u.s.–arab relations newslinesconverse women’s leadership forum see page ten. converse dominates...

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In This Issue ... Volume XVII, No. 1 The Newsletter of the Carolinas Committee on U.S.-Arab Relations June 2012 An Affiliate of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Kasbahs, Tagines, and Politics: On the Road in Morocco See pages one through four. Another Successful Southeast Model See page five. Converse Continues Its Performance at National Model See pages six and seven. Converse Joins in Partnership for the Mubadara Model in Dubai See pages eight and nine. Saudi Doctor Speaks at Converse Women’s Leadership Forum See page ten. Converse Dominates at Northeast Model Arab League See page ten. Book Review: Isobel Coleman, Paradise Beneath Her Feet: How Women are Transforming the Middle East See page eleven. Carolinas Committee on U.S.–Arab Relations N E W S L I N E S (continued on page 2) Group and Student Guides at Al-Akhawayn Kasbahs, Tagines, and Politics: On the Road in Morocco The first Joseph Malone Fellowship Model Arab League Advisers trip to Morocco, June 24-July 4, 2011, was a wonderful adventure for the nine participants. Despite a heat wave unusual even for Moroccan summer and a shady tour agent who disappeared along the way, the experience provided an exceptional learning opportunity. Morocco is unique. At once African, Arab, and European with the heritage of both Spanish and French colonialism evident; multiple tolerant manifestations by Joe P. Dunn

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Page 1: U.S.–Arab Relations NEWSLINESConverse Women’s Leadership Forum See page ten. Converse Dominates at Northeast Model Arab League See page ten. Book Review: Isobel Coleman, Paradise

In This Issue ...

Volume XVII, No. 1 The Newsletter of the Carolinas Committee on U.S.-Arab Relations June 2012An Affiliate of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

❏ Kasbahs, Tagines, and Politics: On the Road in Morocco See pages one through four.

❏ Another Successful Southeast Model Seepagefive.

❏ ConverseContinuesItsPerformance at National Model

Seepagessixandseven.

❏ ConverseJoinsinPartnership for the Mubadara Model in Dubai See pages eight and nine.

❏ Saudi Doctor Speaks at ConverseWomen’s Leadership Forum See page ten.

❏ ConverseDominates at Northeast Model Arab League See page ten.

❏ BookReview: IsobelColeman, Paradise Beneath Her Feet:

How Women are Transforming the Middle East Seepageeleven.

Carolinas Committee

on U.S.–Arab Relations

N E W S L I N E S

(continued on page 2)

Group and Student Guides at Al-Akhawayn

Kasbahs, Tagines, and Politics: On the Road in Morocco

The first Joseph Malone FellowshipModelArabLeagueAdvisers trip toMorocco, June 24-July 4, 2011,wasa wonderful adventure for the nineparticipants. Despite a heat waveunusual even forMoroccan summerandashadytouragentwhodisappeared

alongtheway,theexperienceprovidedanexceptionallearningopportunity.

Morocco is unique. At once African, Arab,andEuropeanwiththeheritageof both Spanish and French colonialism evident;multipletolerantmanifestations

by Joe P. Dunn

Page 2: U.S.–Arab Relations NEWSLINESConverse Women’s Leadership Forum See page ten. Converse Dominates at Northeast Model Arab League See page ten. Book Review: Isobel Coleman, Paradise

NEWS AND ARTICLES NEWS AND ARTICLES

2 3

(continued from page 1)

of Islamwith strongSufiovertones;the indigenous Amizah (or Berber) population that comprises a large, but ill-defined percentage of thepopulation;andageographyasvariedas its people, Morocco is a smorgasbord ofsights,sounds,andadventures.Wewitnessedmuchofthediversityofthenationof32millionpeople.

Moroccans claim that they areAmerica’s longest strategic partner.Theconnectionistracedto1777,anditcontinuesthroughthepresent.WemaintainclosetieswiththeMoroccanmilitary today. Moroccan militaryofficers study in most U.S. militaryschools, and through theU.S.ArmyState National Guard Partnership program,Moroccohaspartneredwith

UtahArmyNationalGuard.TheU.S.used Moroccan airbases as part of the RapidDeploymentTaskForceduringtheReaganadministration;Moroccowasoneoffirsttocondemnthe9/11attack and offer support in theU.S.response; and the country’s zero-tolerance against al-Qaeda, MuslimBrotherhood, and other terrorist groupshasbeenabondbetweenthetwocountries.Well imbuedwith theU.S. ethicof civil-military relations,theMoroccanofficercorpshasbeenapolitical in comparison to other Arab countries.

MoroccowasoneofthefirstcountriestoreceiveU.S.PeaceCorpsvolunteers.The original contingent in 1963consistedof53Americanyouthand

morethan4000volunteershaveservedinthecountry.ActiveinMoroccosince1953,USAIDovertheyearshasspentover $2 billion. The United Statescommitted $697.5 million over fiveyearsintheU.S.MillenniumChallengeCompact signed in 2007. A FreeTradeAgreement in2006eliminatesdutieson95+%ofgoodsandservices;commitsMoroccototransparencyandprotectingintellectualpropertyrights;andprovidesU.S.technicalassistance.Morocco is the United States’ 67th largest export market ($1.5 billion)and the U.S. imports approximately$900million ofMoroccanproducts.DirectU.S.foreigndirectinvestmentin the country last year exceeded$238 million. More than 100,000MoroccansliveintheUnitedStates,andahostofU.S.-Moroccanculturalandprofessionalgroupsareactive.Insum,theUnitedStatesandMoroccohaveasolidrelationship.

Theprimarypurposeofourtripwaseducational, and our tour of the central portionofthecountrywasthecentralcomponent. Our first stop was theHassan IIMosque in Rabat and weendedappropriatelywithamidnightdrivebythemagnificentMohammadV Mosque in Casablanca elevendays later. In between, we visitedthe classical and medieval centersof the country at Meknes and Fez,andsurvivedascorching tourof theRomanruinsatVolubilis,wherewithno shade in sight the temperature wellexceeded100degrees.Travelingthrough the picturesque Middle Atlas Mountainsprovidedrespitefromtheheat, and one of the highlights of the tripwasavisitwiththestudentsandfacultyatAl-AkhawaynUniversityintheSwiss-Alpine-likevillageofIfrane.Thepinetrees,thered-tiledhouseslikethoseoftheAlpsorthenorthernItalianDolomites, the ski slopes, and stories ofbeingsnowedinforweeksinIfranechallengedanystereotypesofMorocco

asanariddesertland.Thevisually-stunning Al-Akhawayn Universitywith itsdiverse international studentbodyprovidesagrandexperimentinanAmerican-styleuniversityinNorthAfrica.

Fromthemountains,weheadedsouthto the oasis of Erfoud and the red desert dunesatMerzouga,whereatwo-hournight-time camel ride took us to adesertcampfortheevening.TheMilkyWayinthecleardesertskyscapewasdazzling and sunrise observed fromatop a high dune was an awesomedisplayofcolorandgrandeur.Thecostofthismemorableadventure,however,wasmorehoursaboardacamelthanIeverhopetorepeat.Thenexttwodaysprovidedmoreabundantexamplesof

thediversebeautyofMorocco.Amidstthe stark bareness of the desert, weviewed magnificent gorges, oases,huge kasbahs, the Bollywood ofMorocco at Ouarzazate, and the High AtlasMountainsablazewithbrilliantoleander.

Marrakeshwas indeed unique. The117degreetemperaturewasbrutalbutactually less draining than the highhumidity of the nearly100 degreesin Rabat. The Marrakesh festival,replayedeveryeveninginthecentralsquare, deservedly isworld famous.For once, the usually-exaggeratedtouristbooksgotitright.Indeedonecanseeeverythinginthemassivesquare,from snake charmers, to music and dancingofallvarieties,tofoodbeyond

imagination, and a crush of people that bogglesthemind.Bythispoint,theheathadwornmedown.Afreeafternoonbythegiganticpoolinthefirst-classhotelwas awonderful relief cappedby a late afternoon rainstorm and arefreshingwaveofcoolair.

Althoughthecharacterofthecountryremainsdecidedlyrural,themajorityof the population actually lives inurbanareas.Casablanca(3.2millionpopulation) and nearby Rabat (1.8million) constitute the largest urban concentrations. The grimy starknessof poverty in Casablanca’s largeslumsofferedyetanotherperspectiveto our understanding of this diversecountry.Wespentonlyabriefeveningin Casablanca before our late-night

Preparing to Return from the Desert Camp

City Gate at Meknes

Page 3: U.S.–Arab Relations NEWSLINESConverse Women’s Leadership Forum See page ten. Converse Dominates at Northeast Model Arab League See page ten. Book Review: Isobel Coleman, Paradise

Holly Jordan LaFountain Shows Off Her Lifetime Achievement Award

NEWS AND ARTICLES

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NEWS AND ARTICLES

The24th Southeast Model Arab League metatConverse,March16-18,2012.KeynotespeakerwasNoraNassri,aConverseCollege2008graduatewhoisnowwritingherPh.D.dissertationinpoliticalscienceattheUniversityof South Carolina on the topic of “Religious Reactions to Political Violence.”Nora,whohasextensiveexperienceintheArabworldaswellastravelsinRwandaandBosnia,spokeaboutrecenteventsinthewakeoftheso-calledArab Spring and reflectedonheryearsasa four-yeardelegateontheConverseModelArabLeaguedelegation.

Miles College, from Birmingham, Alabama;TennesseeStateUniversity,fromNashville;andVirginiaTechwerefirst-timeparticipantschoolsthisyear.Wilson Hall, a private high school,from Sumter, South Carolina, also

participatedforaday inpreparationfortheirfirstattendanceattheNationalHigh SchoolModel inWashington,DC.Theyoungerstudentsaccordedthemselveswell indebateandotheractivities,andusedtheexperiencetowintheOutstandingDelegationAwardat the National High School Model. The faculty sponsor for theWilsonHall delegation was Anna Owens,former head delegate for ConverseCollegein2010.

The highlight of debate was acomplicated crises situation centered onanIranianblockingoftheGulfinconjunctionwithuprisingsandpossibleterroristactionsinSyria.Fourcouncilsaddressedvariouscomponentsofthecrisis and the Heads of State Council brought a comprehensive resolutionto the Final Summit. On Saturdayevening,participantsatthemodelalso

enjoyedtheannualHaflabanquetintheConverseDiningHall.

At the Awards Ceremony, held forthefirsttimeinthebeautifulDanielAuditorium, in the Petrie School of Music, Holly Jordan LeFountain,Converse’06alumnae, received theModel Arab League AchievementAward.Hollywasafour-yearmemberof Converse’sMAL delegation andwas Converse’s first Secretary-GeneralofInternationalModelNATO.Duringherundergraduateyears,sheconcentrated primarily on theArabCourtofJustice,whereshewasChiefJusticeatboththeSoutheastModelandthe National Model. After graduation, shecontinuedtoassistwiththeACJatthe Southeast and Northeast Models. While obtaining her masters at theUniversity of Georgia, she workedwiththeKennesawStateUniversityteam and helped to run the Atlanta highschoolMAL. Shealso servedas a committee director with theSouthernModelUN.Uponmovingto Virginia Tech to pursue her Ph.D., Holly organized a MAL delegationandbroughtittothe2012SoutheastModelwhereshewonanoutstandingdelegateawardinhercouncil.

OutstandingDelegationawardswentto Converse College (Morocco),NortheasternUniversity(Syria),andGeorgia State University (Yemen).HonorableMention awardswent totheUniversity ofNorthCarolina atCharlotte(Palestine),KennesawStateUniversity (Libya), and ConverseCollege(Kuwait).AfterwinningthecitationlastyearforherleadershipoftheJointDefenseCouncil,SamanthaNicholson repeated as the Outstanding Chair, this time in the Palestinian Council. Lara Cole, from Northeastern University (Social Council) andKatyKline,fromConverse(PoliticalCouncil)were named asHonorableMention.

returnflight.Butthewalkalongthefrenetic cornice was pleasant in thenewly-arrived cool wave. Bathedin glowing lights, the MohammadV Mosque, the second largest in the world, was spellbinding, and it wasequally impressive as we drove byit in total darkness later at midnight. Admittedly totally touristy, ourfinalmealatthereplicationofRick’sCaféfrom Casablanca was memorable.WeallknewthattherealWorldWarII location was in Tangier, but theclassicmovielongagoskewedreality.InanycaseitwasagreateveningofcamaraderieandfunbeforeweboardedRoyalAirMoroc,onaplanethatshouldhave been retired years ago, for thelongflighthome.

Foralltheattentiongivenheretothetravelexperience,mypurposeforthe

trip was the academic component.Circumstances compromised some of that. Advertised speakers on theschedule had not been confirmed,or in somecasesevencontacted,bythe incompetent tour agent. But our hardworkingescorts,MeganandJosh,rectifiedthesituationasbesttheycouldand the educational experience still provedtobeapowerfulone.Thelistof useful speakers is too long to begin to cite here.

I went to Morocco with variousstereotypes about the country, bothpositive and negative. All wererevised considerably. We could nothave chosen amore propitious timeforour tripas the long-awaitedJuly1 referendum occurred during ourvisit.Threethemesresonatedformethroughout the trip—the referendum

and the political future of Morocco, theBerberquestion,andtheWesternSahara issue. Space will not allowfurther explication of any of these.However,sufficeittosaythatIreturnedwithmuchdeeperunderstandingandsophistication on all three topics. My Converse Model Arab Leaguedelegation had the pleasure to represent Moroccoduringthispastyearwhichallowedmetolearnevenmoreaboutthecountry.

Myfinalthoughtisthatforthosereaderseligible for this National Council on U.S.-ArabRelationsopportunity,seizethe chance. For those who are notwithinthiscommunity,Moroccoisacountrythatbyallmeansyouwanttovisit.AnddidInotmentiontagines?ButMoroccancuisinedeservesawholeotheressay.

Converse Delegation at SERMAL

Another Successful Southeast Model

(continued from page 3)

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NEWS AND ARTICLES NEWS AND ARTICLES

6 7

Converse Continues Its Performance at National Model

At the National Model Arab League, heldApril13-15,2012,onthecampusofGeorgetownUniversity,Converse,representing Morocco, completed another year with OutstandingDelegationAwardsatallthreemodelsinwhichtheschoolparticipates—theNortheast, Southeast, and National Models. Converse secured awardsinsixof thesevencouncils. Hilary

BerryservedasSecretary-Generalofthe model and Samantha Nicholson (Palestinian) and Shannon Bishop (Joint Defense) served as chairs.Kaylee Boalt and Ashley Blountperformedasvicechairs,andAshleyreceived special recognition for herrole in assisting the chair of her council. Samanthawasnamedtheoutstandingchairforthesecondyearinarowandas she did at the Southeast Model a coupleofweeksearlieraswell. Atthe awards ceremony, Shannonwasselected to chair the Special Committee onArabAffairsfornextyear’smodel.Shewillbejoinedbysisterdelegationmembers Ashley Blount, who willchair the Palestinian Council, and VictoriaBall,whowillheadtheArabCourtofJustice.BeckyBlantonwillbe assistant secretary general forcommunications.

Five of the top six award-winning

delegations were participants atthe Southeast Model, including Northeastern University (Syria),GeorgiaState(UAE),KennesawState(Libya),andtheUniversityofNorthCarolina at Charlotte (Palestine). The U.S.MilitaryAcademyatWestPoint(Saudi Arabia) was the only non-Southeast Model school to be cited.

BesidestheawardsaboveattheFinalCeremony, two special LifetimeCommitmentAwardswerepresentedattheOpeningCeremony.AmbassadorAndrewKilgore,careerforeignserviceofficerwhoservedtoursthroughouttheArabworldwithhislastassignmentasAmbassadortoQatar,wasafounderof The Educational Trust, whichpublished The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, and Richard Curtiss, presentExecutiveEditor oftherespectedpublication,werebothhonored.

SG Hilary Berry Conducts Summit

Converse Delegation at NMAL

Palestine Council at NMAL

Dr. Dunn & Moroccan AmbassadorMoroccan Delegates Lobby in Environmental Council

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8 9

NEWS AND ARTICLES NEWS AND ARTICLES

Converse Joins in Partnership for the Mubadara Model in Dubai

When Beyond Discovery programcoordinator Moneer Moukaddem contacted me about sending students from our Model Arab League pro-gram to assist in training secondaryschoolstudentsandfacultymembersin Amman and Dubai to participate in the Mubadara Model (MMAL) to beheld in lateNovember, I jumpedattheinvitation.Itwasnotourfirstinvolvementwith thiscompany thatspecializesinavarietyofeducationalprogramsandextra-curricularactivi-ties and organizes, designs, and ex-ecutes programs to meet requested needs. MMAL is the central pro-gramunderitsCreativitycomponent.Conversestudentshadhelpedtoad-ministerthefirstMMALlastyearinAqaba,Jordan.

Thiswasabitdifferentroleforusandweknewthatitwouldbeawonder-ful opportunity, butwe had no idea

just how powerful the experiencewould be for us andwe believe forthe students and facultywithwhomwewereprivilegedtointeract.

The significant work in which Be-yondDiscoveryisinvolvedcannotbeoverstated.Amidstdramaticpoliticaland social changes in progress in the region, the engagement of youth asactiveparticipantsinpreparationfortheir future roles and responsibilities insocietyisimportant.ModelArabLeague affords auniquevehicle forgaining knowledge about the issuesthatwillshapetheirlivesandforde-veloping student skills and talents.Mytwenty-fiveyearsofparticipatingin Model Arab League has been the bestlearningopportunitythatIhaveaffordedmystudentsinaforty-yearcareer.Seeingthisprogramdevelopand expand for youth in the Arabworldisexciting.

I knew that my student partners inthis venture would be worthymen-torsandrolemodels.HilaryBerry,the 2012 Secretary-General of theNational University Model ArabLeague; Sarah Warrick, Secretary-GeneraloftheSoutheastRegionUni-versityModel;andConversealumnaand former student body president,MeganMadison,aFulbrightFellowinJordanwhoassistedusinAmmanand later helped to administer the MMALinDubai,didtheirjobswell.But none of us anticipated the depth ofinvestmentinthestudentsandtheMMAL thatwealldeveloped. Theexperiencewas as life-changing forus as we hope that it was for theyoung students with whom we en-gaged.Myexperiencewiththefac-ultyinbothlocationsandmyobser-vationof thegrowthof thestudentsin such a short time ranks as one of thetruejoysofmycareer.

Spaceallowsmeonlytoremarkthatthe situations in Jordan and Dubaiwerequitedifferent. InAmmanweworked with students, albeit quiteyoung,whohadsomeexperienceinthis type of activity. Itwas beauti-ful tosee themgrowincompetenceandconfidenceintwoshortdays.InDubai the culture provided a differ-entchallenge.Itwasparticularlyre-wardingtoseeyounggirlsandboysparticipating in cross-gender dia-logueonmattersofgreat relevance.Wordscanbarelycapturehowexcit-edthethreeofusweretohaveplayedoursmallrolesinthisactivity,andwelongedtowitnesstheactualMMALthatwe laterheardwasagreat suc-cess.

ThehospitalityofBeyondDiscoverywasunsurpassed.Betterhostswouldnot have been possible. We praisetheorganizationanditsdevotedandenergetic program director Moneer

for thevision, thecommitment,andthecreativityexhibited.Asasignifi-cantregionoftheworldisundergo-ing monumental changes, BeyondDiscovery and MMAL are makinga difference for future generations. ThethreeofusatConversearecom-mittedtoourroleintellingthisstory.Alreadywehavehadseveralspeak-ingengagementsandwearespread-ingthewordaboutMMAL’sroleinthe larger Model Arab League com-munity. This activity is greatworkandweanticipatecontinuedsuccess.

Although the training process ab-sorbed most of our time during our brieftwodaysineachcity,wewereable to tour both Amman and Dubai. MeganwasawonderfulhostinAm-manandmadeherpersonaltaxidriv-er available to us as we toured thecity.InDubaiwesawtheseven-starBurjAl-ArabHotel,visitedtheBurjKhalia (the world’s tallest build-ing), shopped in the Dubai Mall (the world’slargest)andthefamousGoldSouk, and made a trip to the neigh-boringemirate,Sharjah.

Reflectingontheexperience,Hilaryremarked that “after four years ofstudyingtheregion,Ihadsomeideasabouttoexpect. Iwaswrongaboutalmosteverything.” Sarahconclud-ed,“Itwaspowerful to feel thatwewereplaying a role in changing thefuture.”

Most of the above article appeared in Beyond Discovery’s BD Magazine (December 2011).

Addendum:

InFebruary,BeyondDiscoveryinvit-edHilaryandSarah to return to theUAEtoconductanothertrainingses-sion in Abu Dhabi. The experienced facilitatorsenjoyedthistripasmuchasthefirstone,andtheywerepleasedtoworkwithsomeofthesameyouthwhomtheyhadmetinDubai.

Hilary remarked that “These oppor-tunitiesweresimplyremarkableandrenewingfriendshipsandwitnessing

thegrowthinthestudentswithwhomwe worked was so empowering.”Sarah,whorecentlywasselectedasadelegatetoattendthe2012NATOChicago Summit, concluded, “My

primary interest has always beenAmerican politics, but I am begin-ningtothinkthatforeignaffairsmaybe a new career area forme. I ambecomingquiteathomeintheUAE.”

Hilary and Sarah on the beach in Dubai

Hilary, Sarah, & Joe in Dubai

At the Citadel in Amman

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NEWS AND ARTICLES

Dr.SelwaAl-Hazzaa,apioneerofwomen’s rights in SaudiArabia,head of the NGO, “Friends of Saudi Arabia,” and one of the most influential women in the Arabworld served as featured speakerattheNovember9,2011ConverseCollegeProbeSymposiumentitled“IncreasingWomen’sParticipationand Involvement in Politics andPublicPolicy.”

Dr.Al-Hazzaa, a medical schoolgraduateofKingSaudUniversityand John Hopkins University,is currently the head of theophthalmologist department at

Converse Dominates at Northeast Model Arab League

Withoutstandingdelegateawardsinsixofthesevencouncils,theConverseMoroccodelegationtookfirst-placehonorsattheNortheastModelArabLeague,heldNovember4-6,atNortheasternUniversityinBoston.NortheasternUniversity’sSyriadelegationfinishedsecondandtheU.S.MilitaryAcademyatWest Point, representingSaudiArabia, finished third as the other cited outstanding delegation.Converse’sfirst-yeardelegates,representingKuwait,wonanhonorablementionaward.

Other participating schools included the University of Massachusetts--Lowell, University ofMassachusetts-Boston,UniversityofPittsburgh,MIT,BardCollege,DrakeUniversity,RogerWilliamsUniversity, Colby College, Fitchberg State University, Simmons College, Endicott College, andEmmanuel College.

InotherConversecitations,SamanthaNicholsonwasrecognizedasthehonorablementionoutstandingchairforherleadershipofthePalestiniancouncil.VictoriaBallwonhercaseintheArabCourtofJustice.

Book ReviewDr. Joe P. Dunn Charles A. Dana Professor of History and Politics, Converse College

Isobel Coleman, Paradise Beneath Her Feet:

How Women are Transforming the Middle East

LEARNING RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Dr.JoeP.Dunn,DirectorJennyDunn,AssociateDirectorandco-editorofNewslines

CarolinasCommitteeonU.S.–ArabRelationsConverseCollege•580EastMainStreet•Spartanburg,SC29302

IsobelColeman,Paradise Beneath Her Feet: How Women are Transforming the Middle East

Women are changing theworld, andthepatriarchal-drivenMiddleEast isno exception. IsobelColeman,New York Times correspondent and senior fellowanddirectoroftheWomenandForeignPolicyProgramattheCouncilon Foreign Relations has travelledtheregionforthelastdecadewritingextensivelyaboutwomen’schangingrole.Inthisfascinatingcollectionofvignettes,shefocusesonfivecriticalMuslimcountries—SaudiArabia,Iraq,Iran,Afghanistan,andPakistan,wherethenewroleofwomenisaparticularlyimportant component of the future of these societies.

11

Coleman’sessaysonacadreofIslamicfeminists,primarilyfemalebutshedoesincludesomemen,providevividinsightinto cultural and political change and aforecastofthefuture.ThesebravewomenarenotattemptingtoundermineIslam.Indeedforthemostpart,theyarestaunchadherentswhobelievethatthefaithhasbeenkidnapedandpervertedby elements whose cultural and/orpersonal blinders distort Islam fromitsoriginalintent.Theywishtomakethefaithrelevanttothemodernworldand unlock the tremendous potential ofwomenfor thebettermentof theirsocieties. The great strength of the book isColeman’s ability toput thisstoryincontextofrecenthistoryandpoliticaldynamicsineachcountry.Shemixes solid research, statistical data, and goodreportingwithherownpersonalaccounts of meeting with significantwomeninallthesecountriesandothersintheMuslimworld.

Students have responded quitepositively in the two courses whereI have employed the book---Islamicand Middle East Politics and in Women’s Lives inAsia,Africa, andtheMiddleEast.Theyfind theworkenlightening, insightful, and inspiring, simultaneously both depressing and

encouraging.Andtheystresshowtheaccountsgivelifeandcontexttolecturesand discussions on political change in theindividualcountriesandthewiderregion.MorenovicestudentswithlessfamiliaritywiththediversityofIslamas faith and basis of political and social praxisstresshowtheworkchallengesstereotypes and introduces them tothe great breadth andmultiplicity ofreligiousexpressions.Moreadvancedstudents particularly appreciate howthesameissuesmanifestthemselvesinvariousquitedifferentculturalcontexts.Students in the course on Women’sLives draw interesting comparisonsto the global confrontation of modern challenges to traditionalism in other areas of the world in non-Muslimcontexts.

Severalofmystudentshavesuggestedthe book to friends and families, but the study isn’t for neophytes. Thecountries involved have unusuallycomplicated political agendas and the issues, including the role ofwomen,require a degree of background and sophisticationtounderstand.However,the topic is a critical one, and Ihighly recommend this outstandingcontribution to those interested in the Middle East and political change.

Saudi Doctor Speaks at Converse Women’s Leadership Forum

King Faisal Specialist Hospital, the first female department headin theSaudi hospital system. In1998,shewasselectedasWomanof the Year by the AmericanBiographicalInstitute,andin2004King Abdullah named her as the leader of the Saudi delegation to restoreSaudiArabia’sinternationalreputationinthewakeof9/11.

Membersof theConverseModelArab League delegation praised Dr. Al-Hazzaa’s presentation.Conversesenior,KrystalJackson,remarked, “This is the kind of womanthatweneedtohighlight

beforetheConversestudentbody.”AmyPeele,whohadheardDr.Al-Hazzaaspeakpreviouslyandwasinstrumental in recruiting her for the event,exclaimed,“Iwassopleasedto bring this outstanding womantotheConversecommunity.Shebreaks stereotypes and helps thewiderstudentbodytounderstanda culture quite foreign to most of us.”Dr.JoeDunn,whowasoutofthe country on Sabbatical duringtheforum,expressed thathewasproud that the Model Arab League delegation had helped to organize thiseventwhichhadasignificantimpact on the college.