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Issue 13/November 1999
Editor, Prof. Barry Rubin
Assistant Editors, Linda Sharaby and Cameron Brown
MERIA NEWS TABLE OF CONTENTS
IMPORTANT NEWS: Announcing MERIA Journal, Vol. 3, No. 4.
3. FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS TO E-MAIL PUBLICATIONS
4. FUNDING/SCHOLARSHIPS/FELLOWSHIPS/WRITING OPPORTUNITIES
5. RESEARCH QUERIES-PLEASE HELP
6. AUTHOR'S ALERTS (writers report on their books, articles, and activites)
7. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF MEETINGS, CONFERENCES, LECTURES
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS:
MERIA Journal, Vol. 3, No. 4 (December 1999) includes a special focus on the Middle East media and on the May 1999 Israeli election. A.W. Samii discusses the role of Iran's media in the current power struggles there along with issues of press freedom, in "The Contemporary Iranian News Media, 1998-1999."1. PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST
The Center for Strategic and International Studies has several reports online including Arab-Israeli Military Balance, U.S. Forces and the Changing Threat from Iran and Iraq, Middle East Proliferation Project, Saudi Net Assessment: <http://www.csis.org/html/2mideast.html>.The updated Index Islamicus CD-ROM has been published. It covers the years 1906-1997 and contains over 400,000 items, including articles and monographs: <Kate.Ellison@bowker-saur.co.uk> or <http://www.bowker-saur.com>.
Mediterraneans issue on Moroccan society and culture: <http://www.maroc.net/maghreb_literature/Journals/Mediterraneans/mediterraneennes.htm>.
Royal Institute of International Affairs has published Mai Yamani's "Changed Identities:The Challenge of the New Generation in Saudi Arabia"; George Joffe's "Europe and North Africa: Seeking an Economic Road to Security"; Philip Robins "Turkish Foreign Policy: History, Process and Application"; "Unfinished Business: Iran, the UAE, Abu Masa and the Tunbs," by Richard Scofield. <http://www.riia.org/>.
Council on Foreign Relations' report "Strengthening Palestinian Institutions": <http://www.cfr.org/public/pubs/palinstfull.html>
"The Silent Revolution in Lebanon," by Muhammad Faour, and "An American Nurse Amidst Chaos," by Gladys Mouro, American University in Beirut Press. <http://www.aub.edu.lb/bulletin/1222.html>.
2. WEBSITES/GROUPS ONLINE
A. GulfPro-Iraq news source: <http://southmovement.alphalink.com.au/southnews/>.
Independent Iran Observer, good links to many Iranian news sources: <http://home8.inet.tele.dk/huosan/NEWS.HTM>
B. Palestinians
Articles on Palestinian economy from Centre for Palestinian Research &
Studies: <http://www.cprs-palestine.org/economy/index.html>.
Palestinian site on Jerusalem: <www.jerusalemites.org>.
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights: <www.pchrgaza.com>.
Zoughbi Zoughbi--Wi'am Center, Palestinian conflict resolution site: <http://www.planet.edu/~alaslah/>.
C. Lebanon
Lebanese Search Engine: <http://www.lebanonlinks.com/>.
Lebanese Armed Forces: <http://www.lebarmy.gov.lb/>.
"Lebanon 2000" plans to celebrate the new millennium in Beirut: <http://www.thelebanon2000.com> .
Hariri Foundation: <http://www.hariri-foundation.org.lb/>.
D. International research centers and information sources
Mediterranean Program, Robert Schuman Centre of the European U
Institute, Italy <http://www.iue.it/RSC/ResearchRSC-3a1.htm> or
<meny@datacomm.iue.it>.
Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists its "peace-building funds" for Middle East: <http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/peacebuilding/peace-e.asp>.
Monterey Institute of International Studies, Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East report: <http://cns.miis.edu/research/wmdme/index.htm>.
Western Policy Center items on Turkey, Greece and southeast Europe: <www.westernpolicy.org>.
Islamic Area Studies, Japan: <http://www.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/IAS/>.
U Bergen, Centre for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies: <http://www.hf.uib.no/i/smi/smi.html>.Arab Documentation Center, includes Ma'loumat periodical. <http://www.assafir.com/ADC/>.
Arab Affairs in UK Press: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/arabic/presseng.shtml>.
Mediterranean Quarterly: <http://users.erols.com/mqmq/>.
E. Maghreb/Africa
North Africa Journal: <http://www.north-africa.com/one.htm>.
Site on Sudan, with many links: <http://www.sudan.net/>
Boustany's Publishing House, books, serials and manuscripts from Egypt and the Middle East: <http://www.boustanys.com/>.
Research in African Literatures: <http://www.indiana.edu/~iupress/journals/ral/raltoc30.html>
Africa search engine, including Egypt, Libya, and Maghreb states <http://www.woyaa.com/>.
F. Israeli sites:
Peace Now (English): <http://www.peace-now.org/english/about.htm>.
Gush Shalom: <http://www.gush-shalom.org/>.
Mission of Israel to the UN: <http://www.israel-un.org/>.
G. Personalities
The Syrian Computer Society (founded by Bassel al-Assad and now headed
by Bashar al-Assad): <http://www.scs-syria.com/>.
Site on Iranian President Khatami: <http://www.persia.org/khatami/index.html>.
Rafik Hariri website: <http://www.rafik-hariri.org/>.
3. FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS TO E-MAIL PUBLICATIONS
The PEACE Dialogue forum: <http://www.ariga.com/dialog> or <http://www.ariga.com/peacewatch>.The British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies e-mails table of contents: <SharronL@Carfax.co.uk> or <http://www.carfax.co.uk/bjm-ad.htm>
Turkistan-Net is indispensible for people studying Turkey, the Caucasus or Central Asia. Products include the Turkistan Newsletter: news and information in English; BITIG: special analysis and research papers--mainly in English, but also in Turkic languages; TR: Turkish language news-information and discussion list; TEB: Turkistan Economy Bulletin; Uygur: News from Eastern Turkistan or Uygur Autonomous Region; KIRIM: Crimea Bulletin; Kirgiz: News from Kygyzstan; Azeri: Chagdash Azerbaycan (Contemporary Azerbaijan); BALKAN: News from Balkan Region; OZBEK: News from Uzbekistan; Ru: Some Turkistan related materials distributed in Russian language; NL: Turkistan related materials in Dutch. To subscribe <LISTSERV@nic.surfnet.nl>, and write in the body of message: subscribe turkistan-n. <http://www.turkiye.net/sota/sota.html> or <http://www.euronet.nl/users/sota/turkistan.htm>.
4. FUNDING/SCHOLARSHIPS/FELLOWSHIPS/WRITING OPPORTUNITIES
Changing Economies and Changing Societies in the Middle East: Winner and Losers in the process of Economic Reform, Robert Schuman Centre of the European U Institute (Florence, Italy), March 22-26, 2000. Call for papers deadline: December 3, 1999. <www.iue.it/RSC/WorkshopIII.htm>.Control, Mobility and Self-Fulfillment: Learning and Culture in Egypt since the Middle Ages (Cairo, Egypt). April 13-15, 2000 <nhanna@aucegypt.edu>. Call for papers deadline: December 15, 1999 (300 words, English or Arabic).
The British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies is a peer-reviewed academic journal. Scholarly contributions on all aspects of the Middle East from the end of classical antiquity and the rise of Islam are welcomed. <SharronL@Carfax.co.uk> or <http://www.carfax.co.uk/bjm-ad.htm>.
Third International Conference on Islamic Legal Studies: The Madhhab (Cambridge, Massachusetts). Organized by Islamic Legal Studies Program at Harvard Law School. Call for Papers deadline: November 1. <pbearman@law.harvard.edu> or <www.law.harvard.edu/Programs/ILSP>.
Call for Papers for an International Conference on Middle Eastern Popular Culture, Magdalen College, University of Oxford, 17-21 September 2000. The panels will be on Oral poetry performed/written down in the vernacular (especially Arabic, but other Middle Eastern languages also); Artistic prose in the vernacular, e.g. hero cycles; Tribal oral narrative; Folk or traditional stories; Drama or other forms of performance in the vernacular. The principal languages and cultures involved will be Arabic, Persian and Turkish, with other regional languages possibly included. <http://users.ox.ac.uk/~neareast/middle.htm> Women and Society in the Middle East (Israel) Women Studies in Emek Yezreel. Call for Papers Deadline: November 30, 1999. <palgi@research.haifa.ac.il>, <hishamm@cs.technion.ac.il>, or <luzi@netvision.net.il>
International Conference on Banking, Financial Markets and the Economies of the Middle East and North Africa (Byblos, Lebanon). May 25-27, 2000. Call for Papers Deadline: March 1, 2000. <http://www.lau.edu.lb/LAU/html_files/news_events/icbf.html> or <icbf@lau.edu.lb>.
Call for papers for forthcoming conference on "Borders, Orders and Identities of the Muslim World" (July 12th-14th 2000) to be jointly held by the International Boundaries Research Unit and the Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. Concepts of boundary and territory in traditional and modern Islam; The impact of European imperialism on the Islamic world;.Islamic states and international law; Maritime boundaries of Islamic states; The troubled fringes of Islam; Globalization and Islam; Boundary problems in the Islamic world today; The future shape of the political map of Islam; and the frontier between the Islamic and non-Islamic worlds. To be held at U of Durham, UK. <Michelle.Speak@durham.ac.uk> or <http://www-ibru.dur.ac.uk/conf/islam/intro.html>
The Sir William Luce Memorial Fund welcomes applications for a fellowship commencing May 2001, to be hosted by the University of Durham for three months. Applicants should send a CV and a short description of their research by December 1 to: <ali.ansari@durham.ac.uk>
Association of Israel Studies is calling for Session Organizers as well as proposals and people to organize thematic sessions for their 16th Annual Meeting: Multiple Perspectives on Israel, June 25-27, 2000. Deadline: December 4, 1999. Hosted by Tel Aviv University. <irenako@zoot.tau.ac.il> or <http://www.aisisraelstudies.org/>.
The Working Group Modernity and Islam offers an international fellowship program for Post-Doctorates in Language, Image and Thought and International Summer Academy 2000 for Doctorates and Post-Doctorates in History and Historiography: New Approaches and Perspectives: <http://www.wiko-berlin.de/information/eakmi_i.htm> or <khalil@wiko-berlin.de>.
5. RESEARCH QUERIES-PLEASE HELP
None at present: For past queries, see previous editions of MERIA News.6. SCHOLAR'S AND AUTHOR'S ALERTS
White Cloud Press is releasing a new translation of the early suras of the Qur'an, "Approaching the Qu'ran: The Early Revelations" introduced and translated by Michael Sells (Haverford College). The book includes an introduction to the Qur'an, glossary of technical terms, translations of the early suras with commentary by Sells, plus two chapters discussing "Hearing the Qur'an" and "Sound, Spirit and Gender in the Qur'an." The book includes an 72 minute audio CD of Qur'anic reciters featuring recitations of the Call to Prayer and six suras. Hardcover $29.95, paperback $18.95. To order: <http://www.whitecloudpress.com/books/quran.html> or <sscholl@jeffnet.org>.Qajar Iran and the Rise of Reza Khan, 1796-1925, by Nikki Keddie <keddie@history.ucla.edu> provides a brief but comprehensive history of this period, encompassing the whole rule of the Qajar dynasty and the rise to power of Reza Khan until he had the Qajars deposed. It covers political, socioeconomic, intellectual, and cultural history and religious and ethnic minorities as well as women. It also deal with foreign relations and interactions with western powers. It includes illustrations, a bibliography, an index, and an article by Farrokh Ghaffary. It is published by Mazda Publishers, P.O. Box 2603, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, USA.
Also co-edited by Nikki Keddie <keddie@history.ucla.edu> and Jasamin Rostam-Kolayi is "Women and Twentieth Century Religious Politics," a special Issue of Journal of Women's History (Vol. 10, No. 4, Winter, 1999), includes articles about this subject worldwide, including several on the Muslim World. The Journal includes articles by the editors and by Margaret Lamberts Bendroth, Martin Riesebrodt and Kelly Chong, Patience Schell, Amrita Basu, Paola Bacchsetta, Elora Shehabuddin, Val Moghadam, and Margot Badran. Published by Indiana University Press, 601 N. Morton St., Bloomington, IN 47404.
7. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF MEETINGS, CONFERENCES, LECTURES
[This only lists new
entries. For additional items, see MERIA News past issues on our homepage. We welcome submissions of events.]
November 4 - "Fundamentalism at the Dawn of the Third Millenium," a roundtable discussion with Scott Appleby, Maurice Kriegel, Jeff Kaplan, Said Zeedani, and David Rapoport. 6:30-8:00pm, the Van Leer Institute (Jerusalem, Israel); tel. (02) 560-5216.
November 8 - "Power, Production, and State Formation in the Middle East" by Dr. Islam Khafaji. 4pm - 6pm, Ettinghausen Library, Hagop Kevorkian Center, New York University: 212-998-8877, <http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/program/neareast/events.html> or <ard2@acf2.nyu.edu>.
November 8-9 - The Future of the Palestinian Authority, BESA Center for
Strategic Studies, Bar-Ilan U. <browne@mail.biu.ac.il>.
Monday, 8 November 1999, Senate Hall, Feldman Bldg., Bar-Ilan University
15:00 Political System
Ehud Ya'ari (IBA), Arafat's Role
Hillel Frisch (BESA), Proliferation of PA Security Forces
Dan Schueftan (Haifa University), Palestinian Views on
Integration & Separation from Israel
17:00 Parties and Groupings
Meir Litvak (Dayan Center), Hamas
Nadim Mseis (Bir Zeit University), The Left
Barry Rubin (BESA), PA Leadership and Fatah
Tuesday 9 November 1999 Beck Auditorium, Bar-Ilan University
10:00 The PA and Israel
Mahdi Abdul Hadi (Palestinian Academic Society for International Affairs), The PA-Israeli Relations from a Palestinian Perspective
Mohamed Amara (Bar-Ilan University), The PA and the Arabs in Israel
Efraim Inbar (BESA), Future Scenarios for Israeli-PA Relations
November 8-11. The Organization of Arab Architects (OAA) together with the Federation of Arab Engineers (FAE) in coordination with the Order of Engineers and Architects (O?EA) in Beirut, Lebanon are organizing a conference entitled "Jerusalem Today" in Beirut. <http://www.jerusalemites.org>.
November 9-11 - "Conflicts and Religions in the Middle East" (Amman, Jordan) is a conference that aims to involve religious communities in the region and its leaderships in dialogue. Contact the Center for Research on Arms Control and Security <hostmaster@jo.rdg.ac.uk>
November 11 - "The Cold War & the Middle East: New Theories & New Perspectives, 1945-1956," by Dr John Kent. Department of War Studies 17:15, London School of Economics. RSVP: 020-7848-2756. <http://www.kcl.ac.uk/about/evemee/events/event36.html>
November 11 - "U.S. Policy on Iraq and its Consequences" by Amin Tarzi, senior research associate of the Monterey Institute of International Studies. 5:30pm, Room 320 Mexico Building, Bar-Ilan University. <browne@mail.biu.ac.il>.
November 11 - "The Future of Iraq: Human Rights and the Sanctions Regime" with Dr. Sarah Graham Brown and Dr. Isam Khafaji. 1pm - 2:30pm, Ettinghausen Library, Hagop Kevorkian Center, New York University: 212-998-8877, <http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/program/neareast/events.html> or <ard2@acf2.nyu.edu>.
November 11 - Robert Schuman Centre (Italy) is holding a seminar "Labor, Capital and Religion: Political Economy of Islam in Contemporary Turkey," as part of its Mediterranean Program Seminar, Prof. Ayse Bugra (RSC Mediterranean Programme JMF and Bosphorus U, Istanbul). <http://www.iue.it/RSC/Events-forthc.htm> or <meny@datacomm.iue.it>
November 15 - "Turkey's Reaction to the Great Depression1930-1935," Joint Seminar with Sevket Pamuk (Bosphorus U, Istanbul). Organized by the Robert Schuman Centre's Mediterranean Program and the Department of History, 11.00-13.00. <http://www.iue.it/RSC/Events-forthc.htm> or <meny@datacomm.iue.it>.
November 15 - "Artistic Interventions and the Politics of Time and Space in Post-War Beirut Lecturer: Walid Boutros Sadek, Lebanese Sculptor and Art Critic. 4:00pm - 5:30pm, Ettinghausen Library, Hagop Kevorkian Center, New York University: 212-998-8877, <http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/program/neareast/events.html> or <ard2@acf2.nyu.edu>.
November 15-18 - Islam and the West in the 21st Century, West Sussex. Conference, organized by Wilton Park <wilton@pavilion.co.uk> or <http://www.wiltonpark.org.uk/>.
November 16 - "Conversations with Asad and Barak," Patrick Seale. 5pm, St Antony's College, Middle East Centre. November 21 - During MESA 1999, the Association for Israel Studies will be sponsoring a Thematic Session, "Israeli Elections: Continuity and Change" 10:30 am to 12:30 pm, and hosting a Reception on Friday, Nov. 19 - 7:30 - 9:30 pm. in the Virginia B room. <http://www.AISIsraelStudies.org>
November 22 - Symposium (in Hebrew)The Legacy of Yitzhak Rabin in
honor of the publication of Efraim Inbar's book Rabin and Israel's
National Security. 5:30, Senate Hall, Feldman Building, Bar-Ilan
University
Maj. Gen. (res.) Shlomo Lahat, Yitzhak Rabin's Contribution to the IDF
Haim Asa, The Decision-Making Process
Maj. Gen. (res.) Ori Orr, The Political-Security Legacy
sponsored by The Sara & Simha Lainer Chair in Democracy and Civility. <browne@mail.biu.ac.il>.
November 22-28 - Current Problems in Africa and the Middle East (Havana, Cuba). The Center of Studies on African and the Middle East will host the 6th International Seminar. <ceamo@ceniai.inf.cu>.
November 23 - "The Causes of the failure of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA)," Dr. Zahir Tanin, BBC Persian analyst and Dr. Antonio Giustozzi, LSE. 5pm, St Antony's College, Middle East Centre. Tel. (01865) 284-780.
November 25 - 11.00-13.00, Convention - RSC - Legitimizing a Guardianship Role in the 21st Century: Politics, Society and the Military in Turkey, Mediterranean Programme Seminar, Prof. Umit Cizre Sakallioglu (RSC Mediterranean Programme JMF and Bilkent University, Ankara). Robert Schuman Centre, Italy <http://www.iue.it/RSC/Events-forthc.htm> or <meny@datacomm.iue.it>.
November 30 - "The Islamic factor in early Paustun tribal politics: the case of the Rawshani Movement," Dr. Sergei Andreyev, Institute of Ismaili Studies, London.
November 30 - Enid C. B. Schoettle Consultant, National Intelligence Council on "Alternative Global Futures: 2000-2015." Coolidge Hall Room 2, 4-6 PM, Coolidge Hall, Harvard University.
December 8 - Shirin Neshat's, an Iranian-born artist in New York will discuss her recent photography, film and video projects. Time & Place: 6:30pm, Cantor Film Center, 36 East 8th Street, Rm 102
December 9 - "Political Ethnography of Leading Arab Business Groups," Mediterranean Program Seminar, Dr. Brad Glasser. 11.00-13.00 (Robert Schuman Centre's Mediterranean Program JMF and NewYork University). (Italy) <http://www.iue.it/RSC/Events-forthc.htm> or <meny@datacomm.iue.it>.
December 9 - "The Cold War & World Conflicts in the 1970s," by Dr Odd Arne Westad. 17:15 London School of Economics. RSVP: tel. 020-7848-2756. <http://www.kcl.ac.uk/about/evemee/events/event36.html>
December 9-12 - Christianization of the Caucasus (Vienna, Austria). Contact: Prof. Dr. Werner Seibt, A-1010 Wien, Postgasse 7/1/3, Fax: [43](1)512-70-23.
December 13-16 - Forging an International Consensus to Ensure Compliance with Non-Proliferation Regimes (West Sussex, UK). <wilton@pavilion.co.uk> or <http://www.wiltonpark.org.uk/>.
January 7-9, 2000 - Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Middle East Economic Association (MEEA) Boston, MA. Further information: E. Mine Cinar. Executive Secretary, Middle East Economic Association, Department of Economics, Loyola University Chicago, 820 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
March-June 2000 - Text, Context, and the Constitution of Difference in Middle East Scholarship:Historical and Cultural Approaches (Ben Gurion University, Israel). It will convene once a month Participants from abroad will be offered round-trip airfare and lodging. <skaplan@bgumail.bgu.ac.il> or <mideast@bgumail.bgu.ac.il>
March 22-26 - "Changing Economies and Changing Societies in the Middle East: Winner and Losers in the process of Economic Reform" Robert Schuman Centre's Mediterranean Program (Italy): <www.iue.it/RSC/WorkshopIII.htm>.
April 28-29 - Control, Mobility and Self-Fulfillment: Learning and Culture in Egypt since the Middle Ages (Cairo, Egypt).<nhanna@aucegypt.edu>.
April 28-29 2000 - Iran 2000: The Challenges Ahead, the 18th Annual CIRA Conference (Bethesda, Maryland) <kdadkhah@lynx.neu.edu> or <www.dac.neu.edu/cira>.
May 4-6- III International Conference on Islamic Legal Studies: The Madhhab (Cambridge, Massachusetts). Organized by the Islamic Legal Studies Program at Harvard Law School. <pbearman@law.harvard.edu> or <www.law.harvard.edu/Programs/ILSP>.
May 15-16 - Women and Society in the Middle East (Israel) Women Studies in Emek Yezreel. <palgi@research.haifa.ac.il>, <hishamm@cs.technion.ac.il>, or <luzi@netvision.net.il>
May 25-27 - International Conference on Banking, Financial Markets and the Economies of the Middle East and North Africa (Byblos, Lebanon). <icbf@lau.edu.lb> or <http://www.lau.edu.lb/LAU/html_files/news_events/icbf.html>
Awards: Lycos, Top 5% Site; Arab E-Journal, Publication of the month; Selection, Scout Report for Social Sciences; Award, Newsbytes news wire; LinksGo Key Resource Award//MERIA is indexed in Cambridge University's Index Islamicus. Staff: Barry Rubin, editor; Assistant Editors: Linda Sharaby (editorial); Cameron Brown (administrative). London representative: Lawrence Joffe.
MERIA offers you discounts on books and publications. We welcome special arrangements for our readers. To propose articles, items for publication, give others free subscriptions, or other correspondence, write:besa@mail.biu.ac.il