All posts by tabsir

Winners and Losers in a Post-Mubarak Arab World

"Arab Spring", Arab-Israeli Conflict, Egypt, Israel, Journalism and Media, Palestine

By Yousef Munayyer, Palestine Center, The Jerusalem Fund, February 14, 2011

Thirty years ago the Soviet Union was at the beginning of a long campaign in Afghanistan, the average person was lucky to have an advanced recording technology called a “VHS tape,” and Mohammad Hosni Mubarak took control of Egypt, the most populous nation in the Arab Middle East. This week, the last of these beginnings came to an end when millions of Egyptian protestors succeeded in toppling one of the longest standing rulers in the 5,000-year history of Egypt.

But as with all eras, Hosni Mubarak’s established norms, some national and others regional, which have now irreversibly changed. What type of government may take form in Egypt in the coming weeks and months is yet to be seen, however, it is highly unlikely that any new government can afford to repeat the mistakes of the previous regime which eliminated pluralistic political participation in the formulation of both domestic and foreign policy.

Many different global players had an investment in the outcome of the drama that finally concluded in Egypt with Mubarak’s departure. So after this transformational moment, who are the winners and who are the losers?

The Winners

1. The People of Egypt – After only 18 days, the people of Egypt succeeded in removing a ruler who had governed Egypt for three decades. But the victory for the people of Egypt is far greater than the removal of one person like Mubarak or his family. Continue reading Winners and Losers in a Post-Mubarak Arab World →

Ottoman Palestine

Architecture, Lithographs, Ottoman Empire, Palestine, Travel, Turkey


A friend recently brought my attention to an Arabic website with a fascinating collection of illustrations and photographs about Palestine under Ottoman rule. I also came across another site with illustrations of Jerusalem in the Ottoman era. I attach two examples here from the latter website, although the site does not specify the source or date of the images. Continue reading Ottoman Palestine →

The Music of Rebellion

"Arab Spring", Egypt, Music and Dance


The revolution in Egypt never would have happened as fast and as ultimately peacefully as it did without the new digital age in full bloom. Now that Mubarak has resigned, the protesters are attempting to go back to life with an air of freedom conquering the stale odor of fear. Last night was one of jubilation as Egyptians of all stripes danced in the streets. The withdrawal of Mubarak was music in the ears. And, indeed, music was part of the process. Here is a hip-hop protest on Youtube with a range of video and still photographs by the Egyptian rap group known as Arabian Knightz. Other rap groups also found the recen protests worthy of Youtube. For yet another early video on the protests, click here. And here is a collage from the rapper Marcel Cartier.

Mozart in Arabic

Egypt, Music and Dance, Orientalism


Ashraf Sewailam as Sarastro in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Alexandria, Egypt), Jan. 2011

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center is presenting a performance of scenes and arias from Mozart operas sung in Arabic by Mona Rafla, Cynthia Samaha-Melki, Ashraf Sewailam, and Raouf Zaidan, with pianist Mohamed Shams. Performances are Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 6 pm and Saturday, February 12, 2011 at 2:30 pm. For details see the website.

New book on Hanna Batatu and Iraq

Anthropology/Sociology, Books You Should Read, Iraq, Scholars, Teaching Resources


Professor Hanna Batatu (1926-2000)

In 2008, CCAS invited prominent scholars of Iraq to reflect on the lessons of Hanna Batatu’s legendary 1978 work, The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movements of Iraq. The end result of that conference is Uncovering Iraq: Trajectories of Disintegration and Transformation, edited by Middle East Report editor Chris Toensing and CCAS editor Mimi Kirk. The book’s seven chapters explore three aspects of Batatu’s scholarship: his contribution to current understandings of Iraqi history (chs. 1 & 2); his categories of analysis as applied to Iraqi sociopolitical affairs (chs. 3, 4, & 5); and his influence (or lack thereof) on portrayals of Iraq by non-academic producers of knowledge (chs. 6 & 7).

Table of Contents: Continue reading New book on Hanna Batatu and Iraq →

When in Lebanon …

Gender and Sexuality, Lebanon, Travel, YouTube Watch



Miss World 2010 top model Luna Ramos and Adriana Pena (Miss Venezuela in 2007)

As much as I have been glued to coverage of the protests in Egypt and elsewhere, there are times when a little levity is needed. So why not turn to Lebanon, despite its lack of a functioning government (or maybe because of it)? I suppose the phrase “When in Lebanon…” might be concluded with “do as the Lebanese would want to do, even if it gets harder and harder to do.” While postwar Beirut has lost much of its playful lustre, Lebanon is still (barely as this picture shows) an oasis of Western style in a political arena that has seen a rise in hijab fashion rather than skirt length. The main news may not fully cover stories about uncovering, but at least the Huffington Post (all the news that’s fit to entice, ‘specially if it’s lefty, naughty and oh so nice – at least before it merged with AOL) offers an alternative to Hamas, Hizbullah and Ahmadinijad. I realize it is a slippery slope, but now that the World Cup finals are over, what better way to promote South American beauty queens than wearing bikinis on skis in mountains that used to boast the cedars of Lebanon. If you prefer a video collage with a beat, see the shots on Youtube.

2011 RIFT VALLEY INSTITUTE FIELD COURSES

Anthropology/Sociology, Conferences and Talks, Development, Environment, Ethiopia, Somalia, Travel


Dhow near Lamu at sunset

2011 RIFT VALLEY INSTITUTE FIELD COURSES:
SUDAN, HORN OF AFRICA AND GREAT LAKES

SUMMARY

This year’s Rift Valley Institute field courses stress the historical background to political developments in the region: the two-state future in Sudan, the effect of recent and upcoming elections in the Great Lakes, and the continuing challenges to political evolution in the countries of the Horn of Africa. The courses are seminar-based, one-week, high-intensity events to be held between May and July. Faculty includes internationally-known regional specialists, researchers and civil society activists from Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, and the DRC.

The application deadline for all courses is Monday 28 February. You can apply online here.

Summaries of each course are included below. Prospectuses containing further details are attached to this message and can be downloaded from www.riftvalley.net/courses. (Or write to courses@riftvalley.net.)

DATES AND GENERAL INFORMATION

Dates for this year’s courses are as follows:

The Sudan Course, Wednesday 25 May to Tuesday 31 May, in Rumbek, Southern Sudan.

The Horn of Africa Course, Saturday 4 to Friday 10 June in Lamu, Kenya.

The Great Lakes Course, Saturday 9 July to Friday 15 July in Bujumbura, Burundi.

The courses are intensive, graduate-level, residential programmes. They are designed for local and expatriate peacekeepers, aid workers, diplomats, researchers, campaigners, business people and journalists.Taught by leading regional and international specialists, the courses provide a fast-track introduction to the history, political economy and culture of a country or region, challenging assumptions and offering new perspectives on politics, development and other current issues. Continue reading 2011 RIFT VALLEY INSTITUTE FIELD COURSES →