2007 Clifford Symposium: Islam and Politics in a Globalizing World
T
he Rohatyn Center hosted the 2007 Nicholas R. Clifford Symposium, “Islam and Politics in a Globalizing World,” on October 4-6. Convened by Assistant Professor of Political Science Quinn Mecham, the symposium featured prominent scholars of Islam and politics. Events included a lecture, panel discussions, a dance performance, and a film. Speakers addressed issues of faith, conflict, human rights, and democracy, and discussed the implications for the future of political Islam in an increasingly interconnected world. The Nicholas R. Clifford Symposium was established by the Middlebury College Board of Trustees in 1993 to honor the distinguished career of Nicholas R. Clifford, Middlebury College professor emeritus of history. He was a member of the Middlebury College history department from 1966 through 1993 and served as vice president for academic affairs on three occasions, from 1979-1985, in 1989, and from 1991-1993. Clifford is a former trustee, and was a co-chair of the College’s bicentennial celebration committee. “What It Means to Be a Muslim” Chair: Middlebury College Instructor in Religion Justin Stearns. Panelists: Middlebury College Islamic Society members and Mahmoud Hayat, Islamic Society of Vermont. Discussant: Anas Malik, assistant professor of political science and sociology, Xavier University.
“Islam, Human Rights, and Democracy” Chair: Quinn Mecham. Panelists: Mirjam Künkler, instructor in Near Eastern studies, Princeton University, and Naz Modirzadeh, Program on Humanitarian Policy and Conflict Research, Harvard School of Public Health. Middlebury College Artist in Residence Leyya Tawil, of Syrian-Palestinian descent, performed her solo “Landmine/ Map of the World,” followed by an improvised work with violinist and Palestinian American Mike Khoury. In a follow-up discussion, Tawil addressed the role of contemporary dance in creating and breaking illusions about Middle Eastern women and culture, and Khoury discussed the Arab avant-garde in music.
“When, in a society, the sovereignty belongs to God alone, expressed in its obedience to the Divine Law, only then is every person in that society free from servitude to others, and only then does he taste true freedom.” —Sayyid Qutb, leading intellectual in the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, executed in 1966.
“Iraq and the Future of Political Islam” by James Piscatori, professor of Islamic studies, Oxford University. “Why Does Islam Become Politicized?” Chair: Allison Stanger, director, Rohatyn Center for International Affairs, and James Jermain Professor of Political Economy, Middlebury College. Panelists: Anas Malik; Andrew March, assistant professor of political science,Yale University; David Patel, assistant professor of Middle Eastern politics, Cornell University; and James Piscatori.
The symposium closed with a screening of Osama, the first Afghan film shot since the fall of the Taliban and winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film of 2003. Director Siddiq Barmak portrays a young girl and her mother after they lose their hospital jobs under the Taliban. With no men to support them and harsh rules restricting women, the girl disguises herself as a boy named Osama in order to earn a living.
Symposia and Series 14
Rohatyn Center for International Affairs
Annual Report 2007-2008