CMES newsFall 12_3_web.pdf - Center for Middle Eastern Studies ...

Spring 2012 Lecture Series
to view these and previous lectures online, please visit our website at http://cmes.berkeley.edu/video
FEBRUARy 23
“tears in tahrir from tamer:
Arabic Language pop Stars and
the Arab Spring”
Dr . Laith ulaby,
The U .S .-Muslim
Engagement
Initiative,
Washington, D .C .
Dr . Ulaby examined
how Egyptian pop stars have
fared in the aftermath of the
January 25th protests, including
the “King of Egyptian Pop,” Tamer
Hosny . While many Egyptian song
traditions have a strong political
sentiment, the pop industry in
Egypt has been mostly apolitical
for some time, which makes
Hosny’s and others’ statements
in support of Mubarak all the
more mystifying . Dr . Ulaby
discussed how Egypt’s popular
singers became so tone deaf
to the aspirations of the very
youth demographic that had
previously been their biggest
supporters? His analysis of these
questions brought together data
from social media, fan sites
and interviews that examine
the discourse around Hosny
and others as a window into
contemporary Egyptian views on
celebrity, popular music, and the
intersection of art and politics .
12 center for middle eastern studies
MARCH 1
“Sites of War: State power and
Media in post-revolutionary
Iran”
Prof . niki Akhavan,
Department of
Media Studies, The
Catholic University
of America
While opponents
and critics have long turned
to the media to challenge the
Iranian state, the state itself has
been consistent in deploying
these same forms of media to
expand its political power . In this
lecture, Dr . Akhavan examined
the Iranian state’s use of media
to control, manufacture, and
memorialize moments of national
crisis . She highlighted how digital
technologies have impacted the
state’s strategies for asserting
its dominance and confronting
its perceived cultural and
political enemies . Specifically,
she focused on how this media,
instead of becoming a weapon
for liberalization (as with Iran’s
Arab neighbors), had been
used against potential reformers,
and how it has guaranteed the
continuance of the status quo .
MARCH 8
“egypt’s new political Map: Key
Issues and players”
Prof . Mohamed Kamal,
Department of
Political Science,
Cairo University,
Egypt
As of March of 2012,
a new Parliament
in Egypt was in session . In this
lecture, Prof . Kamal discussed
the composition of this parliament
which includes Islamists, liberals
and remnants of the National
Democratic Party . He analyzed
the views and future role of these
different political forces . Prof .
Kamal discussed the drafting of
a new Egyptian constitution and
the key players involved including
the military council, activists
who sparked the uprising, and
Islamist groups . While the new
constitution supports the creation
of a president and prime minister,
he argued that it may result in
a deadlock situation . While the
country is eager to change, the
road ahead is long and Egypt
should be prepared for a difficult
transition .