Center for International and Regional Studies

Global Histories and Practices of Islamophobia Working Group I
2022-08-08 17:00 - 2022-08-09 19:30 (Europe/Moscow) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
On August 8 and 9, 2022, the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) organized the first research meeting under its initiative on Global Histories and Practices of Islamophobia. The meeting was held as a virtual event, with scholars participating from various geographical locations. The meeting aimed to discuss the submitted abstract proposals, which were solicited through a Call for Papers and submissions by invited scholars. The convened academics and experts from various multi-disciplinary backgrounds discussed issues related to global Islamophobia beyond the question of war on terror and fear and hatred of Islam and Muslims post 9/11.The conversation was initiated by Anne Norton, who argued that despite Western political thought relying upon Muslim philosophy, it was often figured only as an allusive erasure in portrayals of the canonical. The palimpsest formed by this layering of influences and erasures conceals and reveals the place of Muslim thought, philosophical and religious, in Western religion and philosophy. The objective of the paper will work to articulate the constitutive effects of this palimpsest. Along with the sequestration of Muslim thought in politics and philosophy, the paper will show how the West bounded and confined aspects of its own intellectual inquiries. Norton will diagnose the effects of an Enlightenment settlement that foreclosed both a full engagement with thinking about the divine in the West.Salman Sayyid shifted the discussion to the question of the emergence of the Islamophobic State. He argued that there was a need to broaden the geography and deepen the history to understand Islamophobia. The term is often understood as a problem that applies to Muslim minorities but not to Muslim majority states. The emergence of an Islamophobic state, which is a specific form of state, has a distinct ensemble of institutions and administrative processes and covers an astonishing range of political forms. The Islamophobic State not only targets expressions of Muslimness but in its efforts to discipline the Muslims, builds up an internationally sanctioned system of surveillance and restriction, which can be easily applied to other social actors. The paper will aim to explain this emergence of the Islamophobic State as a project to rewrite social contracts and transform relations between the ruled and the rulers. The question of self-determination in relation to Islamophobia in Indian-Occupied Kashmir was raised by Hafsa Kanjwal. She stated that the development of Islamophobia in India is a combined result of both secular-liberal and Hindutva ideologies. While secularism is used in India to forcibly depoliticize Muslim identity, Hindutva views Muslims as being subservient to the Hindu identity of the nation. Using the example of Occupied Kashmir, the paper will look at how the relevance of Islam is dismissed as a category for the modern state and how the state attempts to subvert Muslim agency and self-determination. The main argument made was that the essential character of Indian nationalism is Islamophobic, which not only erases Muslim markers in public sites and normalizes violence and bigotry toward Muslims, but also views the Muslim demand for sovereignty or self-determination with suspicion and as a rejection of the liberal secular nation-state order.Shereen Fernandez then directed the conversion to examine the sea as a site for practices of Islamophobia. She argued that there is a gap in the literature that neglects to examine how the sea has been used as a space to practice Islamophobia. To fill this gap, her paper will look at the historical practices of transporting Muslim prisoners, by the British in the 1850s, to a penal colony in the Andaman Islands on a ship and study their experiences as colonial convicts. The latter part of the paper will link this history to the Islamophobia experienced by detainees at Guantánamo Bay (GTMO) during the War on Terror post 9/11. With this contribution, Fernandez aims to explore the centrality of the sea as a site which perpetuates the spatialization of Islamophobia as exemplified in the treatment of Muslim prisoners.Oli Charbonneau’s discussion examined the role of Islam and manifestations of Islamophobia in the Colonial Philippines from 1899 to the 1920s. He argued that prejudicial thinking about Muslims in the region is the result of several discourses. These resulted in systematic control over the Muslim population via militarized violence and cultural-political overhaul. Charbonneau’s paper will aim to study the archival materials from U.S. foreign relations, Philippine Studies; and Islamic Southeast Asian Studies to illustrate the contemporary American ideas about and actions towards Islamic societies. Using Southern Philippines as a case study Charbonneau will also aim to present Islamophobia in Southeast Asia as a set of beliefs rather than a uniform practice.Valentin Duquet led the discussion on Islamophobia in “Algerianist” settler colonial literature which came out in the first half of the 1900s. During this era, Algeria was a region of the French Republic. Analyzing three “pied-noir” novels of the Interwar period as historical archives, his paper will examine the representation of the Muslim native, which Duquet explains is key to understanding Islamophobia under French colonialism as well as its brutal unwinding a few decades later. In these novels, the Muslim figures are often relegated to the background, erased, or replaced with “Berber” characters which are often Christian, pagan, or vaguely Mediterranean. This erasure, he argues, is symptomatic of the symbolic violence of French assimilation which denied even the name “Algerian” from Maghrebi Muslims.Ali Alsmadi discussed the role of Spanish Islam and highlighted the treatment of the Moriscos’ literature in the scholarship. Alsmadi argued that Islam is viewed by the orientalist scholars as an imported religion and not part of indigenous Spanish culture and heritage. In his paper, Alsmadi will shed light on the current political denial to recognize the Moriscos’ language and literature which is deeply rooted in past practices. His analysis will demonstrate how the 19th and 20th-century scholarship and its understanding of the Moriscos were biased and show literary and cultural linkages between Morisco literature and contemporary Spanish authors that reflect cross-religious influences that are unique to the Iberian Peninsula.First Oruc then shifted the focus of the discussion to Islamophobia in Turkey and the fear of Islam in the Turkish Republican era. Oruc narrated that after the demise of the Ottoman Empire, the Kemalist founding elites and the Turkish intelligentsia claimed Islam to be a “spiritual malaise” from which the Turkish nation had to recover. Their concept of modern Turkey envisioned the adoption of Westernizing state nationalism. The Ottoman era was viewed as the repression of the Turk and Turkish cultural values, with Islam seen as the main threat to Turkey’s emergence as a modern republic state. Through examining Turkish cultural and literary texts Oruc aims to explore the historical manifestation of fear of Islam and its aftermaths in Turkey and also examine how some of the similar paradigms of Islamophobia may reoccur in other Muslim majority societies.Thomas Simsarian Dolan addressed the question of “Arab Money” and Global capitalism. Dolan argued that in the selective economic discourse, Muslims are seen as non-normative economic actors. This form of Islamophobia, Dolan stated, builds on Orientalist theory that deepened during the Cold War, and labels Muslims as a security threat to the Western financial system in need of economic and political discipline. Adding to the existing work of scholars such as Deepa Kumar, Moustafa Bayoumi, and Mahmood Mamdani, Dolan and his co-author Zaynab Quadri aim to explore this strand of Islamophobia by tracing the transnational political economies in which both the flow of global capital and people are simultaneously curtailed.

Muneeza Rizvi highlighted contestations over the Palestinian struggle being characterized as an “Islamic issue.” She focused on voices that, on one hand, are critical of the orientalist accounts that portray the creation of Israel as a feud between Muslims and Jews, and on the other, suggest that the designation “Islamic” necessarily excludes other analytical framings of the issue, such as settler colonialism. Rizvi argued that secular assumptions about politics and religion structure these colloquial debates, as well as parallel academic trajectories within Middle East Studies.Farid Hafez directed the discussion toward the geopolitics of Islamophobia and stated that the notion of political Islam has been used by centrist governments in Europe to exclude Muslims from the public sphere, silence critical voices, and crack down on Muslim communities. This discourse is an extension of the narrative on countering extremism and the global war on terror. Hafez aims to study how attempts to silence Muslims transcends beyond the West. Using a geopolitical lens, he will look into UAE’s attempts to shape the discourse on domesticating Muslims in Europe and US and into pro-Israeli interest in cracking down on Muslim political agency in the West. He will try to draw linkages and differences between these practices and Islamophobia in Europe.Abdullah Arian shared Sanober Umar’s thoughts on race-making and religion in colonial and post-colonial India. The participants were encouraged to deliberate over issues such as; prevailing colonial attitudes towards Islam in India, the use of religion to differentiate between Hindus and Muslims as separate “races” and the viewing of Muslims as being dangerous and barbaric compared to Hindus who could be co-opted into the British colonial system.The participants will take the constructive feedback their abstracts received and begin writing draft papers, which will be circulated among the group before the second working group meeting. At the subsequent meeting, scholars will critique each other’s papers and provide in-depth commentary.

To view the working group agenda, click here

To read the participants’ biographies, click here

Read more about this research initiative

Participants and Discussants:

Abdullah Al-Arian, Georgetown University in Qatar

Ali Alsmadi, Indiana University Bloomington, US

Zahra Babar, CIRS – Georgetown University in Qatar

Misba Bhatti, CIRS – Georgetown University in Qatar

Oli Charbonneau, University of Glasgow

Thomas Simsarian Dolan, American University in Cairo

Valentin Duquetis, University of Texas at Austin

Shereen Fernandez, London School of Economics and Political Science

Farid Hafez, Georgetown University

Hafsa Kanjwalis, Lafayette College

Suzi Mirgani, CIRS – Georgetown University in Qatar

Anne Norton, University of Pennsylvania

Firat Oruc, Georgetown University in Qatar

Zaynab Quadri, Ohio State University

Muneeza Rizvi, University of California, Berkeley

Salman Sayyid, University of Leeds

Sanober Umar, York University

Elizabeth Wanucha, CIRS – Georgetown University Qatar

Karine Walther, Georgetown University in Qatar

Clyde Wilcox, Georgetown University in Qatar

Article by Misba Bhatti, Research Analyst at CIRS

CURA Workshop: Writing Women into Wikipedia: Information Creation and Peer Review
2022-08-11 13:00 - 2022-08-18 15:00 (Europe/Moscow) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
On August 11 and 18, 2022, CIRS hosted a two-part workshop for undergraduate students titled, “Writing Women into Wikipedia: Information Creation and Peer Review.” The workshop was offered under the CIRS Undergraduate Research Advancement (CURA) Program, and was co-led by GU-Q Faculty Professor Phoebe Musandu, and Paschalia Terzi, GU-Q Librarian.

This workshop taught me to create and edit the websites, but also learn to respect other works as well by giving valuable and reasonable feedback while making the necessary edits/suggestions. Throughout this process, I got to further develop my research skills, especially when you need to find out an information about someone who is not well known in online platforms when you try researching in English.
– Nafisa Sagdullaeva, GU-Q Class of 2026

Over the course of two days, 15 Georgetown University in Qatar and Northwestern University in Qatar students learned about the information creation and peer review process using Wikipedia articles as a model. The workshop was adapted by Terzi from a recent project report published in the Journal of Information Literacy (Thomas, Jones & Mattingly, 2021). Professor Musandu opened the workshop with a presentation contextualizing the themes and goals of the workshop in the bigger picture of the bias that is presented in Wikipedia. Her presentation highlighted the importance of analyzing information sources to determine whose voices are represented, and whose are being left out.

Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that relies on a community of editors to create, revise, and remove articles from the website based on Wikipedia’s policies and guidelines. It is a common misperception that anyone can write or edit anything on Wikipedia at any time without oversight. While this is true to an extent, what is often not known is that every article and edit is reviewed by experienced Wikipedia editors who will remove the edits or article itself if found to be outside of Wikipedia’s policies and guidelines. Information presented in Wikipedia articles should be from a neutral point of view, verifiable, and not original research.

Professor Musandu explained how bias enters into Wikipedia – evidenced not only in the authors and subjects of articles, but also within the community of editors. Since Wikipedia’s guidelines require all information in articles to be verifiable, only secondary sources may be used to source articles. Professor Musandu explained why this can be an issue – authors of secondary sources may insert their own biases into their work, which is then replicated in the Wikipedia article. Secondary sources reflect the social norms, mores, and values that were evident at the time of writing, thus perpetuating the biases through generations.

I learnt how I can critically review the articles posted on Wikipedia, and post my own and ultimately become a Wikipedian.
– Zarrish Ahmed, GU-Q Class of 2026

In this workshop, students focused on the underrepresentation of women in the world of Wikipedia. Regarding the content of Wikipedia itself, women are underrepresented in articles. Within articles themselves, how women are represented is often very narrow and reduced to their role in relationship to a male, or relegated to matters of social and purely feminine affairs, advancing unhelpful stereotypes. For example, in the Wikipedia article “Women in Qatar,” the first sentence is “Women’s rights in Qatar are restricted by the country’s male guardianship law and influenced by the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam” (Wikipedia, 2022).

Women are also underrepresented in the community of Wikipedia editors. In addition to the fewer number of women editors, Shane-Simpson and Gillespie-Lynch (2017) suggest five reasons for the gender gap, including the inclination of women to discuss more and edit content less, perception and interaction with other editors, and gender issues in quantity of leisure time available. This is why the workshop focused specifically on women and Wikipedia. It is the hope of the facilitators that students will choose to become Wikipedia editors themselves.

After the presentation, students worked in groups to write articles about Qatari women in the fields of politics, science, education, art, and business. During the second session on August 18, the facilitators gave each group the article of another group in an anonymous manner to review in a peer review exercise. At the end of the two-part Workshop, students had the opportunity to publish their articles and engage with the global community of Wikipedia editors on their biographical contributions. As Anupa Khanal, GU-Q class of 2026 stated after the workshop, “I would like to devote more time on writing articles on women who are unrepresented and also work on peer reviews.”

Watch a video of the presentation by Professor Phoebe Musandu and Paschalia Terzi here.

Article by Elizabeth Wanucha, CIRS Operations Manager

Football in the Middle East: State, Society, and the Beautiful Game
2022-08-15 18:00 - 19:30 (Asia/Qatar) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
A tour d’horizon exploring how the world’s best-loved game is affecting people, societies and governments across the region.

Far and away the most popular sport in the world, football has a special place in Middle Eastern societies, and for Middle Eastern states. With Qatar hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, this region has been cast into the global footballing spotlight, raising issues of geopolitical competition, consumer culture and social justice.

Panelists: Zahra Babar (Center for International and Regional Studies at Georgetown University in Qatar), Ross Griffin (Qatar University), Craig LaMay (Northwestern University in Qatar), and Danyel Reiche (Georgetown University in Qatar)

Moderator: Abdullah Al-Arian (Georgetown University in Qatar)

Location: 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum

The World Cup and Women's Empowerment in Qatar
2022-08-29 18:00 - 19:00 (Europe/Moscow) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
In 2010, Qatar was chosen to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Only two years later in 2012, the first Qatari woman competed in the Olympic Games. This panel discussion will look at the impact of hosting the first World Cup in the Middle East on women’s participation in sports, as well as their rights and lived experiences in the country.

Panelists: Zarqa Parvez Abdullah (Georgetown University in Qatar), Afraa Al-Noaimi (Josoor Institute), Susan Dun (Northwestern University in Qatar)

Moderator: Danyel Reiche (Georgetown University in Qatar)

Location: CIRS Conference Room, Georgetown University in Qatar

Affects of Energy Transition Working Group II
2022-09-05 08:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Moscow) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
On September 5, 2022, the Center for International and Regional Studies held a second working group under its research initiative on Energy Humanities. The meeting was organized as a hybrid event, which allowed for both in-person and virtual participation. The convened scholars received critical feedback and commentary on the draft chapters that they had submitted prior to the meeting.

Animesh Chatterjee initiated the discussion with his paper titled, “Everyday Experiences of Energy in Colonial Calcutta’s Domestic Spheres, c. 1875-1940s.” He explained that in late-nineteenth and early twentieth century Calcutta, appeared in Calcutta as both a source of illumination in public and domestic spaces, and as a complex metaphor in the intellectual articulations of contemporary social and political thoughts. Using the metaphor of braiding, Chatterjee’s article provides a contemporary recollection of colonial and nationalist debates over electric use in domestic and public spaces and looks at ways in which historical narratives influence these affective engagements. The paper examines and analyzes differing positions of address and representations of electricity both as a symbol of material and cultural progress, and as a symbol of “Western” modernity and material culture harmful to the Bengali individual, family, and society. Overall, the paper highlights how electricity accentuated heterogenous views on modernity, nationalism, and culture within Bengali society.

Ewan Gibbs then led a discussion on his paper, “Lives in Energy: Understanding Testimonies from Britain’s Coal, Power, and Oil Sectors.” Gibbs argued that across various energy sectors, including coal, oil, gas, and nuclear, workers engaged in energy generation have a common view of their centrality to the British economy but also share a sense of invisibility in dominant public debates. These trends have magnified through the privatization of electricity since the 1990s, concurrent with the broader impacts of deindustrialization, which have left skilled manual workers peripheral to Britain’s economic imaginary. This paper addresses the role of labor in energy histories using worker testimonies collected in life-story oral histories from Scotland, England, and Wales. Gibbs aims to shed light on workplace experiences since the middle of the twentieth century, a period marked by major changes in Britain’s energy economy including the building of large new power stations under public ownership, the contracting significance of coal mining and burning, and the beginning and maturing of new form of generation including North Sea oil and gas extraction and the nuclear project. His paper assesses how workers in varied energy sectors constructed their relationship to their workplace and locality and dealt with the contradictory affective dimensions of place attachment.

Anne Pasek shifted the discussion to contemporary energy affects with her paper, “Unalienating Carbon: Affect and Labor in Emerging Carbon Sequestration Markets’ Theories of Value.” Her article looks at the process of carbon removal, particularly in the biochar and regenerative agriculture communities. Using the framework of affect and work Pasek argues that carbon removal in these industries is effortful, manual, and impactful. Through their labor, practitioners not only bring tangible changes in the landscapes and materials they work with but are themselves affected by the work they do to intervene in the climate system. Using the documentary media produced about the artisanal communities, as the source material, Pasek’s paper explains how affect plays a central role in both driving and sustaining the work done by these communities and how it shapes their apprehensions and relations to the carbon cycle.

Victoria Googasian then discussed her paper titled, “Infrastructural Character: Space Opera’s Energetic Imaginary.” Using three space operas examples–Star Trek Discovery, Dune, and Nova–as case studies, Googasian’s paper explores how these texts diverge from the genre’s tropes of endless imperial expansion and human power over material environments. These novels imagine human futures that depend on vast reserves of energy, but they depict characters who are materially embedded in their energy systems and are characterized by embodied vulnerability. The three texts are used to further examine the role of these infrastructural characters during the energy transitions taking place in these literary works.

The participants will revise their draft papers based on the feedback received during the discussions. CIRS will work with the faculty leads of the project, Professors Firat Oruc, Trish Kahle, and Victoria Googasian to submit the final for publication as a journal special issue.

To view the working group agenda, click here

To read the participants’ biographies, click here

Read more about this research initiative

Participants and Discussants:

Zahra Babar, CIRS – Georgetown University in Qatar

Misba Bhatti, CIRS – Georgetown University in Qatar

Animesh Chatterjee, Technische Universität Darmstadt

Ewan Gibbs, University of Glasgow

Vicky Googasian, Georgetown University in Qatar

Trish Kahle, Georgetown University in Qatar

Suzi Mirgani, CIRS – Georgetown University in Qatar

Firat Oruc, Georgetown University in Qatar

Anne Pasek, Trent University

Elizabeth Wanucha, CIRS – Georgetown University Qatar

Article by Misba Bhatti, Research Analyst at CIRS

Football and the State in the Middle East
2022-09-13 18:00 - 19:00 (Europe/Moscow) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
This panel discussion was the second event being hosted to highlight the research conducted under CIRS project Football in the Middle East, the outcome of which is a new book edited by Professor Abdullah Al-Arian published by Hurst/Oxford University Press. The panel looks at how football is affecting states, governments, and societies across the region.

Moderator: Suzi Mirgani (Center for International and Regional Studies at Georgetown University in Qatar)

Panelists: Niki Akhavan (The Catholic University of America), Craig LaMay (Northwestern University in Qatar), and Abdullah Al-Arian (Georgetown University in Qatar)

Location: CIRS Conference Room, Georgetown University in Qatar

Russian Foreign Policy Towards the Middle East
2022-09-21 18:00 - 19:00 (Europe/Moscow) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
Moderated by GUQ Professor Mehran Kamrava, the event discusses Russia’s motives in the Middle East, examining its growing role in the region and its efforts to defend its national interests. The discussion addresses both domestic and external drivers of Moscow’s foreign policy, tracing the historical evolution of Russia’s presence in the region within the last 30 years.

Speaker: Nikolay Kozhanov – Qatar University

Location: CIRS Conference Room, Georgetown University in Qatar

Qatar’s World Cup Goals: Moving from the Periphery to the Center Working Group II
2022-09-25 08:00 - 2022-09-26 17:00 (Europe/Moscow) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
On September 25 and 26, 2022, the Center for International and Regional Studies held the second working group under its research initiative, “Qatar’s World Cup Goals: Moving from the Periphery to the Center.” The meeting convened regional and international scholars who discussed their draft papers and received extensive feedback for revisions. The topics discussed at the meeting included Qatar Airways sponsorships, Paris Saint Germain and national identity, the World Cup and efforts to promote a healthy lifestyle in Qatar, Corporate Social Responsibility, the blockade of 2017, COVID-19 preparedness, and Qatar’s foreign policy in relation to the World Cup 2022.

Danyel Reiche initiated the discussion with his chapter, “The Perception of Qatar Airways Sponsorships in Major European Football Clubs.” Reiche’s paper analyzed Qatar Airways’ sponsorships of three major European football clubs: FC Barcelona, FC Bayern Munich, and FC Paris Saint-Germain, and discussed how sponsorship arrangements have been perceived by different stakeholders in the three clubs. Outlining Qatar Airways’ sports sponsorship portfolio, Reiche argued that over the years Qatar’s standing has become stronger at the elite levels of European football but more work needs to be done at the grassroots level. The chapter provides deeper insight into why these sponsorships were and remain controversial, and whether Qatar has used these sports sponsorships effectively to gain soft power.

Andreas Flouris’s chapter addresses whether being awarded the World Cup has prompted Qatar to focus on policies and programs to support a healthy lifestyle in the country. In his chapter, “The 2022 FIFA World Cup and the Quest for Healthy Living in Qatar,” Flouris suggests that while the World Cup has led to economic and infrastructural development in the country, it remains to be seen whether the initiatives carried out as part of the World Cup preparation will have a longer-term impact on the adoption of a healthy lifestyle by the population.

Continuing the discussion on health-related issues, Kamilla Swart briefly updated the group on her chapter which will be examining the World Cup 2022 and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Her paper will look at other mega sporting events hosted by Qatar during the pandemic, and how these supported Qatar’s efforts to deliver a safe and secure World Cup in 2022.

Ross Griffin’s chapter, “Identity Matters: Qatar, QSI, and Paris Saint-Germain” focuses on Qatari national identity expressed through the ownership of the French football club. Ross argues that after its purchase by Qatar Sports Investments in 2011, Paris Saint German was transformed into one of the most glamorous football clubs in the world, with high levels of success. Ross states that there is a significant absence of academic work on Qatar’s motivations in purchasing PSG, and how ownership of the club has enabled the state to engage in national identity performance on the global stage. In his chapter, Ross examines the forms of national identity that Qatar is performing through its ownership of PSG, how this identity is performed, and why PSG serves as the desired medium for performing this identity.

Uday Chandra and Aisha Al-Kuwari’s chapter, “Popular Culture and the World Cup,” focuses on football fandom and popular culture in Doha. Using vernacular sources and interviews they argue that the evolution of football fandom in Doha can be best understood through historic neighborhood clubs, known as furjan, and through the culture of football spectatorship in the Qatari majaalis. The paper’s secondary intervention is in its highlighting of the voices of the migrant communities present in Doha, their expressions of inclusion and participation in the World Cup, as well as their broader forms of patriotism to the country. By bringing both the citizen and migrant dimensions together, this contribution explores how local popular culture in Doha shapes and is shaped by the World Cup.

The next session was led by Irene Theodoropoulou on her chapter, “Good Things Come from Small Places: Communicating Qatar to World Cup Tourists.” The paper examines the discursive and linguistic means through which the World Cup 2022 is communicated to the world. Theodoropoulou detailed the three phases of the communication strategy, “Expect Amazing”, “Deliver Amazing”, and “Now is All.” She argued that Qatar has employed the three phases not only to tackle the negative image but also to put itself on the global tourist map, to rebrand itself, and to establish tourism as one of its basic revenue sectors post World Cup in order to diversify its economy.

Sebastian Sons paper, “Creating Sports Humanitarianism: The Nexus of Qatar’s Development Assistance and Sport,” analyzed Qatar’s efforts to link its humanitarian aid policy with sports. Sons stated that Qatar has emerged as a relevant provider of development assistance in recent years, and has made sport an integral part of its developmental aid. In doing so, Qatar has aimed to present itself as a promoter of humanitarianism, physical activity, and a healthy lifestyle. It also seeks to compete with regional neighbors such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which are also following a similar policy in terms of sports development. Sons paper focuses on Qatar’s developmental policy and its close interlinkages with sport, and aims to contribute to the academic discussion on sport as a driver for development.

Paul Brannagan led a session discussion on “Soft Power as ‘Beauty, Brilliance, Benignity’: the Case of the Aspire Zone Elite Sports.” Brannagan’s paper aims to provide an analysis of Qatar’s state-of-the-art elite sports complex, Aspire Zone. Using the lens of ‘beauty’, ‘brilliance’ and ‘benignity,’ he discussed how this elite athlete complex generates soft power for Qatar so far and will add to it post World Cup ear. Building on previous academic works on Aspire Zone, the paper examines how Qatar has used soft power to carve out an attractive global profile in global sports.

Kathy Babiak’s paper, “FIFA World Cup 2022: The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility as a Vehicle for Qatar’s Development Goals,” looked at the CSR of the key stakeholders responsible for organizing the World Cup in Qatar. Babiak discussed the concept of CSR and its link to firm strategy and national development. She argued that sport has been used to drive broader strategic development goals by all types of businesses, rights holders, organizing committees, sports organizations, and nations around the world. International sports governing bodies such as FIFA, sports sponsors, and other interested parties have amplified the global business of sports and have used the power of sports to influence positive social change. Babiak’s contribution will aim to examine and better understand how CSR is enacted by local and international stakeholders of mega events such as the World Cup, and how it can help to advance social change and position firms, sports organizations, and even host countries as positive agents of social impact.

Hissa Al-Kubaisi shifted the discussion to Qatar’s foreign policy with her paper, “The World Cup and Shifts in Qatar’s Foreign Policy.” Al-Kubaisi stated that the academic literature on small states claims that a change in leadership does not have an effect on the foreign policies of small states. She argued against this concept and specified that in the case of Qatar there was a strong shift in foreign policy after 2010 which can be associated with two events, the awarding of hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022 in 2010 and the change in leadership in 2013. The paper will examine how, following a change in leadership in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup 2022, Qatar’s foreign policy has shifted to and is now based on mediation and diplomacy, which is more aligned with the values of the World Cup.

The working group discussion was brought to a close by Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, who presented his paper, “Qatar: Between the Blockade and the World Cup?” Ulrichen’s chapter looked at the 2017 blockade of Qatar by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Egypt and examined how the blockade affected Qatar’s preparations for the World Cup. He analyzed the steps that were undertaken by policymakers in Qatar to overcome the domestic, regional, and international challenges that arose in and after 2017. Outlining the aspects of the blockade and the ways it intersected with the World Cup preparations, the paper explores issue of political risk and the climate of uncertainty created by the blockading states and the measures that were implemented to strengthen Qatar’s domestic resilience and to solidify its regional and international partnerships. Finally, it looks at the legacy of the blockade and the twelve-year-long World Cup preparations.

The contributors will revise their paper drafts based on the feedback received. CIRS will gather the final chapter submissions into an edited volume to be published by a university press.

To view the working group agenda, click here

To read the participants’ biographies, click here

Read more about this research initiative

Participants and Discussants:

Aisha Al Kuwari, Georgetown University in Qatar

Hissa Al Kubaisi, Georgetown University in Qatar

Zahra Babar, CIRS – Georgetown University in Qatar

Kathy Babiak, University of Michigan

Misba Bhatti, CIRS – Georgetown University in Qatar

Paul Brannagan, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK

Susan Dun, Northwestern University in Qatar

Uday Chandra, Georgetown University in Qatar

Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Rice University

Andreas Flouris, University of Ottawa

Ross Griffin, Qatar University

Craig LaMay, Northwestern University in Qatar

Suzi Mirgani, CIRS – Georgetown University in Qatar

Anne Nebel, Georgetown University in Qatar

Zarqa Parvez, Georgetown University in Qatar

Danyel Reiche, Georgetown University in Qatar

Sebastian Sons, Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient (CARPO)

Kamilla Swart, Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU)

Irene Theodoropoulou, Qatar University

Elizabeth Wanucha, CIRS – Georgetown University Qatar

Clyde Wilcox, Georgetown University in Qatar

Article by Misba Bhatti, Research Analyst at CIRS

CIRS Lunch Talk: The Beautiful Game in America
2022-10-16 13:00 - 14:00 (Asia/Qatar) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
Speaker: Andrew Guest (University of Portland in Oregon USA)

Moderator: Danyel Reiche (Georgetown University in Qatar)

Location: CIRS Conference Room, Georgetown University in Qatar

Energy and the World Cup
2022-10-17 18:00 - 19:30 (Europe/Moscow) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
This special panel is hosted as part of CIRS and GUQ’s research focus on Qatar and the FIFA World Cup 2022, and addresses issues related to energy and the hosting of the tournament. In this panel, we consider what lessons and avenues the World Cup 2022 offers for the energy humanities in the Gulf region and beyond. How does this event and its legacy speak to the issue of mega-event infrastructures and energy culture?

Moderators: Firat Oruc and Victoria Googasian (Georgetown University in Qatar)

Panelists: Danyel Reiche (Georgetown University in Qatar), Gokce Gunel (Rice University), and Laurent Lambert (Doha Institute for Graduate Studies)

Location: CIRS Conference Room, Georgetown University in Qatar

UNDP Human Development Report 2021/2022
2022-10-18 18:00 - 19:00 (Europe/Moscow) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
This panel is the country launch for the 2021-2022 UNDP Human Development Report. The report authors will discuss how to understand and navigate today’s uncertainty complex as explored in the report – driven by the Anthropocene, by purposeful societal transformation, and by intensifying polarization. Distinguished panelists will reflect on the report’s implications for Qatar, the broader region, and the world.

Opening Remarks: H.E. Dr. Saleh bin Mohammad Al Nabit (Planning and Statistics Authority)

Panelists: Dr. Safwan Masri (Dean of Georgetown University in Qatar), Pedro Conceição (United Nations Development Program), Sheikha Hanouf Abdulrahman N. J. Al-Thani (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Dr. Mohamed Eskandar Shah (Hamad bin Khalifa University)

Moderators: Biplove Chaudhary (United Nations Development Program) and Zahra Babar (Center for International and Regional Studies at Georgetown University in Qatar)

Location: CIRS Conference Room, Georgetown University in Qatar

A World Cup for Qatar or the Middle East?
2022-10-24 18:00 - 20:00 (Europe/Moscow) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
In 2010, Qatar won the bid to become the first ever Middle Eastern and Arab country to host a FIFA World Cup. Even though all 32 teams will be hosted in Qatar and all 64 games will be played in local stadiums, the state is emphasizing the broader regional character of the event. Join us for a panel discussion on the tournament’s impact on neighboring countries and its effect on regional relations.

Moderator: Suzi Mirgani (Center for International and Regional Studies at Georgetown University in Qatar)

Panelists: Danyel Reiche (Georgetown University in Qatar), Hissa Al-Kubaisi (Georgetown University in Qatar – Alumna), Irene Theodoropoulou (Qatar University)

Location: CIRS Conference Room, Georgetown University in Qatar

CURA Research Presentation "The Image World of Qatar 2022: Visual Representations of the World Cup 2022"
2022-10-26 08:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Moscow) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
On October 26, 2022, six students from the “Film and Visual Culture in the Gulf” class with GU-Q professor Firat Oruc, presented their analyses of visual representations of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Shaikha Al Obaidan (class of ’23), Maryam Al Thani (class of ’23), John Carlos Burog (class of ’25), Rodolfo Munoz Cardenas (class of ’23), Meryam Hashmi (class of ’25) and Iman Saif (class of ’24) analyzed Swedish-Moroccan producer, RedOne’s, music videos for the three FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 songs: “Arhbo,” “Hayya, Hayya (Better Together),” and “Light the Sky;” the official mascot, La’eeb; the official emblem; and the official poster of the tournament. Each visual representation was analyzed according to three facets: cultural encounter; gender; and space, time & world.

Across all facets of analysis, several themes emerged from these visual representations as highlighted by each student presenter. Themes of East-West hybridity, bringing the world together in one space (Qatar), unity in diversity, convergence, tradition juxtaposed with modernity, the rise of Qatar on the global stage, and gender.

A careful review of the music videos accompanying the official FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 songs reveals many of the themes noted above. Shaikha provided cultural encounter commentary on the music video for the “Arhbo” song and noted how the video highlights the themes of East-West hybridity, and bringing the world together in one space. One of the singers, Gims, is himself “hybrid” in that he is both Congolese and French. RedOne, the producer of the songs who also features in the video, is Moroccan-Swedish. The imagery of the video depicts people from all different nationalities, and the lyrics are in Spanish, English, French, and the Qatari dialect of Arabic. One repeated verse includes the lyrics “east to west.” “Arhbo’s” space, time, and world facets refer to Qatar as the space where people from around the world will come together. The video takes place in a bus, living room, and stadium – all places where people gather.

In his analysis of the “Hayya, Hayya (Better Together)” music video, John touched on the themes of hybridity, unity in diversity, convergence, and gender. As cultural encounter, the video’s setting juxtaposes the iconography of the desert with the liveliness of the singers and dancers. The singer, Aisha, is filmed on a beach at the point of convergence of two bodies of water with the Doha skyline in the background. John remarks that this scene symbolizes Qatar and the multicultural forces that will impact Qatar, the new ideas and new people that the global attention of the World Cup in Qatar will bring.

In the “Hayya, Hayya (Better Together)” music video, John also highlights the theme of gender. In the scenes of Aisha singing, she is in white, symbolizing modernity, and is surrounded by women in tribal black dress, symbolizing tradition, playing traditional instruments. Additionally, there is a snapshot of women weaving on shore as men prepare to enter the sea to fish or pearl. This depicts the roles of men and women in traditional Qatari society.

The final music video for the song “Light the Sky” provides imagery relating to gender in particular, according to Rodolfo. This music video highlights women – all the singers are women, and the first women FIFA referees are also literally spotlighted. Rodolfo provided a critique of this choice of imagery, arguing that the spotlights isolate the women against the dark stadium as the background, which undermines the idea of women being empowered. The imagery shows the female FIFA referees as isolated, alone, and separate from the game, the fans, and the players.

Under the facet of space, time, and world, the “Light the Sky” video imagery also undermines the idea of women’s empowerment, according to Rodolfo, in that it is filmed in front of Al Thumama stadium, which is designed by a Qatari male architect and visually represents the gahfiya cap, which is part of Muslim Arab boy’s and men’s dress. From a women’s empowerment perspective, it would have been more appropriate to film the video at Al Janoub stadium, the only Qatar 2022 stadium designed by a female architect, Zaha Hadid. One can imagine the choice decision-makers had to make between the only Qatar 2022 stadium designed by a Qatari (Al Thumama stadium), and the only one designed by a woman (Al Janoub).

La’eeb is the official mascot of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Shaikha presented her analysis of him under the facets of cultural encounter, and Maryam A. provided commentary under the facet of space, time, and world. In a promotional video introducing La’eeb, he is depicted as coming from a parallel multiverse of mascots. In the video, La’eeb is shown breaking into our world. Shaikha and Maryam A. both note that this emergence narrative relates to Qatar’s emergence onto the world stage, and the two parallel worlds reflect the East-West hybridity of the football world. Maryam A. reflects on La’eeb’s retelling of what football is all about, reclaiming the mascots’ version of the story. This parallels Qatar’s own reclaiming of football as a part of its cultural heritage, not a new phenomenon as has often been argued in the lead up to the FIFA World Cup 2022.

Meryam H. provided her analysis of the official emblem of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 under the facets of cultural encounter and space, time and world. The official emblem represents a traditional woolen shawl people in the region often wear in winter. It includes traditional Qatari floral patterns in the burgundy national color of Qatar. The emblem also features diacritic from Arabic script. Meryam H. sees it as a symbol of Middle Eastern culture, and also something that everyone can relate to as it is in the shape of the FIFA trophy. The emblem also features a large amount of blank space, suggesting the viewer is free to fill it in with their own cultural connections. The shape of the emblem also resembles the infinity loop shape. Time has been crucial to Qatar’s preparations for the 2022 World Cup, and countdown clocks feature prominently throughout the city. The final phase of Qatar’s preparations is called “Now is All,” which is seen throughout the city on billboards, buses, overpasses, advertisements, and more.

Iman commented on the visual representation of the official posters for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Her analysis focuses on the area of space, time, & world. The posters were designed by a Qatari female graduate of the Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar (VCU-Q) school of art and design, Buthayna Al Muftah. The striking posters were revealed at the Hamad International Airport, which Iman notes is the space where all people meet before entering Qatar. The airport is a space of diversity, symbolizing how the World Cup in Qatar is meant to be a space for everyone.

The background of the official posters depicts the beach and sand dunes of Qatar. Sand and water are important to Qatar. The posters in combination with the other visual representations show that while Qatar has embraced the city’s bright lights, the desert is also important and harmonizes in a way with the city. In relation to time, Iman suggests that the piece of headwear that is depicted in the posters, the khudra, has been a traditional piece of clothing throughout the centuries. It is the same whether the person wears it in a formal event, or at home with friends. It is a simple garment that has stayed the same throughout history and is the same in whatever context in which it is worn. Similarly, football is a universal sport that is the same across the globe.

Article by Elizabeth Wanucha, CIRS Operations Manager

A Century of Football in the Middle East
2022-11-07 18:00 - 19:30 (Europe/Moscow) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
In this Webinar, the panelists offer a historical perspective of football in the Middle East.

Moderator: Abdullah Al-Arian (Georgetown University in Qatar)

Panelists: Simon Chadwick (Skema Business School in Paris), Ibrahim Elhoudaiby (Bard College),Yağmur Nuhrat (Bilgi University), Maher Mezahi (Football Journalist), and Zahra Babar (Center for International and Regional Studies at Georgetown University in Qatar)

Russian Foreign Policy Towards the Middle East
2022-11-09 18:00 - 19:30 (Europe/Moscow) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
The panel discuses the motives behind Moscow’s behavior in the Middle East, considering Russia’s growing role in the region and its desire to protect national interests using a wide array of means. The panel considers Russian involvement in the Middle East from several points and analyze global geopolitical risks affecting Russia’s Middle Eastern strategy and internal drivers determining Moscow’s behavior in the region. Special attention is paid to the question of Russian foreign policy toward the Middle East being based on the principle of continuity. The panelists discuss how Moscow’s vision of its priorities in the Middle East differs from that of the Soviet Union and how the drivers of the Russian presence in the region evolved after 1991.

Moderator: Nikolay Kozhanov (Qatar University)

Panelists: Roy Allison (University of Oxford), Leonid Issaev (HSE University), Mark Katz (George Mason University).

POMEPS-CIRS Politics of Sports in the Middle East Workshop
2023-01-14 08:00 - 2023-01-15 17:00 (Asia/Qatar) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
On January 14 and 15, 2023, the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) at Georgetown University in Qatar, in collaboration with the Project on Middle East Politics (POMEPS) convened a two-day closed-door workshop to explore and study the complex relationship between politics and sports in the Middle East. During the meeting invited regional and international scholars presented short papers and received feedback from the group. Some of the themes under discussion included football and national identity, sports washing, political mobilizations, gender and sports, global capital, and stadium dynamics, among others.

Over the two days, the convened scholars discussed various converging themes and topics associated with the political dynamics of football performance, spectatorship, sponsorships, and hosting of events. Starting the discussion with the rise of disinformation and the use of bots in digital technology and social media for purposes of propaganda, it was debated that football, with its global and often emotional fanbase, worldwide popularity, and capital-heavy investment opportunities, is also a key area for competing narratives. News shared on social media around sporting events has become another avenue for the regional rivalry of gulf regimes and the construction of reputations in the international arena. The participants also discussed and questioned the myriad reasons behind the gulf states’ heavy sports investments. It was stated that prestige building, sports washing, and projection of soft power were the main factors of this investment strategy. The role of football in national identity preservation in the Arab world and the politicization of the sport in countries such as Morocco, Egypt, and Palestine were also examined and discussed.

Ultras have a history of using football to develop new tools of political mobilization. This is particularly true for Cairo ultras who were active in mobilizing against the Mubarak regime. The participants explored the connection between aesthetics and politics by looking at Egypt’s football ultras movements. The discussion was then shifted to the role of privatization of football clubs in Egypt and the lack of investors’ interest in the Egyptian football industry. It was argued that structural problems in the Egyptian economy were the main reason behind the lack of investors and availability of funding for football clubs.

The use of football to construct and contest national identity in Palestine and Iran was also a topic of discussion at the meeting. In the first case, it has been utilized to shape and represent the national identity by the Palestinians, whereas in the latter it is the tool through which non-Persian-speaking minorities express their Azeri nationalistic narrative in Iran. Continuing the debate on Iran the group next looked at how various spaces have been used by certain political actors to bypass the ban on women’s entry to football stadiums in Iran. One such arena has been the movie theaters that allow female spectators to the screenings of football matches. Shifting the focus to Turkey, it was maintained that football has been used by authoritarian regimes to build political support. This in turn has paved the way for the politicization of the football industry in Turkey and the mobilization of football fans to publicly express their dissent against these regimes. The discussion was brought to a close by exploring how Islamist movements in the Middle East namely, Saudi Arabia, Iran, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Hezbollah, deal with football. It was stated that in order to avoid alienating the region’s youth a profound cultural adjustment process has been initiated in many countries apart from Iran.

The organizers thanked the participants for their contribution to the robust and productive discussions. Participants will make revisions to their papers based on the feedback received. The collection will be co-edited by POMEPS and CIRS and jointly published in POMEPS Studies Journal in the near future.

To view the working group agenda, click here

To read the participants’ biographies, click here

Participants and Discussants:

Majd Abuamer, Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies

Abdullah Al-Arian, Georgetown University Qatar

Zahra Babar, CIRS – Georgetown University Qatar

Misba Bhatti, CIRS – Georgetown University Qatar

Ronnie Close, American University in Cairo.

Eman Demerdash, Ph.D. candidate Cairo University

Saleh Elghamrawi, American University of Cairo.

Sami Hermez, Northwestern University in Qatar

Marc Owen Jones, Hamad bin Khalifa University in Doha, Qatar

Ehsan Kashfi, University of Alberta

Marc Lynch, The George Washington University

Yara Nassar, Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies

Suzi Mirgani, CIRS – Georgetown University Qatar

Ibrahim S.I. Rabaia, Palestinian Research Center

Danyel Reiche, Georgetown University Qatar

Curtis Ryan, Appalachian State University- North Carolina

Sefa Secen, Ohio State University.

Nazanin Shahrokni, London School of Economics

Dag Tuastad, University of Oslo.

Elizabeth Wanucha, CIRS – Georgetown University Qatar

Article by Misba Bhatti, Research Analyst at CIRS

The Evolution of African Regional Organizations Working Group I
2023-01-29 08:00 - 2023-01-30 17:00 (Europe/Moscow) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
On January 29 and 30, 2023, the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) at Georgetown University Qatar held a book manuscript workshop under its project, “The Evolution of African Regional Organizations.” Several international and regional scholars were invited to present their papers on various African Regional Organizations (ROs) operational on the African continent. During the meeting, they discussed various issues such as regionalism, African voices, and problems, gender, colonial legacies, Pan-Arabism, and Pan-Africanism and received extensive and in-depth commentary from the group.

The initial discussion was initiated by Lynda Iroulo, with her paper, “From the Organization of African Unity to the African Union.” She outlined the transition of the African Union (AU) from the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and argued that the Pan-African solidarity norm is a double-edged for the AU. Iroulo highlighted that while solidarity norms were at the heart and center of AU and bound the members together, it was also detrimental to them. Thus, she argued it is important for the organization’s future to not only continue on the solidarity path but to strengthen and advance it to other levels of interaction that would bridge the gap between talk and action.

Densua Mumford, then discussed the issues related to the “Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).” Providing a comprehensive analysis of ECOWAS, she argued that since its establishment in 1975, the regional organization has had a complex history of innovation and triumph, inertia and tragedy. She examined the primary aims of the political leaders and bureaucrats steering the ECOWAS, the regional organization’s fragile relationship with West African citizens, and its inventive institutional changes over time. Her paper aims to study these various interactions in light of the shifting global and regional political-economic landscapes.

The focus of the discussion was then shifted to Afro-Arab relations, with a paper on “Evolution of the Afro-Arab Region and the Creation of the Arab League,” by Ahmed Salem & Mohamed Ashour. They began by explaining the inclusion of the Arab League and its importance within the African ROs. Outlining the relevance of the Arab League to the African continent they argued that Afrabia is an integral part of Africa and the pan-African concept of unity. They discussed the league’s history, background, and functions and analyzed the league’s past and present contributions to African-Arab cooperation on the continent and on the global scale.

Shifting the focus back to regional ROs Donnet-Rose Odhiambo and Christopher Otieno presented their paper on “Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).” Established in 1996 as a successor to Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD), IGAD changed its mandate from focusing on droughts and other natural disasters to promoting and maintaining peace and security in the region. Tracing this transformation, they looked at IGAD’s political role in conflict management and examined the international community’s role in its establishment. They argue that this change in its mandate enabled its robust reemergence as a legitimate regional actor in Eastern Africa.

William Arrey then presented his chapter on “Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).” Tracing the historical development and the goals and functions of the RO, Arrey stated that ECCAS was created to promote and strengthen harmonious cooperation and self-sustained economic development of the Central African Sub-region. These economic objectives were revitalized and expanded to include the promotion of cooperation, peace, and security in Central Africa. However, the organization is still struggling to achieve its ambitious objectives which he argued is a result of many structural and operational challenges. The chapter provides certain policy recommendations to overcome these challenges by suggesting a strategic use of its opportunities and strengths.

Norman Sempijja and Houyame Hakmi then discussed their chapter on “Arab Maghreb Union (UMA).” Detailing the creation of the organization, they stated that the Union was created to address several internal and external challenges that had marginalized the Maghreb countries. UMA’s main objectives were establishing cooperation, good governance, and peace and security. However, to the present day, the organization has failed to achieve true political or economic integration and is riddled with many challenges and intra-regional crises. Building on existing literature, the chapter aims to highlight the role of UMA, and its geostrategic importance and reconsider its institutional blockage and asymmetric functioning.

Henry Berrian led the discussion on his chapter titled “Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).” Documenting the historical developments of COMESA, he analyzed the economic and political developments that have occurred within the organization since its inception in 1994. Using a comprehensive examination Berrian questioned how COMESA had played a role of a transformative institution in Africa to promote regional trade and investment in areas of customs management, trade facilitation, project finance, and technical cooperation. He argued that despite many achievements, COMESA has faced numerous challenges and finds itself in a unique position as one of the key institutions in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

The next session was led by Jacob Lisakafu and looked at the role and development of “East African Community (EAC).” Analyzing the evolution of EAC from the colonial period with a focus on its political and economic integration agenda Lisakafu questioned its key roles and responsibilities in the region. Using the theory of liberal institutionalism, he argued that EAC is a unique RO in terms of its set-up, historical background, and mode of functioning. He stated that EAC’s fundamental principles of social, cultural, and economic integration and prosperity can be used as a model for other ROs in Africa for establishing foundations for effective integration.

John Paul Banchani & Sebastian Pablo then discussed their paper on “Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD).” Addressing the question of security in the region the paper traced the history, goals, general mandate, and operations of CEN-SAD. The authors explained that in recent times the Sahel region has become a hotspot for incidents of terrorism, Islamic radicalization, illicit drug traffic, and fragile states. Tackling these security challenges in the region has shaped the evolution of CEN-SAD. The paper aims to analyze the successes and challenges of CEN-SAD as a regional organization within the context of regionalism in Africa in an era of de-globalization and tries to answer questions regarding the CEN-SAD’s navigation of the challenging security situation in Sahel and its current organizational form.

The discussion then focused on African ROs and International Organizations (IO) with Oheneba Boateng’s chapter, “Relationship between African regional orgnaizations in international organizations.” Examining the mandates of African ROs and how they cope with changing regional and global political and economic environments, Oheneba reflected on the African ROs global presence. He stated that African ROs have acted as mobilizing forces in international affairs on behalf of their member states, however despite their efforts, their role in international affairs often causes tensions with member states, individual bureaucrats, as well as global actors. The paper seeks to reflect on ways regional ROs can maximize their global presence in a manner that benefits member states and the wider African diaspora.

The discussion was brought to a close with Lidet Tilahun’s chapter titled, “Voices of the Pioneers: The Vision of African Integration.” Tilahun’s piece contextualizes the interviews she conducted with two pioneers of the African Union, Dr. Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini-Zuma and Ambassador Konjit Sinegiorgis. The paper looks at OAU’s inception, OAU’s transformation into the AU, and both their roles and efforts in shaping Agenda 2063.

The authors will revise their chapters based on the feedback received. CIRS will collect the chapters and publish the outcome of the project as an edited volume.

To view the working group agenda, click here

To read the participants’ biographies, click here

Read more about this research initiative

Participants and Discussants:

Rogaia Abusharaf, Georgetown University in Qatar

William Hermann Arrey, Protestant University of Central Africa, Cameroon

Mohamed Ashour, Zayed University, UAE

Zahra Babar, CIRS – Georgetown University in Qatar

John-Paul Banchani, Kwame Nkwame University of Science and Technology, Ghana

Henry Berrian, development consultant, South Africa

Misba Bhatti, CIRS – Georgetown University in Qatar

Oheneba Boateng, Bucknell University, USA

Houyame Hakmi, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), Morocco

Lynda Cinenye Iroulo, Georgetown University in Qatar

Jacob Lisakafu, Open University in Tanzania

Suzi Mirgani, CIRS – Georgetown University in Qatar

Yehia Mohamed, Georgetown University in Qatar

Densua Mumford, Leiden University

Donnet-Rose Adhiambo Odhiambo, Technical University of Kenya

Christopher Otieno Omolo, Eberhard Karls University Tubingen, Germany

Sebastian Angzoorokuu Paalo, Kwame Nkwame University of Science and Technology, Ghana

Dalva Raposo, Georgetown University in Qatar

Ahmed Ali Salem, Rhodes University in South Africa

Norman Sempijja, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), Morocco

Lidet Tilahun

Elizabeth Wanucha, CIRS – Georgetown University Qatar

Article by Misba Bhatti, Research Analyst at CIRS

African Regionalism: Achievements, Challenges, and Prospects
2023-01-29 18:00 - 19:00 (Europe/Moscow) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
This CIRS panel offers a discussion of the history and politics of African Regional Organizations.

Moderator: Lynda Iroulo (Georgetown University in Qatar)

Panelists: Norman Sempiija (Mohammed VI Polytechnic University), Oheneba Boateng (Bucknell University), Densua Mumford (Leiden University), and Dalva Raposo (Georgetown University in Qatar, Class of 2024).

Location: CIRS Conference Room, Georgetown University in Qatar).

Mapping the Mongol Steppe: Indigenous Cartography and Statecraft in 19th Century Qing China
2023-01-31 18:00 - 19:00 (Europe/Moscow) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
Speaker: Anne-Sophie Pratte, Georgetown University in Qatar

Location: CIRS Conference Room, Georgetown University in Qatar

On January 31, 2023, Anne-Sophie Pratte, Assistant Professor of History at Georgetown University in Qatar, delivered a CIRS Dialogue titled “Mapping the Mongol Steppe: Indigenous Cartography and Statecraft in 19th Century Qing China.” Pratte argued that multiple historically meaningful “exchanges between various populations of Eurasia took place thanks to a specific ecological zone: the Steppe belt of Eurasia. The steppe belt makes long distance travels the easiest,” and so Mongolia became a vast contact zone for all kinds of trade, cultures, religions, ideas, but also conflicts, between networks of people from the Qing Empire to Eurasia.

In eighteenth-century imperial cartography, “despite their size and strategic geographical location at the crossroads of two major early modern empires, the Mongol lands remained mostly blank on these world maps, reflecting how little geographical knowledge flowed out of Qing Mongolia to be incorporated into the imperial cartography of the early modern world,” Pratte noted.

Instead, “local Mongol maps followed an indigenous system of geographical correspondence” and an intimate local knowledge of the terrain was exhibited by both nomadic and pastoral communities as an important means of navigating the broad expanses of the Mongolian Steppe. These were sketched for past and future generations in a series of sophisticated hand-drawn maps, which Pratte discussed in detail during her talk. She argued that “from the perspective of Mongol mapmakers, the maps of their land, just like their history, was not blank at all. The maps they drew in the Qing era were rich, detailed, artistic, and diverse,” and numbered in the thousands. Importantly, indigenous Mongols “envision their land differently. And the maps they produce give us a unique window into this worldview,” which does not distinguish between the natural and political geography of the region.

Pratte discussed a central dilemma: “Mongol officials drew maps of their land, and submitted them to the central state in Beijing. And yet, this layer of geographical knowledge never featured in imperial atlases. Why that was is the question that began this research project.” She answered this question by noting that the complex sophistication of Mongol mapping, and its relationship to the lived experience of the land, made it alien to normative imperial cartography, which discounted such local knowledge, no matter how rich and informative, if it did not fit the abstract, geometric, simplified, and standardized maps of the imperial age.

Pratte concluded by noting that the National Archives of Mongolia and the Central Library in Ulaanbaatar contain millions of materials documenting pastoralist society in world history, and so “there remains lots of work to be done to incorporate these voices into our understanding of Eurasian History.”

Anne-Sophie Pratte is an assistant professor of history at Georgetown University in Qatar. She specializes in the early modern history of China and Inner Asia, with a focus on historical cartography, China-Mongolia relations, and environmental history. She previously held a postdoctoral fellowship from the Social Sciences and Research Council of Canada and was a visiting scholar at the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University. She completed her PhD in Inner Asian and Altaic Studies at Harvard University and her M.A. in East Asian Studies at McGill University. Her research was published in Late Imperial China (Dec. 2022) and in Études Mongoles et Sibériennes (2022). She also directed the making of an interactive Manchu historical map for the Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library (2021).

MENA Think Tank Roundtable: Improving Relevance and Impact at a Time of Mounting Global Uncertainty
2023-02-04 08:00 - 2023-02-05 17:00 (Asia/Qatar) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
On February 4-5, 2023, CIRS hosted a roundtable discussion for a group of think tank representatives that operate in and produce policy research on the Middle East and North Africa region. Over the course of two days, representatives around the table discussed challenges, opportunities and possible areas for collaboration as a way forward. The roundtable was convened by the Middle East Council for Foreign Affairs (Qatar) and the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut.

CURA Research Skills Workshop: Designing a Research Question
2023-02-09 13:00 - 16:00 (Asia/Qatar) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
On February 9, 2023, the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) hosted a research skills workshop titled “Designing a Research Question.” The workshop was presented in collaboration with the Institute for Advanced Study in the Global South (#IAS_NUQ) at Northwestern University in Qatar (NUQ), under the auspices of the CIRS Undergraduate Research Advancement (CURA) program. Twenty-three undergraduate students from GU-Q and NU-Q attended the workshop, which was led by Dr. Clovis Bergère, Assistant Director for Research at #IAS_NUQ.

“The biggest takeaway I had from this workshop is how to always include the biographical context in my research and how it goes a long way in helping me structure my questions.”
– Workshop participant

Bergère opened the workshop by posing a question about the idea of “designing” a research question. When talking about research questions, it is difficult to articulate exactly what one does to arrive at an effective research question – do you build, create, develop, write, craft, stumble upon? Bergère compared the process of arriving at a research question to that of cooking. You may be able to follow a recipe, but there is also a craft that two different chefs may bring to creating the dish that will result in two very different dishes, despite them being based on the same recipe. Similarly, Bergère stated that there is an element of recipe-following when devising a research question, but there is another less tangible element that can’t be captured in a “recipe.” It is this less tangible element that the workshop meant to address, and to give students the opportunity to work through the process with their peers.

As if following a recipe, a research question should be all the following: clear; focused; concise; complex; arguable; not too broad, not too narrow; not too easy to answer, not too difficult to answer; researchable; and analytical rather than descriptive. Bergère points out that while the above criteria seem straight-forward, it is difficult to find guidance on how to arrive at a research question with these criteria. Bergère shared excerpts from two books that have helped him to approach research: The Sociological Imagination, by C. Wright Mills (1959) and The Art of Listening, by Les Back (2007). Bergère explained that the prior book helps us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two in society. The latter book shaped Bergère’s understanding of the work or the craft of research, and that it involves imagination. Bergère argues that both are needed in order to develop a research question that is meaningful to the researcher, and to others.

Taking this idea further, Bergère suggests three sorts of questions that can help researchers get to their question: what is the structure of this particular society as a whole?; Where does this society stand in human history?; and, What varieties of people now prevail in this society and in this period? Any of these three questions can be a starting point for thinking about a particular research topic and determining the perspective with which to approach it.

Finally, Bergère encouraged students to bring their personal experiences into the process and offered the frames of “troubles” and “issues” to relate their personal experiences to a research topic. Bergère explains that “troubles” occur within the character of the individual and within the range of their immediate relations with others. “Issues” then have to do with matters that transcend the local environment of the individual and the range of their inner life. With these two frames in mind, one can approach a research topic and begin the work of imagining a research question.

“…going forward I will think a lot about the historical and biographical” components of a research question.
– Workshop participant

The last half of the workshop was devoted to hands-on activities and group work. Students were asked to think of a research topic that was interesting to them. In the first activity, students described the topic, what brought them to the topic (their own “trouble” with it), and some key words about the topic. Students shared their work with their peers, and with feedback honed their ideas.

In the second activity, students used their imagination to write several questions related to the topic, considering the three types of questions Bergère suggested during the presentation. Students shared their questions, and also ordered them from broadest to narrowest. Working with their group, students provided feedback on their questions based on the criteria discussed at the beginning of the workshop. The workshop concluded with a reflection activity.

Article by Elizabeth Wanucha, CIRS Operations Manager

Strategic Timing in the Appearance of News: Evidences from Scandals on U.S.Politicians
2023-02-12 18:00 - 19:00 (Europe/Moscow) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
Speaker: Lamis Kattan, Georgetown University in Qatar

Location: CIRS Conference Room, Georgetown University in Qatar

Dr. Lamis Kattan received her Ph.D. in economics from the University of Ottawa in Canada. She is an applied micro-economist and her fields of research broadly fall under labor economics, political economy, public economics, and population economics. She joined Georgetown University in Qatar as an assistant professor of Economics in Fall 2022 where she has been teaching various courses including statistics, econometrics, and research methodologies.

Narratives of Language Landscapes in Qatar: The Language Landscape in Qatar - Workshop I
2023-02-19 08:00 - 17:00 (Asia/Qatar) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
On February 19–20, 2023, the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) hosted a roundtable workshop titled “Language Landscapes of Qatar.” The two-day workshop was the first meeting under the “Narratives of Language Landscapes in Qatar” research initiative led by GU-Q faculty member, Yehia A. Mohamed. The aim of the workshop was to identify understudied areas of research in the field of linguistics of the Arabic language, particularly pertaining to spoken Arabic in Qatar.

The first session was moderated by Dr. Hadeel Al-Khatib, Associate Professor of Educational Sciences at Qatar University. In this session, scholars gave three presentations: “A Non-Najdi Element in Qatari Arabic,” “Historical Linguistic Trends in Gulf Arabic,” and “Mapping the Scholarship on Qatari Arabic and the Language Situation in Qatar.”

Dr. Eiman Mustafawi, Associate Professor of English Literature and Linguistics, and Vice President for Student Affairs at Qatar University, presented one of the features of the Qatari spoken Arabic dialect, noting that it could be considered a trace of a non-Najdi substrate dialect. Qatari Arabic belongs to the group of northeast Arabian dialects, which originated in Najd. However, there is a feature unique to Qatari Arabic—singular demonstrative terms for “this” do not distinguish gender, whereas other northeast Arabian dialects do distinguish between the grammatical masculine and feminine form of “this.” Mustafawi calls this feature gender neutralization of the singular demonstrative in Qatari Arabic. In particular, she has observed that the feminine form of the word is used, regardless of the grammatical gender of the word it refers to. The participants discussed the possible causes of such a dialectical feature, which is the subject of Mustafawi’s research as the initiative moves forward.

Dr. David Wilmsen, a Professor at the American University of Sharjah, presented on the historical linguistic trends in Gulf Arabic. Scholars have “bundled” unique features of Arabic dialects and mapped them geographically in a “broken chain” along the periphery of the Arabian Peninsula. Wilmsen’s presentation focused on the gaps along the “broken chain,” one of them being Qatar as a geographic area, and highlighted where his research may fill those gaps for Qatari Arabic. In the group discussion, the scholars provided examples from their own experiences, noting differences between Arabic speakers in different countries, in proximity to populations speaking another dialect, and also within the same country but of different tribal backgrounds.

In the final presentation of session one, Dr. Yehia Mohamed, Associate Professor of Arabic at GU-Q, and Dr. Muntasir Al Hamad, Associate Professor of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers at Qatar University, exhibited their extensive work compiling scholarship on Qatari Arabic. A tremendous feat, the compilation will serve as an incredibly useful tool for any scholar conducting research on Arabic dialects. In the group discussion, scholars traded ideas and suggestions on how the corpus of data could be presented in physical and digital formats for maximum utility.

Dr. Yehia Mohamed talking about the Workshop on Alarabi TV

Session two was moderated by Elizabeth Wanucha, CIRS Operations Manager. In this session, two presentations, “Qatari Arabic Vowel Systems,” and “Sound Changes in Qatari Arabic,” provided an in-depth analysis of sounds unique to Qatari Arabic dialects.

Mark Shockley, a Ph.D. candidate at Leiden University, presented his in-depth work studying Qatari Arabic vowel systems. His study examined if and how Qatari Arabic speakers distinguished between certain vowel sounds appearing in specific contexts. One instance he studied is vowels that are paired with certain Arabic letters pronounced in the back of the throat. In spoken Arabic, this “backness” is reflected in the accompanying vowel. In some Arabic dialects, the consonant determines the vowel to some extent, and certain vowels only occur with certain consonants. If appearing outside of this context, a listener might have issues distinguishing the word. The other instance he studied is the pronunciation of the final vowel in specific contexts. Shockley argues that these vowel sound features seem to be unique to the Qatari dialect of Arabic, which points to further areas of research as this project continues.

The final presentation of the day also examined sound changes in Qatari Arabic. Dr. Vladimir Kulikov, Associate Professor of Linguistics at Qatar University, presented other features unique to Qatari Arabic dialects. His study complements that of Shockley, in that he also looks at the “backness” of vowels. However, he also made an important note of sound differences with the consonants that are pronounced at the back of the throat. In addition to the “backness” of these consonants, they are also characterized by the degree to which the speaker emits a puff of air when pronouncing the consonant sounds. This is called aspiration. Kulikov argues that Qatari Arabic dialects have two unique features related to aspiration and “backness” of these vowels and consonants. For the vowels, Qatari Arabic dialect speakers pronounce the long vowel “a” in a more “back” way than in other dialects. When paired with these “backed” consonants, the vowels are “more backed” than in other contexts. For the “backed” consonants, in most other dialects, “backed” consonants are spoken with very little air emission (aspiration). In the Qatari Arabic dialect, speakers seem to emit more air when pronouncing the “backed” consonants than in other dialects.

Kulikov argues that for Qatari Arabic, the level of aspiration on the consonant in this context is more important than the “backness” of the vowel, which is not the case in other dialects. For example, if a Qatari Arabic speaker hears two similar words, one with a backed vowel and aspirated consonant, and one with a backed vowel and not-so-aspirated consonant, the listener will determine those to be the same word. Whereas in other dialects, those two words would be considered different words due to the difference in aspiration and the difference in the “backness” of the vowel. In the group discussion, scholars debated potential reasons these features developed, and in which population of Qatari Arabic speakers these features are more prominent.

The third session, on day two of the workshop, was moderated by Dr. Christine Schiwietz, Assistant Dean for Curricular and Academic Advising at GU-Q. In this session, presentations covered the topics “Beyond the Question of ‘Arabic or English?’ in Qatar,” “Helping Students Respond to the Linguistic Expectations of Analytical and Argumentative Writing in the Disciplines,” and “The Narrative of Qatari Global Identity as Civic Epistemology: Hospitality, Arts, and Interculturalism.”

Dr. Dudley Reynolds, Senior Associate Dean of Education and Full Teaching Professor of English at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, presented on “Beyond the Question of ‘Arabic or English?’ in Qatar.” His presentation centered around two ideas: the way we speak relates to where we come from in society; and, how we look at language is a product of where we come from. Qatar has experienced a range of policies related to use of English and Arabic in schools, public signage, and elsewhere. Reynolds explained how in multilingual societies, such as Qatar, language choice often becomes a competition, with one language “winning.” This can be seen playing out in media, on government websites, in schools, and even on public signs. In the field of linguistics, this environment taken as a whole is known as a “linguistic landscape,” which, in a diverse society such as Qatar, can be quite complex.

The Scaffolding Literacy in Academic and Tertiary Environments Qatar (SLATEQ) project team presented on their work helping undergraduate students meet the writing expectations for their coursework. The team includes three faculty members at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q): Dr. Silvia Pessoa, Teaching Professor of English; Dr. Thomas D. Mitchell, Associate Teaching Professor of English; and, Dr. Pia Gomez-Laich, Assistant Teaching Professor of English. With funding from the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), the team has spent four years collecting student writing and used the material to adapt the “3×3 Learning Toolkit” (Humphrey et al., 2010) to the fields of study at CMU-Q. The 3×3 model considers a written text’s ideational meanings (representing knowledge), interpersonal meanings (aligning readers), and textual meanings (organizing texts) within the whole text, parts of the text, and sentences/clauses within the text. The team has used this model in writing workshops they offer to students, and they also embed themselves in courses with faculty partners.

The final presentation of this session was given by Dr. Wisam Abdul-Jabbar, Visiting Professor at Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU). Abdul-Jabbar’s presentation covered “The Narrative of Qatari Global Identity as Civic Epistemology: Hospitality, Arts, and Interculturalism.” He started by reviewing the state of citizenship education in Qatar at present. In Qatar’s highly multicultural setting, even local Qatari citizenship as an identity has taken on internationalized and globalized facets. Abdul-Jabbar explored this through three components: hospitality, arts, and interculturalism. As the project moves forward, Abdul-Jabbar will examine the following research questions: to what extent and under what conditions does hospitality to foreigners define the responsibilities of Qatari citizens? Is there a Qatari architectural global identity, and what does it tell us about Qatari civics? Which Qatari and Islamic ethics, customs, values, and practices qualify as intercultural?

The final session of the two-day workshop covered “Other Languages in Qatar and their Relationship with Arabic,” and “The Linguistic Landscape of Public Signage in Qatar.” Dr. Irene Theodoropoulou, Associate Professor of Linguistics at Qatar University, moderated the session.

Dr. Andrei Avram, Professor of English Linguistics at the University of Bucharest, Romania, presented on other languages in Qatar, and suggested potential areas of further study. According to Avram, Qatari Arabic and other Arabic dialects only constitute approximately twenty-eight percent of the languages spoken in Qatar. The majority of other languages are Asian, including Bengali, Farsi, Hindi, Indonesian, Malayalam, Nepalese, Urdu, and others. The other non-Arabic, non-Asian languages spoken in Qatar, including English, constitute only twelve percent of the languages spoken in Qatar. Farsi, Urdu, and Hindi have even contributed words to the Gulf Arabic lexicon. Another interesting component of the Qatari language landscape is what is termed Gulf Pidgin Arabic and Arabic Foreigner Talk, which are often spoken among communities that do not share a common language. With the spread of English to Gulf countries, Avram also suggested the areas of Arabic-English code-switching, New Englishes, and Pidgin English as further areas of research.

Dr. Rizwan Ahmad, Associate Professor of Linguistics at Qatar University, and Dr. Sara Hillman, Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University in Qatar, gave the final presentation on the use of language on public signs in Qatar. Following a screening of his 20-minute documentary, Ahmad described the sociolinguistic context within which Qatari dialect spellings were used on street signs. Notably, many street signs in Qatar are written in Arabic script, which mirrors Qatari Arabic dialect pronunciations instead of the expected Standard Arabic ones. Ahmad highlighted how the use of nonstandard Arabic spelling displays a complex interplay of language, script, identity, and migration. The documentary shows how supposedly “incorrect” spellings on street signs serve as visual icons that mark public spaces as Qatari. They showcase Qatari identity and heritage as distinct from other Arabic-speaking societies. Ahmad and Hillman’s presentation complemented that of Dudley Reynolds, and also touched on language policy for public signs. How shopkeepers choose to display Arabic and English on their signs forms an important part of the language landscape for the populations living in that area.

In the wrap-up session, Dr. Yehia Mohamed led a group discussion to explore the next steps for the project. As part of the research initiative, the group aims to compile at least one written publication, with further digital components published online. A second workshop will take place in fall 2023 to study the sociolinguistic narratives in Qatar.

Article by Elizabeth Wanucha, CIRS Operations Manager

To view the working group agenda, click here

To read the participants’ biographies, click here

Read more about this research initiative

Participants and Discussants:

Wisam Kh. Abdul-Jabbar, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU).

Rizwan Ahmad, Qatar University

Muntasir Fayez Al Hamad, Qatar University

Hadeel Al-Khatib, Qatar University

Andrei Avram, University of Bucharest

Zahra Babar, CIRS – Georgetown University in Qatar

Robert Bianchi, VCUarts Qatar

Julie Boéri, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU).

Abdelrahman Elsharqawy, Osaka University

Deborah Giustini, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU).

Pia Gomez-Laich, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar

Sara Hillman, Texas A&M University at Qatar.

Vladimir Kulikov, Qatar University

Suzi Mirgani, CIRS – Georgetown University in Qatar

Thomas D. Mitchell, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar

Yehia A. Mohamed, Georgetown University in Qatar

Eiman Mustafawi, Qatar University

Silvia Pessoa, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar

Dudley Reynolds, Carnegie Mellon Unive,rsity in Qatar

Christine Schiwietz, Georgetown University in Qatar

Mark Shockley, American University of Sharjah

Irene Theodoropoulou, Qatar University

Elizabeth Wanucha, CIRS – Georgetown University in Qatar

David Wilmsen, American University of Sharjah

Wajdi Zaghouani, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU).

CURA Spotlight: Kyoko Matsukawa
2023-03-05 13:00 - 14:00 (Asia/Qatar) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
Speaker: Kyoko Matsukawa (Konan University)

Moderator: Aashish Karn (Georgetown University in Qatar, Class of 2023)

Location: CIRS Conference Room, Georgetown University in Qatar

On March 5th 2023, CIRS organized its first CURA Spotlight roundtable event of the semester with Dr. Kyoko Matsukawa, Professor in the faculty of Letters and the Director in General of the Konan International Exchange Center at Konan University in Kobe, Japan. The workshop was offered under the CIRS Undergraduate Research Advancement (CURA) Program, and was moderated by a CURA Student Assistant, Aashish Karn. Elizabeth Wanucha, the Operations Manager of CIRS, opened the event with a description of the CURA Spotlight initiative and introduced the moderator. The session, then, progressed into a brief introduction of the guest speaker, Dr. Matsukawa and the structure of the event by Aashish. The moderator and the guest speaker had a discussion for the first half of the session and then moved on to taking questions from the audience. The moderator initiated the discussion by inquiring about the graduate education experience of Dr. Matsukawa. Aashish began by asking Dr. Matsukawa about her research interests and how she became interested in anthropology. Given the expertise of the guest speaker in anthropological research in South Asia and the Gulf, the discussion was directed by a series of questions from the moderator which focused on Dr. Matsukawa’s experience in conducting ethnographic fieldwork in the region. The discussion also focused on Dr. Matsukawa’s experience in conducting ethnographic research among the Goan population in India and gaining a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities of conducting fieldwork in a cross-cultural context. During the event, Dr. Matsukawa shared some of her key findings and reflections on the research process, including the methods she used to build arapport with the local community, navigate cultural differences, and document her participant observations. Dr. Matsukawa also answered a set of questions on her research interests on the transnational community and citizenship of Indian expatriates. The Spotlight event concluded with a question about Dr. Matsukawa’s future research plans. Finally, the event progressed into a Q&A session where the moderator took questions from the audience for the guest speaker which were centered around the research of the speaker. In the engaging Q&A session with Dr. Matsukawa, students asked various questions about her research, the broader scholarship her research deals with, and her own experience on the role ofethnography in contemporary anthropological studies.

Reflections on the World Cup 2022 and the Role of Sport in Qatar's Future Development
2023-03-06 08:00 - 17:00 (Asia/Qatar) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
In this panel, we reflect on how the World Cup impacted Qatar’s politics and society and its relations with other nations in the region and internationally. We also discuss the role of sport in Qatar’s future development.

Moderator: Suzi Mirgani (Center for International and Regional Studies, Georgetown University in Qatar)

Panelists: Danyel Reiche (Georgetown University in Qatar), Alexandra Chalat (Qatar Foundation), and Zaid Mosawy (Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy).

Location: CIRS Conference Room, Georgetown University in Qatar

2023-03-08 12:39 (Asia/Qatar)
مجموعة العمل 1عن تاريخ العالم وممارسات الاسلاموفوبيا

08 AUG 2022 – 09 AUG 2022 17:00 – 19:30

في 8 و 9 أغسطس 2022، نظم مركز الدراسات الدولية والإقليمية أول اجتماع بحثي في ​​إطار مبادرته حول تاريخ العالم وممارسات الإسلاموفوبيا. عقد الاجتماع كحدث افتراضي عبر الإنترنت، بمشاركة علماء من مختلف المواقع الجغرافية. يهدف الاجتماع إلى مناقشة مقترحات الملخصات المقدمة، والتي تم التماسها من خلال دعوة لتقديم الأوراق وتقديمها من قبل العلماء المدعوين. ناقش الأكاديميون والخبراء المجتمعون من خلفيات متعددة التخصصات القضايا المتعلقة بالتحامل العالمي على الإسلام بما يتجاوز مسألة الحرب على الإرهاب والخوف والكراهية للإسلام والمسلمين بعد 11 سبتمبر.

بدأت المحادثة من قبل “آن نورتون”، التي جادلت أنه على الرغم من اعتماد الفكر السياسي الغربي على الفلسفة الإسلامية، إلا أنه غالبًا ما كان يُنظر إليه على أنه محو للملامح في تصوير شخصي متراكم تشكله طبقات التأثيرات والمحو هذه يخفي ويكشف عن مكانة الفكر الإسلامي، الفلسفي والديني، في الدين والفلسفة الغربية. الهدف من هذه الورقة هو العمل على توضيح الآثار التأسيسية لهذا النص. إلى جانب عزل الفكر الإسلامي في السياسة والفلسفة، ستوضح الورقة كيف قام الغرب بتقييد جوانب تحقيقاته الفكرية الخاصة. تقوم نورتون بتشخيص آثار استقرار التنوير التي منعت كلا من المشاركة الكاملة في التفكير في الإلوهية في الغرب.

حوّل سلمان سيد المناقشة إلى مسألة ظهور دولة الإسلاموفوبيا. وقال إن هناك حاجة لتوسيع أطر الجغرافيا وتعميق مجال التاريخ لفهم الإسلاموفوبيا. غالبًا ما يُفهم المصطلح على أنه مشكلة تنطبق على الأقليات المسلمة ولكن ليس على الدول ذات الأغلبية المسلمة. نشوء دولة معادية للإسلام، وهي شكل محدد من أشكال الدولة، لها مجموعة مميزة من المؤسسات والعمليات الإدارية وتغطي نطاقا متسعا من الأشكال السياسية. فالدولة المعادية للإسلام لا تستهدف فقط التعبيرات عن الإسلام ولكن في جهودها لتأديب المسلمين، تبني نظامًا دوليًا للمراقبة والتقييد، والذي يمكن تطبيقه بسهولة على الفاعلين الاجتماعيين الآخرين. تهدف الورقة إلى شرح ظهور الدولة المعادية للإسلام كمشروع لإعادة صياغة العقود الاجتماعية وإعادة تشكيل العلاقات بين المحكومين والحكام. أثارت حفصة كانجوال مسألة تقرير المصير فيما يتعلق بالاسلاموفبيا في كشمير التي تحتلها الهند. وذكرت أن تطور الإسلاموفوبيا في الهند هو نتيجة مشتركة لكل من الأيديولوجيات العلمانية الليبرالية والهندوسية. فبينما تُستخدم العلمانية في الهند لنزع الطابع السياسي عن الهوية الإسلامية بالقوة، يرى داعمو دولة الهندوس المسلمين على أنهم تابعون للهوية الهندوسية للأمة. باستخدام كشمير المحتلة كمثال، تبحث الورقة في كيفية استبعاد أهمية الإسلام من بين فئات الدولة الحديثة وكيف تحاول الدولة تقويض النشاطات الإسلامية وتقرير المصير. كانت الحجة الرئيسية هي أن الطابع الأساسي للقومية الهندية هو معاداة الإسلام، والذي لا يمحو فقط العلامات الإسلامية في الأماكن العامة ويقبل بالعنف والتعصب تجاه المسلمين كأمر طبيعي، ولكنه ينظر أيضًا إلى مطالبة المسلمين بالسيادة أو تقرير المصير بريبة ورفض ضمن نظام الدولة القومية العلمانية الليبرالية. ثم وجهت شيرين فرنانديز التحويل لفحص البحر كمسرح لممارسات الإسلاموفوبيا. وتقول إن هناك فجوة في الأدبيات تتجاهل دراسة كيفية استخدام البحر كمساحة لممارسة الإسلاموفوبيا. ولسد هذه الفجوة، ستنظر ورقتها في الممارسات التاريخية لنقل السجناء المسلمين ، من قبل البريطانيين في خمسينيات القرن التاسع عشر ، إلى مستعمرة عقابية تستخدم كمنفى في جزر أندامان على متن سفن وتدرس تجاربهم كمدانين استعماريين. سيربط الجزء الأخير من الورقة هذا التاريخ بالاسلاموفوبيا التي عانى منها المعتقلون في خليج غوانتانامو خلال الحرب على الإرهاب بعد 11 سبتمبر. ومن خلال هذه المساهمة، تهدف فرنانديز إلى استكشاف مركزية البحر كموقع يديم إضفاء الطابع المكاني على الإسلاموفوبيا كما يتجلى في نماذج معاملة السجناء المسلمين.. تناولت مناقشة أولي شاربونو دور الإسلام ومظاهر الإسلاموفوبيا في الفلبين المستعمرة من عام 1899 إلى عشرينيات القرن الماضي. وجادل بأن التفكير المتحيز عن المسلمين في المنطقة هو نتيجة لخطابات عديدة. أدى ذلك إلى سيطرة ممنهجة على السكان المسلمين من خلال العنف العسكري والهيمنة الثقافية والسياسية. تهدف ورقة شاربونو إلى دراسة المواد الأرشيفية من العلاقات الخارجية للولايات المتحدة، والدراسات الفلبينية؛ ودراسات جنوب شرق آسيا الإسلامية لتوضيح الأفكار الأمريكية المعاصرة حول المجتمعات الإسلامية وأفعالها. استخدام جنوب الفلبين كدراسة حالة سيهدف شاربونو أيضًا إلى تقديم الإسلاموفوبيا في جنوب شرق آسيا كمجموعة من المعتقدات وليس كممارسة موحدة.

قاد فالنتين دوكيه النقاش حول الإسلاموفوبيا في الأدب الاستعماري الاستيطاني “الجزائري” الذي ظهر في النصف الأول من القرن العشرين. خلال هذه الحقبة، كانت الجزائر منطقة تابعة للجمهورية الفرنسية. بتحليل ثلاث روايات من فترة ما بين الحربين كأرشيف تاريخي، ستبحث ورقته في تمثيل المواطن المسلم، والذي يشرح دوكيه أنه المفتاح لفهم الإسلاموفوبيا في ظل الاستعمار الفرنسي وكذلك حلها الوحشي بعد بضعة عقود. في هذه الروايات، غالبًا ما يتم إهمال الشخصيات الإسلامية واستبعادها إلى الخلفية أو محوها أو استبدالها بشخصيات “بربرية” غالبًا ما تكون مسيحية أو وثنية أو متوسطية غامضة. ويقول إن هذا المحو دليل على العنف الرمزي للاستيعاب الفرنسي الذي أنكر حتى اسم “جزائري” من بين المسلمين المغاربيين.

ناقش علي الصمدي دور الإسلام الإسباني وسلط الضوء على معالجة أدب الموريسكيين في الدراسات الأكاديمية. يجادل الصمدي بأن الإسلام ينظر إليه من قبل العلماء المستشرقين على أنه دين مستورد وليس جزءًا من الثقافة والتراث الإسباني الأصلي. وفي ورقته البحثية، يلقي الصمدي الضوء على الرفض السياسي الحالي للاعتراف بلغة الموريسكين وأدبهم المتجذر بعمق في الممارسات الماضية. ويوضح تحليله كيف كان منحى القرنين التاسع عشر والعشرين وفهمه للموريسكيين بأنهم كانوا متحيزين ويظهر الروابط الأدبية والثقافية بين أدب موريسكو والمؤلفين الإسبان المعاصرين التي تعكس التأثيرات عبر الأديان الفريدة التي تقتصر على شبه الجزيرة الأيبيرية.

حول فيرات أوروش تركيز المناقشة إلى الإسلاموفوبيا في تركيا والخوف من الإسلام في العصر الجمهوري التركي. روى أوروش أنه بعد زوال الإمبراطورية العثمانية، زعمت النخب التأسيسية الكمالية والمثقفون الأتراك أن الإسلام هو “ضائقة روحية” كان على الأمة التركية أن تتعافى منها. تصور مفهومهم لتركيا الحديثة إضفاء الصبغة الغربية على قومية الدولة. كان يُنظر إلى العصر العثماني على أنه قمع للشعب التركي وللقيم الثقافية التركية، حيث يُنظر إلى الإسلام على أنه التهديد الرئيسي لظهور تركيا كدولة جمهورية حديثة. ومن خلال فحص النصوص الثقافية والأدبية التركية، يهدف أوروش إلى استكشاف المظاهر والمؤشرات التاريخية للخوف من الإسلام وآثاره في تركيا وأيضًا إلى دراسة كيف يمكن أن تتكرر بعض النماذج المماثلة من الإسلاموفوبيا في المجتمعات ذات الأغلبية المسلمة الأخرى.تطرق توماس سيمزاريان دولان إلى مسألة “المال العربي” والرأسمالية العالمية. جادل دولان أنه في الخطاب الاقتصادي الانتقائي، يُنظر إلى المسلمين على أنهم فاعلون اقتصاديون غير عاديين. وصرح دولان بأن هذا الشكل من الإسلاموفوبيا يعتمد على نظرية الاستشراق التي تعمقت خلال الحرب الباردة، وتصف المسلمين بأنهم يشكلون تهديدًا أمنيًا للنظام المالي الغربي الذي يحتاج إلى انضباط اقتصادي وسياسي. إضافة إلى العمل الحالي للعلماء مثل ديبا كومار ومصطفى بيومي ومحمود معمداني، يهدف دولان وشريكته في التأليف زينب قادري إلى استكشاف هذه السلسلة من الإسلاموفوبيا من خلال تتبع الاقتصادات السياسية العابرة للحدود الوطنية التي يتدفق فيها رأس المال العالمي والأشخاص. يتم تحجيمها في وقت واحد.

سلطت منيزة رضوي الضوء على الخلافات حول وصف النضال الفلسطيني بأنه “قضية إسلامية”. ركزت على الأصوات التي، من ناحية، تنتقد روايات المستشرقين التي تصور إنشاء إسرائيل على أنه عداء بين المسلمين واليهود، ومن ناحية أخرى، تشير إلى أن التسمية “إسلامية” تستبعد بالضرورة الأطر التحليلية الأخرى للموضوع، مثل الاستعمار الاستيطاني. تدفع رضوي بأن الافتراضات العلمانية حول السياسة والدين تبني هذه النقاشات العادية، بالإضافة إلى المسارات الأكاديمية الموازية في دراسات الشرق الأوسط.وجه فريد حافظ المناقشة نحو الجغرافيا السياسية للإسلاموفوبيا وذكر أن فكرة الإسلام السياسي قد استخدمت من قبل الحكومات الوسطية في أوروبا لاستبعاد المسلمين من المجال العام، وإسكات الأصوات الناقدة، وقمع الجاليات المسلمة. هذا الخطاب هو امتداد للرواية حول مكافحة التطرف والحرب العالمية على الإرهاب. يهدف حافظ إلى دراسة كيف أن محاولات إسكات المسلمين تتجاوز الغرب. باستخدام عدسة جيوسياسية، وينظر في محاولات الإمارات لتشكيل الخطاب حول تدجين المسلمين في أوروبا ومصالح الولايات المتحدة وإسرائيل في قمع حماس. ويحاول رسم الروابط والاختلافات بين هذه الممارسات والإسلاموفوبيا في أوروبا.شارك عبد الله العريان أفكار سانوبر عمر حول تكوين العرق والدين في الهند الاستعمارية وما بعد الاستعمار. تم تشجيع المشاركين على النقاش حول قضايا مثل؛ المواقف الاستعمارية السائدة تجاه الإسلام في الهند، واستخدام الدين للتمييز بين الهندوس والمسلمين على أنهم “أعراق” منفصلة، والنظر إلى المسلمين على أنهم خطرون وبربريون مقارنة بالهندوس الذين يمكن إشراكهم في النظام الاستعماري البريطاني.يأخذ المشاركون التعليقات البناءة التي تلقوها على ملخصاتهم ويبدأون في كتابة مسودات الأوراق، والتي سيتم تعميمها على المجموعة قبل الاجتماع الثاني لمجموعة العمل. في الاجتماع اللاحق، سينتقد العلماء أوراق بعضهم البعض ويقدمون تعليقات متعمقة.

• لعرض جدول أعمال مجموعة العمل ، اضغط هنا• لقراءة السير الذاتية للمشاركين، اضغط هنا• اقرأ المزيد عن هذه المبادرة البحثية

المشاركون والمناقشات

• عبدالله العريان جامعة جورجتاون في قطر• علي الصمادي ـ جامعة إنديانا بلومنجتون ـ الولايات المتحدة• زهرة بابار ، مركز الدراسات الدولية والإقليمية – جامعة جورجتاون في قطر• مسبا بهاتي ، مركز الدراسات الدولية والإقليمية – جامعة جورجتاون في قطر• أولي شاربونو ، جامعة جلاسكو• توماس سيمزاريان دولان ، الجامعة الأمريكية بالقاهرة• فالنتين دوكيتيس ، جامعة تكساس في أوستن• شيرين فرنانديز ، كلية لندن للاقتصاد والعلوم السياسية• فريد حافظ جامعة جورجتاون• حفصة كنجواليس من كلية لافاييت• سوزي ميرغني ، مركز الدراسات الدولية والإقليمية – جامعة جورجتاون في قطر• آن نورتون ، جامعة بنسلفانيا

المقال بقلم ميسبا بهاتي، محللة بحثية بمركز الدراسات الدولية والاقليمية

Global Histories and Practices of Islamophobia Workshop II
2023-03-12 08:00 - 17:00 (Asia/Qatar) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
On March 12 and 13, 2023, the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) organized a second research meeting under its research initiative, Global Histories and Practices of Islamophobia. The aim of the two-day meeting was to discuss and provide extensive feedback on written contributions from scholars and experts on the subject. The convened scholars presented papers on a variety of issues such as islamophobia and Orientalism, settler colonialism, global capitalism, Islamic identity, and Islamic and Western thought among others.

Anne Norton opened the discussion with her paper, “Reading the Palimpsest: The Erasure, Exile, and Elision of Islamic Thought in Western Philosophy.” Norton argued that the contributions of Muslim philosophers in Western political thought and philosophy are often erased. The foundational role played by figures such as al-Farabi, Ibn Rushd, and Ibn Sina in shaping Western philosophy is excluded from the Western canon. She stated that this erasure can be traced back to enmity, shame, and the European insistence on civilizational dominance. Her paper examines the palimpsest formed by these erasures and states that philosophic and political exclusions can be better understood through the recovery and reparation of Islamic thinkers and philosophers.

Salman Sayyid then presented his paper, “Islamophobia and Worldmaking.” He stated that islamophobia is a type of racism that specifically targets perceived “Muslimness.” It is a concept that has taken different forms and expressions over time and context and plays out at different horizons. With this paper, Sayyid challenges the dominant framing of islamophobia as primarily a result of the War on Terror and argues that it is a product of the colonial-racial venture of Europe/West, along with antisemitism and racism. The chapter details the history and definition of the term islamophobia, and the nature of the phenomenon itself as well as discusses the various global proposals and policies put forward for its reduction.

In the next session, Hafsa Kanjwal discussed her piece, “Against Muslimness: Islamophobia in Indian-occupied Kashmir.” She narrated that in the case of Indian-occupied Kashmir both secular liberalism and Hindu nationalist ideology converged in producing islamophobia. The chapter proposes that islamophobia must be recognized as a denial and regulation of “Muslimness.” This, she argues includes not only practices of islamophobia in sites where public markers of Muslim difference are erased or violence and bigotry towards Muslims are normalized, but also in places where Muslim histories of indigeneity, demands for self-determination, or expressions of solidarity, are seen with suspicion or rejected altogether as being dangerous to the liberal, secular nation-state order.

Shifting the focus to “Islamophobia and the Sea,” Shereen Fernandez traced how the sea and bodies of water have become sites of abuse and torture for racialized Muslims and detailed how characterizations of Muslims as ‘fanatics’ and ‘violent’ is not a new phenomenon arising from the War on Terror but have a deeper and more global history. Using the Indian Mutiny of 1857 and the treatment of Indian Muslims specifically, alongside the treatment of detainees at Guantánamo Bay at the height of the War on Terror, as case studies Fernandez aims to examine how Muslims were characterized and the impacts this has had on the continued abuse and labeling of these convicts as the “Other.” By focusing on seascapes through the forced transportation of Muslims across seas to penal colonies and prisoners, this chapter amplifies the argument that islamophobia is a practice rooted in racism and violence.

Oli Charbonneau’s presentation on, “Learning and Loathing: The Long Shadow of US Colonialism,” traced how Islamophobic beliefs and practices emerged within deeper American colonial history. Using Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago as case studies, he explained how the Southern Philippines acted as a site for the continuous regeneration of ideas about the Muslim threat. His paper provides an analysis of how American islamophobia is the result of attempts to reform Muslim Filipinos, alongside acts of violence within a military state. The paper traces the lineage of these ideas, which Charbonneau argues persists not only in U.S. military activities in the Southern Philippines but also in a host of cultural products that renew fearful visions forged within the empire.

The next session looked at Firat Oruc’s paper, “Islam as Founding Fear: Turkish National Humanism and “the Muslim Orient.” He stated that the foundation of the new Turkish state as a westernized, secular, and modern nation-state was laid upon the expulsion of the old Ottoman-Islamic traditions. His paper examines how this was embedded into the narrative of ensuring national survival and territorial sovereignty, which was seen as integral to the emergence of modern Turkey. The fear of Islam as the return of repressed was envisioned as a threat to Turkey’s modern image and was regarded as the root neurotic cause of Turkey’s crisis of identity.

Valentin Duquet then presented his paper on “Islamophobia in Algerianist Settler-Colonial Literature of the Interwar Period: A Post-Orientalist Form of Symbolic Violence.” Analyzing three Algerianist novels of the interwar period, Pascualette l’Algérien by Louis Lecoq, Cassard le Berbère by Robert Randau, and Berberopolis by Victor Trenga, Duquet’s paper tracks a progression from covert to overt islamophobia, in ways that continually erase Muslim identities while highlighting stories of settler and Berber successes. These literary pieces, Duquet argues depict religious and racial animosity as systemic and are embedded in the political climate of the time. The paper aims to examine how post-orientalism is therefore not a rejection but a continuation of French imperialism with its brand of islamophobia.

Commenting on his paper, “Spanish Islam and Islamic Identity in Scholarship: The Case of the Moriscos,” Ali Alsmadi stated that the expulsion of the Moriscos was part of Spain’s violent past and the denial of the right to return to Spain to their descendants reinforces a double standard and contradicts Spain’s claims to multiculturalism, diversity, and tolerance. This stance is rooted in Spain’s past and is an example of islamophobia, which is not a recent phenomenon but has deep roots in Spanish history. The Moriscos were seen as the ‘Other,’ and their differences were conflated with religious deviance. Alsmadi’s study aims to draw parallels between the Moriscos’ case and the situation of Muslim minorities in contemporary Spain and other European countries, where islamophobia shapes debates about identity, secularity, and multiculturalism. The paper claims that disregarding Moriscos’ past tragedies leads to downplaying current Islamophobic practices, which are aimed towards safeguarding the future of the European identity.

Focusing on Islamophobia in China with his paper “Islamophobia in Late Imperial China: Rhetoric and Roots,” Haiyun Ma provided a historical account of Islamophobia in Confucian China. By examining the systematic Han Confucian accusations and attacks on Chinese-speaking Muslims in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Ma outlines premodern Islamophobia, as seen in Confucian historiography and discourses, as well as traces the transition of the Confucian historiography to a nationalist ideology in the early twentieth century. The author notes that modern Islamophobia in China is different from the premodern version which has ties to the Middle East, the Arabs, Wahabi ideology, and global Islamophobia primarily imported from the West.

Andrew Hammond’s paper “Islamophobia and Modern Islamic Thought,” examined the role of modernizing intellectual currents, both from within the Islamic tradition and from Western philosophy, in providing the ideological basis for secular authoritarian regimes in the Middle East in the 20th century. Hammond stated that the materialist and positivist trends in Western philosophy influenced ruling elites in the Middle East, but modern Islamic thought’s internalization of European secularism provided an internal ideological cover for the authoritarian secular hue of post-colonial regimes. The paper also examines how Islamic political movements dealt with secularism after the Iranian Revolution and sought to reclaim lost ground for religion, which lead to an intensification of anti-Muslim animus during the 2000s.

In the next session, Carol Fadda presented her chapter “Producing “Terror:” Gendered State Surveillance and the US Racial State.” Addressing the experiences of Arab and Muslim women who have been targeted and attacked by the US security state for their political stances within the US, the chapter analyzed and identified the US security state as a racial state in its ongoing gendered criminalization of Arab and Muslim communities. Fadda highlighted the case of Palestinian-American activist Rasmea Odeh, who was arrested in 2013 for allegedly lying on her US citizenship application. Many activists claimed that Odeh’s arrest and deportation were politically motivated due to her pro-Palestinian activism and support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Fadda argued that Odeh’s case is an example of the US security state’s increasing racialized and gendered targeting of Arab and Muslim women, which builds on a longer history of the state’s criminalization of political critique, dissidence, and activism by Arabs and other racialized minorities in the US more broadly.

Zayneb Quadri presented her paper “A-rab Money”: Islamophobia and Global Capitalism,” which she co-authored with Thomas Simsarian Dolan. She maintained that while after 9/11, islamophobia became more racialized, the political shift was less an intensification of a pre-existing hatred and more of a reorientation within the geography of U.S. imperialism. Suggesting that it becomes difficult to frame islamophobia as a cogent racism, given the privileged status the US state has accorded to many Muslims, who are allowed to be “good” so long as they are proximal to natural resources and capital that serves a Euro-American global capitalist order. This contribution looks at the framing of “Muslimness” both as an ally and threat and examines Muslims’ racing and un-racing through the ideological and structural positions they occupy. The authors argue that the evolution of these modes of engagement with Muslims emphasizes articulating who qualifies as a tolerable Muslim and who becomes a threat to national security.

Farid Hafez addressed the issue of islamophobia in Germany with his chapter, “Colonial and Post-Colonial Governance of Islam in Germany.” Tracing the historical legacy of racialization in Germany Hafez highlighted the importance of colonialism in understanding the context of islamophobia in Germany. The paper discusses issues of the governance of Muslims, and the bureaucratization of Islam, first in colonial and then in postcolonial times to evaluate the legacy of the colonial, racial order, and aims to provide a nuanced picture of past and present islamophobia in Germany.

The final session looked at Sanober Umar’s paper “Good Orient/Bad Orient: ‘Yogawashing’ in Casteist-Islamophobic India.” Tracing the development of contemporary islamophobia in India under Hindu Nationalism, Umar discussed how British orientalist perceptions and literature produced and reproduced the figure of the Muslim as dangerous and barbaric, often in collusion with casteist and nativist Hindus, which still influences contemporary Hindu Nationalist ideologies. This Umar argues has resulted in the racialization of Muslims in dehumanizing tropes, with little condemnation from the Western quarters. The paper examines how both the neocolonial Western global apparatus and Hindu Nationalists have produced themselves as desirable civilizations through their ethnocultural narratives of history and self-representation, in relation to the global figure of the homogenized and otherized Muslim. Notably, the paper examines how romanticized and exotic conceptions of “eastern spirituality” including popular imaginations of contemporary India as a land of peaceful yoga practices has further served to invisibilize the complex histories and ongoing politics of Muslim persecution in the country with Western complacency.

The final revised drafts will be collected by CIRS with an aim of publishing an edited volume in the future.

To view the working group agenda, click here

To read the participants’ biographies, click here

Read more about this research initiative

Participants and Discussants:

Abdullah Al-Arian Georgetown University Qatar

Ali Alsmadi Indiana University Bloomington

Zahra Babar, CIRS – Georgetown University in Qatar

Misba Bhatti, CIRS – Georgetown University in Qatar

Oli Charbonneau University of Glasgow

Thomas Simsarian Dolan American University in Cairo

Valentin Duquetis University of Texas at Austin

Carol Fadda Syracuse University

Shereen Fernandez London School of Economics

Farid Hafez Georgetown University

Andrew Hammond Oxford University

Hafsa Kanjwalis Lafayette College

Aashish Karn Georgetown University Qatar

Haiyun Ma Frostburg State University

Suzi Mirgani, CIRS – Georgetown University in Qatar

Anne Norton University of Pennsylvania

Firat Oruc Georgetown University Qatar

Zaynab Quadri Ohio State University

Dalva Raposo Georgetown University Qatar

Salman Sayyid University of Leeds

Asma Shakeel Georgetown University Qatar

Sanober Umar York University

Elizabeth Wanucha, CIRS – Georgetown University Qatar

Karine Walther Georgetown University Qatar

Article by Misba Bhatti, Research Analyst at CIRS

CURA Spotlight: Min Zhou
2023-03-19 13:00 - 14:00 (Asia/Qatar) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
Speaker: Min Zhou (University of California, Los Angeles)

Moderator: Dalva Raposo (Georgetown University in Qatar, Class of 2024)

Location: Georgetown University in Qatar

Beyond Economic Migration: Social, Historical, and Political Factors in US Immigration
2023-03-19 18:00 - 19:00 (Asia/Qatar) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
Moderator: Zahra Babar (Center for International and Regional Studies, Georgetown University in Qatar)

Panelists: Min Zhou (University of California, Los Angeles), Hasan Mahmud (Northwestern University in Qatar), and Misba Bhatti (Center for International and Regional Studies, Georgetown University in Qatar).

Location: CIRS Conference Room, Georgetown University in Qatar

CIRS Open House
2023-08-21 13:00 - 14:00 (Asia/Qatar) | Education City, Al Luqta St, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar
On August 21, 2023, the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) held an open house for GU-Q students, faculty, and staff to learn more about CIRS, the CIRS Undergraduate Research Advancement (CURA) program, and how they can be involved in the Center’s work. Over 70 attendees met CIRS staff members and listened to a presentation by Elizabeth Wanucha, CIRS Operations Manager.
