Friday 30 November 2012

Professor Tariq Ramadan on Arab Spring and Role of Turkey


Professor Tariq Ramadan on Arab 
Spring and the Role of Turkey

Dr. Mozammel Haque

A Conference entitled “An Overview of the Arab Spring and the Role of Turkey” organised by Network of Students Seminar, held on Wednesday 24th of October 2012 at the House of Commons' Committee Room. The conference was chaired by Kristiane Backer, author of “From MTV to Mecca” and TV Presenter. Tariq Ramadan, renowned scholar and Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at the University of Oxford, who has authored a book entitled “The Arab Awakening: Islam and the New Middle East”, delivered an extensive talk on the subject.

Nationalistic vision
Professor Tariq Ramadan was “less optimistic and very cautious about the Arab Spring”. He has written a book recently entitled “The Arab Awakening”. He thinks what is happening in the region is “a very nationalistic vision, the workings in Tunisia, Egyptian awareness for the region or the regional dimension” “a regional dynamic”. He does not accept the idea of calling it “Revolution”.

Regional dimension
So Professor Ramadan was cautious about everything. When he started the discussion on Turkey, he mentioned first “a shift in the awareness of what is a shift in the Arab strategy in the regional level.”

His first point is that what is happening in the Arab region is completely contrary to what the American and the West could hope in the region. He said, “I think we should be very cautious, not going as far as theory but understanding that there are many dimensions to what we are witnessing now.”

Political obsession
His second point considered the obsession with the political model. Professor Ramadan said that we are so much obsessed with the political model that we are not asking the right question. He said, “So obsessed are we with political model, for example, whether we can follow in the footsteps of the Turkish, the marketing model; are the Islamists becoming democrats, etc, that we are missing the right question to ask: The economic dimension of what is happening is much more important. You know, we are supporting the marketing; we are supporting the democracy in the West; we are monotheism. This is not the case - we had dictatorships.”

Speaking about Turkey, Professor Ramadan reminded us that Turkey is very powerful and has an economic strategy much more powerful than all the discussions about the people. He said, “We need to have an analysis at the multiple level, to have a perception of the global and regional analyses; there is a need for a case-by-case analysis. We have to be extremely deep in understanding the dynamics within each and every country and at the same time have a regional and global understanding of what is happening.”

Professor Ramadan also advised that we should not only deal with MENA (Middle East & North Africa); but when dealing with MENA, we must also “consider India and Israel, which is silent. The fact that Israel is silent about everything that is happening now in all these countries, is not for nothing; Israel is not just an observer,” he said.

People wanted new policy
Professor Ramadan then went on to consider what people want in the region. “Just to get something against the dictators; to get rid of the dictators. There is something which is very important, beyond all the analysis about what the people wanted of more freedom, more respect. The people are asking for new policy and I am not sure that what we have now is what they are hoping to have; there is a gap between what the people expect and then the government and what we have done now. This gap is quite important. And this is now this massive demonstration, we want to get rid of dictators, Ben Ali and Mubarak.”

Turkish model
Professor Ramadan analysed the political discussion and thought “this polarisation between the secularists and Islamists is a trap, mainly promoted by activists and the people who are involved in the discussion in the Arab world. It was the West portraying us. It was the case in Tunisia, in Egypt and even you know, it was understood when (the Turkish Prime Minister) Tayyib Erdogan visited Cairo in Egypt saying to the Islamists don’t do this. This was the Turkish model that’s coming from an Islamic background and dealing with the secularists’ model. It was dealt with by being perceived as a model. It is coming from the Turkish experience and not the Egyptian experience. The young people even in the Muslim Brotherhood were very pleased with what he said,” said Professor Ramadan and added, “the Turkish model is not the Muslim Brotherhood. There is young leadership and the old leadership.”

Main question was not dealt with
In making his point, the Professor, said, “You find secularists using the Islamists and talking to the West, saying ‘You are backward; you are not promoting the marketing democracy and what you want is to come back with Shari’ah and to impose a religious model’. The Islamists then respond by saying 'You are westernised and you are following and completely idealising the Western model’ so ultimately the reality is that the discourse and discussion in Egypt and Tunisia now are very much between this polarised debate and do not talking about the true challenges they have to do. So the main question to be answered is not about the structure of the state.”

The Main question is corruption Army
“How are you going to deal with corruption? Here the first question is how are you going to deal with army? Because yes, we are talking about the fact that in Egypt, the army controlled 60% of the economic sector. This is the reality of Egypt. Yet you can’t only talk about the army because if you think that you only have to remove the army and then you will be free - you are dreaming.”

People are thinking of Turkey. Comparing with Turkey Professor Ramadan said, when you deal with the Turkish experience, think about “the relationship with Erdogan and the new government and the army –it is very effective and very smart the way in which the Turkish government deal with the army using the EU. But we need to talk not just about the army; we need also to talk about the educational policy; we need also to talk about social justice; we need also to talk about cultural policy and we need also to talk about economic regime. What will the economic model be? These are the true questions.”

West supported the dictators
Talking about the obsession with the political structure, Professor Ramadan said that although President Barrack Obama was talking about freedom and he might have good words, ultimately it is the American policy, the European administration. Professor Ramadan reminded us by saying, “How is it that these regimes were supporting the dictators for decades; they were supporting Mubarak, Ben Ali and even Gaddafi. They were dealing with all these dictators. Even on the 8th March, the US administration was supporting Bashar al-Asad, asking him to reform his regime within.”

Syrian resistance
Speaking about the resistance by Syrian people against Bashar al-Asad, Professor Ramadan said, “So we can say this is not conspiracy. No one was expecting the Syrian people to resist the regime after the veto of Russia; this was not a conspiracy. This was not coming from abroad; it was coming from within. People saying we are not going to we have which is the way the courage of the people push that the US administration even the Turkish administration it is clear supporting a dictator. When they understood it is not going to work, they changed. We have to say the truth when comes to the history.”

What is happening in the Middle East? What is the new economy and strategic policy of Turkey? Exactly what is happening not always on the political side as you said change. Professor Ramadan was trying, at the very beginning, to understand what was happening within the Islamists in Egypt and the Islamists in Tunisia. He said, “You have heard, I am sure, some of the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood are much more attracted by the Turkish model than the Iranian model. I said this is the case, that many young Islamists are very much attracted by the perceived successful experience of the Turkish model. And then I visited Turkey and I worked on and I said you are the model; for the young Islamists, you are the model. That might be perceived you are the model and it is true. It is true because I remain critical of some of the policies.”

Shariah with money no problem
Professor Ramadan then considered that there are challenges in being too critical in the coming years. The first example is something that is very worrying: It is evident on reading some of the reports coming from the think-tanks of the US and Europe that within their discussions, a differentiation is developing between those Islamists that they can deal with and those Islamists that they consider they are not able to deal with.  In fact, the essential factor here is that we are looking at the West and the inconsistent way in which they deal with the economy. Professor Ramadan said, “The West has no problem with Islamist capitalists for example. Here it is the capitalist oil giving money to Western banks; they need you whatever way you need them. But we don’t care. You talk about driving in Tunisia or in Saudi Arabia, whatever you want. You can even implement Shari'ah; Shari'ah is good in business we will have Shari'ah compliant transactions, no problem. Shari'ah in relation to money is acceptable; it is okay. France is okay with Shari'ah too in this context, yet what about when we look at Shari'ah and the headscarf in France?  This is a different matter altogether for France.”

The point in this discussion that Professor Ramadan was exploring is that when it comes to dealing with some of the petrol monarchies of the Gulf states; that’s fine and the problem is what they are saying about that. He argued, “In fact, look at what is happening. Turkey is an example of this. It is quite clear that the position of Turkey is very much in the global system; they are doing much better than European countries, and some others. The EU might end up more in need of Turkey than Turkey needs of the EU, because of the economic position. But the problem is: Turkey could be an example. Look at Al-Nahda, look at the Muslim Brotherhood. They don’t have a problem with the World Bank. Egypt and Tunisia doesn’t have a problem with the IMF, World Bank.”

Salafists are evolving everywhere
We have now a new position with the Islamists dealing with the economic system, and we must be ready for that. Professor Ramadan said, “For activists, one of the main challenges will be in the Muslim-majority countries: The Salafists are evolving. Salafist is everywhere: in the West; Europe; the United States of America; Tunisia;  Syria;; Egypt; and in Libya now. It’s a problem because they are now involved in politics; they push you to talk about the political system by saying we want Shari’ah; we want an Islamic state; and at the same time they are de-destabilising the whole political system. The Salafists in the intra community dimension is going to be problem; Islamists within the Islamists system. The activists are one of the main challenges that is going to be huge, we need to try to understand what is happening with the Sunni-Shia relationship.”

Syria and the Role of Turkey
Now we have to deal with Syria and the role of Turkey in the region. Professor Ramadan said, “My main fear when it comes to Syria, is that it might be that there is an agreement between the West and China and Russia, not to agree on anything. And now there is civil war and the killing of people. Really, what happened in Libya has nothing to do with it; now they are protecting the oil there, protecting the resources there, but in Syria it might be what was known, the American policy in the region; low intensity; people killed amongst themselves. We sell weapons and the region destabilises and there is this kind of de polarisation that neither Iran nor any other country is going to be like; even Turkey now, whose first strategy was no conflict has a very smart strategy now – new, very undetermined now by this low intensity conflict.”

While dealing with Turkey, Professor Ramadan said, “When it comes to Turkey we need to remind ourselves that we are dealing with Islamists; which is going to be important; believe it or not, the discussion Islamism and Secularism, Islamists. What will be the future of society? So it is part of a political discussion. And it is true in the context, Turkey did something which is quite important, very experienced in the last 10 years and willing it or not; it has to be discussion to be able to say my references are coming from Islam but I am not democrat and I am dealing with secular system. The Muslim democrat is something which is important - we have it in Egypt, Tunisia, Syria and in Libya. People are now saying that we are not promoting an Islamic state; what we want is a civil state with an Islamic reference. What does this mean? Turkey is critical on this point of discussion.”

Polarisation between Islam and the West over
“There is another thing which is important for me, even though I am quite critical apparently of the acceptance of those new liberal regimes and trying to do as good as the capitalist society; there is something which is very interesting in the Turkish system which is this shift towards east and south,” said Professor Ramadan and elaborated, “Over the previous five years there has been the opening of so many embassies in Africa - dealing with India; China, and Malaysia; this is something which is now quite important. Dealing with Egypt now is something new. This is a new attitude of shifting towards the east, where this polarisation between Islam and the West is over. Now we are moving to something of a new paradigm and I think this is interesting. This is interesting because it might be that you enter into the economic system and you shift towards something which is dealing with the multi-polar world. I would say that this could be an example - now in the way they are dealing with religion and with Israel, they are thinking that they are important to be discussed now.”

Questions & Answers Session
Salafists - Who is pushing them?
In the Q&A session, in reply to a question about the Salafists, Professor Ramadan said, “My main concern is Salafists; they might be religiously very sincere but we must be very cautious about who is pushing them. Add to this the new factor they are not involving in politics and now we have more and more Salafi and Jihadi. Everywhere they are there; everywhere where there is oil,” said Professor Ramadan and mentioned about Mali, “All of a sudden we find them in North Mali; because they felt something is happening there. I don’t buy this. In North Mali, oil is much more important than we have in Libya. They are there. We have to deal with this and it is something which is going to be very difficult. The terrorism, Jihadism, Salafism is played with at different levels. Arresting these terrorists who you know were perceived of, that they were going to do something and they were converting to Islam over the last months just before they were involving in terrorism and at the same moment we are hearing, coming from France, about the arresting of terrorists.”

Iran cannot be a model
Replying to another question, Professor Ramadan said, “We want more freedom in Iran – which from within. My take is that Iran was never a model; it cannot be a model; we must be critical. We don’t want an Islamist state; we want civil state.” He raised three questions: Shariah – definition – closed system – with Halal-Haram – punishment prior to social justice – rule of law – universal human rights – separation – religious authority.”


Thursday 29 November 2012

Inauguration ceremony of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Dialogue Centre in Vienna


The Opening Ceremony of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Interreligious Intercultural Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) held in Vienna

Dr. Mozammel Haque

VIENNA: I came to Vienna, the capital of Austria, on Sunday, the 25th of November, 2012, to attend the inauguration opening ceremony of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) in Vienna, Austria.

Official ceremonial opening
And Gala dinner at Hofburg Palace
The official ceremonial opening of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) was held on Monday, the 26th of November 2012 and it was carried out by the Foreign Ministers of the three founding States, HRH Saud bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HE. Michael Spindelegger of the Republic of Austria and H.E. Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo of the Kingdom of Spain. It was witnessed by KAICIID’s Board of Directors, the Secretary General, H.E. Faisal bin Abdulrahman bin Muaammar and the Deputy Secretary General, Ms. Claudia Bandion-Ortner.

The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew-1, gave the keynote address to a global audience of more than 600 guests at the Gala Dinner at the Hofburg Palace including ambassadors, government representatives, religious leaders, academics, and scholars. Non-governmental organisations, cultural institutions and other interested parties were also present. The Gala dinner was also addressed by the UN Secretary General, Ban-Ki-moon, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Austria and the Kingdom of Spain, His Eminence Cardinal Jean Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue at the Vatican, Dr. Abdullah Mohsin Al-Turki, Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL).

Two personal video messages of congratulations and support were screened, one from King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, The Custodian of Two Holy Mosques and the other from King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

The Evening was characterized by a cordial coming together of followers of different religions and cultures, in a shared spirit of hope and resolve. Deep conversations with an exchange of experiences in interreligious and intercultural matters were enjoyed by the guests. Evening attendees took great inspiration from the potential of KAICIID and re-emphasized their commitment to a belief in new horizons for dialogue.

In addition to the ceremonial opening of the Centre, events on that historic day in the KAICIID journey included a Best Practice Symposium and afterwards a Gala Dinner, held at the Hofburg Palace.

Best Practice Symposium
At Hilton Hotel, Vienna
Earlier, The Best Practice Symposium was held during the day, from morning to afternoon, on the same say, on 26th of November at the Hilton Hotel, Vienna, Austria. There were four workshops, such as i) Conflict Management, ii) Cultural Programmes, iii) Youth and iv) Religious Education as Enabler. First and second were held simultaneously and Third and Fourth were held at the same time. So participants have to chose either First or Second and Third or Fourth. I attended the First and the Fourth Symposium workshop

Historical Background
In this connection, it may be mentioned that King Abdullah began this journey of his interfaith dialogue in 2005 in the Holy City of Makkah, when he called on all 57 Muslim heads of state to meet in Islam’s holiest city to ponder the issues of extremism and call for a Muslim renaissance. The King travelled to Vatican and met Pope Benedict in 2007 offering him peace and friendship on behalf of the Muslim world.

The following year, in June 2008, King Abdullah hosted a first historic Interfaith Dialogue Conference in Makkah al-Mukarramah where more than 500 Muslim religious scholars and leaders attended.  It was followed by a multi-religious conference in Madrid in July 2008, which was hosted by King Abdullah along with King Juan Carlos of Spain and attended by more than 300 representatives from Vatican, Anglican Church, Judaism, Hinduism and other faiths. Then King Abdullah took the interfaith dialogue to the global centre-stage at the UN.

The Secretary General of the Centre, HE Faisal Bin Abdulrahman Bin Muaammar, stated, “It is my profound belief that this Centre can become a place of leadership and applied learning, a place where candid dialogue among followers of different religions and cultures can flourish so that we can value and cherish the richness of our diversity and live together as good neighbours. And I am convinced that KAICIID will within a short period of time; build a bridge for better mutual understanding, facilitating interreligious and intercultural dialogue to enhance cooperation, respect for diversity, justice and peace.”

Saturday 24 November 2012

King Abdullah International Interfaith Dialogue Centre opens in Vienna


King Abdullah International Interfaith
Dialogue Centre opens in Vienna

Dr. Mozammel Haque

VIENNA: I came to Vienna, the capital of Austria, today, the 25th of November, 2012, to attend the inaugural ceremony of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID).

UN Secretary General, Ban-Ki-moon, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Austria and the Kingdom of Spain, His Eminence Cardinal Jean Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue at the Vatican, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdul Mohsin Al-Turki, Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL), and Bartholomew-1, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople will all convene amid a gathering of eminent religious, civic and political leaders from around the world.

These personalities are coming together to attend the opening of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) in Vienna.

The King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) was founded to enable, empower and encourage dialogue among followers of different religions and culture around the world.

Located in Vienna, a city long used to being a bridgehead between world religions and cultures, the Centre is an independent, international organisation, free of political or economic influence.  Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Republic of Austria and Kingdom of Spain are the Founding States of the Centre and these constitute the “Council of Parties” responsible for overseeing the establishment of the Centre. The Holy See has a role as a Founding Observer.

The Secretary General of the Centre, HE Faisal Bin Abdulrahman Bin Muaammar, stated, “It is my profound belief that this Centre can become a place of leadership and applied learning, a place where candid dialogue among followers of different religions and cultures can flourish so that we can value and cherish the richness of our diversity and live together as good neighbours. And I am convinced that KAICIID will within a short period of time, build a bridge for better mutual understanding, facilitating interreligious and intercultural dialogue to enhance cooperation, respect for diversity, justice and peace.”

Historical Background
In this connection, it may be mentioned that King Abdullah began this journey of his interfaith dialogue in 2005 in the Holy City of Makkah, when he called on all 57 Muslim heads of state to meet in Islam’s holiest city to ponder the issues of extremism and call for a Muslim renaissance. The King travelled to Vatican and met Pope Benedict in 2007 offering him peace and friendship on behalf of the Muslim world.

The following year, in June 2008, King Abdullah hosted a first historic Interfaith Dialogue Conference in Makkah al-Mukarramah where more than 500 Muslim religious scholars and leaders attended.  It was followed by a multi-religious conference in Madrid in July 2008, which was hosted by King Abdullah along with King Juan Carlos of Spain and attended by more than 300 representatives from Vatican, Anglican Church, Judaism, Hinduism and other faiths. Then King Abdullah took the interfaith dialogue to the global centre-stage at the UN.

Inauguration Ceremony
The Inauguration Ceremony takes place on 26th of November 2012 at the Hofburg Vienna. Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, his All Holiness Bartholomew 1 will deliver the Keynote Speech of the Ceremony followed by the formal Signature of the KAICIID Affirmation by the Board of Directors. The musical premiere of a special Dialogue Composition will also be presented.

Its Programme
The programme of the KAICIID will be announced at the Opening Ceremony. The Three-KAICIID programmes will start from January 2013 which are as follows: “Multi-religious Collaboration for the Survival and Wellbeing of Children”, “The Image of the Other” and “KAICIID Fellows Programme”.

Multi-religious Collaboration for the Survival and Wellbeing of Children: a major capacity-building initiative aimed at empowering religious leaders, congregations, faith-based institutions and individuals across diverse faith traditions to promote the survival and wellbeing of children in several priority countries.

The Image of the Other: a series of Conferences with themes including Education, Media and the Internet, aimed at exploring ways to improve perceptions of the Other.

KAICIID Fellows Programme: The establishment of a KAICIID Fellowship programme for future teachers of religion and future religious leaders with a deep commitment to interreligious or intercultural dialogue.

Its Role
The Centre will act as a hub among followers of different religions and cultures, empowering others already working in the field of dialogue and promoting harmony and cooperation.

Its Strategic Objectives
Generate, develop and disseminate knowledge in the area of interreligious and intercultural dialogue, cultivation and promotion of respect for differences through dialogue, and create bridges, address conflict and promote collaboration amongst diverse groups.

KAICIID Team
The Board of Directors comprises high-level representatives of the major world religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism). An Advisory Forum of up to 100 members of other religions, cultural institutions and international organisations will provide a further resource of interreligious and intercultural perspective.

The KAICIID Secretariat is headed by a Secretary General, H.E. Faisal Bin Abdulrahman Bin Muaammar and Deputy Secretary General Mrs. Claudia Bandion-Ortner.

Sunday 4 November 2012

Celebration of Eid-al-Adha at the City Hall London


Celebration of Eid-al-Adha
at the City Hall, London
Dr. Mozammel Haque
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, invited leading representatives from the London’s Muslim communities at an evening reception to celebrate Eid-ul-Adha. The event, which was held in association with the Muslim News, took place on Friday, the 26th of October, 2012 at the City Hall, London.

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Foreign Office Minister, spoke of sacrifice, her Hajj. She said I can make a speech about the sacrifices people made at the First World War, about the sacrifices of the early immigrants and how they shaped the economy; about the achievements of two million Muslims in the UK and also the challenges, the real challenge Islamophobia. 

While welcoming the representatives of the Muslim community to the Eid-ul-Adha reception, The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, talked about ‘the spirit of forbearance, devotion and sacrifice of Hajj’. He said, “That story is familiar to all readers of the Bible. What Abraham had to do and we saw Muslims of all ages took part in the pilgrimage in this year.”

Mr. Johnson also mentioned about Muslims who took part in the team of ambassadors, game makers and volunteers who helped us in the greatest Olympics. “There was record number of Muslim athletics who brought their courage. The greatest moments of the Olympic games.”

This year in the Olympic Games 2012, a 29-year Briton Mo Farah joined the sporting greats and produced an unforgettable crescendo to London’s Olympics as he added 5,000m Gold to his 10,000m title.

Speaking about Mo Farah, Mr. Johnson said, “This is a guy who came to London when he was eight; he had terrible problem in the school barely speak a word in English and this is the guy who is now national hero. You will see in every advert in the Tube. He is the role model to the kids across this country and his name is not just Mo which is the short form of the Mohammad Farah and that guy has done this and he is a Muslim and it is a fantastic thing.”

Mr. Johnson also mentioned about the potentials of these people. “When you look at the achievements of the people I think the incredible potentials of those individuals who have to help us to continue to do which Sayeeda Warsi talked at which is the changed attitude, to continue to improve attitude in this country and fight Islamophobia and to get a wonderful legacy from the Olympic Games,” he said.

Mr. Johnson also mentioned about the participation of all those young Muslim boys and girls in the Olympics. “We saw in the games the first participation by young female athletics from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the Emirates. This is development; this is progress and we want to encourage it,” he said.

Mr. Johnson also talked about how this place has changed over a time period. “Whatever the differences we have; yes, we have differences; yes we have discrimination; yes we have Islamophobia; but this place has changed in our lifetime; have not it? It has changed and it has changed for the better. I will tell you I will keep it changing," he said.

While talking about Hajj and Muslim achievements, Mayor of London revealed about his Muslim background. He said, “I have not made Hajj myself but my great great grandfather did. He made Hajj indeed. He was called Haji Ahmed. He made Hajj. I will tell you he was very interesting man; he was a very devout Muslim, his son my great grandfather recite Qur’an by heart but Haji Ahmed was a merchant.”

In conclusion, the Mayor of London revealed that the next World Islamic Economic Forum will be held in London in 2013. “We have negotiated this year for the World Islamic Economic Forum to be coming to London next year, 2013 the first time it will ever be held outside” the Muslim world, he said and added, “That is the most dynamic diverse welcoming city of the world.” 

In this connection, it may be mentioned that the Mayor of London, Mr. Boris Johnson, by organising this reception to celebrate Eid-ul-Adha, has kept his promise which he made to the imams and leaders of Islamic organisations at the Islamic Cultural Centre, London on 26 April 2012 and also during the hosting before the Mayoral Election at Norton Rose House, London, next day, on 27 April.

Saturday 3 November 2012

Dr. Said Salman Abu Athera Receives BRISMES Book Prize


Dr. Said Salman Abu Athera receives
Book prize from BRISMES

Dr. Mozammel Haque
 Professor Clive Holes and Dr. Said Salman Abu Athera received prize for their book entitled “The Nabati Poetry of the United Arab Emirates: Selected Poems annotated and translated into English” from the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES).

Winner
Professor Clive Holes and
Dr. Said Salman Abu Athera
For the first time the BRIMES has launched a new book prize in Middle Eastern, North African and Islamic Studies, sponsored by Barclays Capital. This year’s book Prize Presentation ceremony was held at Barclays Building at Canary Wharf, London on Wednesday, 31st of October 2012.

About the book, The Narbati Poetry of the United Arab Emirates, one reviewer commented, “The work to collect, contextualize, record, translate poems in a dialect – and then to present translations that work for the non-specialist Anglophone reader – is truly something to laud”.

“In sum, this is an academic study that deliberately and successfully works to draw in a non-academic audience, introducing it to a pervasive aesthetic, social and political presence in the Arabic culture of the Gulf region.”

The authors of the book:  Clive Holes is a Professor for the Study of the Contemporary Arab World, University of Oxford, Professorial Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford and

Dr. Said Salman Abu-Athera is Jordanian heritage, originally Palestinian, Bedouin from the south of Palestine. He completed his PhD from the University of Glasgow, Scotland. He is an independent researcher into Bedouin poetry, lore, and customs, and an Associate Member of the Sub-Faculty of the Near and Middle Eastern Studies at Oxford. He has published and broadcast extensively in Arabic and acted as a consultant for UNESCO on Bedouin affairs. He is a founder member of the Jordanian National Committee for Cultural Heritage, and established the Centre for the Preservation of Bedouin Culture, a non-Profit NGO.

I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Said Salman Abu Athera. Speaking about the background of the preparation and publication of the book, Dr. Said said, one gentleman from the UNESCO in Paris approached Professor Clive Holes and Dr. Said Salman in the University of Oxford to do a book about Bedouin (Nabati) Poetry in the Emirates. Both Professor Clive and Dr. Said made the field work. Dr. Said went several times to choose poetry and all other things. He met many poets in the Emirates and selected very good amount of poetry and finished the project and sent that to Paris.

Dr. Said Salman said to me, “The UNESCO asked us to change at least eight points and we enquired why. The gentleman said we do not deal with politics. I said it is not our poetry; it is the poetry of Abu Dhabi or the Emirati poets. Their feelings about what is happening in Gaza and what is happening in Palestine and the social problems of the Emirates. They are discussing these things in their poetry. It is not our poetry and we are not going to change. He said sorry we cannot put the UNESCO logo on it. We told him it is upto you, we don’t care.”

The book was published from Ithaca Press, Reading, April 2011.

Winner
Professor Konrad Hirschler
The BRIMES also announced another winner of the prize: Professor Konrad Hirschler for the book entitled, “The Written Word in the Medieval Arabic Lands: A Social and Cultural History of Reading Practices”.

I had the opportunity to interview Professor Konrad. Speaking about the book, Professor Konrad said, “I am looking at the two processes: on the one hand, I am looking at the Arabic society using the already written works in different context and on the other hand I am looking at what ways new social groups especially craftsmen and traders, say, the lower middle classes start to participate in the reading practices in the propagation and distribution of the written works in the contemporary new scale around the 12/13th Century in Egypt  and Syria.”

About the book, one reviewer commented, “This is a clever book looking at the writing practices amongst Arab intellectual classes during the Middle Ages. It is well researched and very detailed in its presentation.”

“The research is meticulous, the arguments and evidence are beautifully presented, and comparative references to Europe as well as further east are interesting and mean that the book should have an audience far beyond Islamic Studies.”

About the author, Konrad Hirschler studied History and Islamic Studies in Hamburg, Bir-Zeit (Palestinian Territories) and London where he also completed his PhD. After four years at the University of Kiel (Germany) he joined the History Department of the School of Oriental and African Studies in 2007 and is currently Reader in history. His research focuses on Egypt and Syria in the medieval period with a special interest in social history, intellectual history and Crusades.

Alastair Newton, President of BRISMES thanked Barclays Capital for their generous funding of the Prize, and Dr. Mohammed A. Ramady, Visiting Associate Professor, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia who acts as the Society’s relationship manager with Barclays. He also thanked the judges Professor Beverley Milton-Edwards (Queen’s University, Belfast); Professor Marilyn Booth (University of Edinburgh); Dr Oliver Bast (University of Manchester); Professor Allan Hill (Harvard on secondment to Southampton) and Professor Rob Gleave (University of Exeter).

About the BRISMES
The British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (popularly known as BRISMES) was established in 1973 to encourage and promote the study of the Middle East in the United Kingdom. BRISMES is the UK’s premier higher education umbrella organisation for MENA studies, embracing all the top universities in the UK to promote the study of all aspects of the region. It brings together teachers, researchers, students, diplomats, journalists and others who deal professionally with the Middle East.

HRH Turki bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz
BRISMES Student Research Awards
In this connection, it may be mentioned that HRH Turki bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has kindly agreed to sponsor research assistance funding for 5 students conducting research on Middle East related topics in the UK universities. Each successful applicant will receive a research award of one thousand pound sterling. .