VOL. 1 • WINTER 2010

IU COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION • DEPARTMENT OF NEAR EASTERN LANGUAGES & CULTURES

From the chair Active, productive, and growing I am very pleased that we are able to share this new edition of NELC News with you, especially since we were not able to do so during the past 2010 EVENTS @ IUB couple of years. “Iraq: Personal Perspectives” A As is evident from the size of this document, the NELC community at Photo Exhibit: Jan. 15–Feb. 12 University is healthy, active, productive, and growing. Thanks to Dean Bennett Bertenthal and his leadership team at the College of Arts Members of the and Sciences, and their continued support for NELC, we have welcomed department gathered on a number of new faculty members. Wednesday, Jan. 20, Shahrani Read about professors in Arabic and Islamic Stud- for the opening of this Asma Afsaruddin, special exhibit at the ies, and Steve Vinson, who specializes in the study of ancient Egypt, on Marion County Public page 4. Kevin Martin (NELC) and Sara Scalenghe (jointly with Department of History), both Library Gallery Space historians of the modern Middle East, joined us in fall 2008. Adjunct faculty members David in Indianapolis. McDonald (Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology), a specialist in the study of resistance Laurie Miller and songs in Palestine and the musical traditions of wider Arab Middle East, and Ambassador Feisal Michael Bevers, two NELC graduate Amin Rasoul Istrabadi, a visiting professor at the IU Maurer School of Law with an interest in students, were civilian contractors in constitution-making and governance in the wider Muslim Middle East are also welcome additions Iraq. These photos capture their personal to our growing, productive, and highly visible faculty. perspectives on the people of Iraq and Our faculty members’ research activities, publications, and presentations across the globe are the daily events that shape their lives. amply documented here (see page 3). I specifically congratulate:Stephen Katz for his promotion More information: www.indiana.edu/~nelc/ to full professor (2009); Abdulkader Sinno for his recognition as a Carnegie Scholar (2009–2011); events/photos.shtml. John Walbridge for receiving both a Fulbright fellowship for Turkey and a Guggenheim Fel- NELC Celebrates National Poetry lowship (2007–2009); and Suzanne Stetkevych for her National Endowment for the Humani- Month: Thursdays, April 2010 ties grant from the American Research Center in Egypt (2008–2009). I am equally proud of our students and their many research and teaching accomplishments both on this campus and other In celebration of National Poetry Month, campuses across the country and the world. NELC hosts poetry readings together with Our Arabic Language Instruction Program has grown phenomenally in recent years. We of- music and fine arts Thursday evenings in fered six sections of beginning Arabic classes in the fall, and some 200 students are enrolled in April at the IU Art Museum. Arabic courses this semester. The dedication of professors Cigdem Balim-Harding and Zaineb Graduate Workshops in Arabic Istrabadi in devising and implementing the best curriculum and associate-instructor training with Poetry: Dates TBD the help of a hardworking team of graduate students cannot be underestimated or adequately ap- NELC sponsors two workshops, one preciated. Look for more details in the next isue of NELC News. presented by Professor Akiko Motoyoshi With help from graduate student assistants Aly Spartz, John Dechant, Kutbettin Kilic, Sumi of Notre Dame University and one Zohra Ismail, and Danielle Becknell, electronic copies of nearly all of the Jwaideh Memorial with Professor Muhsin Jassim al-Musawi Lectures and most of the Danner Lectures have been posted online. These are available on the of Columbia University. NELC Department Web site (recently redesigned by a team of staff and graduate assistants, led by Professor Kevin Martin), and we invite you to utilize this remarkable resource. Visit www.indiana.edu/~nelc/events. William (Bill) Tilghman recently assumed the duties of graduate student secretary. And administrative assistant and financial officer,Elaine Wright, completed 30 years of service with IU — the last 10 of those years in the NELC Department. > IUAA members: Read Finally, the NELC Student Organization has initiated some important cultural and educational about farmer-soldiers in programming and, as seen on the left, more is planned for the coming months. Please join us and Afghanistan with IU ties give a hand in fulfilling our valued educational mission. in the January/February Our small but growing NELC community continues to strive in these challenging times to train 2010 issue of the Indiana scholars with excellent language skills who can produce objective knowledge and sober analysis Alumni Magazine. about the peoples and cultures of the Middle East. It is my ardent hope that you will join us in supporting this worthy collective effort for years to come. — M. Nazif Shahrani

YOUR MEMBERSHIP MAKES IU STRONGER. paid for in part by dues-paying members of the alumni association. NELC semester in review Student organization On Sept. 4, the NELC Department happenings officially welcomed its new ➤ graduate students at a gathering held in Ballantine Hall. Faculty Arabic-English Language members and seasoned graduate Exchange students offered advice and This year, the NELC Student friendship as a new cohort joined the Organization (NSO) developed a new department’s ranks. program called the Arabic-English Language Exchange (AELE). Teaming Freshman orientation up with IU’s Intensive English Program, the group offered a new outlet for Oct. 5, 2009, marked the 8th Annual Wadie Jwaideh NELC students to practice Arabic while Memorial Lecture. Every year, the Jwaideh Memorial helping IEP students from the Middle Lecture brings leading scholars to discuss aspects ➤ East further develop their English. of Middle Eastern history, society, religion, or The program has been a great success, economics. This year we welcomed historian Peter attracting both the NELC undergraduate Sluglett, of the University of Utah, who spoke to a and graduate student body, as well as large group of students, faculty, and scholars on many IEP students. “Reflections of Historiography of Iraq.” His lecture NELC Student Organization focused on changes and subsequent difficulties in President Eve Kuzma hopes that the Peter Sluglett the way historians approach the history of Iraq. program will continue to draw more participants and cement bonds between In fall 2009, the NELC Department, together the IEP students and NELC for years with the Turkish Student Union, was honored to come. to have the Hon. Mr. Kenan Ipek, Turkish counsel general, visit the IU campus. Ipek Campus-wide events gave a brief talk on Turkey’s relationships with This semester, the NSO participated other countries, both in the Middle East and in and co-sponsored several different beyond, while putting into perspective the campus-wide events. In particular,

role Turkey hopes to play in foreign affairs. He NSO Debke dancers

the NSO was a main component of also generously allowed for a question and ➤ the IU Multicultural Mock Wedding, answer session, which was moderated by Ambassador Feisal Istrabadi. The event an event celebrating all of the cultures was a great success and opened up new avenues of conversation about Turkey’s and traditions within the Hoosier proposed role in the European Union and greater regional politics. community.

➤ We can proudly say that the NSO was the highlight of the program, performing a fun but rigorous version of the Debke. Kuzma hopes that this event is only the first of many programs which will promote the department across the IUB campus. NELC Drama Club Consisting predominantly of students from our advanced Arabic classes, the NELC Drama Club provides opportunities for students to expand John Walbridge, David Zaret, Hon. Kenan Ipek, Frances Trix, Dean Bennett their Arabic knowledge and their Bertenthal, Ambassador Feisal Istrabadi, and Cigdem Balim-Harding. speaking abilities in a context outside of Professor Nazif Shahrani, Assistant Professor Abdulkader Sinno, and visiting professor the classroom. This semester, the club Ambassador Feisal Istrabadi co-organized an international conference on State-Building in has been working on translating a Tawfiq the Contemporary Islamic World: US Interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, during which al-Hakim play titled Everything in all three presented papers. This event, held Nov. 13 and 14, was co-hosted by the Indiana Its Place from Egyptian Colloquial Democracy Consortium and funded in part by a $55,000 grant from the McCormick Arabic into Fusha Arabic. They hope Foundation. Well-known scholars from various fields discussed the consequences of to eventually produce a video of the the interventions, associated problems, and possible solutions for Iraq and Afghanistan. students acting out the play. Papers from the conference will be published in a comprehensive volume soon.

2 Faculty accomplishments Abdulkader Sinno is a 2009 Hebraists’ Accommodation with tive in Spirituality and Equity (WISE) Carnegie Scholar. This year, he Eretz Israel,” is forthcoming in Jewish in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. organized an international conference Quarterly Review. His translation of Steven Vinson spent most of 2009 at Indiana University on Muslims “Quinces,” a short story by Avshalom conducting research with a fellowship in Western Politics and is the editor Kaveh, will appear in the spring issue from the National Endowment for the of the book Muslims in Western of Zeek. He also was nominated for Humanities for a forthcoming book, Politics. He co-organized another the Student Choice Awards Program. The Craft of a Good Scribe: Narrative IU conference, State Building in the Suzanne Pinckney Stetkevych and Meaning in the “First Tale of Setne Altoma Contemporary Islamic World: U.S. spent spring 2009 in Egypt on a Khaemwas” and other Ancient Egyp- Intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan, National Endowment for the Hu- tian Literature. He published articles held in November 2009 and funded by manities grant from the American in three journals and in the Univer- the McCormick Foundation. Sinno is Research Center in Egypt to study sity of California at Los Angeles now co-editing a related volume and the transition from classical to post- Encyclopedia of Egyptology. Another writing two new books on Muslim classical Arabic poetry as evidenced major article which will appear next representation in Western liberal in the two diwans of the blind year in a festschrift for the German democracies (funded by the Carnegie 10th-11th century Aleppan poet, Abu Egyptologist Heinz J. Thissen. Vinson Award) and another on Islamist al-Ala’ al-Ma`arri. While in Cairo, also spent several weeks in Egypt in Katz parties’ participation in elections. she lectured many times in both January 2009, photographing ancient In 2009, he spoke at the Sorbonne Arabic and English. In November, she graffiti at the Temple of Isis at Philae. (Paris), American University of presented papers at the 2009 Middle John Walbridge returned this fall Beirut (Lebanon), Australian East Studies Association meeting in after two years away on Fulbright National University, University of Boston. The Arabic translation of her and Guggenheim fellowships. He Venice (Italy), Princeton University, book, Abu Tammam and the Poetics spent a year working on medical and Rutgers University, the United States of the Abbasid Age, appeared in late philosophical manuscripts in Istanbul, Congress, and Carnegie Mellon 2008 in cooperation with the Egyp- and also did manuscript research in University. tian National Translation Center and Britain, Holland, and California. His Shahrani As a professor emeritus, Salih was the subject of a panel discussion book, The Caliphate of Reason, has J. Altoma continues to publish and of the Egyptian Society for Literary been accepted by Cambridge Uni- influence the field of Arabic litera- Criticism in 2009. Early Islamic Poetry versity Press. He has also completed ture. Throughout 2009, he worked on and Poetics appeared in fall 2009 as editions and translations of three a forthcoming book, Iraq’s Modern vol. 37 of the Formation of Classi- ancient commentaries on Galen in Arabic Literature: A Guide to Eng- cal Islam series. Her new book, The their medieval Arabic translations. lish Translations 1950–2008. He Mantle Odes: Arabic Praise Poems He is working on a comprehensive also produced translations of Arabic to the Prophet Muhammad, will be study of the works, biographical data, Sinno Literature into English, including published by Indiana University Press and manuscripts of the Neoplatonic “Autumn’s Leaves (Leaves of Au- in spring 2010. philosopher Suhrawardi and his early tumn’s Many Seasons)” by Jawdat Asma Afsaruddin recently followers. Fakhreddine, and poems published released The First Muslims: History M. Nazif Shahrani published a in the Edinburgh Review. He received and Memory, as well as an article in policy paper and delivered the keynote the Award in Recognition of Lifelong the Journal of Religious Ethics, and address at the symposium Beyond the Leadership Accomplishments at the a chapter in Al-Jahiz: a Muslim Hu- State-Local Politics in Afghanistan, Iraqi Academic Conference, which manist for Our Time. In 2008–2009, in Bonn, Germany, at the Center for was hosted by the National Acad- Afsaruddin spoke on Islamic religious Development Research. Shahrani also Stetkevych emies in Washington, D.C. and political thought at Boston Col- participated in the Fulbright-Hays Stephen Katz is now a full profes- lege, George Washington University, 50th Anniversary Global Symposium sor and director of undergraduate Michigan State University, the Mer- and in conferences worldwide, travel- studies in the NELC Department. rimack College Center for Jewish- ing to Kabul, Afghanistan; Istanbul, This year, Katz published a book on Christian-Muslim Relations, and the Turkey; and Canberra, Australia. At the representation in Hebrew litera- international symposium “Rethinking IU, Shahrani co-organized the intern- ture of Native and African Ameri- Jihad” held at Edinburgh University, tional conference on State-Building cans, titled Red, Black, and Jew: New Scotland. She continues as co-editor of in the Contemporary Islamic World: Frontiers in Hebrew Literature. He the Islam section of Religion Compass, U.S. Intervention in Iraq and Afghani- also published an article on American an online encyclopedia, and as chair stan. He is a member of the board of Hebraists’ responses to the Holocaust, of the board of directors of the Center trustees of American University of “First Cry: Moshe Ben-Meir’s Early for the Study of Islam and Democracy Afghanistan and is regularly inter- Holocaust Poetry of the Un-Passover” in Washington, D.C. Afsaruddin also viewed by national and international in Hebrew Studies. Another study, helped to launch the Shura Council media about the war on terror and the “Ambivalent Embraces: American Project of the Women’s Islamic Initia- resurgence of Taliban in Afghanistan.

3 Conversations: Q&A with NELC professors Meet new faculty member Asma Afsaruddin Zohra Ismail (Z): You’ve written on such wide-ranging jihad and martyrdom in Islamic thought and practice, subjects as leadership issues, gender, the early Muslims which is a historical investigation into the various ways (al-salaf al-salih), meanings of jihad, and education in Muslim thinkers and scholars have conceptualized the Muslim world. What factors have contributed to your jihad and martyrdom from the first century of Islam till choices of scholarly subjects? today. It’s a rather tall order which is why I probably Professor Asma Afsaruddin: I am interested in some will never finish the book! I’ve learned quite a bit about of the key issues that have shaped Muslim societies the checkered past of these two terms, which I’m eager and sensibilities through the centuries and that still to share with a broader audience. have a bearing on critical debates in the contemporary I’m also researching another book, titled Contempo- period. Early Muslim discussions concerning legitimate rary Issues in Islam, which will deal with a wide array leadership and nature of political governance are highly of topics: Islamic modernism, Muslims in the west, relevant to today’s debates among many Muslim groups war and peace in Islam, gender, and political gover- as to what an “Islamic state” or an “Islamic govern- nance, among others. Focused on the modern period, ment” should look like. Early history informs us that the book discusses how contemporary Muslims are there are no easy, absolute answers to such questions grappling with issues such as “what are the repercus- because governance was a fluid concept, determined sions of this massive soul-searching that is underway more by pragmatic, historical considerations than any in many Muslim-majority societies.” The book will be assumed scriptural imperative. a challenge. This is why I am greatly looking forward The same holds true for the study of gender, con- to writing it; it will allow me to reflect on a number of ceptualizations of jihad, and understandings of religious hot-button topics that professional pundits deal with law. … I am particularly concerned with revealing the very superficially. internal, rich diversity of the Islamic tradition that Z: What drew you to work at Indiana University Bloom- opens up opportunities for Muslims today to creatively ington? embrace their heritage in order to more effectively A: I came to IUB because of the well-established De- engage modernity. partment of Near Eastern Languages & Cultures with a graduate program that takes Arabic and Islamic studies seriously. At the , where I We have an enormously important role to play. We are taught for the past 13 years, I was in a classics depart- training our students to become proficient in Arabic ment where Arabic and Islamic studies had to play second fiddle to Latin and Greek. It was also primarily and other key languages of the Middle East and to be an undergraduate program. Here, there is more poten- scholars of the Middle East and the Islamic world. tial, and the administration seems genuinely committed to seeing the department flourish and be prominent at IU and beyond. “ Z: Who are the people you count as influential in shap- ing your interests and intellectual pursuits? Z: What is the contribution a department such as NELC A: Professors I studied with as a graduate student at can make to the wider discussions about Islam in this have certainly exercised a country and beyond? considerable measure of influence in the early phase of A: We have an enormously important role to play. First my career. My Doctor Vater, Professor Georg Krotkoff, of all, we are training our students to become proficient introduced me to the pleasures of the famous medieval in Arabic and other key languages of the Middle East belletrist al-Jahiz’s writings and Professor Majid and to be scholars of the Middle East and the Islamic Khadduri, at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced world. When they graduate, they will take with them International Studies, fostered an interest in me in a holistic and learned perspective on the history, Islamic law and thought. Since graduate school, other culture, religion, and politics of the region as they colleagues and students have stimulated me in many pursue careers in academia, government, business, and different ways. The tragic, violent events of Sept. 11 journalism, among others. Through our own writings were also critical in defining my current research and public speaking we can challenge many erroneous interests. assumptions about the Middle East and the Islamic world and contribute to the education of a broader Z: What are your current research projects? public. A: I am trying hard to finish up a book manuscript on

4 An underwater archaeologist turned Egyptololgist Getting to know Associate Professor Steven Vinson Zohra Ismail: You have recently joined the department. What are your initial impres- sions in terms of the where this move fits into your larger career? Steven Vinson: I’m very pleased to be here at IU. This is the first time I’ve had the opportunity to teach a full program on ancient Egypt, and so I’m looking forward to building a constituency for those courses here. I hope that I can get a cohort of NELC undergraduates who are interested in doing an Egyptology track, and I’d like to offer an MA option as well. Of course IU is a great research university as well. New faulty member Vinson teaches Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics.

Z: Tell us about the evolution of your inter- Garrett Hansen/IU College of Arts & Sciences est in ancient Egyptology. Your educational rent events and politics, so journalism was versity. So after a year working for a small background has ranged from journalism a natural college major. local newspaper in a town near Houston, to underwater archaeology to Egyptology. But, by the time I was a senior, I was I applied for the Texas A&M Underwa- What were some of your more unexpected unsatisfied. ... I started thinking I should ter Archaeology Program. I wound up intellectual discoveries along the way? have pursued archaeology or history especially attracted to Egypt. After doing a S: I was always interested in the ancient anyway, but I also didn’t want to delay my couple of seminar papers on Egyptian top- world and wanted to be an archaeologist graduation, so I finished and looked for a ics, I did my MA thesis on boats of Egypt when I was a boy. But by the time I was in newspaper job. in the Predynastic and Early Dynastic high school I realized that to be an archae- Then, I remember seeing a National periods, or around 5000–2850 BCE. After ologist, you needed a PhD, and that meant Geographic special on underwater archae- this, it seemed natural to keep going and to staying in college for a very long time. I ology, and was amazed to learn that there apply to Egyptology graduate programs. also was interested in writing and in cur- was a program in this at Texas A&M Uni- (continued on page 6) Catching up with Professor John Walbridge John Walbridge and his wife — Frances Trix, a joint professor in the IU departments of anthropology and linguistics — spent fall 2009 on sabbatical leave in Istanbul, Turkey, adding to work done there on Fulbright and Guggenheim felllowships.

John Dechant: What specific research were you doing in Istanbul? Somebody did a study of these things about 70 years ago W: There were three projects. One had to do with Galen in Ara- in Turkey, but the situation is still very confused: editions are bic, and for that I basically ended up finishing an edition of three published using inferior manuscripts, sort of misidentified late antique study guides to works of Galen that were used in the manuscripts, lots of works where authenticity is unclear, and a standard medical curriculum — early Islamic physicians read the lot more manuscripts available than have ever been systemati- same text books as the late Greek physicians. I finished that. cally surveyed. So I looked at all of the manuscripts at the school Then I did two other things: I gave a series of lectures at ˙ISAM in Istanbul, apart from some in a couple of libraries that have (I˙slâm Aras¸tırmaları Merkezi, the “Center for Islamic Studies”) been closed for renovation for some time. I also went and looked on the role of reason in Islamic intellectual history. That drew at similar things in Los Angeles and London, and in Oxford, Cam- together some things that I have been working on off-and-on for bridge, and Leiden, England. quite a while into a book that will soon be released by Cambridge D: On the same sabbatical? University Press. W: Same sabbatical. So, I’ve looked at maybe 400 manuscripts of I also did work on the area of Suhrawardi and the Illumina- works of this school. tionists’ School. I’ve been working on a cyclio-bibliographical study of Suhrawardi’s works, and the works of his early followers D: What were the Turks you knew saying about politics? — commentaries and so forth — and particularly the manuscripts W: People weren’t mostly talking about politics. What I saw when of them which have been very imperfectly known. (continued on page 6)

5 Conversations: Q&A with NELC professors Walbridge (continued from page 5)

I was working at ˙ISAM, which is sort of semi-governmental, was how my colleagues were rather frustrated because they came out of the religious schools and were relatively restricted in their academic opportunities. So, they tended to be sympathizers with the AK party, and were annoyed with things like whether girls could wear head- scarves, which struck them as basic issues of human rights. D: Were you still in Turkey for the American presidential election? W: We were in Turkey at that time. D: What was the Turkish reaction to the Obama victory? W: Enthusiasm. We were Obama people, so when he won, we took sweets to work and received congratulations. People would tell us Walbridge in Istanbul, Turkey his name was Persian for “he is with us.” Bush was very problematic in terms of the Turks, they saw him as sort of blubbering around and old, and they’ve been meticulously maintained over a period of starting fights in somebody else’s neighborhood. There were certain centuries. informal surveys in Turkey and they were 90 percent Obama, 10 Everything in the Süleymaniye —which is the main Istanbul col- percent McCain. lection— is digitized, and large portions of the collections in other D: Did you find it easy to do research in Istanbul? parts of the country are digitized. I spent a lot of time working at W: I have nothing but praise for the Turks and how they handle ˙ISAM, which has put together a superb research library for Islamic manuscripts. The manuscript collections are superb and accessible, studies. ... Albert Hourani’s books are there, for instance, along with well managed, and some of these collections are 400 years or more the collections of many major Turkish scholars.

and translated in the 1860s, it made quite an Arabic, and so I haven’t had the ability to Vinson impression on people who were interested in turn that into a real focus of my research. (continued from page 5) Egyptian culture, and a number of popular There have been some plausible obser- Z: Tell us about your current research projects adaptations of the story were produced. vations that various aspects of village life on Demotic graffiti and “First Tale of Setne Some were direct paraphrases, but others in modern, rural Egypt are survivals from Khaemwas.” were looser adaptations — most famous is antiquity, especially customs involving child- S: I’m interested in Demotic, which is the the 1932 filmMummy , starring Boris Karloff. birth. Some claims are more difficult to be script and language of Egypt from around Z: What reaction do you elicit when you tell sure of. One common claim is that some aspects 650 BCE on to the end of the traditional people you’re an Egyptologist? Egyptian culture in the 5th century CE. of a famous moulid in Luxor — which partly S: People are usually interested in Egyptol- Demotic is a cursive script that is ultimately involves a procession in which people carry ogy. … Sometimes people will ask me about derived from hieroglyphs, and it’s used to large model boats around the Luxor Temple ancient Egyptian evidence for the existence write a late, vernacular stage of the ancient — might be a direct survival of an ancient of Moses or the Exodus — and I have to tell Egyptian language. Egyptian festival at that site. As far as I them that there really isn’t any. I’m inter- The Valley of the Kings graffiti I’m inter- know, however, there’s no evidence that this ested in some of the “New Age” theories of ested in is written in Demotic, and it is a re- was ever observed before the 19th century. Egypt, that involve the belief that Egypt was cord of people who visited the tombs around It seems to me that the boat processions a source of some sort of ancient mystical 700 years after the original royal burials in the moulid might be something that was wisdom. The other day I got an e-mail from had taken place. ... The graffiti shows that put on for tourists, after the reliefs that are some Greek guy who is planning a confer- Egyptians in this period were curious about on the temple walls showing the boat proces- ence on what he claims to be a continuous these tombs just like modern people. But it sion were exposed. But again, not knowing folk tradition in Macedonia ... , which are seems they attached at least some religious Arabic, I’ve got no way to read any early, Ar- somehow based on ancient Egyptian rituals. significance to the tombs. ... abic-language accounts of the moulid, which I love that kind of stuff, and it’s what I focus I’m also interested in literature written in might throw some light on the question. on in my “Egyptomania” class. Demotic. The “First Tale of Setne Khaem- The only class I teach in which this kind was” is a ghost story, written down around Z: What are the connections that you see of thing comes up is “Egyptomania,” and 300 BCE, and it is very interesting because between ancient and contemporary Egypt, now that we’ve got NELC majors taking my of its unusually active female characters, one ancient and contemporary Near East? classes, I’m encouraging them to base their of whom is very maternal and protective, S: I’m of course interested in how modern term papers on Arabic sources. I had one and the other of whom is dangerous and se- Egyptians see themselves in relation to student this fall who wrote about modern ductive. When this story was first discovered the ancient past, but I don’t speak or read Egyptian nationalism and ancient Egypt.

6 To submit information: Write to the IU Alumni Association at 1000 E. 17th St., Bloomington, IN 47408, or visit the IUAA on the Web at alumni.indiana.edu/classnotes.

1960s East Africa regions. Bistline lives a Fulbright Regional Scholar Grant year of studies at the Medical in Johannesburg with her two sons to conduct research in Egypt and University of the Americas, located William H. Nienhauser Jr., — Marcus, age 3, and Christopher, Kuwait during the 2009–2010 aca- in Charlestown, Nevis, in the West BA’67, MA’68, PhD’72, is the editor age 10 months — and husband, demic year, for a book project titled Indies. She previously worked as of The Grand Scribe’s Records: Chris, BAJ’97. The Medieval Arabo-Islamic Public a medical assistant in the offices Volume III: The Memoirs of Han Adam S. Tennen, BA’99, is Sphere. He is a member of the edi- of Drs. Thaker and Brahmbhatt China, Part I, published by Indiana the assistant campaign director at torial board for the MLA Texts and in Jeffersonville, Ind., prior to University Press. Nienhauser the Jewish Federation of Greater Translations Series and moderator pursuing a career in medicine. is Halls-Bascom Professor of Phoenix. of the Cairo Scholars List, a listserv Chaudhry is originally from New Classical Chinese Literature at the Adee M. Weismark, BA’99, to support scholars and students Albany, Ind., and can be reached at University of Wisconsin–Madison. lives in Atlanta with his wife, working in Cairo, Egypt. [email protected]. He lives in Madison. Ilana, and two children, Kinneret Jennifer L. Micon, BA’02, is Ozair M. Shariff, BA’07, 1970s and Amishai. The couple is expect- an assistant principal at Officer writes, “I recently completed Scott R. Bowers, BA’72, has ing a third child in April. Weismark Donald J. Marquez School, a my commitment with Teach for retired as a Vanderburgh County owns a pressure washing and lawn Chicago charter school serving America–St. Louis where I taught (Ind.) Superior Court judge after care company. He can be contacted Latino neighborhoods. Micon lives literature to high-school special- serving four separate six-year at [email protected]. in Chicago. needs students. I returned to terms beginning in 1984. He E. Timothy DeLaney, BA’03, Bloomington [in August] as a first- now serves as a senior judge for 2000s JD’06, is an associate in the year law student at the Maurer Tim Jon Semmerling, PhD’00, Vanderburgh Superior Court. Indianapolis office of the law School of Law.” Shariff expects to is an author and attorney. His Bowers lives in Evansville. firm Barnes & Thornburg. He is graduate in 2012. book, “Evil” Arabs in American Terry Cohen Hendin, BA’73, a member of the firm’s litigation Andrew W. Burton, BA’08, of Popular Film: Orientalist Fear, was received an honorary doctorate department focusing his practice New Albany, Ind., writes, “I am published in 2006 by the University in Jewish communal service from on complex commercial, real currently living in Washington, of Texas Press. Semmerling’s Hebrew Union College–Jewish estate, and administrative matters. D.C., working as an intern for the argument in the book is based on Institute of Religion in October DeLaney also serves on the board Republican staff of the Committee close readings of six films,The 2001. She has served as IU’s of- of Exodus Refugee Immigration, on Homeland Security. In addition, Exorcist, Rollover, Black Sunday, ficial Jerusalem host for students a not-for-profit organization that I am currently searching for a Three Kings, Rules of Engagement, studying at the Hebrew University assists refugees resettling in India- full-time entry-level position in the and South Park: Bigger, Longer, & of Jerusalem since 1999. napolis. Washington, D.C., area.” Uncut, as well as CNN’s Sept. 11 Miriam “Mimi” Morris, Through May 2010, Nathan- Navy Seaman Andrew D. documentary America Remembers. BA’73, MLS’74, is the assistant iel Miller, MA’05, is studying at Flueckiger, BA’09, of Geneva, A former Sullivan Human Rights director for branch and extension American University in Cairo’s Ind., has completed U.S. Navy Fellow at DePaul College of Law services for the Dayton (Ohio) CASA program May 2010. He basic training at Recruit Train- in Chicago, Semmerling is also the Metro Library. Her husband, The- writes, “It’s a fantastic payoff to ing Command, Great Lakes, Ill. author of Israeli and Palestinian odore, BA’74, MLS’78, has retired engage seriously with Egyptian During the eight-week program he Postcards: Presentations of National as a library professor at Kent State society and Arabic literature after completed a wide range of training, Self, published in 2004. University’s Columbus campus. years of struggling with the lan- including classroom study and Samer M. Ali, PhD’02, is Morris’s daughter, Penny, is teach- guage. My main interest is Arabic practical instruction on naval cus- an associate professor of Arabic ing English for a year in Bordeaux, poetry, and I’m applying for PhD toms, first aid, firefighting, water literature at the University of Texas France, before beginning graduate programs next year.” safety and survival, and shipboard at Austin Department of Middle school. A second daughter, Amy, is Nadia S. Chaudhry, BS’07, and aircraft safety. Eastern Studies. He was awarded in her last year of veterinary school is currently beginning her second at Ohio State University. Morris lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. GRADUATE STUDENT UPDATES 1990s Anan Habeeb teaches beginning and intermediate Arabic at Earlham College in Richmond, Ind. Kathryn L. Schnippel Bistline, Christopher Anzalone was admitted to McGill University’s Institute for Islamic Studies for BA’97, currently works as the NGO doctoral studies. He also recently wrote a number of articles for several academic encyclopedias program manager for Right to and was a contributing writer for a forthcoming report from the Pew Research Center on Care, a South African NGO with transnational Islam and Muslim communities in Europe, about jihadi movements and radical the goal of improving access to networks in European Muslim Communities. and quality of HIV and TB testing, care, and treatment. Previously, MESA attendees: A number of out NELC graduate students offered papers on a variety of topics Bistline worked for Habitat for at MESA in Boston this November. Presenters included: Huda Fakhreddine, Mishari al-Musa, Humanity in South Africa and Ahmad al-Mallah, and Hassan Lachheb. with Habitat’s Middle East and

7 Nonprofit Org. Postage PAID Update your record, Indiana University stay informed, and Alumni Association help IU go green. Giving@ IU your e-mail address saves paper, printing, postage, and other resources.

Visit alumni.iu.edu and click “Update your profile.”

NELC Alumni: What’s new with you?

The IU Alumni Association is charged with maintaining records for all IU alumni. Please print as much of the following information as you wish. Updates are used as class notes and help keep IU’s alumni records accurate and up to date. Attach additional pages if necessary. Mail to the address above, or fax to (812) 855-8266. To update online, visit http://alumni.indiana.edu/directory. Name______Date______Preferred name______

VOL. 1 • WINTER 2010 Last name while at IU______

IU COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION • DEPA RTMENT OF NEAR EASTERN LANGUAGES & CULTURES IU Degree(s)/Yr(s)______Vol. 1 • WINTER 2010 Univ. ID # (PeopleSoft) or last four digits of SS #______Home address______This newsletter is published by the In- Home phone______diana University Alumni Association, in cooperation with the Department of City______State______Zip______Near Eastern Languages & Cultures and Business title______the College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Association, to encourage alumni interest Company/Institution______in and support for Indiana University. For Company address______activities and membership information, Work phone______call (800) 824-3044 or send e-mail to [email protected]. City______State______Zip______* E-mail______NELC Department Chair...... M. Nazif Shahrani * Home page URL______Editor...... Aly Spartz * Please indicate clearly upper and lower case. College of Arts & Sciences Mailing address preference: ❍ Home ❍ Business Dean...... Bennett Bertenthal Spouse name______Assistant Dean for Last name while at IU______Advancement ...... Tom Recker IU Degree(s)/Yr(s)______Director of Alumni Programs...... Marsha Minton Your news: ______IU Alumni Association ______President/CEO...... Tom Martz ______Senior Director, Constituencies ______& Affiliate Groups...... Nicki Bland Editor, Constituent o Please send me information about IU Alumni Association membership. Periodicals.....Sarah Preuschl Anderson Class Notes...... Bill Elliott IUAA membership is now 80 percent tax deductible. It includes membership in the IU College of Arts & Sciences Alumni Association and in your local alumni chapter. To join: Go to www.alumni.indiana.edu or call (800) 824-3044.

Connect! Search “IUALUMNI” on Facebook and Twitter.