Middle Eastern Studies at The University of Texas

Watch Middle Eastern Studies triple major Elijah Kahlenberg on Nightline!

Atidna International is a student group founded by a University of Texas at Austin student with the goal of creating a space for Jewish and Palestinian students to engage in conversation. Founder Elijah Kahlenberg and Vice President Jadd Hashem appeared on Nightline to discuss the creation and purpose of this initiative.

Video Student group brings Palestinians, Jews together in dialogue Atidna International is a student group founded by a University of Texas at Austin student with the goal of creating a space for Jewish and Palestinian students to engage in conversation.

Sarah Hussain, a graduating senior who took DMES Professor Levi Thompson's Cultures of Revolution in the Middle East course in fall 2023, won first place in this year's Ronald Schuchard Upper Division Archival Research Prize, given by the Harry Ransom Center. Her winning paper, “They Call Me Uncle Smith: Decentralizing Ideals of Nationhood via the Franklin-Pakistan Archive,” served as her final report for Dr. Thompson's course. In it, she presents original findings based on materials in the Franklin Book Program archives held at the Ransom Center, as well as additional research that she completed at the Library of Congress last fall. Congratulations to Sarah on this wonderful achievement!

Pictured is Sarah with Dr. Stephen Ennis, Director of the Harry Ransom Center, as well as some of the archival materials Sarah used in her research.

Join us this afternoon at 3:30pm in CAL 516 for the fourth and final talk in our Spring 2024 Islamic Studies Colloquium Series! Our own Dr. Ahmad Agbaria will be discussing "The Fall of the Ottoman Empire as the Destruction of the Islamic Religio-Political Order".

The talk will also be streamed on Zoom here: https://utexas.zoom.us/j/98081794355

Tomorrow, April 23rd, at 3pm in the UT Poetry Center: Muslim American poet, social worker, and UT alum Sara Bawany will be reading from her new poetry book "Quarter Life Crisis".

Sara will also be leading a writing workshop at 3:45pm. If you would like to attend the workshop, please register here: https://utexas.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6LjHdfAIR5fLLU2

Join us tomorrow afternoon for a talk with visiting guest speaker Dr. Ahmad Atif Ahmad of UC Santa Barbara. Dr. Ahmad will be speaking about the presence of a clause about Sharia (Islamic Law) in Egypt's constitution, and what it might imply abut Egypt's history.

Tuesday, April 16th at 4pm in WCP Student Activity Center 1.106!

This afternoon: Dr. Firoozeh Kashani-Sabet of UPenn will give a talk on the historical relationship between America and Iran over the last two centuries.

Join us at 4pm in RLP 1.302B for this important talk!

Congratulations to the Department of Middle Eastern Studies' own Assistant Professor Emily Drumsta on the release of her new book! Published by the University of California Press, the book is titled "Ways of Seeking: The Arabic Novel and the Poetics of Investigation".

The book can be purchased here: https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520390195/ways-of-seeking

A free ebook version can be accessed here: https://luminosoa.org/site/books/m/10.1525/luminos.178/

Saturday April 13 at 7:30pm in Bates Recital Hall, the Bereket Middle Eastern Ensemble will be holding a concert titled "Musical Tastes of the Homeland". The concert is free and open to the public!

This concert celebrates the joys of musicking together in remembrance and recognition of lost homelands and exile. Focusing on melodic mode "Bayati" and its relatives, we weave together song texts and instrumental works that bring alive aromas and sounds that echo within walls of family homes, pe*****te neighborhoods and linger across long distances of space and time. With our collective performances of memories, we seek healing within ourselves and our neighbors by making musical connections as repeated acts of peace-making, crucially important during this time of violence and upheavals.

Don't miss the 2024 New Generations Graduate Student Conference! Several UT graduate students will be presenting their work, as well as students from around the country.

The conference starts at 9am this Sunday, April 7. You can join either in person in RLP 2.606 or on Zoom. Details and registration can be found here: links.utexas.edu/ruclfa

Don't miss the third talk in our Spring 2024 Islamic Studies Colloquium Series! Today at 3:30 pm, MA student Asma Siddiqui will be giving a talk on "Redefining Empowerment: The Role of the Kamil Momina in Contemporary Indian Islamic Girls’ Education".

Join in-person in CAL 516 or watch on Zoom at the link: https://utexas.zoom.us/j/98081794355

Reminder about our events happening TODAY! The book talk is 11:30 - 1 pm in CAL 516, and the film screening is 6:30 - 8:30 pm in DMC 2.106.

We have two very exciting events coming up next Monday, April 1st! World-renowned illustrator and shadow puppeteer Hamid Rahmanian will be visiting UT Austin to showcase some of his creations.

At 11:30 am, Rahmanian will be giving a book talk in CAL 516 on his illustrated edition of "Shahnameh: The Epic of the Persian Kings".

At 6:30 pm in DMC 2.106, we'll be screening Rahmanian's film "Feathers of Fire: A Persian Epic", a cinematic shadow play for all ages! The screening will be followed by a conversation with Rahmanian.

Our very own Assistant Professor Nahid Siamdoust will be giving a talk as part of the 2024 TEDxUTAustin conference! Her talk will weave together viral Iranian dance videos and world politics to impart a message of peace for Nowruz.

The conference will take place this Saturday, March 23rd, from 9am to 5pm, in the Hogg Memorial Auditorium. Tickets can be purchased here, with discount student tickets available: https://www.tedxutaustin.com/mosaic

Coming up this afternoon! Don't miss it!

Dr. Reyhan Durmaz of the University of Pennsylvania will be visiting UT Austin on Wednesday, March 20th to give a talk on "Public Exegesis in Late Antiquity Through the Lens of the Qur'an". Join us at 5pm in RLP 1.302B for the latest talk in the Workshop on Late Antiquity series.

Don’t miss this unique, exciting performance!! Ayhan Hulagu will be performing his shadow puppet play “The Forest of the Witch” today at 12:30 in the Texas Union Theater.

The event is free and open to the public. We hope to see you there!!!

Super exciting upcoming event:

Award-winning performer Ayhan Hulagu will be giving a performance of a traditional Turkish/Anatolian shadow puppet play, following a centuries-old tradition of plays featuring the classic archetypical character Karagoz.

This show is free and open to the public! It will take place at the Texas Union Theater (room 2.228) at 12:30pm on Tuesday, March 19th.

Co-sponsored by Center for European Studies at the University of Texas at Austin and CREEES at UT Austin

Visit our website for more information: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/mes/events/the-forest-of-the-witch-anatolian-shadow-theatre

Dr. Reyhan Durmaz of the University of Pennsylvania will be visiting UT Austin on Wednesday, March 20th to give a talk on "Public Exegesis in Late Antiquity Through the Lens of the Qur'an". Join us at 5pm in RLP 1.302B for the latest talk in the Workshop on Late Antiquity series.

Dr. John McWhorter of Columbia University will be giving a talk next week as part of UT's Historical Linguistics Roundtable. Join us on Wednesday, March 20th, at 4pm in RLP 1.302D to hear Dr. McWhorter's theories about the radical analyticity of certain West African and Southeast Asian languages.

Super exciting upcoming event:

Award-winning performer Ayhan Hulagu will be giving a performance of a traditional Turkish/Anatolian shadow puppet play, following a centuries-old tradition of plays featuring the classic archetypical character Karagoz.

This show is free and open to the public! It will take place at the Texas Union Theater (room 2.228) at 12:30pm on Tuesday, March 19th.

Co-sponsored by Center for European Studies at the University of Texas at Austin and CREEES at UT Austin

Visit our website for more information: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/mes/events/the-forest-of-the-witch-anatolian-shadow-theatre

Join us Monday, March 18th at 12pm in RLP 1.302B for a talk by Dr. Bernard Haykel of Princeton University!

Dr. Haykel will be discussing the recent program of reforms enacted by the son of the Saudi Arabian king and the consequences of said reforms on both Saudi Arabia and the entire region.

Check out the UT libraries' new resource guide on Israel and Palestine (link here and in our bio):

https://guides.lib.utexas.edu/israelpalestine

Join us Monday March 4th at 4pm in RLP 1.302E for a talk by Dr. Anver Emon of the University of Toronto. As part of our Islamic Studies lecture series, Dr. Emon will be discussing the historical dynamics between law and religion, with a focus on Islamic law.

Join us Thursday, February 29th at 3:30 pm in the Harry Ransom Center's Denius Seminar Room 2.212 for the second part of our Iranian film event. Dr. Kaveh Askari will discuss his recent book, "Relaying Cinema in Midcentury Iran", which investigates how the cultural translation of cinema has been shaped by the physical translation of its ephemera.

Wednesday, February 28 at 5pm in the WCP Student Activity Center room 1.106: Dr. Joshua Katz will be giving a talk titled "Ancient Truth, Modern Controversy". Dr. Katz will look closely at the book of Genesis and discuss the importance of reading fundamental texts both literally and figuratively.

Join us tomorrow at noon in the MES Reading Room (Calhoun 516) for an exploration of Arabic music! Professor Reema Barakat will be leading the session, with Danny Kodeih playing the oud.

Coming up at 4pm! Film screening in the Harry Ransom Center Prothro Theater!

Almost time!!!

Noon in CAL 516

Come for the desserts, stay for the information about all our exciting programs!

We're hosting a Middle Eastern Studies open house tomorrow, February 14th, as part of Liberal Arts Week! Stop by CAL 516 from 12-2pm to learn about all the Center for and Department of Middle Eastern Studies have to offer: from degree programs to language courses to outreach and events, you're sure to find something that interests you!

And if all that isn't enough to tempt you, we'll also be giving out delicious Middle Eastern desserts to attendees! 😋

We're hosting a Middle Eastern Studies open house tomorrow, February 14th, as part of Liberal Arts Week! Stop by CAL 516 from 12-2pm to learn about all the Center for and Department of Middle Eastern Studies have to offer: from degree programs to language courses to outreach and events, you're sure to find something that interests you!

And if all that isn't enough to tempt you, we'll also be giving out delicious Middle Eastern desserts to attendees! 😋

This is your last chance to register for this evening's Middle Eastern Studies Faculty Roundtable on Israel and Palestine. Join us for this important event to hear a civil and honest conversation between scholars with diverse areas of expertise.

Middle Eastern Studies Faculty Roundtable on Israel and Palestine A roundtable discussion with Faculty from the Middle Eastern Studies Department who are experts in their field. Please join us!

The first event in the UT History Department's Series on Palestine & Israel is happening tomorrow, February 7th, at 6pm in RLP 1.302E. Join us for what is sure to be an important talk, featuring our own Dr. Ahmad Agbaria as a discussant!