Islam and Contemporary Developments in the Middle East

Hosted by: AIIA Qld

The event will start on: Tuesday, 28 June 2011 6:00 PM

And will end on: Tuesday, 28 June 2011 7:30 PM

At Harris Terrace, Brisbane

46 George Street , Brisbane Queensland

    qld.branch@aiia.asn.au

Posted by: qld   

Since the beginning of 2011 the world has witnessed popular uprisings against long-standing regimes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). To date this has resulted in the toppling of the Tunisian president Ben Ali and Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. Other regimes in the region including Jordan, Yemen and Syria have been forced to make socio-political concessions and reforms.

Currently, the regime of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is struggling to retain power in the face of a rebel insurgence backed by a UN enforced no-fly zone, while regimes in Bahrain, Syria and Yemen are responding to ongoing peaceful protests with lethal force.

Dr Halim Rane will discuss the factors leading to and the implications of these events. His presentation will closely examine the role of Islam, nationalism and secularism in the context of there successes and failures. Dr Halim Rane is the Deputy Director of the Griffith Islamic Research Unit and a Senior Lecturer in the School of Humanities at Griffith University. Dr Rane is the author of numerous articles and books concerning the Middle East, Islamic and Muslim issues including Islam and Contemporary Civilisation: Evolving Ideas, Transforming Relations (Melbourne University Press, 2010); Islam and the Australian News Media (Melbourne University Press, 2010); and Reconstructing Jihad amid Competing International Norms (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009).