Middle Eastern American Identities

We were honored to bring together scholars, students and educators on Wednesday to discuss Middle Eastern American identities. Dr. Mehdi Bozorghmehr spoke first about the unique challenges of representation that Middle Easterners face in post-9/11 America, and specifically the ways in which the diversity of this heterogeneous group is overlooked. The intense focus on the raging conflicts in the Middle East in American popular culture reinforces existing negative stereotypes, further concealing the diversity of this panethnic group. It is very difficult for these ethnic minorities to overcome such challenges and advocate for their interests, partly because Middle Eastern groups are not recognized as official minorities. For instance, governmental forms (e.g., the U.S. Census and those pertaining to affirmative action) subsume Middle Easterners under the White racial category and hence contribute to their invisibility and inability to combat discrimination.

Jonathan Friedlander expanded on the topic of diversity versus the monolithic image of Middle Easterners held in the collective imagination of American society. He talked about Middle Eastern identities "from A to Z" (Arab to Zoroastrian). While there is a sizeable population of individuals of Middle Eastern origin in the U.S., the group is more diverse here due to migrant selectivity (e.g., religious minorities from the Middle East are overrepresented in America). So, as we study the Middle East, it is important to remember that many Middle Eastern individuals we meet in the U.S. will not fit the expectation of what the Middle East tends to be (i.e., Arab and Muslim). For example, about half of Middle Eastern Americans are non-Arabs, and a large segment is also non-Muslim (Christian, Jewish, etc.).

We take this opportunity to thank our partner, Kenyon College, and all of the OSU sponsoring departments who helped make this and related events possible. They include the Mershon Center for International Security Studies; the Department of History; the Center for African Studies; the Undergraduate International Studies Program; the Department of African and African American Studies; and the Multicultural Center.

The guest scholars were interviewed on "All Sides" with Ann Fisher while they were here.  Please check it out! Here is a link to the recording from the "All Sides" page: http://streaming.osu.edu/wosu/allsides/091912a.mp3 We will be posting the video of their presentation, as well as other related materials in our Knowledge Bank Community. 

Indonesian ambassador to the U.S., Dino Patti Djalal, May 24 2012

The ambassador described a new mentality that is forming, an optimism stimulated because success is now being seen as home grown. In past success had a strong connection to names like Henry Ford, Colonal Sanders, and Bill Gates. . ."now success can have our faces and our names as well. " noted the ambassador.

According to him, it's not military success but corporate success that matters most in global relations. In past Indonesia had strong movements against colonialism and the related capitalist economic structures, which has been a hinderance. 21st have to believe in markets, so now people replace the word capitalism with "entrepreneurship" and it works, lots of enthusiasm.

Indonesia is the 3rd largest democracy in the world with the largest middle class in Asia. This is quite surprising from point of view of 1999, after economic crash. 85% of Indonesians believe in their democratic system and that their economy is good, disagreements with particular policies or election choices notwithstanding.

He warned, however, that it's possible to become stuck with a middle income level, inertia prevents high GDP status. There are lessons from the US's economic growth during the fifty years Fter WWII.

This event was brought to the Ohio State University thanks to The College of Education and Human Ecology and PERMIAS, the Indonesian Student Association.

Marwan Muasher (Saturday, April 21 2012)

Dr. Muasher  is vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment. He served as foreign minister (2002–04) and deputy prime minister (2004–05) of Jordan, and his career has spanned the areas of diplomacy, development, civil society, and communications. He is also a senior fellow at Yale University.

Muasher began his career as a journalist for the Jordan Times. He then served at the Ministry of Planning, at the prime minister’s office as press adviser, and as director of the Jordan Information Bureau in Washington.

In 1995, Muasher opened Jordan's first embassy in Israel, and in 1996 became minister of information and the government spokesperson. From 1997 to 2002, he served in Washington again as ambassador, negotiating the first free trade agreement between the United States and an Arab nation. He then returned to Jordan to serve as foreign minister, where he played a central role in developing the Arab Peace Initiative and the Middle East Road Map.

In 2004 he became deputy prime minister responsible for reform and government performance, and led the effort to produce a 10-year plan for political, economic, and social reform. From 2006 to 2007, he was a member of the Jordanian Senate.

Most recently, he was senior vice president of external affairs at the World Bank from 2007 to 2010.

He is the author of The Arab Center: The Promise of Moderation (Yale University Press, 2008).

He spoke about "The Arab Awakening: One Year On" at the Ohio State University, Saturday, April 21 2012 - The event was co-sponsored by The Mershon Center for International Security Studies, The Middle East Studies Center, The Department of History, the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, and The Alumni of the American University in Beirut. 

The major themes he spoke about were:

• The current process of seeking democratic government is not a battle between secularists and Islamists.  It's a struggle for pluralism that needs to come from both sides.    
• There is a new awareness of the strength of organized political action. Further, it is an irreversible process, even if it is a problematic one.
• With education and pluralism jobs can be created and representational government will be possible.   

Long-range perspective on some of the key challenges:

• The electoral process is not moving forward quickly due to a multiplication of parties.  However,
• After Franco 161 parties competed in the elections, now there are less than 10. It's a natural progression.
• There are underrepresented groups.  Equality of education that emphasizes critical thinking and democratic values. He said: "A citizen should be concerned about the rights of all his fellow citizens. 
• Economic problems, such as a lack of jobs, prevent progress.  The only way to create enough jobs will be created is if human capital is increased through education.    
• Islamists have 15% of actual popular support despite garnering 34% of the electoral support.  This is because they haven't yet been in power so they haven't been tested. Muasher predicts they won't do as well in the future. 

This talk was organized by the Ohio Valley Chapter of the Alumni Association of the American University of Beirut, and co-sponsored with the Mershon Center, the Department of History, and the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures.

Betty Shamieh on Representations of Women in Theatre

The first thing she stated was that she hopes one day to be known mainly as a woman playwright, not only an Arab playwright.  She also noted that the meaning of being Arab American has changed since 9-11, and that Arab voices are now actively censored.  For those reasons, the Arab identity is even more front and center.  Shamieh emphasized that, of course she has had very specific life experience, and she can't claim to represent all Arabs or all Arab Americans. In being herself she breaks many stereotypes of Arabs as soon as people come in contact with her - for many she is the first Arab intellectual they have met (wow!).

Her lament was the non-representation of women in American Theatre - citing that a mere 16% of plays, which are actually produced, are written by women; the exact same amount which was true at the last turn of the century.  The late Christopher Hitchen's thesis that women are incapable of being funny was of particular concern to her.  She was comforted by the idea that he may be meeting Gilda Radner and Lucille Ball in heaven now.  She pointed out, however, that dominant culture codes such figures as exceptions - thus reinforcing the prevailing notions about women's abilities.

She reminded us of the prevalent stereotype that Arab/Muslim/Middle Eastern women are oppressed and downtrodden and explicated the problems that poses for American society.  For example, former First Lady Laura Bush used her position to bring the plight of Afghan women to light as a way to rally the U.S. left to support the war on Afghanistan.  She pointed out that in America 1 in 5 women are either raped or suffer sexual assault - from an outsider's perspective it would seem extreme, just as from a US perspective the situation in Afghanistan would seem extreme. 

She brought many excellent insights to bear on race, gender and class in American and Global society, but I will stop here.  The final piece which needs to be shared is that her play "Roar" will be read on stage tonight.  Please join us! http://breakinggroundroar730.eventbrite.com/

The Middle East Studies Center would like to express its appreciation to the Women's Place and the Department of Theatre for bringing Ms. Shamieh on campus and organizing these events.  

Ali Mazrui, Talk on "Islam in Africa's Experience: Expansion, Revival & Radicalization"

While the Center of Islam, Mecca, is on the Arabian Peninsula and very close to Africa, scholarly attention and the media tend to focus on the Middle East and Asia in connection to the religion.  Professor Mazrui eloquently re-centered its history, placing its core, not only in West Asia, but in North Africa as well.

Among other fascinating points, Dr. Mazrui shared that Major Islamic centers of theology and higher learning, AlAzhar University in Cairo, and Fez, Morocco, are in Africa, for example. Major contributors to the early history of Islam, such as Usman, the third Sunni Caliph, spent significant portion of his life in what was then Abbysinia.

He also pointed out that the Muslim population of Nigeria is actually larger than that of Egypt and is one of the largest in the world. Africans and Muslims - two groups which are not mutually exclusive, but which overlap - have commonalities in regard to global struggles for power as well. 

It was a stimulating and potentially controversial talk.  One of the questions at the end was whether or not he faced hostility in the past at one of his public talks.  At an earlier point he had said "Nuclear weapons are not for Africans, Muslims or children under 16."  He explained that when he critiqued the actions of Israel he received complaints, but that he has the highest respect for Jewish people. That helped to address the pervasive stereotype that Muslims and Jewish people are against each other. 

The talk was organized by the Columbus Council on World Affairs, The Center for African Studies and the Middle East Studies Center at OSU.   We are very grateful to Professor Mazrui for agreeing to come as he is in demand all around the world for such engagements.

Link to view the talk: http://livestre.am/1iJYi

Dr. Karima Korayem, Professor of AlAzhar University, Cairo, on "The Challenges Egypt is Facing During This Time of Change"

To give a big picture of how the revolt has been making an impact, she broke it down to the following socio-economic-political needs the country is grappling with:

• Security
• Economic vision
• Establish democracy

Factors for lack of security: mistrust of police, and their lack of control/authority; police stations were attacked by public; police don't intervene in crime.

Economic challenge centers on unemployment. Security and economics are interrelated. Economic situation creates "criminals" people transgressing the law in order to survive, in order to feed their family. Need to unify economic vision, propose scenarios for economic development, policy to cover financial and monetary needs, to support the financial sector. Businesses needs loans, foreign investors need to feel safe to work in Egypt. In the past investors could be sued for paying lower price. Meetings between ministers and businesses, they need money, labor.

To form a sustainable democracy the needs above must be fulfilled, in addition to the following: the people need to be raised with democracy, they need to have political literacy. The country also needs strong parties and ability to transfer power.

Some of Minister Gouda's related comments:

Don't look at the Egyptian case in isolation. Pivotal country through out history. If revolution succeeds Saudi Arabia will feel it, which why they asked for Mubarak's release.

Egypt is being transformed from a state of subjects to a state of citizens. There are 85 million Egyptians who need to undergo this transformation. So far the change has been peaceful, industry still intact, agriculture still intact, tourism intact though below capacity. In comparison with other revolutions, they are doing well. For example, there has been no absolute decline in GDP in Egypt so far. The GDP fell 30% during first year after revolutiin in Poland. 

Sponsors: Mershon Center for International Security Studies, Department of Economics, Middle East Studies Center, The Women's Place, Department of History, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, Moritz College of Law, International Studies Program, and Department of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies

Revolution in Egypt, Minister Addresses Political and Economic Dimensions

Yesterday at the Mershon Center for International Security Studies, Gouda Abdel-Khalek, Minister of Supply and Domestic Trade, Egypt, spoke on "The Political Economy of Egypt and the Arab Spring: International Support Packages"

He addressed the tripartate slogan of Tahrir: "Bread, Freedom, and Social Justice!" from a political/economic analytical perspective. He also identified the causal factors of the revolution as inequality and poverty. In particular unemployment: as high as 20% very high among youth, above 30%.

Thus, logical that young Egyptians spearheaded the movement. Inequality between old generation and young generation. High poverty rates is the number one factor. Not caused by corruption. Below mean level of corruption worldwide.

What kind of economic system is it?
Pendulum between free market and regulated. Question of what controls will be put in place for social justice remains. Progressive taxation has not been implemented, which would be a step toward it. Equality in terms of opportunities between the social strata. The Mubarak regime gave lip service to liberalizing the economy, but actually implemented a system of cronyism. The minister supports the integration of a regulated free market economy.

A recording of this very substantive lecture and the Q&A session afterward will be available online at: http://mershoncenter.osu.edu/events/11-12events/Jan12/egyptandthearabspringjan12.htm

Sponsors:
Mershon Center for International Security Studies, Department of Economics, Middle East Studies Center, The Women's Place, Department of History, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, Moritz College of Law, International Studies Program, and Department of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies