The Modern Origins of Contemporary Conflicts in the Middle East
March 20-21, 2015
The political upheavals and violence in Middle Eastern societies regularly burst on to our television screens without any historical analysis of the long-term causes. This seminar will be led by UNC historians who study the early twentieth-century empires in this region and regularly teach about the complex cultural and political legacies of that era. Contemporary events will be placed within a broad context that goes back to World War I. Cemil Aydin and Sarah Shields will discuss the late Ottoman Empire and the consequences of post-1918 European “mandates” in former Ottoman territories. The religious-cultural aspects of the imperial and post-colonial transitions will be examined in Eren Tasar’s discussion of still-influential twentieth-century Islamic reform movements, and then Cemil Aydin will further expand the historical framework through his assessment of the Cold War’s enduring influence on recent Middle Eastern conflicts. This seminar will carry you far beyond the TV networks and offer historical perspectives that don’t fit into sound bites.
Topics & Speakers
The Breakup of the Ottoman Empire and its Consequences
Cemil Aydin, Associate Professor of History
The Legacy of the British and French Mandates in Post-Colonial States
Sarah Shields, Professor of History
Between Modernism and Revivalism: Islamic Responses to Colonial Empires
Eren Tasar, Assistant Professor of History
Decolonization and the Cold War: American and Soviet Interventions in the Middle East
Professor Aydin
Historical Perspectives on the Causes of Middle Eastern Conflicts
A panel discussion with our speakers
Time & Cost
4:30 p.m. Friday, March 20 through 1:00 p.m. Saturday, March 21, 2015. The tuition is $125 ($110 by January 22). The optional dinner Friday evening is $20.00.
For Teachers: Teachers can register for this event for FREE through the NC Civic Education Consortium; a special pedagogical session will also be provided. Click here for more information.
For information about lodging click here.
Co-Sponsored by the General Alumni Association.
For information about GAA discounts and other scholarships available to Humanities Program participants, click here.