Hope and Conflict in Egypt, Syria, and Iran

Panel of local experts provides a window into a critical region of the world

University of San Diego
Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies Theater
Tuesday October 15, 7 – 9 p.m.

Ongoing movements of popular protest in the Arab and Muslim world have resulted in alternating cycles of euphoric hope and horrific conflicts. The panel discussion will analyze the regional and global implications of the civil war in Syria, the military coup in Egypt and the recent change of government in Iran. The three scholars speaking on the panel will offer the San Diego community a rigorous, yet accessible analysis that will enhance our understanding of those countries and the critically important Arab and Muslim world.

Speakers:

• Dr. Michael Provence, Associate Professor of History at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Provence is the author of The Great Syrian Revolt and the Rise of Arab Nationalism, as well as a number of articles, including “Unraveling the Syrian Revolution.”
• Dr. Babak Rahimi, Associate Professor of Communication, Culture and Religion at the Department of Literature, University of California, San Diego. Dr. Rahimi is the author of Theater State and the Formation of Early Modern Public Sphere in Iran: Studies on Safavid Muharram Rituals, 1590-1641C.D., as well as a number of scholarly articles and book chapters, including "Facebook Iran. The Carnivalesque Politics of Online Social Networking."
• Dr. Thomas Reifer, Associate Professor of Sociology and Affiliate Faculty in the Department of Ethnic Studies, University of San Diego. Dr. Reifer is an Associate Fellow at the Transnational Institute, and is the author of The “Arab 1848”: Reflections on US Policies and the Power of Non-Violence. He has also published a large number of articles, including “The Road to Hell is Paved with “Humanitarian Interventions”: Western Violence, the Hippocratic Oath and the Second Arab Revolt” and “ The Syrian Civil War and the Rush to Regional and Global Disaster.”

The panel discussion is jointly sponsored by the Center for Community Service-Learning, the Social Issues Committee, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies and Karama: The Arab and Islamic World Information Project.

If you would like to contact the speakers for an interview please contact Professor John Halaka, Department of Art, Architecture and Art History, University of San Diego at: office (619) 260-4107; cell (858) 232-5273; jhalaka@sandiego.edu. 

About the University of San Diego

Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is among the Top 20 Best Private Schools for Making an Impact according to The Princeton Review. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.