![\"Screen](\"http:\/\/cms-attic.bu.edu\/smscinst\/files\/2015\/05\/Screen-Shot-2015-05-04-at-10.37.57-AM.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nA Conversation with Author, Randa Jarrar<\/p>\n
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April 2, 2015<\/p>\n
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Randa Jarrar is an award winning novelist, short story writer, essayist, and translator. Her first novel,\u00a0<\/span>A Map of Home,\u00a0<\/i>won the Hopwood award, an Arab-American book award, and was named one of the first novels of 2008 by\u00a0the Barnes & Noble Review.\u00a0<\/em>The novel is about the childhood of \u00a0the rebellious Nidali who moves from Boston to live a very different life in Kuwait.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Persian Women and other Lies: Story-telling as Historical Review<\/p>\n <\/p>\n March 27, 2015<\/p>\n Bahiyyih Nakhjavani discussed her book \u201cThe Woman Who Read Too Much\u201d and the lives of Persian women. The book tells the story of of the poetess of Qazvin, who some claimed had masterminded the murder of the grand Mullah, her uncle. As her warnings and predictions became prophecies, many wondered whether\u00a0she was not only reading\u00a0history, but taking part in it as well.\u00a0A book signing followed this event.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Zahhak:\u00a0A Play from Shahnameh (the Persian Book of Kings)<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n March 22, 2015<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Boston Experimental Theatre Company presented Zahhak, a play from Shahnameh written by the famous Persian poet,\u00a0Abolqasem Ferdowsi. Zahhak is an evil figure in Iranian mythology who became ruler after the Evil Spirit convinced him to kill his father.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a>Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings<\/p>\n March 19, 2015<\/p>\n The theatre collaboration directed by Vahdat Yeganeh showcases the most celebrated work of epic poetry in Iran by\u00a0Abolqasem Ferdowsi. The Shahhnameh chronicles the first fifty monarchs in Iran\u2019s history. The Boston Experimental Theatre Company devised a surrealist adaptation of Ferdowsi\u2019s story. The production was rooted in organic connections among artists within a minimalist production design.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dissidence in Turkey:\u00a0Elections and the Struggle for Political Legitimacy<\/em><\/p>\n March 19, 2015<\/p>\n This talk discussed how under the incumbency of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the country\u2019s initial turn to consolidating and internalizing liberal democratic norms has since 2013, taken a sharp drive. Although Turkey has not been plagued by economic instability since the early 200\u2019s, there seems to be no doubt that the country is in the midst of an ever-escalating political crisis.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hono March 4, 2015<\/p>\n This event held a series of speakers to discuss women rights issues with a special focus on the Middle East.\u00a0The documentary Honor Diaries was screened, followed by a speech by Raheel Raza, Panel discussion among activists, and a Q&A session. Ravel Raza is a Muslim Pakistani-Canadian journalist, author, and activist and serves as director of Interfaith Affairs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n February 6-May 1, 2015<\/p>\n The Pardee School of Global Studies\u2019 spring film series focused on \u2018Food & Farming.\u2019 Through the screening of 10 films, the series aimed to promote understanding of global food production and the ethical issues the industry faces. This collaboration allowed for the discussion and increased awareness of all the stakeholders affected by our choices in food.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n December 2, 2014<\/p>\n Professor Feroz Ahmad, Chair of the Department of International Relations and Political Science at Yeditepe University in Istanbul discussed Young Turks and the Ottoman Nationalities in the 1908-1918 decade. This event served as aprt of the Pardee School of Global Studies\u2019 \u00a0Inaugural Year events.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Can Iraq be Saved? With Retired General Joseph N\u00fa\u00f1ez<\/p>\n November 19, 2014<\/p>\n Retired General Joseph N\u00fa\u00f1ez gave a presentation discussing the future of Iraq. He drew upon five years of experience working with the Department of Defense and the Department of State in the country. He found that American media does a poor job of portraying the nation as it actually is. It is uncertain if Iraq will reach a point of sustained stability again, and if it does, it will be wholly different from the Iraq that exists today.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n ISIL: How Did We Get Here?<\/p>\n November 11, 2014<\/p>\n SMSC co-sponsored another event with the Arabic club. A panel of BU professors evaluated the causes behind ISIL\u2019s rise to power in the Levant and what the future might hold for the fundamentalist group.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Paul Cobb: The Sultan\u2019s Crusader: Crossing Boarders with Johann Schiltberger, 1396-1427<\/p>\n November 4, 2014<\/p>\n Drawing upon SMSC\u2019s theme of \u201cCrossing Borders\u201d for the 2014-2015 year, on November 4 Paul Cobb, a professor from the Unversity of Pennsylvania, gave a lecture exploring the travels of a young Bavarian boy during the time of the Crusades. Johann Schiltberger was captured by the sultan in 1396 and eventually became a servant to Timur. Cobb paid special attention to Schiltberger\u2019s changing religious identity as he moved from predominantly-Christian Europe to a predominantly-Muslim region. The text left behind by Schiltberger provides insight into his life, and the experiences shared by many European servants during the crusades.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dr. Curt Rhodes: Syrian Refugee Youth<\/p>\n October 29, 2014<\/p>\n SMSC co-sponsored an event with Harvard to discuss the challenges Syrian youth face during the current conflict. Dr. Rhodes is the founder of Questscope, an organization committed to improving the lives of at-risk young Syrians. He drew upon his years of experience working with adolescents in the region to evaluate the trauma Syrians currently face and how they may cope with the memory of these events in the future.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Democracy in the Muslim World: Reporting from Indonesia<\/p>\n October 27, 2014<\/p>\n Emmy-Award winning journalist Kira Kay joined a panel of BU professors on October 27 to discuss the current political climate in Indonesia. Two of Kay\u2019s features were screened; the first focused on the transition from dictatorship to democracy, marked by the 2014 presidential election in which Joko Widodo, a politician from a lower-class background, was named the winner. The second piece documented Aceh province\u2019s adoption of Sharia law. The event ended with a panel discussion and question and answer period.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Qahwa and Calligraphy<\/p>\n October 22, 2o14<\/p>\n SMSC hosted an event in conjunction with the Arabic society featuring Hajj Wafaa, an Arabic calligrapher. Attendees learned about the precision necessary to create works or art from a written script. Coffee and Middle Eastern was served, and the event was enjoyed by all.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adrienne Fricke: the Syrian Refugee Crisis and Higher Education<\/p>\n October 22, 2o14<\/p>\n Human rights consultant Adrienne Fricke gave a lecture at the Pardee School covering the lack of educational resources available for Syrian refugees in the midst of the nation\u2019s Civil War. The country had once subsidized university-level education, making a bachelor\u2019s degree affordable and accessible for most Syrian youth. Now, the vast majority of young Syrian adults are unable to access education in refugee camps. The surrounding states that host refugees all have their own set of challenges in ensuring that this generation does not get left behind. This issue is particularly crucial for women, who have seen low rates of enrollment since the beginning of the conflict.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mid-East Feast<\/p>\n October 20, 2014<\/p>\n The Mid-East Feat on October 20 allowed students to sample Middle Eastern food and music and learn more about MENA courses being offered in the spring semester. Students had an opportunity to mingle with language professors and gather information on the BU study abroad programs in the Middle East.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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\nr Diaries: Women\u2019s Lives and Human Rights<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Global Fridays Film Series \u2014 Focus on Food & Farming<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>The Young Turks & the Ottoman Nationalities 1908-18<\/p>\n
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