Dr Shirin Ebadi, the First Iranian woman, indeed Middle Eastern woman, to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003, spoke at SOAS on 2 February 2011 on ‘The Role of Women in Promoting Peace in the Middle East’.
Here she discusses the women’s movement in Iran and the difficulties she herself has faced in standing up for human rights in Iran.
This was originally broadcast on Six Pillars to Persia as part of a longer show, on Resonance 104.4fm.
Thanks to Marina Khatibi and Tom the engineer.
Prior to a talk arranged by Iran Heritage, the estimable Dr Alai discusses how phonetics, fashion, social hierarchies and myth enter the world Persian cartography. With perhaps the largest personal collection of Persian maps Dr Alai has published two immense volumes on the topic both of which have been included in Brills Handbook list for the Middle East.
His talk tonight: “Special Maps of Iran” in London, is free to attend at SOAS, University of London.
At the Omar Khayyam Society’s event A Mystic’s War on Terror, Autumn 2010, we caught up with the main Sufi speaker Ammat Un Nur.
Read her speech from the night on the above link, a speech that contained the quote by Jimi Hendrix who said, “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”.
Her Sufi website.
Here is some of the event write-up:
Ammat un Nur belongs to a lineage named Chishti-Inayati. (We are supposed to know automatically what that lineage is, I guessed it had something to do with renowned Sufi school rather than an individual). She has also been influenced by the Mevlevi tradition originating from Mevlana Rumi (you’re supposed to know that is the same Rumi, the Sufi poet). Her work involves researching, writing on the Inayatian legacy of the Sufi Orders. (I had no idea what that was).
The debate took the form of a panel, mostly of women, who put forward a speech or an intro and then took questions. One aspect of the write-up that really caught my eye was the promise of a look at the neglect of the feminine in Islam. there is a feminist branch or movement in Islam. I wanted to know what a woman’s role was considered to be in Sufism, as in Iran, in the mountains, some all female Sufi orders do exist….
If the title of the podcast has aroused your curiosity and you are interested in this kind of study, here a SOAS course that could be for you.
You will have to pay a lot mind, to study. If you go to stay with Ammat, your studies will be free. There’s food for thought.
This podcast was made for the ResonanceFM series Six Pillars to Persia by Fari Bradley – the show is a weekly look at the Iranian diaspora, the culture of Iran, Persian heritage and related topics.
An interview with Professor Annabelle Sreberny on the launch of the new Centre for Iranian Studies at SOAS (the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London).
Prof. Sreberny discusses the aims, purpose and interests of the new centre and explains how it came into being.
Launch Event 16 October 2010, 10:00 AM-9:30 PM
The Centre for Iranian Studies will showcase the range of academic research and teaching across the disciplines of SOAS, including History, Economics, Politics, Literature, Music, Art and Media Studies. It will organise lectures, seminars and conferences, and to both showcase and foster the best of contemporary Iranian talent through film screenings and events.
Launch Tickets: £15, £10 of £5 conc.
Contact: vp6@soas.ac.uk 020 7898 4490
