Carolinas Committee on U.S.–Arab Relations NEWSLINES

Volume 32, No. 1 The Newsletter of the Carolinas Committee on U.S.-Arab Relations June 2018 An Affiliate of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

In This Issue

1 My “Gateway” to the Kingdom of by Laura Gill, Converse College

4 National Model 2018

6 Southeast Model Charts New Territory

7 Planting Trees and Building Orchards by Joe P. Dunn

8 The Benefits of Debate: A Call to Support Model Arab League Participation by Christopher Latham Group at Mada’in Saleh al Ula 10 Symposium My “Gateway” to the Kingdom 11 Nadia Murad’s The Last Girl: of Saudi Arabia My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the by Laura Gill Islamic State Through my participation in bring international students to the Reviewed by Dr. Joe P. Dunn Model Arab League at Converse Kingdom. This was the last in a se- College, I was nominated by the ries of pilot programs before Gate- National Council on U.S.-Arab Re- way KSA launches its full agenda. lations to participate in a travel The ultimate purpose is to promote Dr. Joe P. Dunn, Director opportunity to Saudi Arabia for cultural understanding and tour- Jenny Dunn, Associate Director nine days this past February. The ism to Saudi Arabia as the country and co-editor of Newslines Carolinas Committee on U.S.–Arab Relations trip was a cultural introduction has just recently opened itself to Converse College to four Saudi cities sponsored by tourist visas. 580 East Main Street Spartanburg, SC 29302 Gateway KSA, an NGO that part- Previously the pilot students ners with the King Faisal Center for had come primarily from a limited Research and Islamic Studies to number of prestige universities.

(continued on page 2) NEWS AND ARTICLES

not go at the last minute. When the opportunity opened for me, I had to scramble to get my first Passport. To say that this was all somewhat daunting would be an understatement. I arrived on Feb- ruary 18th with two of the other National Council students. We were met by representatives from the King Faisal Center and imme- diately interviewed by the Saudi television station Rotana which would follow us during the entire trip. Throughout the trip I wore an abaya, a closed robe that covers a woman’s clothes and is gener- ally black. That was also a new experience. The first day we spent at the King Faisal Center learning about the goals and history of the Cen- Laura ter, and we toured the beautiful Al Faisaliyah Center. We finished the day at the Al-Jenadriyah Festival, an annual two-week long Saudi fair, held in a large complex just outside of Riyadh, which high- lights each region of the country. We started at the VIP building to learn a few of the customs. We learned about Saudi Arabian cof- fee, which is flavored by carda- mom, and is completely different from American coffee. It is served in small cups with dates, and it was provided at each building at Laura the event. We saw a sword dance and listened to a few songs, and As I write this, the Gateway KSA were more experienced interna- we toured buildings for the towns website is showing pictures from tional relations students, although of Qassim and for Mecca. The lat- a delegation from the Harvard the social media people were ter was informative because non- University Kennedy School of Pub- largely from cultural studies and Muslims cannot visit this restricted lic Affairs now on a similar trip to communications. holy city. the one I experienced. On my We did not travel from the U.S. The second day we learned adventure, I was one of six under- as a group, so my very first venture about the rise of the third Saudi graduate U.S. students along with outside the United States was as state which is the current country seven “social media influencers” an individual flying on my own to of Saudi Arabia. We traveled to selected from around the world. I Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. I was a late Al Masmak fortress, the first place was somewhat of an outlier as a addition because a more expe- conquered by King Abdul Aziz sophomore interior design major rienced Converse student origi- al-Saud, the founder of the pres- when the other undergraduates nally selected for the trip could ent Kingdom, and to Diriyah the

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home village of the Al-Saud fam- all of the girls were very sweet. governor of the Eastern Province ily. Diriyah is being developed as Next we traveled to Jeddah on and talked about the expanding a tourist attraction. That night we the west coast of the country, the tourist policy as well as the need had dinner at the home of Prince most liberal city in the Kingdom. for increased opportunities for Turki Al-Faisal, chairman of the There we took a boat ride with jobs for the young population of King Faisal Center board of direc- women from a local women’s run- the Kingdom. We toured Aramco, tors, where we asked questions ning group and their families. The the first oil company in Saudi Ara- about the dramatic changes water of the Red Sea is a beautiful bia, including the King Abdul Aziz happening in Saudi Arabia. blue like one would expect in the Center for World Culture, an art The next day we flew to the Caribbean. Because we were far center developed by Saudi Ar- desert at Al Ula to see the old from shore and away from other amco which includes a museum, tombs at Mada’in Saleh, includ- people, we were allowed to wear cinema, library, and archive cen- ing the largest one, Qasr al Faisal. swim suits. That evening we met ter. We finished the day with some We also saw an ancient library, a with women from Effat University, last minute souvenir shopping at a meeting place, and the city all a women’s university. I enjoyed store that had many items from lo- carved into the enormous rocks bonding with them about the un- cal craftsmen as well as a gallery in Al Ula. We also enjoyed a des- usual things that come from our which I particularly enjoyed. ert safari where we rode over the mutual experience at a women’s The last day we debriefed dunes and studied some of the college. Among other things, we with a final interview with Rotana interesting rock formations, in- discussed the struggle for women and feedback to Gateway KSA cluding walls of mud which had to participate in government and on things we enjoyed in the pro- dried into pillars, and a hole in a to gain the right to drive. gram and things we wanted to rock big enough for our car to From Jeddah, we flew to see expanded. It was sad to say drive through. During some free Dammam on the east coast of good bye to everyone. Missing time, some of the other students Saudi Arabia. There we visited two weeks in the middle of the and I climbed one of the rocks in King Abdullah University of Sci- semester at school meant that the desert to watch the sunset. ence and Technology, a gradu- sliding back into my academic One night at the camp in Al Ula ate level institution which attracts courses had its own trauma, but it we met a band of young girls who researchers and scholars from was all worth it as I will never for- perform, sing, and dance. This across the globe. The next day we get this trip and all of its priceless was a wonderful encounter and met Prince Saud bin Nayef, the experiences.

Banquet at Royal Military Officers Club

3 NEWS AND ARTICLES National Model Arab League 2018 Adherrahim Foukara, Washington bureau chief of Al Jazeera, was popular as always as the closing speaker. The conference was another successful model for Converse. With awards of outstanding or dis- tinguished in nine of the ten ven- ues, Converse, representing Pales- tine, was the overall Outstanding delegation. Northeastern Univer- sity, representing , howev- er, was named the Best delega- tion and the American University of Cairo, representing , finished third as the Distinguished delegation. These three delega- tions were so dominant that no other school received an overall delegation citation, which was a quite unique experience at the Claudia Coffin interviews with Al Jazeeri Model. The other universities in- cluded Georgia State University, The National Model Arab U.S.-Arab Relations president and the U.S. Military Academy at West League conference was held at CEO, the conference set about Point, Northwestern University, Georgetown University, April 6-8, its business for the next three Brigham Young University, Univer- 2018. Converse provided both days. Besides the eight councils sity of Utah, University of Arkan- the Secretary General (Jessica and the Arab Court of Justice, sas at Little Rock, Roger Williams Morgan) and Assistant Secretary the Joint Crisis Council held a spir- University, John Carroll University, General (Emily Holbert). Following ited exchange over the Saudi/ Adrian College, Hollins University, opening remarks by John Duke UAE feud with and boycott of Texas State at San Marcos, Miami Anthony, the National Council on fellow GCC member . Dr. University of Ohio, Shawnee State Outstanding Delegation at National Model University, University of Houston Honors College, Kennesaw State University, Mercer University, American University, and Western Kentucky University. Converse enjoyed the unique experience that the Ambassador of the Liberation Orga- nization to the United States, the Hon. Husam S. Zomlot, came to the conference hotel to brief the Converse delegation. Ambassa- dor Zomlot, who also serves as the Strategic Advisor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was an engaging speaker who made a powerful impression on the del- egates. Three Converse students

4 NEWS AND ARTICLES had interviews with a Japanese television crew that was filming a documentary on the PLO Am- bassador. Another student inter- viewed with Al Jeezera about the role of Model Arab League and her earlier trip to Qatar as prepa- ration for her career. At the conclusion of the awards ceremony, the Secre- tariat for the 2019 Model was an- nounced. Emily Holbert will serve as Secretary and Converse re- ceived four chair appointments. Dr. Joe P. Dunn, the Converse faculty sponsor, remarked: “It was another very special year, my 32nd in the Model Arab League program, and I hope for and an- ticipate many more years in this life-changing event.” Converse Delegation meets with PLO Ambassador

Economic Council lat National Model

5 NEWS AND ARTICLES Southeast Model Charts New Territory

All successful activities must talented students in the county, Spartanburg Methodist Col- continue to evolve. The Southeast entered two delegations (repre- lege also participated for the first Model Arab League, held at Con- senting Tunisia and the Syrian Na- time alongside returning college verse now for 17 years, expanded tional Coalition). They joined two delegations from Spartanburg in a new direction this year. For private academies: Greenville’s Community College, Roanoke the last several years, we have in- Southside Christian School (Lib- College, Kennesaw State Univer- cluded a remnant of high school ya) and Spartanburg Day School sity, Georgia State University, GSU- delegations. In Spring 2018 the () and two local public Perimeter College, Jacksonville number jumped to six delegations schools, Broome High School (UAE) State University, Citadel, Mercer with a single student represent- and Byrnes High School (Yemen). University, and Converse. ing another local prep school as Oakbrook Academy had one The Opening Ceremony in- well. The Scholars Academy at delegate, who competed on the cluded two student speakers who USC-Upstate, a magnet school for Southside Christian delegation. had just returned from a trip to Saudi Arabia and Professor Rashid Palestinian Council at SERMAL Naim from Georgia State Univer- sity who spoke about the Rabat (Morocco) International MAL from which he had just returned. Kathleen Langbehn (Con- verse) served as Security General and the National Council on U.S.- Arab Relations representative at the model was Sidney Jones, who was the head delegate of the Converse delegation last year. As Program Assistant for the National Council, Sidney administers and assists in running college and high school models across the country. At the model, the Converse Palestine delegation took top hon- ors as the Outstanding delegation and Converse’s second delega- tion () tied for second place as Distinguished delegation, even though last minute illnesses meant that they were not represented on two of the eight councils. Geor- gia State () was the other Distinguished delegation. Mercer (Saudia Arabia) took the last col- lege award as Superior delega- tion. In the high school division, Broome High School (UAE) was named the Outstanding delega- tion and the two Scholars Acade- my delegations (Syria and Tunisia) were cited as Distinguished. Jessi- ca Morgan (Converse) and Daniel Crum (Mercer) were named best chairs by the faculty.

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Planting Trees and Building Orchards by Joe P. Dunn

Johnny Appleseed went believer in the power of the expe- 2018 Converse head delegate about planting apple seed- rience and she is a planter. (and Secretary-General at In- lings that became orchards. Idell Khory, a former gradu- ternational Model NATO), who In NCAA basketball circles ate student of mine, with the help did her student teaching at some coaches have “trees” of several Converse head dele- Broome in the Spring, helped or families of assistant coach- gates, started a high school MAL to train the team for SERMAL, es and former players who at Greenville’s Southside Christian where it won the outstanding follow their mentors as head School. They compete annually high school delegation award coaches and even plant new at the Southeast Model (SERMAL) in 2018. seedlings for another gen- and have won the outstanding Meanwhile Danny started eration in the profession. I’ve delegation award at the Nation- delegations at Spartanburg been involved in Model Arab al High School Model. Jennifer Methodist College and at the League for 31 years and I’m Washburn started a MAL delega- Scholars Academy at the Uni- proud to claim a number of tion as a masters level graduate versity of South Carolina—Up- “Joannie”Appleseeds, and project with me, and her Spartan- state, which both competed maybe even, if not too im- burg Community College team at SERMAL. As he continues to modest, a coaching tree. competes annually at SERMAL. expand his adjunct teaching The lead in this tree would The reigning “Appleseed” is assignments, Danny, we hope, be Dr. Holly , four-year Danny Morgan. Danny, a retired will continue to plant seedlings Converse MAL delegate and law enforcement officer, entered and find individuals to main- 2006 Secretary General of In- the Converse masters program tain the orchards. ternational Model NATO. As to prepare to be a teacher in SERMAL has become a Holly proceeded through her private prep schools. Danny’s mini-reunion of former Con- academic career, she plant- teaching and organizational tal- verse MAL delegates. This ed MAL trees everywhere ents were evident early. After re- Spring about a dozen former along the way. While a mas- ceiving his masters, he did some head delegates and oth- ters student at the University adjunct teaching for freshman- ers showed up at the event of Georgia, she worked with level courses at Converse. His to assist in various ways and the Kennesaw State University adjunct career took off and soon to witness that the traditions delegation and volunteered he was doing adjunct teaching continue. I have several for- with the Atlanta High School for a local community college’s mer MAL veterans in graduate and the Northeast High School dual enrollment courses at sev- school, and I hope that when Models. As a Ph.D. student eral local high schools. With the they land teaching positions at at Virginia Tech, she started a assistance of his daughter Jes- whatever levels, they will plant delegation and founded the sica, a four-year member of Con- the seeds and the coaching Appalachian MAL. As a three- verse’s MAL delegation and the “tree” will continue to grow. year interim professor at Roa- 2018 National University Model I don’t have that many more noke College, she organized Secretary General, Danny start- years left in this profession, but a delegation that has contin- ed a delegation at Broome High the greatest compliment will ued after her departure. No School. After he moved on from be that the legacy of what has question that at her next stop that school, another Converse been a key component of my a MAL delegation will be the graduate picked up the responsi- academic life will continue to first order of business. Holly is a bility, and Carson McCallum, the thrive.

7 NEWS AND ARTICLES Heads of State Council The Benefits of Debate A Call to Support Model Arab League Participation

Christopher Latham, high school junior at Scholars Academy | March 28, 2018

History of the Program Students have a much great- without major financial or er role to play as less member travel contributions. Founded in 1983, the National states mean that there are Council on U.S. – Arab Relations, more opportunities to talk Scholar’s Academy (NCUSAR), started the Model and develop persuasion skills. Arab League program, (referred and MAL to as MAL herein), to improving Students are required to have the knowledge and understand- deep research into the cul- The performance by the Schol- 1 ing of the and culture. ture and policies of their na- ar’s Academy at the Southeast tion as resolutions can be de- Regional MAL conference, from The MAL program is similar in for- bated on fine details that are March 16-18, 2018, was noth- mat to the Model , challenging to bring up in the ing short of incredible. Scholar’s but in many ways is benefited by bigger Model United Nations. Academy represented two differ- its small size. The Arab League ent governments for this confer- consists of twenty-two member Full backing by NCUSAR ence, the Syrian National Coali- states compared to the 193 mem- ensures that students are tion and the Republic of Tunisia. 2 ber states of the United Nations. judged and get feedback by Each country had enough vol- The MAL program also holds a national cohesive standard unteers to send one delegate to twenty-one conferences per year as well as by local coordina- each of eight specialized councils and is fully backed by the Nation- tors where they would debate to pass al Council on U.S. – Arab Relations resolutions that would benefit whereas the Model United Na- The small number of council their country and the rest of the tions holds over 400 conferences sessions allows a good team Arab states. 3 a year. The small size of the MAL to be nationally competitive program holds several benefits: During the three day event, judg- es walked throughout councils to Scholar’s Academy evaluate the speaking and per- suasive abilities of the delegates. Scholar’s Academy students, de- spite their unfamiliarity with the council processes, managed to impress judges and receive marks in their favor.

Major competition for the Schol- ar’s Academy came from the other high schools present at the MAL conference. All Scholar’s Academy students competed at a high school level and tried to win one of three possible awards. In order of rank, students could win an Honorable Delegate award, a Distinguished Delegate award, and an Outstanding Del- egate award.

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In total, Scholar’s Academy won four Outstanding Delegate awards and two Distinguished Delegate awards, and won a Dis- tinguished Delegation award for the representation of the Syrian National Coalition out of com- petition against five other teams. This is in spite of the fact that Scholar’s Academy was the only high school team who had not participated in the MAL program for multiple years. The Scholar’s debut was so impressive, that it was recommended by a rep- resentative of the national MAL competition that Scholar’s Acad- emy make an appearance.

Scholars enjoyed the experience as well as seen by the quotes by some of the participants:

“It gave me a lot of public speaking practice which is Long Term Benefits in the program once to be con- great for me because I have sidered an alum, and some of the trouble with public speaking. opportunities presented are once The benefits of debate, especially It also gave me the oppor in a life time for some students, like - among peers of equal academic tunity to meet new people expense paid study trips to Saudi level, have long been revealed, and interact with them on Arabia and Morocco.5 but for the sake of a reminder an academic and scholarly some benefits include: an in- level. I am also thankful that Finally, debate participation has crease in confidence, an increase I won an award as it was my been shown to help increase the in comprehension of documents, GPA and graduation rate for at first time participating in a and an increase in logical analysis debate like MAL.” – Audrey risk youth. While the designation skills.4 Nguyen, Council of Arab of “at risk youth” may not apply Economic Affairs Ministers, to many Scholars, the notice- The MAL program goes a step fur- Republic of Tunisia able difference in GPA levels may ther however in helping Scholar’s also have an effect on Scholars Academy students as it provides “I had fun. It was interesting grades (see Figure 1).6 Note: The several opportunities that MAL al- to see how government ac- graph does not take into consid- ums can take advantage of. A eration attitudes towards school tually works. Getting to stand student only needs to participate up and debate was amaz- or the level of parent’s education. ing.”- Anaita Thomas, Council on Political Affairs, Republic 1 MAL Frequently Asked Questions. (n.d.). Retrieved March 29, 2018, from of Tunisia https://ncusar.org/modelarableague/about-model-arab-league/faq/#alum 2 Ibid. “The experience was amaz- 3 Ibid. ing. Being able to not only 4 Benefits of Debate. (n.d.). Retrieved March 29, 2018, from http://www.ameri- compete but learn through candebateleague.org/benefits-of-debate.html 5 MAL Frequently Asked Questions. (n.d.). Retrieved March 29, 2018, from high levels of debate was https://ncusar.org/modelarableague/about-model-arab-league/faq/#alum something I won’t easily for- 6 Mezuk, B., Bondarenko, I., Smith, S., & Tucker, E. (2011, September 5). Impact get”- Harrison Maguire, Joint of participating in a policy debate program on academic achievement: Evi- Defense Council, Syrian Na- dence from the Chicago Urban Debate League [PDF]. Educational Research tional Coalition and Reviews.

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Tunisia Symposium

Dr. Cathy Jones, Converse Post-Revolutionary Tunisia,” held du Palais, and speeches by associate professor of French in the memory and honor of Dr. Sihem Bouzgarou Ben Gh- and women’s studies, spon- Nabiha Jerad, a deceased lin- achem, an author, translator sored a symposium on the guist, humanitarian and political and blogger for the Huffington Converse campus, April 23- activist. The three presentations Post Maghreb, and by Monia 25, 2018, entitled “(Un) Veiling consisted of the screening and Jerad Chehata, a translator the Self: Women’s Identities in discussion of the film “Silences for the U.S. State Department. The titles of the two speeches were the symposium title and “Tunisian Women: Arab Spring/ Arab Winter?” In connection with the symposium, on Satur- day, April 21, Dr. Jones hosted a social event at her home in Hendersonville, NC. The sym- posium was sponsored by the Nabiha Jerad Foundation and a Converse College National Endowment for the Humanities Award.

10 LEARNING RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES Nadia Murad’s The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State Reviewed by Dr. Joe P. Dunn

I teach a course entitled plex interrelations of her people “Women’s Lives in Africa and among the Sunni Arabs and Asia,” which treats women in Sunni Kurds before the coming various geographical areas and of the Islamic State. She was cultures in different historical pe- 21when ISIS overran her village in riods in the non-Western world. the Sinjar region. They killed the We read and discuss 14 books men and older women and took during term. From the hundreds, the boys to become ISIS fighters. possibly thousands, of potential Her mother and six of her broth- books, I select a diverse sam- ers were murdered. Nadia and pling and I change out many of hundreds of Yazidi girls became the books each course offering. sex slaves passed around among I am constantly seeking possible ISIS fighters and literally sold on new selections. On the New the Internet. The bulk of the book Books Shelf at the public library, details the extremely depressing I noticed Nadia Murad’s The account of Nadia’s horrid cap- ing, and it continues today. The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, tivity, torture, and and rape until Yazedi were only one group in and My Fight Against the Islamic she escaped after three months. this ethnic and religious tapestry State (2017), the experience of a Beyond another example of that included Assyrians, Turkmen, young Yazidi women; and I intro- the course theme of the place Shabaks, Armenians, both Arab duced the book into my course and role of women in the myriad and Kurd Sunnis and Shias, and this semester. cultures, the book affords a win- the several different rival Kurdish The Yazidi were not an un- dow to discuss the manifold evil political entities. heard of people for me. When of ISIS’s religious and ethnic zeal- A literature on the Yazidi I visited Kurdistan in 2012, I met otry. By this point in the course, genocide is emerging. A small several Yazidi within the Kurd- the students were well inundat- sample include Farida Khalaf’s ish communities. Subsequently, ed with violence toward women. The Girl Who Escaped ISIS [who I published an article on the in- The previous week, for example, was from the same village of terplay of the mosaic of ethnici- they watched The Stoning of Nadia]; Cathy Otten’s With Ash ties and religious expressions in Soraya M, as gruesome a depic- on Their Faces: Yezidi Women northern at the time of the tion as anyone should experi- and the Islamic State; Gharbi M. founding of the new state in the ence. But the demonic nature Mustafa’s novel, What Comes 1920s. But none of my students of ISIS struck a particular cord. with the Dust; and a burgeoning knew anything about this tiny However, the political scien- scholarly literature as well. and exotic faith even though tist in me also wished to address Personal stories are an ef- the group received brief interna- the difficulty of forging national fective tool for addressing large tional attention during the Islam- identity and political develop- political issues, and the passion ic State’s genocidal assault on ment in fractured environments. generated by these accounts them in 2014 and the horrors of The issues and questions are not spurs many students to a more entrapment on Sinjar Mountain. unique to this region. They are sustained and deeper study of Murad begins by telling global as already established larger questions. The plight of the about the Yazidi faith, life her in the course. But the effort Yazidis is well worthy serious aca- tiny, poor, insular Yazdi village to make Iraq work as a nation demic attention. in northern Iraq, and the com- state was present at its found-

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