October 13, 2004: Dr. James Zogby
Dr. James Zogby presented a lecture entitled, “The Mess we are in: How American Leaders Have Failed in Iraq.” Among the broader implications of Dr. Zogby’s speech, he also addressed the difficulties domestic politics pose to any American policy in the Middle East. Dr. Zogby spoke for about fifty minutes and then answered questions from the audience for approximately thirty minutes. Dr. Zogby is the founder and President of the Arab-American Institute, based in Washington, D.C., co-founder and chairman of the Palestine Human Rights Campaign, and the co-founder and former executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. Currently, he is the Senior Analyst with the polling firm Zogby International. If you missed the talk, Alternate Focus, a public access cable group, filmed Dr. Zogby’s presentation, and provided a copy of the event on DVD.

December 2, 2003: “After Arafat: Assessing the Moment”
After Yasser Arafat’s death, the Center organized an event jointly with the Lipinsky Institute for Judaic Studies to assess the moment. Professor Farid Abdel-Nour of the Center’s core faculty gave one presentation assessing the effects of Arafat’s death on Palestinian politics. Professor Uzi Rabi, who was visiting SDSU that year from the University of Haifa, gave another presentation addressing the effects of that event on Israeli politics. The presentations were followed by a lively question and answer period in which the two speakers examined the nature of Israeli-Palestinian relations at that moment and the prospects for peace.

February 9, 2005: Documentary Filmmaker Mark Freeman
The Center organized together with the Lipinsky Institute for Judaic Studies the screening of the world premiere of the film “Talking Peace.” This documentary was made by the renowned filmmaker Mark Freeman (who is also a member of the faculty at SDSU) and introduced the audience to Jewish and Palestinian individuals who for some years had been engaged in living room dialogue with each other here in San Diego. Following the screening of the documentary, the participants featured in the film talked about their backgrounds, experiences, and what they had learned from their dialogue with individuals on the opposite side of the Middle East conflict. The lively discussion that followed was marked by genuine disagreement and multiple perspectives, but was also characterized by a deep respect of the differences in positions that were aired.
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March 13, 2005: Filmaker Carmela Baranowska
The Center sponsored the viewing of a film by Australian filmmaker Carmela Baranowska entitled “Taliban Country.” This award-winning documentary, which follows U.S. Marines on a mission to hunt down the Taliban, was universally described by attendees as excellent and thought-provoking. Over 50 individuals attended the screening and afterwards enjoyed an informal discussion with the filmmaker herself who was present to answer questions and to share some of her experiences in Afghanistan.

April 18, 2005: Professor Nadje al-Ali
Together with the Department of Women’s Studies at SDSU, the Center sponsored a campus lecture by Professor Nadje al-Ali from Exeter University in the United Kingdom. The presentation, which was entitled “Iraqi Women between Dictatorship, Sanctions, and Occupation: Historical Context and Future Perspectives,” provided a careful analysis of the situation of women in Iraq and the specific difficulties they have had to encounter at different historical junctures in that country’s troubled modern history. Professor al-Ali who is associated with an interdisciplinary center focused on the area of Islamic and Arabic Studies at her home institution, spoke highly of her visit to San Diego. Professor al-Ali’s lecture was well attended by over 120 people, and was followed by a reception that was generously hosted by the Department of Women’s Studies where audience members were able to continue their conversation with the speaker informally.

April 19, 2005: Professor Juan Cole
Professor Juan Cole from the University of Michigan spoke at SDSU about “The United States in Iraq and Shiite Politics.” In conjunction with the Hansen Institute for World Peace, CIAS organized its most widely attended lecture of the 2004-2005 academic year. Professor Cole is one of the most highly regarded experts on the history and politics of Shiite communities in the Middle East. He is an international authority and writes one of the most widely read blogs on the Middle East. In his lecture Professor Cole explained the important political decisions that helped bring the current Iraqi government to power, and the background of the most powerful political parties in contemporary Iraq. His lecture also addressed the prospects for Iraqi-Iranian relations and their effects on the region at large, and was followed by a very interesting and animated discussion that did justice to the importance of the topic.

Brown-Bag Lunches
Brown-bag presentations are focused on ongoing research projects by scholars of Islamic and Arabic Studies in the San Diego academic community. The presentations, that are a continuation of a Center tradition, are designed as an opportunity for the university community to discuss and debate current research in Islamic and Arabic Studies. This informal setting promotes a comfortable intellectual atmosphere, and allows for an open conversation to take place among scholars.

November 11, 2004: Dr. Nina Zhiri
Dr. Nina Zhiri, head of the Middle East Studies program at UCSD and Professor of Literature made a presentation entitled, “Early Orientalism: Reflections on the Work of Edward Said.” This presentation drew a number of interested faculty members, students, and community members and was followed by a rich and informative discussion.

March 10, 2005: Dr. Michael Provence
Dr. Michael Provence, Assistant Professor of History at UCSD, presented, “Occupation and Insurgency in the Colonial Middle East,” based on his recently published book, The Great Syrian Revolt and the Rise of Nationalism. This presentation also drew an interested audience from a number of disciplines as well as members of the San Diego community, and was followed by a very spirited and illuminating discussion.