2019 Conference Schedule

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31

4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Undergraduate Poster Competition 

6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Welcome Reception and Special Remarks
Ambassador Alberto M. Fernandez, President, Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1

7:30 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.
Breakfast

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Panel 1
The Challenges, Successes and Limits of Decolonization in Africa
Discussant: Prof. Larry Simpson

Decolonizing South Africa Identities Properly: Language, Identity, and Policy
(Dr. Jochen S Arndt, Virginia Military Institute)

The Spanish Army and North African Decolonization: Roles and Reactions
(Prof. Geoffrey Jensen, Virginia Military Institute)

An Oral History Research Project in Zimbabwe: Military Integration and Decolonization, c. 1950 to 1992
(Mr. Cameron McNeil, Virginia Military Institute)

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Panel 2
Israel and Turkey: Competing for Common Interests
Discussant: Dr. Banu Eligur

Turkey’s Middle East Foreign Policy under Erdogan: Islamic Ottomanism
and Ideational Triangulation
(Dr. Andrew Nolte, Regent University)

Oil Trade as an Entry Point into New Networks: Israel and Turkey’s Quest for Oil
(Dr. Elai Rettig, Washington University in St Louis and Dr. Ziv Rubinovitz, Sonoma State University)

Turkey and Israel: Changing Patterns of Alliances in the Eastern Mediterranean
(Prof. Kivanc Ulusoy, Istanbul University)

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Panel 3
Stratagems of the Powerful in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Syria
Discussant: Dr. Joshua Krasna

Agents of Modernization: John F. Kennedy, Crown Prince Faysal, and US-Saudi Relations, 1961-1963
(Mr. Nicholas DeAntonis, Fordham University)

The Assassination of Colonel ʿAdnan al-Makli in 1955: Paranoia and the Rise of the National Military Hero
(Dr. Joel D. Parker, Tel Aviv University)

Gamal Abdel Nasser’s Support of the Palestinian Cause: A Critical Assessment
(Dr. Michael Sharnoff, National Defense University)

Saudi Resilience in the Face of Nasserism: Strengthening Ideology, Developing Dynasticism
(Dr. Caroline Tynan, ACLS Postdoctoral Fellow, Committee to Protect Journalists)

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Panel 4
The Paths of Believers
Discussant: Dr. Myriam Wissa 

The Idea of the Infallibility of the Knowledge of the Prophet in Sunni Islam and the Imam in Shi’i Islam: In the Light of al-Shafi’i’s Risala and Qadi al-Nu’man’s Ikhtilaf Usul al-Madhahib.
(Ms. Kainat Jalaluddin, SOAS, University of London)

The ‘Seal of Prophets’: Jesus, Mani, and Muhammad
(Dr. Husain Kassim, University of Central Florida)

Fred Donner and Tilman Nagel on Muslims and Believers
(Prof. Joseph Spoerl, Saint Anselm College)

Sephardic Halakhic Creativity in Israel
(Prof. Zvi Zohar, Bar Ilan University)

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Panel 5
Iran: The Rights of the Minority
Discussant: Dr. Ronen Cohen

The Azerbaijani Minority in Iran: The Rise of Contentious Azerbaijani Nationalism and the Struggle for Civil and Ethnic Rights
(Dr. Ramin Ahmadoghlu, Emory University)

Unorthodox Minorities in the Middle East: Religion, Ethnicity and Politics of Citizenship 
(Prof. Nergis Canefe, York University)

Erasing Arabistan: How Iran Seeks to Eliminate its Ahwazi Arab Minority to Consolidate Control over their Homeland’s Resources
(Mr. Aaron Eitan Meyer)

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Panel 6
Islamist Terror: How They See Themselves
Discussant: Dr. Mark Silinsky

Terrorists, Tactics and Tradecraft: The Development, Export and Exchange of Terrorist Methodologies 1968-2019
(Ms. Yehudit Barsky, Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy)

Here and Now vs Here and Then: The Islamist Conception of Time and History
(Dr. Ian Oxnevad, University of California, Riverside)

The Concept of Atonement in Jihad: Death for Deliverance
(Dr. Christine Sixta Rinehart, University of South Carolina [Palmetto College])

The Concept of Death and its Role in ISIS’ Violence: Ideology,
Intention, and Impact
(Mr. Jay Ryder, The University of Melbourne)

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Academic Freedom Symposium: Session 1
Word Crimes, A Redux  
Published in April 2019 as a special issue of Israel Studies, “Word Crimes” hit a nerve. It emphasized the delegitimizing lexicon of terms and concepts often used in highly politicized anti-Zionist scholarship to distort the academic study of Israel, the Palestinians, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and politics. The special issue struck a chord and raised questions about conventional discourse, challenging the right of an increasingly politicized academy to serve as gatekeepers to determine what can and cannot be said about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

This session was organized by Scholars for Peace in the Middle East.

Donna Divine
Cary Nelson
Asaf Romirowsky

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Panel 7
Turkey: Culture, Policy and Society
Discussant: Dr. Hakki Gurkas

Resurgence of Kurdish Nationalism in Turkey during the AKP Time
(Mr. Batuhan Bozdogan, Indiana University, Bloomington)

Keeping the Peace in Syria – An Analysis of Turkey’s Mediation Efforts in 2011
(Mr. Tamas Dudlak, Corvinus University of Budapest)

Remembering Empire: The Reception of Hittite in Modern Turkey
(Prof. Mary Ann Walter, Middle East Technical University-Northern Cyprus Campus)

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Panel 8
Topics in African Political Economy

Platinum Mining and Corporate Social Responsibility in Zvishavane,
Zimbabwe, 1990-2017
(Mr. Passmore Chishaka, Kent State University)

A Barrier of Peace: Egyptian and Sudanese Perceptions of the Grand
Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
(Dr. Rashed Daher, Eötvös Loránd University)

Political Economy of China in Africa: Case Study Sino-Nigerian Relations
(Dr. Vahid Nick Pay, Oxford University)

Private-Public Partnership and the Development of Agriculture in
Zimbabwe c1981-c1988
(Ms. Susan Ziki, Kent State University)

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Panel 9
Backward and Forward: Palestinians and Israel

The Next Generation: Old and New Trends among the Youth in Palestinian Society
(Dr. Shaul Bartal, Bar–Ilan University)

The Stabbing Intifada: The Third Palestinian Intifada or an International Terrorist Tactic?
(Dr. Christine Sixta Rinehart, University of South Carolina)

Rawabi: An Alternative Palestinian Narrative
(Prof. Randall Rogan, Wake Forest University)

Tactical Deployment of Women in Violent Roles in PFLP and AAMB in Response to Israel’s Counterterrorism Initiatives
(Ms. Katharine Russell, Syracuse University)

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Panel 10
The Faces of African Power: Colonizer, Strongman, Chief
Discussant: Dr. Consolata Sulley

Traditional Authority and State Legitimacy: Evidence from Namibia
(Mr. Vladimir Chlouba, The Ohio State University)

What Motivates Local Leaders to Deliver Public Goods? The Hierarchy of
Local Leaders
(Ms. SangEun Kim, Vanderbilt University)

Framing of the Decolonization Movement in Uganda: British Public
Diplomacy as a Tool of Imperialism
(Dr. C. Onek, Millersville University)

When Rebels Bow Before the Cross: A Facet of Burundi’s Changing
Religious Landscape
(Dr. Noel Twagiramungu, Boston University)

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Panel 11
Outcomes from War and Terrorism
Discussant: Dr. William Dean

Substitution and Solidarity of Post-Terrorism Tourism Behavior: An Experimental Study of American Consumers
(Dr. Jeremy Berkowitz, Binghamton University)

The War for Kuwait: Annexation, Resistance, and the Making of Arab
Disunity, 1990-1991
(Mr. Daniel Chardell, Harvard University)

An Insider’s Analysis of the Fallacy and Impact of the Invasion of Iraq
(Col Wesley Martin, U.S. Army [Retired])

Balancing the Imbalanced Narratives: The Case of the 1982 Peace of the Galilee War
(Dr. Dan Naor, Ariel University)

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Academic Freedom Symposium: Session 2
Threats to Academic Freedom in the MENA
Does BDS undermine academic freedom, a bedrock principle of higher education, outside of the West? This panel attempts to answer this question by considering the threat of boycotts to academic freedom on campuses in the Middle East and North Africa. It also demonstrates how BDS harms scholars and students in MENA despite the  claim that the academic boycott “only targets Israeli academic institutions.” Responses to BDS in the US and Israel also will be considered.

This session was organized by the Academic Engagement Network.

Miriam Elman
Cary Nelson
Raeefa Shams
Ilan Troen

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Roundtable A
Studies in Israeli Diplomacy
This discussion examines Israeli diplomacy on a grand scale and investigates the role of P.M. Menachem Begin as the key personality behind one of Israel’s greatest diplomatic achievements. Prof. Uri Bialer’s forthcoming book Israeli Foreign Policy: A People Shall Not Dwell Alone offers a grand sweep of Israeli diplomacy from the early days of the state’s existence to the Oslo Accords focusing on Israel’s immigration policy, oil resources, and procurement of armaments. It demonstrates how foreign policy was essential to the political, economic, and social well-being of the state and dealing with the conflict with the Arab states and the Palestinians.

In their book Menachem Begin and the Israel-Egypt Peace Process: Between Ideology and Political Realism, Profs. Gerald Steinberg and Ziv Rubinovitz offer a new look into the peace negotiations between Israel and Egypt in the 1970s highlighting Begin’s role as a negotiator at the center of the diplomatic process. Using newly released archival material, they look at Begin’s statements on foreign policy and the complexities that he faced in navigating between ideology and political realism in the negotiations towards a peace treaty.

Uri Bialer
Robert Freedman
Zach Levey
Gerald Steinberg
Ziv Rubinovitz

12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Banquet Luncheon and Keynote Address
KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Samuel Tadros, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom; Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Middle Eastern Studies, Hoover Institution

2:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Panel 12
The Bear Stands Strong: Russia in the Middle East
Discussant: Dr. Mark Clark

Moscow as Merchant or Maestro?: Russian Arms Exports and the Political Alignment of Middle East Importers
(Dr. Steven Childs, California State University, San Bernardino)

Russia’s Middle East Policy in a Changing Regional Environment: Assessing Causes and Challenges
(Mr. Alexey Khlebnikov, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod, Russian International Affairs Council)

Russian Oil and Gas Diplomacy in the Middle East: Drivers, Tasks, Priorities
(Dr. Nikolay Kozhanov, Qatar University)

Flying Away from the Bolshevik Winter: Soviet Refugees Across the Southern Borders (1917-1946)
(Dr. Denis Volkov, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow)

2:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Panel 13
The Evolution of Human Rights in Africa
Discussant: Dr. Noel Twagiramungu

Horror and Sorrow: The Middle Passage in the Red Sea Slave Trade
(Dr. Tsega Etefa, Colgate University)

Norm Entrepreneurs from the Global South: LGBT Rights after Conflict
(Ms. Tessa Devereaux Evans, Cornell University)

Truth and Reconciliation Committees and Human Rights in Africa: A
Comparative Analysis
(Dr. Paul Kubicek, Oakland University and Christina Walker, Oakland University)

2:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Panel 14
Pursuing Power from Within and Without
Dr. Joel Parker

Lebanon, Hezbollah and Foreign Interference
(Ms. Berta Alam-Pérez, University Rey Juan Carlos)

The “Four Plus One” – The Changing Power Politics of the Middle East
(Dr. Joshua Krasna, New York University)

The Renewed Struggle for Syria – Russia, Iran, and Israel
(Prof. Eyal Zisser, Tel Aviv University)

Energy Securitization and Interstate Cooperation: Israel’s Regional
Shift in the East-Mediterranean
(Dr. Elai Rettig, Washington University in St Louis)

2:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Panel 15 
Chinese and North Korean Strategy and Activities in the Middle East and Africa
Discussant: Dr. Douglas Streusand

North Korean Weapons Proliferation to Iran and Hezbollah
(Dr. Bruce Bechtol, Angelo State University) 

Chinese Use of the Economic and Informational Instruments of Power in the Middle East and Africa
(Mr. John Tkacik, International Assessment and Strategy Center) 

2:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Panel 16
Expressions of State Policy in the Gulf
Discussant: Dr. Jeffrey Macris 

Gulf States’ Policy towards Syrian Refugees: Charity before Hospitality
(Dr. Gadi Hitman, Ariel University)

Qatar, the Rift, and the Future of Gulf State Cooperation
(Dr. Edward Lynch, Hollins University and Dr. Sonja Taylor, George Mason University)

Social Cohesion, International Legitimacy, and Electoral Integrity in Kuwait
(Prof. Yuree Noh, Rhode Island College/Harvard University)

2:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Academic Freedom Symposium: Session 3
The Cognitive War on Academia: The Case of Andrew Pessin, Connecticut College 2015 
In the Spring of 2015, a Philosophy Professor at ConnCollege was the victim of a coordinated attack from the head of the newly minted “Global Islamic Studies” Program and some her students who “staged a moral emergency,” and drove him from campus on a false charge of hate speech. This panel will explore various aspects of  this case, put it in the larger context of how BDS and post-colonial studies, especially where Islam is concerned, have corrupted both the moral and social fabric of academic integrity in the 21st century.

Jeffrey Herf
Melissa Landa
Ernest Sternberg
Richard Landes

2:15 pm – 3:45pm
Roundtable B
How it all Began
When did the Arab-Israeli conflict begin? This book discussion on Arabs and Jews in Ottoman Palestine: Two Worlds Collide by Prof. Alan Dowty traces the earliest roots of the conflict to Ottoman controlled Palestine in the 19th century. Existing Arab residents demonstrated overwhelming hostility to the new Jewish settlers whom they viewed as European. Jewish settlers had incentive to minimize obstacles to settlement including the hostility of the existing population. Dowty’s research reveals how events that occurred over 125 years ago shaped the conflict today. 

Donna Divine
Alan Dowty
Franck Salameh
Arieh Saposnik
Ilan Troen

4:15 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.
Panel 17
The United States and Israel: Territory, Peacemaking and Conflict in the Middle East 1974-1982
Discussant: Robert Freedman

The Ford Administration, Israel and the Golan Heights: 1974-1976
(Dr. Joseph Constance, St. Anselm College)

Lebanon as the Hidden Dimension in the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Process: 1975-1982
(Prof. Zach Levey, University of Haifa)

The Key to Peace: American Guarantees to Israel in Peace Processes in the 1970s
(Dr. Ziv Rubinovitz, Sonoma State University)

4:15 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.
Panel 18

Kurdistan: Policies and Realities
Discussant: Dr. Liora Lukitz

Transnational Ethnic Channels as Factors of Contagion, Internationalization and Proxy-fication of Internal Conflicts: The Contrasting Cases of Berbers and Kurds
(Dr. Denis Golubev, Saint Petersburg State University)

Power from the Margins: The Case for a Coherent U.S. Foreign Policy Towards the Kurds
(Dr. Ozum Yesiltas, Texas A&M University, Commerce)

The Everyday State in Iraqi Kurdistan: Producing the State through Fear, Intimacy and Informal Networks
(Ms. Mujge Kucukkeles, University of Kent)

4:15 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.
Panel 19
Negotiating Minority Status in Turkey
Discussant: Dr. Kıvanç Ulusoy

The 1964 Expulsion of Greek Citizens from Turkey: Economic and Demographic Turkification under Ethnocultural Nationalism
(Prof. Banu Eligur, Baskent University)

Antioch’s Last Citizens: Turkey’s Arab-Speaking Greek Orthodox between Greece, Turkey and Syria
(Dr. Ioannis Grigoriadis, Bilkent University)

Commemoration of Topcu Baba: A Pathway to Bedreddini, Alevi and Bektashi Revival
(Dr. Hakki Gurkas, Kennesaw State University)

The Uprising of Shahkulu Baba Tekeli
(Ms. Gizem Magemizoglu, Ankara University)

4:15 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.
Panel 20
Conveying their Views: Philosophers, Authors, and Others
Discussant: Prof. Franck Salameh

Religious Rationality: The Humanist Islamism of Malek Bennabi
(Mr. Lyes Benarbane, University of Minnesota)

Ungrammaticality, Self-consciousness, National Identity and Othering
(Dr. Mohammad Mohammad, University of Texas at Austin)

The Seeds of the Iraqi Short Story: Re-Examining the Contribution of
Ya’qub Balbul and Anwar Sha’ul
(Dr. Hilla Peled-Shapira, Bar-Ilan University and Ariel University)

4:15 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.
Panel 21
Nation-Building and Ethnic Politics in Africa
Discussant: Prof. Benjamin Arah

The Politics of Intra-State Conflicts in Africa and the Nigerian-Biafran War (1967-1970)
(Dr. Benjamin Arah, Bowie State University)

Ethnic Politics in Nigeria
(Mr. Diliorah B. E. Arah, Bowie State University)

Perils of Ethnicity: Structural Disintegration in the Sierra Leone Battalion, Royal West African Frontier Force
(Dr. Festus Cole, Bowie State University)

The Impact of Ethnic Rivalry on the Politics of Sierra Leone
(Dr. William B. Lewis, Bowie State University)

4:15 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.
Panel 22
Egypt: Is There a Future for a Liberal Order?
Discussant: Dr. Ahmed Zohny 

The Political Role of the Courts in the 21st Century Egypt
(Prof. Mahmoud Hamad, Cairo University)

Framing Terrorism: Attacks on Tourists in Egypt and their Reflection in Al-Ahram Newspaper
(Ms. Katarina Maruskinova, University of West Bohemia)

Understanding Democracy and Democratic Commitment in Egypt
(Ms. Hannah Ridge, Duke University)

The Resilience of Authoritarianism in Egypt: Learning Processes and
the Official Discourse of Democracy and Human Rights
(Dr. Bosmat Yefet, Ariel University)

4:15 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.
Panel 23
Somalia’s Dynamic Threat
Discussant: Dr. Robert Lloyd

The Effect of Leadership Decapitation on al-Shabaab in Somalia
(Dr. Tricia Bacon, American University)

Ethnicity and Forced Marriage in Al-Shabaab-Controlled Somalia
(Dr. Lindsay Benstead, Portland State University)

Police Militarization and Community Cooperation in Times of Protracted
Conflict: Examining Dimensions of Militarization in Kismayo, Somalia
(Ms. Daisy Muibu, American University)

Movie Showings
8:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2

7:30 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.
Breakfast

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Panel 24
Order and Disorder in West Africa

The Cat’s Paw of Dictatorship: Police Intelligence and Self-Rule in the Gold Coast, 1948-1952
(Mr. Chase Arnold, University of California, Berkeley)

Background of the Development of Salafism in Northern Nigeria. The Case of Boko Haram
(Dr. Sabina Brakoniecka, Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures, Polish Academy of Sciences)

The Islamic Environmental Gaze in the Futa Jallon: Perceptions of Power, Autochthony, and Agricultural Ineptitude
(Mr. Matthew La Lime, Georgetown University)

Aiding Security, Aiding Peace: Security Sector Reform in Sierra Leone and Côte d’Ivoire
(Ms. Elise Roberts, Syracuse University)

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Panel 25
Leadership and Instruction: Shaping Shi’a Iran
Discussant: Dr. Ramin Ahmadoghlu

Musa al-Sadr – Redeemer, Revolutionary, and Father of the Shi’a
Awakening in the Middle East
(Dr. Ronen A. Cohen, Ariel University)

The “Entrepreneur” as the Homo Economicus-Homo Relationalis in Educational Discourses in Iran
(Ms. Mariam Sedighi, University of Wisconsin, Madison)

The History of New Education in Iran: The Role of Islamic Ideology in
Educational Reforms
(Mrs. Mahshid Tavallai, Queen’s University)

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Panel 26
Islamists and Rightists: Targeting their Enemies in Turkey
Discussant: Dr. Andrew Nolte

The Turkish Islamists and the Kurdish Question, 1946-1980: A Historical Inquiry Into the Ideological Foundations Behind the Justice and Development Party’s Renunciation of the “Kurdish Opening”
(Dr. Bestami Bilgic, Onbes Kasım Kıbrıs University)

Turkey’s Islamists and the Palestinian Question, 1945-1950
(Dr. Tuba Unlu Bilgic, Middle East Technical University)

İsmet İnönü: Target of the Turkish Right
(Dr. York Norman, SUNY, Buffalo State)

Citizenship Deprivation, Securitization, and the Neoliberal Academy: Academic Purges in Turkey, 1933–2019
(Dr. Seckin Sertdemir Ozdemir, London School of Economics)

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Panel 27
Israel: Democracy at Work
Discussant: Dr. Or Honig 

National Security Hawks: The Evolution of Public Opinion on the Use of Force
(Ms. Doreen Horschig, University of Central Florida)

The Right-Wing Populist Movement’s Outreach towards Israel and the Jewish Community and their Reaction
(Dr. Daniel Rickenbacher, Concordia University/Canadian Institute for Jewish Research)

Between Ethnic Democracy and Ethnocracy: the Israeli Jewish Nation-State Law and the Question of the Political Regime
(Prof. Ignacio Rullansky, CONICET-IDAES, UNSAM)

Tribalism, In-Group Favoritism, and Vote Prediction in Israel’s 2019 Elections
(Dr. Rami Zeedan, The University of Kansas)

8:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m.
Panel 28
Writing the Quran: Pursuing Revelations
Discussant: Dr. Daniel Brubaker

More to Come: New Tools and Discussions around the Material History of the Quran, and the Potential for a Global Intellectual and Cultural Shift
(Dr. Daniel Brubaker, Think and Tell, LLC)

A Total Re-Structure of Arabic Digital Typography: How DecoType is Changing Everything
(Dr. Thomas Milo, DecoType)

In Search of the Oldest Layer of Qur’anic Orthography
(Dr. Gerd-R Puin, Universität Saarlandes [retired])

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Panel 29
Strategy, Nationhood, and Identity: Lessons from the Middle East and Africa
Discussant: Prof. Ernest Tucker

African Nationalism versus Islamic Universalism: Race and Religion in Zanzibari Politics, 1950-2000
(Prof. G. Thomas Burgess, United States Naval Academy)

Notions of Just War in Early Wahhabi History, Based on Ibn Bishr’s History of Nejd
(Dr. Jeffrey Macris, Yale University)

Islamist Exegesis of Q 3:110. The Islamic Doctrine of the Responsibility to Protect
(Prof. Brannon Wheeler, United States Naval Academy)

Why is ‘Flawed Democracy’ Better than No Democracy? Comparing Israel and Tunisia’s Political Culture to Explain the Democracy Deficit in the Middle East and North Africa
(Prof. Deborah L. Wheeler, United States Naval Academy)

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Panel 30
Narrating and Securing Women’s Rights
Discussant: Dr. Hilla Peled-Shapira

Feminization of Filipino Labor Migration in the Middle East: Implications and Challenges
(Prof. Sharon Caringal, University of the Philippines)

Deconstructing Contact Zones and Reconstructing Gender Agency in Contemporary Arab Women’s Writings
(Dr. Mayy ElHayawi, Ain Shams University)

Understanding Women’s Empowerment in Africa
(Dr. Sabina Henneberg and Cheido Nwankwor, Johns Hopkins SAIS)

Assessing the Change in Men’s Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices towards Women’s Right to Inherit in Egypt
(Prof. Yasmin Khodary, The British University in Egypt)

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Panel 31
East Africa: Political Variations on a Theme
Discussant: Dr. Paul Chiudza Banda

Accounting for the East African Community: East African Politics as a Competition between Elite Coalitions
(Dr. Nicolas de Zamaroczy, O.P. Jindal Global University)

State Corruption and Lack of Social Accountability: Attempt to Decipher the Root Causes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
(Dr. Patrick Milabyo Kyamusugulwa, Erasmus University Rotterdam/Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Bukavu)

Candidate Selection Methods and Party Performance in Tanzania
(Dr. Consolata Sulley, University of Dar es Salaam)

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Panel 32 
Topics in Middle East Studies
Discussant: Dr. Mayy ElHayawi 

The Transnational Fight to End the Saudi Arabian Slave Trade: The British Anti-Slavery Society, the African-American Press, and the American Jewish Congress, 1953-1960
(Mr. Nicholas DeAntonis, Fordham University)

Assessing Transparency, Participation and Accountability in Agriculture in Egypt
(Prof. Yasmin Khodary, The British University in Egypt)

The Orientation of the Kaʿba to Jerusalem: Two Sanctuaries. An Older Love Affair
(Mr. Rob Fuller, University of Exeter)

U.S.-Iraq War (2003) Indirect Link of ISIS Rising
(Dr. Ofer Israeli, Interdisciplinary Center [IDC] Herzliya)

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Panel 33
The Persian Gulf and the Great Powers
Discussant: Dr. Jeffrey Macris

Iraqi Arab Sentiment towards the Jewish Population in Iraq
(Ms. Katharine Barr Berman, Yale University)

The Unsolvable Man and British Mismanagement: Why Britain was Unable to Prevent Wahhabi Expansion in the Early 20th Century
(Mr. Andrew Gamzon, Yale University)

Pragmatism or Fanaticism? Ibn Saud, Ikhwan Forces and the Conquest and Capture of Mecca
(Ms. Naomi Messer, Yale University)

The Development of Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Policy Strategy in the Muslim World: How King Faisal Used Islam in International Relations to Counter the Threat of Arab Nationalism
(Ms. Mariel Rosenberg, Yale University)

The Role of the Ulama in the Tobacco Protests of 1891
(Ms. Tessa Vaccaro, Yale University)

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Panel 34
Choosing/Receiving Identity in Israel and Mandatory Palestine
Discussant: Dr. Rosemary Soliman

The Nationalization of Ethnicities in Israel: The Case of Christians, Muslims and Druze
(Ms. Rima Farah, Brandeis University)

Hierarchies of Maternity and Modernity in Mandate Palestine: British Women and the Facilitation of Settler Colonialism
(Ms. Charlotte Kelsted, University of Exeter)

The Palestinian Political Parties and Local Self-Governance during the British Mandate: Democracy and the Clan
(Dr. Rami Zeedan, University of Kansas)

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Panel 35
Making and Re-Making Morocco
Discussant: Dr. Amal Cavender

Towards Culture-Based Sustainable Development: The Case of Morocco’s New Towns
(Mrs. Fatmah Behbehani and Ms. Caroline Alberti, University of Virginia)

Morocco’s New Cities: Fostering Moderate Islam through Urban Mega-Developments
(Ms. Laurence Côté-Roy, McGill University)

History, Memory, and Conflict Resolution in Western Sahara
(Mrs. Jennifer Shaneberger, University of Tennessee)

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Panel 36
Success and Failure: U.S. Policy Towards the Middle East
Discussant: Prof Randall Rogan

Amateur Hour: The Obama Administration and the Arab Spring
(Dr. Max Guirguis, Shepherd University)

Fighting the Wrong Propaganda War: How the West Makes Mistakes in Its Attempts to Shape the Perceptions of the Islamic World
(Dr. Or Honig, Tokyo International University)

Assessment of Trump’s Digital Public Diplomacy toward International Organizations as Related to the Middle East
(Dr. Ahmed Zohny, Coppin State University)

Boxed Lunch
12:15 p.m.

12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Panel 37
Mediterranean of the New Cold War: A New Factor for the Middle East Balance of Power
Discussant: Prof. Nursin Guney

Is there still a European Mediterranean: Thinking about French Ambitions in the Middle East
(Ms. Eda Güney, Istanbul Medeniyet University)

Great Power Competition is Returning to Mediterranean: Time for Thinking New Alliances in the Middle East
(Prof. Nursin Guney, Bahcesehir Cyprus University)

Reframing Turkish-Israeli Relations in the New Mediterranean Cold War
(Prof. Vişne Korkmaz, Bahcesehir Cyprus University)

12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Panel 38
Discussions on Middle East Studies
Discussant: Dr. Vahid Nick Pay 

The Utility of Interfaith Dialogue: Religiosity, Education and State-Religion Relations
(Dr. Eimad Houry, Mercer University)

Nationalism, State Systems, and the Challenge of New Media in a ‘post-ISIS’ Middle East
(Dr. Liora Lukitz)

Political Islam in the Age of Populism: Promises and Limitations
(Dr. Buket Oztas, Furman University)

12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Panel 39
Playing for Keeps: China in the Middle East

Engaging China in the Middle East: A Dilemma for Global Actors?
(Mr. Mihai Chihaia, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi)

China’s Pragmatic Approach to Maghrib Since the Opening-up: A Salient Economic Priority
(Mr. Jie Gao, University of Arizona)

By Land and By Sea: Sino-Indian Strategy and the Middle East in a New Asia
(Dr. Ian Oxnevad, University of California, Riverside)

BRI and China and the Middle East Media Exchanges
(Dr. Xuming Qian, Shanghai International Studies University)

12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Panel 40
Reigning Supreme: Iran’s Goals, Motivations, and Challenges

Political Psychology of Iran’s Supreme Leadership and Foreign Policy-Making Today: An Operational Code Approach
(Prof. Sercan Canbolat, University of Connecticut)

Iran’s Approach To Arms Control and Non-Proliferation: Is Tehran Willing to Accept an Arms Control Regime?
(Dr. Robert Czulda, University of Lodz)

Controlled Elections and False Signals; A New Typology of Political Opportunities
(Mr. Bashir Tofangsazi, The Ohio State University)

12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Panel 41
Ottomans and their Allies and Subjects
Discussant: Dr. Ioannis Grigoriadis

The Governance Crisis between Muhammad Ali and the Ottoman Empire, and British Policy
(Ms. Maeda Ali, University of Kentucky)

The German Flirt with Islam
(Mr. Thomas Schmutz, University of Newcastle and University of Zurich)

Law as the Language of Legitimacy in the Late Ottoman Period: the Druze Community and their Legal Status in Mount Lebanon
(Dr. Tuba Yildiz, Trakya University)

12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Panel 42
Islamism, Democracy, and Expressions of Faith in North Africa
Discussant: Dr. Caroline Tynan

The Second Birth of Ennahdha Party: a Post Islamist Mutation?
(Mr. Houssem Ben Lazreg, University of Alberta)

Beyond Healing: Stambeli and Banga Music Between the “Sacred” and
“Staged” in Post-Revolution Tunisia
(Mrs. Amira Hassnaoui, University of California, Los Angeles)

New Islamists in Libya? The Development of the Salafi-Madkhali Current in Post-Qaddafi Libya
(Ms. Inga Kristina Trauthig, King’s College London)

The Mechanisms of Local Governance in Emerging Democracies: A Case Study of Tunisia
(Mr. Salih Yasun, Indiana University, Bloomington)

12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Panel 43
Questing for Peace
Discussant: Dr. Eyal Zisser

The United Nations Construction of Terrorism
(Dr. Chen Kertcher, Ariel University)

Democratic Values and Reconciliation in Context of Protracted Conflict
(Dr. Ibrahim Khatib, Harvard University)

Leveraging Economic Sectors for Peace – Lessons from Lebanon
(Ms. Rana Shabb, Georgia Institute of Technology)

What Went Wrong with the Peace Process: Reflections based on Yossi Beilin’s Archives
(Prof. Avi Shilon, New York University)

2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Panel 44
Securing their Toehold: Colonial Powers at War in the Middle East
Discussant: Dr. Denis Volkov

When Does A Great Power Ally Signal Resolve? The Anglo-Russian Alliance and the Campaigns in Constantinople, 1914-1915
(Mr. Jordan Cohen, George Mason University)

France and Syria 1919-1920
(Dr. William Dean, Air Command and Staff College)

Beyond a Desert Revolt: T.E. Lawrence’s Theory of Proxy War and Polity Creation
(Dr. Ian Oxnevad, University of California, Riverside)

2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Panel 45
Topics in Ancient and Mediaeval Middle East History

Migrations and the Decline of the Palestinian Cities 640-850 CE
(Dr. Michael Ehrlich, Bar-Ilan University)

From Muʾtah and the Bridge to al-Yarmūk and al-Qādisiyyah: Echoes of Defeats and Victories in the Literature of Islamic Historical Writing
(Dr. D Gershon Lewental, Shalem College)

Roman Strategy towards the Sassanian Iran in 518-565: The Interaction between Diplomacy, Foreign Policy and Military Realities
(Prof. Ilkka Syvanne, University of Haifa)

2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Panel 46
Shifting Narratives and Encounters in Colonial and Cold War Africa
Discussant: Dr. Jochen Arndt

“A Privileged Communicative Space”: Nigerian Soldiers’ Petitions During the Two World Wars
(Mr. Bright Alozie, West Virginia University)

Regime Consolidation and Regime Change: The Role of the International Community in Malawi, 1964-1994
(Dr. Paul Chiudza Banda, Tarleton State University)

Malawi’s Foreign Policy and the Fruitless Search for Investment Capital, 1960s-1970s
(Mr. Gift Wasambo Kayira, West Virginia University)

The Ambiguous Nature of Settler Colonialism in Africa: Examination of Settlers’ Construction and Interpretation of Race and Nation in German Southwest Africa
(Mr. Asher Lubotzky, Indiana University)

2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Panel 47
Negotiating Faith in Egypt and the Eastern Mediterranean

Religious Networks and Trends in Late-Mediaeval Eastern Mediterranean: A Case Study on Cairo
(Mr. Samet Budak, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor)

Patriotism in the Coptic Church: Are Copts Disloyal for Addressing their Rights?
(Dr. Rosemary Dawood, Waseda University)

The Monastery of Saint Makarius the Great: Theater of the Tragedy end of the Bishop Epiphanius
(Prof. Sherin El Gendi, Ain Shams University)

Behind the Scenes What Goes On? Christian-Muslim Interaction in Fatimid Egypt
(Dr. Myriam Wissa, University of London)

2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Panel 48
Turkish Tendencies: Drivers in Turkish Foreign Relations
Discussant: Dr. Buket Oztas

Turkey and the Syndrome(s): From Sèvres to Lausanne
(Dr. Stavros Drakoularakos, Centre for Mediterranean Middle East and Islamic Studies)

The Rise of Neo-Ottoman Ideology in Modern Turkey
(Mr. Ismet Herdem, Indiana University, Bloomington)

Policy Transfer, External Actors and Two Types of Policy Conditionality: Public Financial Management Reform in Turkey
(Dr. Dimitris Tsarouhas, Bilkent University)

A Quest for a New Perspective on Turkey-Africa Relations: An Analysis on the Post-July 15 Era
(Dr. Yunus Turhan, Osmaniye Korkut Ata University)

2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Panel 49
Reading the Qurʾān: Between Certainty and Ambiguity
Discussant: Dr. Judd King

Certainty in Ambiguity. The Challenge of History for Qurʾānic Multivalence
(Prof. Rahel Fischbach, James Madison University)

Ethereal Creations and Virginity in an Eternal Abode
(Dr. Celene Ibrahim, Groton School)

Variant Readings, Epistemological Certainty, and Canonization: A Case Study of Qurʾān 4:24
(Dr. Roshan Iqbal, Agnes Scott College)

Certainty and Ambiguity in Mawlānā Abū’l Kalām Āzād’s Qurʾānic Vision of Religious Pluralism
(Mr. Shahid Kahn, Georgetown University)