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Scholars whose fields of study span the diverse cultures, religions, and politics of the Middle East will be at UCSB on Saturday, March 23, to participate in a Middle East Studies Regional Conference that looks at new developments in Middle East subject matter since 9/11. It is sponsored by the Center for Middle East Studies.
Around 30 scholars will participate in eight panel discussions during the free, one-day conference, which runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Topic areas are "Teaching Arabic in the Wake of 9/11," "Politics of Mythology," "Middle East/South Asia: Hybridities and Boundaries," "History and Memory," "Teaching Middle East Studies in the Wake of 9/11," "Popular and Folk Culture," "Middle East/South Asia: Women and Gender," and "Arabic Literature."
Among the participants and talks are Reuven Firestone (Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles), "The Resurrection of 'Holy War' in Israel;" Nancy Stockdale (University of Central Florida), "'Citizens of Heaven' versus 'The Islamic Peril': The Anti-Islamic Rhetoric of Orlando's Holy Land Experience Since 9/11;" and Abdul Karim Khan (University of Hawaii), "The Jewish Connection of Afghan Pukhtuns."
Rema Hammami, a professor at Birzeit University on the West Bank—she heads the university's Women, Gender, Law and Development Program—will discuss "The Palestinian Situation Since 9/11." A prominent anthropologist who has focused her research on issues involving women and development, Hammami writes frequently on Palestinian politics.
The conference is open to the public and will be held in HSSB 6020. Registration, which is required, can be made by calling x4245 or by going on-line at www.cmes.ucsb.edu, where more conference information is available.
UCSB's center is one of 12 National Resource Centers in Middle East studies funded by the U.S. Department of Education, and has a mission to increase understanding of the Middle East through scholarship, research, and public outreach.
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