Category Archives: Countries

Hosni Mubarak and Don Giovanni

"Arab Spring", Egypt, Music and Dance, Orientalism, YouTube Watch


Eighteen days and no longer counting. On this day of farewell, although the wellness wished was not very strong for Hosni Mubarak among the thousands upon thousands of protesters gathered today in Tahrir Square, the Pharaoh left Thebes for good. There have been so many questions swirling in central Cairo and streaming into households worldwide that none of the thousands of pundit-pandered answers were able to satisfy. Never has a revolution been witnessed by so many people; never have so many questions been asked with so little ability to predict precisely what would happen. Will he leave? Or perhaps, more likely, when will he leave? Or, perhaps, has he already exited, stage right? Now we know, Mubarak has resigned.

Yesterday there was a brief spell of hope that Mubarak had finally accepted his fate. I attended an Egyptian event in Manhattan about as far away from the protests in Tahrir Square as can be imagined. This was a performance of Mozart arias translated into Arabic, some into Egyptian dialect. A friend arrived full of relief, having heard the earlier news that Mubarak was planning to leave. The old man’s long and self-serving speech seemed to squelch any hopes for that; the sighs and groans of the unified Egyptian spirit of protest could then be heard around the world. During intermission a long-time Egypt watcher told me that Mubarak will not leave and violence was sure to start up again. Thankfully, he was wrong. Continue reading Hosni Mubarak and Don Giovanni →

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 →

Why Egyptians Should Insist that Citizen Mubarak Stay

"Arab Spring", Egypt


by Mohammed Fadel, Palestine Note, February 2, 2011

Following a week of unprecedented anti-regime demonstrations that culminated in the “million-person” march, Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s president for the last thirty years, finally announced that he would not seek re-election in September. He reiterated his determination, however, to remain in office until the expiry of his term, in part, to assure a smooth transition in power and help effect the reforms demanded by the people. Pointing to his record of military service defending Egypt, as well as the achievements of his regime, he reiterated his determination to live out the rest of his days in Egypt and to die on Egyptian soil with the dignity of an Egyptian citizen.

Predictably, reaction to his speech has been almost uniformly negative, with many Egyptians dumbfounded, and others just enraged, that he still believes he is in a position to negotiate with the Egyptian people over the terms on which he will give up office. I may be the only Egyptian who is willing to take him up on this offer, but only if he is serious about the “citizen” part. Continue reading Why Egyptians Should Insist that Citizen Mubarak Stay →

Streaming Revolution, Screaming Revolution

"Arab Spring", CyberOrient, Egypt, Journalism and Media, Tunisia


Al Jazeera offers live coverage of events in Egypt on the internet

Not even Rupert Murdoch, the media mogul who I suspect lies awake at night (just as many of his news outlets lie throughout the day) thinking of new ways to manufacture news, could have imagined the current crisis streaming live on the cable channels and over the Internet for well over a week. America has had its tea party and birthers with Fox gobbling up Sarah Palin to supplement the loonies already on the payroll. I suppose the Israel/Palestine issue was getting too stale, so why not a domino fury across North Africa and the Middle East? No, Murdoch did not cause the overthrow of Ben Ali, the massive anti-Mubarak protests in Egypt, the ripple effect of less virulent protests in Yemen, Jordan, Syria, and Sudan. There are very good local reasons why the streets are filled with angry people from all walks of life (well not the corrupt elites who benefit from dictatorial spoils).

It is not about hating the United States, not when the signs spell out freedom and democracy instead of “Death to America.” It is not even about Islam, certainly not the silly rantings of Glenn Beck that a new chalkboard caliphate is in the making. It is about frustration that reached the boiling point, the astronomical rises in food costs, the lack of jobs, the growing income gap between the average person and friends of the regime. When you have a president alleged to be worth 40 billion dollars, you get the picture of why there has not been an end to the takeover of Tahrir Square in Cairo. Continue reading Streaming Revolution, Screaming Revolution →

Alwan for Egypt and Tunisia

"Arab Spring", Egypt, Journalism and Media, Tunisia


Egyptian Christians holding hands to protect, if in name, if in symbolism only, their Muslim countrymen during prayer as the protests continue; photo by Nevine Zaki in Cairo

Alwan for the Arts is sponsoring a fundraiser: In Solidarity -The Morning After on
Saturday, February 5, 2011 12:00 pm at Alwan for the Arts (16 Beaver Street
4th Floor, New York, NY 10004 (646) 732 3261

12:00-2:00 Reception
2:00-4:00 Al-Jazeera Live Feed
4:00-5:00 Skype and phone Conversations with Egypt and Tunisia
5:00-5:30 Break
5:30: Live Concert by Arab Performers

Suggested Donations: $25

Over a pier, the first beacon inflamed —
The vanguard of other sea-rangers;
The mariner cried and bared his head;
He sailed with death beside and ahead
In seas, packed with furious dangers.

By our doors Great Victory stays …
But how we’ll glory her advent?
Let women lift higher the children! They blessed
With life mid a thousand thousands deaths —
Thus will be the dearest answered.- Anna Akhmatova Continue reading Alwan for Egypt and Tunisia →