CIMOW News and Events

Presenter: Dr Professor Frederick 'Skip' Burkle Jr
Date/Time: Friday 16th November 2007, 11:30am
Location: Caulfield Campus, Building H, Room H5.45

Professor Frederick 'Skip' Burkle Jr is a Senior Scholar, Scientist, and Visiting Professor at the Center for International Emergency, Disaster & Refugee Studies at Johns Hopkins University and Professor, Department of Community Emergency Health and Paramedic Practice, Monash University.

In 2003 Professor Burkle served in the US State Department as the Senior Medical Officer in Iraq on the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) for the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance. He also served as the Interim Minister of Health in Iraq during the relief phase of the crisis.

Coffee and Biscuits provided.

The Faculty of Arts, via the Centre for Muslim Minorities and Islam Policy Studies (CMMIPS) in the School of Political and Social Inquiry (PSI) is proud to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Centre for Christian-Muslim Studies, Balamand University, Lebanon. This agreement is the result of contacts established by CMMIPS lecturer Kylie Baxter  during her participation in a Council of Australian-Arab Relations visit to the Middle East in April 2007.

As part of the School of Political and Social Inquiry’s course PLT4430 Political Islam, a video-link was held on 17 September 2007 between Monash students and the students and staff of An-Najah University, Nablus.

This video-link provided Monash students with an invaluable insight into the dynamics of the Palestinian political situation. Centre for Muslim Minorities and Islam Policy Studies’s (CMMIPS) lecturer, Kylie Baxter has been running these video-links for Politics students since 2005. In this year’s link, An-Najah University offered a brief history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, an overview of the “Right to Education” campaign and explained the realities of daily life under Israeli occupation.

Following the presentations, Monash students had the opportunity to ask questions which covered a gamut of topics including the personal experiences of students directly caught up in the conflict, the dynamics surrounding the construction of the separating wall, and the ground realities of the political schism between Hamas and Fatah.

Presenter: Dr Patricia Moynihan
Date/Time: Friday 17th August 2007, 10:30am-11:30am
Location: Caulfield Campus, Building H, Room 5.45

The 2003 Iraq war was historic on many grounds, including its armaments. The US Marines have said that this time weapons, including depleted uranium and napalm were used in a "blitzkrieg" as they approached Baghdad. How did the human shields of the international peace movement stand up against that? Were they any use at all to the Iraqis?

21st-22nd November 2007

More Information.

Monday 30th July, 2007

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International) Stephanie Fahey (left), Malainin Lakhal (Secretary-General, Saharawi Journalists' and Writers' Union) (centre), CMMIPS Post-doctoral Fellow Benjamin MacQueen (right)

Malainin Lakhal outlined the ongoing struggle of the Saharawi people and the Frente Popular de Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro (POLISARIO) for the self-determination referendum in Moroccan- occupied Western Sahara.

Malainin, who had been imprisoned for his activism for Saharawi independence in Morocco, outlined the various factors impeding the United Nations in its efforts to hold the self-determination referendum. CMMIPS Post-Doctoral Fellow, Benjamin MacQueen, presented an overview of the Western Sahara issue with particular reference to the illegality of Morocco's occupation.

CMMIPS Post-Doctoral Fellow, Benjamin MacQueen, presented an overview of the Western Sahara issue with particular reference to the illegality of Morocco's occupation.

Monash University is the Principle Sponsor of the Melbourne Press Club (www.pressclubonline.com ).

Shakira Hussein

Friday 20th July 2007, 10:30am-12:00pm
Caulfield Campus, Building H, Room H5.94

The prominence of gender issues in public discussion of Islam in Australia has force Muslim women to deal with both a "double responsibility" and a "double bind". The "double responsibility" arises because in their interface with non-Muslims, Muslim women have to address not only "women's issues" (eg, discussions on hijab) but also play a major role in "speaking up for the men" (because when Muslim men are accused of misogyny, women are regarded as the more credible spokespeople). In dealing with this "double responsibility", women also find themselves caught in a "double bind" between patriarchy and racism. Muslim women feel constrained against speaking out on gender norms within their communities by the likelihood that their voices will be appropriated by those hostile to Muslims in general. While some women themselves feel the need for selective silence in the face of such circumstances, Islamophobia has also become a means of disciplining women by those within Muslim communities who are committed to maintaining the status quo on gender issues.

Shakira Hussein is completing her PhD on encounters between Muslim and Western women at the Australian National University. She is a regular contributor to a variety of Australian media outlets.

Come and join Shakira at the Centre for Muslim Minorities and Islam Policy Studies for morning tea (coffee, cake and biscuits)

Exhibition Opening: Saturday 7th July 2-5pm, Monash University Museum of Art, with opening remarks at 3.30pm by Waleed Aly, writer, lecturer in politics, Monash University, and board member of the Islamic Council of Victoria.

Exhibition Dates:
Part 1: Faculty Gallery, Caulfield campus 5 July – 28 July 2007
Part 2: Monash University Museum of Art, Clayton campus 4 July – 25 August 2007.

Regarding Fear and Hope examines two abiding emotions that are dominating the contemporary political and cultural landscape. Exploring the ways in which artists form connections with this milieu, the exhibition includes works that consider diverse identities, immigration, conflict, surveillance, and the challenging economic and political environments in which we live. This exhibition will feature the work of both Australian and international artists.