarecrow, see at 6:30pm. Lecture to be followed by Film Festival. Away Game, Dir listings for Friday 2 December for 7:30 pm | Rivers of Babylon @ Th e a drinks reception. Admission free. Serkan Çift çi (2011), Turkey, 71 fi lm details. Spiro Ark (Concert) Organised Institute of Civil Engineers, 1 Great min. Guided by their trainer with by: Spiro Ark. Iraqi Jewish, vintage George Street, London SW1P 3AA. all his years of experience a group Friday 9 December Bollywood, Arabic songs and E [email protected] of young football players discover instrumentals and Hanukkah songs that failure, as well as success, is 12:00 pm | Debating Emerging to celebrate Hanukkah. Tickets: Tuesday 13 December an unavoidable part of growing up Finance Capitalism in Turkey £10/£8 students and under 13s + Bordo Mavi, Dir Tuna Kaplan (Seminar) Th omas Marois, SOAS. (refreshments included). Spiro TBC | Lecture on Soqotra (Lecture) (2011), Germany, 9 min. Portrait of Organised by: SOAS Modern Ark Centre, 25-26 Enford Street, Salem Yousr. Organised by: Th e a man whose passion for a football Turkish Studies Programme London W1H 1DW. T 020 7723 British-Yemeni Society. Admission team recognises no boundaries - (London Middle East Institute, 9991 E [email protected] / free for members of the Society. or disabilities + Seppi & Hias, Dir SOAS) and sponsored by Nurol info@riversofb abylon.com W www. Venue TBC. T 020 7603 8895 E Emre Koca (2010), Germany, 30 Bank. Part of the Seminars on spiroark.org / www.riversofb abylon. [email protected] W min. Story of a boyhood friendship Turkey series. Convened by com www.al-bab.com/bys

December 2011-January 2012 » The Middle East in London » 31 The Hadassah & Daniel Khalili Memorial Lecture in Islamic Art and Culture The Cosmic Cup in Medieval and Later Persian Art

Dr Marianna Shreve Simpson, Independent Scholar, Maryland, USA and President, Historians of Islamic Art Association

7.00pm Wednesday 18 January 2012

Khalili Lecture Theatre, Main Building, SOAS London WC1H 0XG

Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, MSS 1030, folio 38. Copyright Nour Foundation. Courtesy of the Khalili Family Trust.

Lecture to be followed by a reception

Admission free—All welcome

Enquiries: E-mail [email protected] or Telephone 020 7898 4490 32 » The Middle East in London » December 2011-January 2012 6:30 pm | Measuring Health in Arab Spring and those who have Saturday 3 December Harvard University. Organised by: Situations of Political Violence been working to promote women's LSE Middle East Centre. A look at (Lecture) Rita Giacamian, Institute rights will discuss if the revolutions 9:00 am | Th e Legacy of Rumi (d. Egypt's Tahrir Square revolution of Community and Public Health at have been good for women. Tickets: 1273) in Later Islamic Philosophy and drawing upon the previous Birzeit University. Organised by: LSE £20/£15 conc. Royal College of and Poetry (Seminar) Organised revolutions of 1919 and 1952 to Middle East Centre. Admission free. Surgeons, 35-43 Lincoln Inn by: Rumi Studies Group, Institute of indicate some of the problems and Wolfson Th eatre, New Academic Fields, London W2CA 3PE.T 020 Arab and Islamic Studies, University possibilities ahead. Admission Building, LSE. T 020 7955 6250 E 7479 8940 E events@frontlineclub. of Exeter in association with the free. Sheikh Zayed Th eatre, New [email protected] W www2.lse. com W www.frontlineclub.com/ Rumi Institute, Near East University, Academic Building, LSE. T 020 7955 ac.uk/middleEastCentre/home.aspx events/2011/12/fcbbca.html Nicosia, Cyprus. Seminar focussing 6250 E [email protected] W on the later legacy in Islamic www2.lse.ac.uk/middleEastCentre/ Wednesday 14 December 7:00 pm | A Triangle of Love: philosophy and poetry of the Sufi home.aspx a virtuoso concert of Persian, poet, Jalal al-Din Rumi. Tickets: 3:00 pm | An ethics of the rough Armenian and Kurdish music for £25/£15 conc. Institute of Arab and Tuesday 10 January ground of the everyday: the Yalda night (Concert) Organised Islamic Studies, University of Exeter, struggles and entwinements of life by: Th e SOAS Iranian Music Society. Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4ND. T 6:00 pm | Concert and Talk by in post-invasion Iraq (Seminar) Doors open from 6:30pm. Concert 01392 724040 E jane.clark@exeter. Khyam Allami - Resonance/ Hayder Al-Mohammad, University to celebrate Yalda night (Persian ac.uk W http://socialsciences.exeter. Dissonance & Sound of Iraq of Kent at Canterbury. Organised winter solstice) and Christmas ac.uk/iais/research/centres/cpis/ Organised by: Th e British Institute by: Department of Anthropology with santur virtuoso, Peyman newsevents/ for the Study of Iraq (Gertrude and Sociology, SOAS. Part of the Heydarian, and colleagues. Tickets: Bell Memorial). BISI Appeal Event. Social Anthropology Seminar £20 VIP/£15 regular/£10 conc./£6 London-based Iraqi musician, Series. Admission free. Room G51, SOAS students. Advance booking JANUARY EVENTS composer and teacher Khyam SOAS. T 020 7898 4491 E mm101@ required. Khalili Lecture Th eatre, Allami will present his debut soas.ac.uk W www.soas.ac.uk/ SOAS. E [email protected] Monday 9 January album 'Resonance/Dissonance' and about/events/ W www.thesantur.com discuss the BISI-supported project 6:30 pm | The year of Egypt's 'Sound of Iraq'. Tickets: £15/£10 Th ursday 15 December Saturday 17 December second revolution, the balance BISI members with one guest/£5 sheet so far (Lecture) Roger Owen, students. British Academy, 10 1:15 pm | Modern Syrian art at 7:00 pm | Invitation (Da'vat) the British Museum (Gallery Talk) (Performance) See listing for Ayman Baalbaki, Ali Mulatham, acrylic on canvas, 184 x 129.5 cm, 2011 Issam Kourbaj, featured artist & Saturday 10 December for details. (Ayman Baalbaki: Beirut Again and Again, see Exhibitions page 34) Louisa MacMillan, BM. Organised by: BM. Admission free. Room 7:00 pm | Yalda Celebration/ 34, BM. T 020 7323 8181 W www. Commemoration of Mowlana britishmuseum.org Rumi (Performance) Organised by: Iranian Poetry, Art and Music 5:00 pm | Violence against Chamber in association with the Female Political Prisoners in Iran London Middle East Institute, SOAS (Seminar) Shadi Sadr, Women's (LMEI). Talk by Shahrokh Vafadari rights activist, Justice for Iran. on Yalda, the longest night of the Organised by: Bloomsbury Gender year, followed by a talk by Namdar Network and hosted by the SOAS Baghaei-Yazdi on Mowlana Rumi's Centre for Gender Studies. Part Commemoration. With poetry of the Centre for Gender Studies by Lobat Vala and Manouchehr Seminar Series. During the fi rst Javaherkalam. Orchestral decade of the Islamic Republic performance of Persian classical of Iran, thousands of political songs with the Persian classical activists were arrested, tortured and vocalist, Maziar Sadri. Tickets: £20. executed. Sadr gives her analysis on Brunei Gallery Lecture Th eatre, the meaning and the eff ect of gender SOAS. E [email protected] W based violence in the prisons. www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/events/ Admission free. Room 4421, SOAS. E [email protected] W www. soas.ac.uk/genderstudies/seminar- EVENTS OUTSIDE series/ LONDON Friday 16 December Friday 2 December

7:00 pm | Is the Arab Spring 5:30 pm | Libya - revolution or a women's revolution? (Panel regression? (Seminar) George Joff é, Discussion) Organised by: Frontline Cambridge University. Organised Club in association with BBC by: Middle East Centre, Oxford. Arabic. Th e fi ght for women's Admission free. Middle East Centre, rights didn't begin with the Arab 68 Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 Spring and has gone on without the 6JF. T 01865 284780 W www.sant. attention of the world's media. Some ox.ac.uk/mec/ of the women who took part in the

December 2011-January 2012 » The Middle East in London » 33 Carlton House Terrace, London Center, Beirut. Organised by: LSE SW1Y 5AH. T 020 7969 5274 E Middle East Centre. Admission free. [email protected] W www.bisi.ac.uk CLM 4.02, Clement’s House, LSE. / www.khyamallami.com / www. T 020 7955 6250 E mec.events@ soundofi raq.org lse.ac.uk W www2.lse.ac.uk/ middleEastCentre/home.aspx MIDDLE EAST BRIEFINGS Th ursday 12 January 7:00 pm | Title TBC (Film) 4:00 pm | Wanderings in the Organised by: Centre for Iranian The London Middle East Institute offers tailored briefings Wilderness: surveys in the Wadi Studies, SOAS. Part of the Centre's on the politics, economics, cultures and languages of the Middle East. Itm and along the Hejaz Railway monthly fi lm screenings. Tickets: Previous clients include UK and foreign governmental bodies of southern Jordan (Lecture) David £2. Khalili Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. T and private entities. Th orpe, Great Arab Revolt Project. 020 7898 4490 E [email protected] W Contact us for details. Organised by: Palestine Exploration www.soas.ac.uk/iranianstudies/ Tel: 020 7898 4330 E-mail: [email protected] Fund jointly with CBRL and BFSA. Admission free. Stevenson Lecture Tuesday 24 January Th eatre, Clore Education Centre, BM. E [email protected] W www. 5:45 pm | Title TBC (Lecture) changes within the Arab world for began, Baalbaki’s work records pef.org.uk Organised by: London Middle East the future of global energy supplies? the destruction that civil war and Institute, SOAS (LMEI). Part of the Various ticket prices. Chatham repeated Israeli invasions have Tuesday 17 January LMEI's Tuesday Evening Lecture House, 10 St James's Square, London infl icted on Lebanon. Admission Programme on the Contemporary SW1Y 4LE. T 020 7957 5700 E free (by appointment only). Rose 5:45 pm | Title TBC (Lecture) Middle East. Tea and biscuits [email protected]. Issa Projects, 269 Kensington High Organised by: London Middle East available from 5:30pm. Admission uk W www.chathamhouse.org/ Street, London W8 6NA. T 0207 Institute, SOAS (LMEI). Part of the free. Khalili Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. mena2012 602 7700 E [email protected] W LMEI's Tuesday Evening Lecture T 020 7898 4490 E [email protected] http://roseissa.com Programme on the Contemporary W www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/events/ Tuesday 31 January Middle East. Tea and biscuits Until 17 December | Weaving the available from 5:30pm. Admission Wednesday 25 January 9:30 am | Middle East and North threads of livelihood: the aesthetic free. Khalili Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. Africa Energy 2012 (Two-Day and embodied knowledge of T 020 7898 4490 E [email protected] 6:30 pm | Dangers and Conference: Monday 30 - Tuesday Berber weavers An exhibition of the W www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/events/ Demon(izer)s of Democratization 31 January) See listing for Monday richly coloured, densely embellished in Egypt: Th rough an Indonesian 30 January for details. and painstakingly craft ed carpets Wednesday 18 January Glass, Darkly (Lecture) John Sidel, from the Berber weavers of the LSE. Organised by: LSE Middle East 7:45 pm | Jim al-Khalili and Robert Sirwa, renowned for their wide 7:00 pm | Th e Cosmic Cup in Centre. Lecture on democratization Winston (Talk) Organised by: range of textiles and technical Medieval Persian Art (Lecture) in Egypt in light of Indonesia's Southbank Centre. Two of science's knowledge and artistry. Admission Marianna Shreve, Simpson, experience since the fall of president most prominent writers unlock free. Brunei Gallery, SOAS. T 020 Historians of Islamic Art Suharto (Indonesia's Mubarak) in the forgotten history of Arabic 7898 4046 E [email protected] W Association, USA. Organised 1998. Admission free. CLM 7.02, science. Tickets: £10/conc. 50% off www.soas.ac.uk/gallery by: Islamic Art Circle at SOAS. Clement’s House, LSE. T 020 7955 (limited availability). Purcell Room, Th e Hadassah and Daniel Khalili 6250 E [email protected] W Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, Until 8 January | Chasing Mirrors: Memorial Lecture in Islamic Art and www2.lse.ac.uk/middleEastCentre/ London SE1 8XX. T 020 7960 4200 My Portrait, Shape by Shape Culture. Chaired by Doris Behrens- home.aspx W www.southbankcentre.co.uk Installation of new work refl ecting Abouseif, SOAS. Admission free. on portraiture and concepts of Khalili Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. T Th ursday 26 January representation and identity. Part of 0771 408 7480 E RosalindHaddon@ EXHIBITIONS a project that focuses on visual art aol.com W www.soas.ac.uk 6:30 pm | Changing Turkish and culture inspired by connections Foreign Policy in a Changing Th ursday 1 December with the greater Middle East. Th ursday 19 January World (Lecture) Ünal Çeviköz, Admission free. National Portrait Ambassador of Turkey and Until 3 December | Passport Gallery, St Martin's Place, London 7:00 pm | Sinbad's Cities: ancient BIAA Honorary Vice-President. to Palestine Group exhibition WC2H OHE. T 020 7306 0055 W trade and modern dhow building Organised by: British Institute at that aims to tackle issues of www.npg.org.uk in the Persian Gulf (Lecture) Ankara (BIAA). Lecture followed Palestinian statehood, occupation, Warwick Ball, Archaeologist and by a reception. Admission free. the restrictions and diffi culties Th ursday 26 January traveller. Organised by: Th e Iran Wolfson Auditorium, British encountered in travelling both Society. 6:30 pm for 7:00 pm. Academy, 10 Carlton House into and out of Palestine today. Until 15 April | Hajj: journey to Admission free for members and Terrace, London SW1Y 5AH. T 020 Admission free. La Scatola Gallery, the heart of Islam Examining the guests. Th e Iran Society, 2 Belgrave 7969 5204 E [email protected] W 1 Snowden Street, London EC2A logistics involved, the exhibition Square, London SW1X 8PJ. T 020 www.biaa.ac.uk 2DQ (Entrance through corner of compares how pilgrims over 7235 5122 E [email protected] Worship Street with Appold Street). the centuries negotiated this W www.iransociety.org Monday 30 January E [email protected] W undertaking and how it continues www.lascatolagallery.com to be experienced today. Various Monday 23 January 9:30 am | Middle East and North ticket prices. BM. T 020 7323 8181 Africa Energy 2012 (Two-Day Until 9 December | Ayman W www.britishmuseum.org 6:30 pm | Th e Military and the Conference: Monday 30 - Tuesday Baalbaki: Beirut Again and Arab Uprisings (Lecture) Yezid 31 January) Organised by: Chatham Again Born in Lebanon in 1975, Sayigh, Carnegie Middle East House. What are the implications of the year the Lebanese civil war

34 » The Middle East in London » December 2011-January 2012     School of Oriental and African Studies

International Iranian Economic Association

Inaugural Conference on Iran’s Economy, 2011

͟Ǧ͠‡ ‡„‡” 2011 Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre, SOAS

Enquiries & Bookings: ͚͛͛͘͘͘͟͜͠͡͠ǢŽŠ͚̻•‘ƒ•Ǥƒ Ǥ—Ǣ ™™™Ǥ•‘ƒ•Ǥƒ Ǥ—Ȁ‹”ƒ‹ƒ•–—†‹‡•Ȁ‡˜‡–•Ȁ December 2011-January 2012 » The Middle East in London » 35 June-July 2011 » TheMiddleEastinLondon» 31 36 » The Middle East in London » December 2011-January 2012