Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies at Stanford

Congratulations to the Abbasi 2024 Summer Grant Awardees!

Congratulations to the Abbasi 2024 Summer Grant Awardees! | Islamic Studies We are delighted to announce the recipients of the Abbasi 2024 Summer Grants. We are happy to support the work of emerging scholars at Stanford University. Congratulations to the following students for their exceptional projects, and we wish them a productive research and learning experience this su...

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘇, ’𝟮𝟰
Lara Mohammad Hafez has graduated this year with a B.A. in political science and minors in human rights and global studies, with a specialization in Islamic studies.

“I have always wanted to become a civil rights lawyer who specifically worked within Muslim and Arab communities, which is why these programs all felt critical for my education and future occupation,” said Hafez, who will be attending Columbia Law School on a full ride merit scholarship next year.

Read our interview with Lara here:
https://islamicstudies.stanford.edu/news/student-spotlight-meet-islamic-studies-minor-student-lara-mohammad-hafez-24

Student Spotlight: Meet Islamic Studies Minor Student Lara Mohammad Hafez, ’24 | Islamic Studies Lara Mohammad Hafez is graduating this year with a B.A. in political science and minors in human rights and global studies, with a specialization in Islamic studies. “I have always wanted to become a civil rights lawyer who specifically worked within Muslim and Arab communities, which is why these...

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗬𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗳 𝗭𝗮𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗵, ’𝟮𝟰

Yusuf Zahurullah has graduated this year with a bachelor’s degree in history and minors in computer science and global studies, with a specialization in Islamic studies.
As he reflects on his time at Stanford, he is most proud of his senior honors thesis in history, titled “Gears of Migration: Internal American Muslim Dynamics in Detroit, 1910s-1980s,” which examines Muslim migration and labor history in Detroit in the 20th century. In the Q&A, he shares his favorite class at Stanford, how minoring in global studies has shaped his understanding of the world, and his plans following graduation. Read his interview here:
https://islamicstudies.stanford.edu/news/student-spotlight-meet-islamic-studies-minor-student-yusuf-zahurullah-24

Student Spotlight: Meet Islamic Studies Minor Student Yusuf Zahurullah, ’24 | Islamic Studies Yusuf Zahurullah is graduating this year with a bachelor’s degree in history and minors in computer science and global studies, with a specialization in Islamic studies.As he reflects on his time at Stanford, he is most proud of his senior honors thesis in history, titled “Gears of Migration: In...

Our final e-newsletter of the '23-'24 Academic year is out:
https://mailchi.mp/896ec301ee13/june-newsletter-9200776

Throughout the year, we hosted 19 events, co-hosted another 19 with other programs and centers, and either financially or nominally co-sponsored 20 events with Stanford Global Studies and other campus partners. We also organized book manuscript workshops with our alumni and held meetings for the Abbasi Student Network (ASN).

One of the standout moments of the year was the Gold Rumi event featuring acclaimed translator and composer Haleh Liza Gafori, which attracted an audience of over a hundred attendees. In total, more than 1400 members of the Stanford community and beyond attended our events this year.

We extend our warmest thanks to all of you for your support and interest. Here’s to another amazing year ahead!
If you haven't subscribed to our newsletters delivered to your inbox, you can click on this link to subscribe: https://islamicstudies.stanford.edu/about/subscribe

June 2024 News & Announcements As the 2023-24 academic year comes to a close, we reflect on an incredible year amidst the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. We began the year with a welcome reception and celebrated our 20th anniversary dinner in January, alongside the launch of our new Middle Eastern Studies Forum under the Abbas...

🔔STARTING IN A SHORT WHILE!

📢Join us for a lecture with Yektan Turkyilmaz and Ali Yaycioglu, in conversation with Ayça Alemdaroglu:
𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐌 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋
𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓-𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐘

🗒Thursday, May 30
🕓4:30 p.m.
📍Encina Commons 123

Event Sponsors:
Middle Eastern Studies Forum
Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies
Program on Turkey
Stanford Humanities Center

On March 31, 2024, the opposition achieved a significant victory in the municipal elections, challenging the authoritarian regime led by President Erdoğan and his allies in Turkey. These compelling results have sparked renewed hope among observers and the democratic public both in Turkey and abroad, fostering expectations for the restoration of the rule of law, the revitalization of democratic institutions, and the mitigation of polarization. This panel aims to critically assess the potential for democratization in Turkey, examining both the possibilities and limitations, while also analyzing the authoritarian nature of Turkey's regime in current geopolitical contexts.

Ayça Alemdaroğlu, the Associate Director of the CDDRL’s Program on Turkey will discuss the possibilities of democratic revival in Turkey in the aftermath of the March 31 Municipal Elections with Yektan Turkyilmaz, International Visitor at Stanford Humanities Center, and Ali Yaycıoğlu,Associate Professor of History.

RSVP: tinyurl.com/DemocraticRevival

🆕COMING UP AT ABBASI THIS FRIDAY!
𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐦 & 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦: 𝐀 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥-𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐲 | 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢

📅Friday, May 24
🕝2:30 p.m.
🏫The Markaz, Nitery 2nd Floor (514 Lasuen Mall, Stanford, CA 94305)

In this lecture, Dr. Abbasi will delve into the complex relationship between secularism and Islam, using a robust historical and philosophical approach. His expertise in critical theory and Islamic studies provides him with the unique ability to dissect these themes in depth, uncovering the nuances and historical underpinnings that have shaped interactions between secular ideologies and Islamic teachings.

Dr. Abbasi will explore how secularism, originally emerging from a European context, has been interpreted and applied in predominantly Muslim countries and communities. He will examine the philosophical foundations of secularism and its implications for religious practice, identity, and governance. Additionally, he will assess how Islamic thinkers and societies have responded to and reinterpreted secular values in light of their cultural and religious traditions.

The talk aims to highlight the dynamic interplay between these two forces, tracing their evolution and the resulting philosophical debates. This exploration will not only clarify misconceptions but also illuminate the potential for coexistence and conflict between secularism and Islam, providing valuable insights for scholars and students interested in the intersections of religion, philosophy, and modernity.

RSVP: bit.ly/RSVPRushainAbbasi

📢Join us for a lecture with Yektan Turkyilmaz and Ali Yaycioglu, in conversation with Ayça Alemdaroglu:
𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐌 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋
𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓-𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐘

🗒Thursday, May 30
🕓4:30 p.m.
📍Encina Commons 123

Event Sponsors:
Middle Eastern Studies Forum
Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies
Program on Turkey
Stanford Humanities Center

On March 31, 2024, the opposition achieved a significant victory in the municipal elections, challenging the authoritarian regime led by President Erdoğan and his allies in Turkey. These compelling results have sparked renewed hope among observers and the democratic public both in Turkey and abroad, fostering expectations for the restoration of the rule of law, the revitalization of democratic institutions, and the mitigation of polarization. This panel aims to critically assess the potential for democratization in Turkey, examining both the possibilities and limitations, while also analyzing the authoritarian nature of Turkey's regime in current geopolitical contexts.

Ayça Alemdaroğlu, the Associate Director of the CDDRL’s Program on Turkey will discuss the possibilities of democratic revival in Turkey in the aftermath of the March 31 Municipal Elections with Yektan Turkyilmaz, International Visitor at Stanford Humanities Center, and Ali Yaycıoğlu,Associate Professor of History.

RSVP: tinyurl.com/DemocraticRevival

🔔COMING UP AT ABBASI THIS WEEK:
Join us for a lecture with Yektan Turkyilmaz: 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 (𝟏𝟗𝟏𝟑-𝟏𝟓)
🗒Friday, May 24
🕛12:00 p.m.
📌Encina Commons 123

Event Sponsors:
Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies
Middle Eastern Studies Forum
The Stanford Humanities Center
Stanford Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies

Turkyilmaz’s research shows that the catastrophe of the Armenian Genocide occurred immediately after a period when the Ottoman Armenian communities and their political elites were most optimistic about the prospects of the Armenian people in the empire. Even after the outbreak of the First World War, the leading Armenian circles commonly held the view that "before the Armenian people was rising a new, unlimited and fascinating horizon." However, within months after the war began, this optimism was abruptly replaced by a sudden escalation of conflict, eventually leading to the destruction of the Ottoman Armenians by the Young Turk government.

Yektan Türkyilmaz, (PhD, Duke University, Department of Cultural Anthropology) has taught at institutions including Sabancı, Bilgi, Duke, California State Universities, and the University of Cyprus. His diverse research interests encompass collective violence, memory making, reconciliation, and the politics of music.

RSVP: tinyurl.com/Yektan

📢 TODAY AT 4:00 PM:

🔔COMING UP AT ABBASI NEXT MONTH:
Book Talk: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗮: 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗩𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝘆 | 𝗕𝗲𝗱𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻

🗓️Thursday, May 2
🕰4:00 pm
🏫Reuben W. Hills Conference Room Encina Hall East, 2nd floor

In April 1909, two waves of massacres shook the province of Adana, located in the southern Anatolia region of modern-day Turkey, killing more than 20,000 Armenians. The central Ottoman government failed to prosecute the main culprits, a miscarriage of justice that would have repercussions for years to come. Despite the significance of these events and the extent of violence and destruction, the Adana Massacres are often left out of historical narratives. The Horrors of Adana offers one of the first close examinations of these events, analyzing sociopolitical and economic transformations that culminated in a cataclysm of violence. Drawing on primary sources in a dozen languages, he develops an interdisciplinary approach to understand the rumors and emotions, public spheres and humanitarian interventions that together informed this complex event.

Bedross Der Matossian is Professor of Modern Middle East History and H***n Rosenberg Professor in Judaic Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Born and raised in Jerusalem, he is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he began his graduate studies in the Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies. He completed his Ph.D. in Middle East History in the Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies at Columbia University in 2008. From 2008 to 2010, he was a Lecturer of Middle East History in the Faculty of History at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His areas of interest include ethnic politics in the Middle East, inter-ethnic violence in the Ottoman Empire, Palestinian history, and the history of Armenian Genocide. Formerly a President of the Society for Armenian Studies, Dr. Der Matossian is the author of numerous edited volumes and two research monographs, Shattered Dreams of Revolution: From Liberty to Violence in the Late Ottoman Empire (Stanford University Press, 2014) and more recently, The Horrors of Adana: Revolution and Violence in the Early Twentieth Century (Stanford University Press, 2022).He serves on the Board of Directors of multiple international educational institutions and on the editorial board of many journals, the most prominent of which is the flagship journal of the field: International Journal of Middle East Studies (IJMES). Dr. Der Matossian is also the series editor of Armenians in the Modern and Early Modern World published by I.B.Tauris and Bloomsbury Press.



RSVP:tinyurl.com/Matossian

📢COMING UP TODAY AT 5:00 PM:

Join us for a Book Talk with Güneş Murat Tezcür:
𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬

🗒Tuesday, April 30
🕔5:00 p.m.
📌Encina Commons 119

Event Sponsors:
Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies
Middle Eastern Studies Forum
Program on Turkey

Why do some religious minorities, lacking any significant power and presenting no imminent threat, provoke the ire of popular groups and become targets of violent attacks? Tezcür's book offers the first comparative-historical study of mass atrocities targeting certain liminal minorities that are stigmatized across generations, as they lack theological recognition and social acceptance from a dominant religious group. The combination of hatred based on religious stigmas and political resentment becomes the spark leading to mass violence against these minorities. Case studies, utilizing a rich variety of original sources, focus on anti-Yezidi genocidal attacks in Iraq and anti-Alevi massacres in Turkey.

Güneş Murat Tezcür (Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2005) is the Director of the School of Politics and Global Studies at the Arizona State University. He is also a professor in the same school. He is primarily a scholar of darker shades of human experience and explores the trajectories and legacies of political violence and politics of identity with a focus on Iranian, Kurdish, and Turkish human geography as well as the United States. His scholarship has appeared in many leading scholarly journals. His newest book is Liminal Minorities: Religion and Mass Violence in Muslim Societies (Cornell University Press, 2024). He most recently edited The Oxford Handbook of Turkish Politics (Oxford University Press, 2022). His scholarship has been supported by a variety of entities including the National Science Foundation, Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, and United States Institute of Peace.

Visit our website for Event Details.

🔔COMING UP AT ABBASI NEXT MONTH:
Book Talk: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗮: 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗩𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝘆 | 𝗕𝗲𝗱𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻

🗓️Thursday, May 2
🕰4:00 pm
🏫Reuben W. Hills Conference Room Encina Hall East, 2nd floor

In April 1909, two waves of massacres shook the province of Adana, located in the southern Anatolia region of modern-day Turkey, killing more than 20,000 Armenians. The central Ottoman government failed to prosecute the main culprits, a miscarriage of justice that would have repercussions for years to come. Despite the significance of these events and the extent of violence and destruction, the Adana Massacres are often left out of historical narratives. The Horrors of Adana offers one of the first close examinations of these events, analyzing sociopolitical and economic transformations that culminated in a cataclysm of violence. Drawing on primary sources in a dozen languages, he develops an interdisciplinary approach to understand the rumors and emotions, public spheres and humanitarian interventions that together informed this complex event.

Bedross Der Matossian is Professor of Modern Middle East History and H***n Rosenberg Professor in Judaic Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Born and raised in Jerusalem, he is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he began his graduate studies in the Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies. He completed his Ph.D. in Middle East History in the Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies at Columbia University in 2008. From 2008 to 2010, he was a Lecturer of Middle East History in the Faculty of History at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His areas of interest include ethnic politics in the Middle East, inter-ethnic violence in the Ottoman Empire, Palestinian history, and the history of Armenian Genocide. Formerly a President of the Society for Armenian Studies, Dr. Der Matossian is the author of numerous edited volumes and two research monographs, Shattered Dreams of Revolution: From Liberty to Violence in the Late Ottoman Empire (Stanford University Press, 2014) and more recently, The Horrors of Adana: Revolution and Violence in the Early Twentieth Century (Stanford University Press, 2022).He serves on the Board of Directors of multiple international educational institutions and on the editorial board of many journals, the most prominent of which is the flagship journal of the field: International Journal of Middle East Studies (IJMES). Dr. Der Matossian is also the series editor of Armenians in the Modern and Early Modern World published by I.B.Tauris and Bloomsbury Press.



RSVP:tinyurl.com/Matossian

📢TODAY AT 6:30 PM:

Join us for a lecture with Burhan Sönmez:
𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 | Burhan Sönmez

🗒Monday, April 22
🕕6:30 p.m.
📍Encina Commons 123

Event Sponsors:
Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies
Department of Comparative Literature
Middle Eastern Studies Forum
Program on Turkey

Language is the basis of humanity and literature as well as the basis of freedom. If these are separated from each other, not only one but all of them will be in danger. While literature brings people together with language and freedom, it also gives the opportunity to see people and society with new eyes. That's why even the simplest work of art can sometimes be seen as a great danger by the authorities, because it carries a gem in its core, which can be realized as one digs into the ground.

Burhan Sönmez is the author of six novels. He is president of PEN International and a Senior Member of Hughes Hall College and Trinity College, University of Cambridge. His novels have been translated into forty eight languages and received international prizes, including the EBRD Literature Prize and Vaclav Havel Library Award. He was born in Turkey and grew up speaking Turkish and Kurdish. He worked as a lawyer in Istanbul before going to Britain for political reasons and living there in exile for several years. He has been on the judging panel of several events, including Inge Feltrinelli Prize and Geneva International Film Festival and written for press such as La Repubblica, Der Spiegel and The Guardian. He has translated the poetry book of The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake into Turkish. Having written five novels in Turkish, he began to write in his mother tongue, Kurdish, with his last novel Lovers of Franz K. He lives between Cambridge and Istanbul.

RSVP at: tinyurl.com/Burhan-Sonmez

📢HAPPENING TODAY: Stanford scholars in conversation with Gönül Tol on Turkey's recent municipal elections. At noon.

Join us for a Lecture with Gönül Tol:
𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐲'𝐬 𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫? | 𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐆ö𝐧ü𝐥 𝐓𝐨𝐥

📅Friday, April 19
🕛12:00 p.m.
🏫Encina Hall, William J. Perry Conference Room, C231

Event Sponsors:
Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies
Middle Eastern Studies Forum
Program on Turkey

Turkey is holding its municipal elections on March 31, 2024. Beyond their immediate importance for local governance, addressing issues such as urban spaces and environmental challenges, these elections hold broader significance for the challenge of democracy in a nation that has been grappling with competitive authoritarianism for a while. Nowhere is this significance more pronounced than in the race for Istanbul's mayorship. Istanbul, being the commercial and cultural heart of Turkey, witnessed a landmark double victory by the opposition candidate five years ago, shaking the economic infrastructure of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)'s governance model. What do these elections signify for the future of democracy, both local and national levels, in Turkey? Stanford scholars on Turkey will engage in a dialogue with Gönül Tol to explore the implications of the March 31 local elections.

Gönül Tol is the founding director of the Middle East Institute’s Turkey program and a senior fellow with the Black Sea Program. She is the author of Erdoğan's War: A Strongman's Struggle at Home and in Syria. She has taught courses at George Washington University’s Institute for Middle East Studies and at the College of International Security Affairs at the National Defense University on Turkey, Islamist movements in Western Europe, world politics, and the Middle East. She has written extensively on Turkey-U.S. relations, Turkish domestic and foreign policy, and the Kurdish issue. She is a frequent media commentator.

RSVP link: tinyurl.com/GonulTol-April19

TODAY'S ABBASI EVENT WITH GÖNÜL TOL FROM THE MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE (MEI) AT 6:00 P.M.:

Join us for a Book Talk with Gönül Tol:
“Erdoğan’s War: A Strongman’s Struggle at Home and in Syria”

🗒Thursday, April 18
🕕6:00 p.m.
📍Encina Hall C330, Philippines Room

Event Sponsors:
Middle Eastern Studies Forum
Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies
Program on Turkey

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey's pugnacious president, is now the country's longest-serving leader. On his way to the top, he has fought many wars. This book tells the story of those battles against domestic enemies through the lens of the Syrian conflict, which has become part and parcel of Erdoğan's fight to remain in power.

Turkey expert Gönül Tol traces Erdoğan's ideological evolution from a conservative democrat to an Islamist and a Turkish nationalist, and explores how this progression has come to shape his Syria policy, changing the course of the war. She paints a vivid picture of the president's constantly shifting strategy to consolidate his rule, showing that these shifts have transformed Turkey's role in post-uprising Syria from an advocate of democracy, to a power fanning the flames of civil war, to an occupier.

From the first days of Erdoğan's rule through the failed coup against him, via the Kurdish peace process, the Arab uprisings and the refugee crisis, this compelling, authoritative book tells the story of one man's quest to remain in power--tying together the fates of two countries, and changing them both forever.

Gönül Tol is the founding director of the Middle East Institute’s Turkey program and a senior fellow with the Black Sea Program. She is the author of Erdogan's War: A Strongman's Struggle at Home and in Syria. She has taught courses at George Washington University’s Institute for Middle East Studies and at the College of International Security Affairs at the National Defense University on Turkey, Islamist movements in Western Europe, world politics, and the Middle East.She has written extensively on Turkey-U.S. relations, Turkish domestic politics, and foreign policy and the Kurdish issue. She is a frequent media commentator.

RSVP at: tinyurl.com/Gonul-Tol

TODAY'S ABBASI EVENT AT 4:30 PM:

Join us for a lecture with 𝗔𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝗝𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗲𝘇 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗘𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺: 𝗧𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 “𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱’𝘀 𝗝𝘂𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗩𝗲𝗶𝗻”

🗓️Tuesday, April 16, 2024
⏳ 4:30 - 6:00 p.m.
📍Encina Commons 123

Event Sponsors: Middle Eastern Studies Forum, Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies

In recent years, disruptions to the flow of maritime traffic—most notably the Ever Given debacle of spring 2021 and the more recent attacks by Yemen’s Ansar Allah—have prompted a revival of interested in the Suez Canal. The high drama of these blockages has tended to reinforce common understandings of the waterway as a major conduit of global commercial circulation, “the world’s jugular vein.” This lecture will explore how such vascular metaphors obscure the multitude of other roles the Suez Canal has played as an infrastructure of global inequalities over the past two centuries.

Aaron G. Jakes is Assistant Professor in the Department of History and the Committee on Environment, Geography, and Urbanization at the University of Chicago, where he teaches broadly on histories of the modern Middle East and South Asia, environmental history, and the historical geography of capitalism. He received his PhD from New York University’s Joint Program in History and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, and prior to moving to Chicago in fall 2022, he taught for seven years at The New School. His first book, Egypt’s Occupation: Colonial Economism and the Crises of Capitalism was published by Stanford University Press in 2020. He is currently at work on two book-length projects. The first, tentatively entitled “Tilted Waters: The World the Suez Canal Made,” is the first book-length study of the Canal’s history from its origins to the present to be written in English in more than half a century. The second is an interdisciplinary collaboration with the geographer Jason W. Moore (Binghamton) and the sociologist Neil Brenner (UChicago), currently entitled “Hidden Abodes of the ‘Great Acceleration’: Fossil Metabolism, Infrastructure, and the Climate/Nature Crisis.”

Link in Bio for RSVP.

Coming up next week on Tuesday!

Join us for a lecture with 𝗔𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝗝𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗲𝘇 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗘𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺: 𝗧𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 “𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱’𝘀 𝗝𝘂𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗩𝗲𝗶𝗻”

🗓️Tuesday, April 16, 2024
⏳ 4:30 - 6:00 p.m.
📍Encina Commons 123

Event Sponsors: Middle Eastern Studies Forum, Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies

In recent years, disruptions to the flow of maritime traffic—most notably the Ever Given debacle of spring 2021 and the more recent attacks by Yemen’s Ansar Allah—have prompted a revival of interested in the Suez Canal. The high drama of these blockages has tended to reinforce common understandings of the waterway as a major conduit of global commercial circulation, “the world’s jugular vein.” This lecture will explore how such vascular metaphors obscure the multitude of other roles the Suez Canal has played as an infrastructure of global inequalities over the past two centuries.

Aaron G. Jakes is Assistant Professor in the Department of History and the Committee on Environment, Geography, and Urbanization at the University of Chicago, where he teaches broadly on histories of the modern Middle East and South Asia, environmental history, and the historical geography of capitalism. He received his PhD from New York University’s Joint Program in History and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, and prior to moving to Chicago in fall 2022, he taught for seven years at The New School. His first book, Egypt’s Occupation: Colonial Economism and the Crises of Capitalism was published by Stanford University Press in 2020. He is currently at work on two book-length projects. The first, tentatively entitled “Tilted Waters: The World the Suez Canal Made,” is the first book-length study of the Canal’s history from its origins to the present to be written in English in more than half a century. The second is an interdisciplinary collaboration with the geographer Jason W. Moore (Binghamton) and the sociologist Neil Brenner (UChicago), currently entitled “Hidden Abodes of the ‘Great Acceleration’: Fossil Metabolism, Infrastructure, and the Climate/Nature Crisis.”

Link in Bio for RSVP.

Join us for a Book Talk with Güneş Murat Tezcür:
𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬

🗒Tuesday, April 30
🕔5:00 p.m.
📌Encina Commons 119

Event Sponsors:
Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies
Middle Eastern Studies Forum
Program on Turkey

Why do some religious minorities, lacking any significant power and presenting no imminent threat, provoke the ire of popular groups and become targets of violent attacks? Tezcür's book offers the first comparative-historical study of mass atrocities targeting certain liminal minorities that are stigmatized across generations, as they lack theological recognition and social acceptance from a dominant religious group. The combination of hatred based on religious stigmas and political resentment becomes the spark leading to mass violence against these minorities. Case studies, utilizing a rich variety of original sources, focus on anti-Yezidi genocidal attacks in Iraq and anti-Alevi massacres in Turkey.

Güneş Murat Tezcür (Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2005) is the Director of the School of Politics and Global Studies at the Arizona State University. He is also a professor in the same school. He is primarily a scholar of darker shades of human experience and explores the trajectories and legacies of political violence and politics of identity with a focus on Iranian, Kurdish, and Turkish human geography as well as the United States. His scholarship has appeared in many leading scholarly journals. His newest book is Liminal Minorities: Religion and Mass Violence in Muslim Societies (Cornell University Press, 2024). He most recently edited The Oxford Handbook of Turkish Politics (Oxford University Press, 2022). His scholarship has been supported by a variety of entities including the National Science Foundation, Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, and United States Institute of Peace.

Visit our website for Event Details.

Join us for a Lecture with Gönül Tol:
𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐲'𝐬 𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫? | 𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐆ö𝐧ü𝐥 𝐓𝐨𝐥

📅Friday, April 19
🕛12:00 p.m.
🏫Encina Hall, William J. Perry Conference Room, C231

Event Sponsors:
Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies
Middle Eastern Studies Forum
Program on Turkey

Turkey is holding its municipal elections on March 31, 2024. Beyond their immediate importance for local governance, addressing issues such as urban spaces and environmental challenges, these elections hold broader significance for the challenge of democracy in a nation that has been grappling with competitive authoritarianism for a while. Nowhere is this significance more pronounced than in the race for Istanbul's mayorship. Istanbul, being the commercial and cultural heart of Turkey, witnessed a landmark double victory by the opposition candidate five years ago, shaking the economic infrastructure of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)'s governance model. What do these elections signify for the future of democracy, both local and national levels, in Turkey? Stanford scholars on Turkey will engage in a dialogue with Gönül Tol to explore the implications of the March 31 local elections.

Gönül Tol is the founding director of the Middle East Institute’s Turkey program and a senior fellow with the Black Sea Program. She is the author of Erdoğan's War: A Strongman's Struggle at Home and in Syria. She has taught courses at George Washington University’s Institute for Middle East Studies and at the College of International Security Affairs at the National Defense University on Turkey, Islamist movements in Western Europe, world politics, and the Middle East. She has written extensively on Turkey-U.S. relations, Turkish domestic and foreign policy, and the Kurdish issue. She is a frequent media commentator.

RSVP link: tinyurl.com/GonulTol-April19