Awards, Concerts, Convenings, Conferences and Deaths

—Compiled by Nizar Wattad

AWARDS/opportunities

On Jan. 25, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) honored filmmaker Tom Hayes, director of the award-winning documentary “People and the Land,” by establishing an annual award in his name. The ‘Tom Hayes Award for Outstanding Contribution’ will be presented annually to honor an individual whose creative work—in any medium—“expands public understanding of the human issues in the Middle East.”

The PBS-funded “People and the Land” (1997) focuses on the role of U.S. tax dollars in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and was the target of public outcry by American supporters of Israel, whose protests convinced PBS to broadcast the documentary on a scant 7 percent of its stations nationwide. The film is Hayes’ latest foray into the plight of the Palestinians, the first being 1985’s “Native Songs: Palestinians in Exile,” narrated by actor Martin Sheen.

To be considered for a future ‘Tom Hayes’ award, applicants should focus on distribution as a means to disseminate information to the general public. “Perhaps more important than creating a great work is successfully disseminating it to the public,” notes ADC Chairman Dr. Safa Rifka. “ADC challenges artists to fully express their creativity by overcoming obstacles in the process of distributing their work.”

Submissions for next year’s award must be received by May 1, 2003. For more information on eligibility and how to apply, visit <www.adc.org/award>.

CONCERTS

Seeds of Peace, a group committed to helping young future leaders of the Middle East build friendly bridges, will host its annual “Concert for Peace in the Middle East” on Monday, April 28, at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York. The Gala benefit, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m., includes a pre-concert dinner reception and a post-concert dessert party.

Ticket are available for purchase on the Seeds of Peace Web site (<www.seedsofpeace.org>) or by calling (212) 573-8040. For more information, call the above number or e-mail <gala@seedsofpeace.org>.

CONVENINGS

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) at the University of California, Berkeley is hosting a number of spring lectures and conferences. Dates, titles, and speakers are as follows:

INTERDISCIPLINARY LECTURES (all at 5 p.m. in the CMES Sultan room unless noted)

March 13—“Post 9/11: America and the Muslim World,” Prof. John Esposito (5:30 p.m., Wurster Hall Auditorium, Room 112)

April 3—“Tehran and All That,” Dr. Mina Marefat

April 10—“Iran: New Identities of a Republic,” Prof. Bernard Hourcade

April 17—“Egyptian Visual Artists and the Dilemma of Cultural Authenticity,” Dr. Jessica Winegar

ARCE (American Research Center in Egypt) CALIFORNIA LECTURE SERIES (all at 2:30 p.m. in Dwinelle Hall, Room 370)

March 16—“Update on the El Hiba Expedition,” Carol Redmount

April 13—“The Role of the Royal Family in Ancient Egypt,” Aidan Dodson

May 25—“Hetepheres and Old Kingdom Daily Life,” Larry Berman

CONFERENCES: March 14-15—“Religious Pluralism in the 21st Century: Muslim Identities in the Diaspora.” Speakers including Dr. John Esposito will examine the challenges facing minority Islamic communities. For updated information call (510) 845-6232.

May 2-3—“Tri-Cultural Literature in the Medieval Iberian Peninsula. A Conference in Memory of Americo Castro.” International scholars will gather to discuss Hispano-Romanic literature as affected by centuries of interaction with Arabic and Hebrew. For updated information call (510) 642-8208.

As part of its annual Emile Bustani Middle East Seminar, the Center for International Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has invited Dr. Eberhard Kienle of the Université d’Aix-Marseille to deliver a lecture titled “Whither the Democratic End of History: Egypt and the Middle East,” April 8 at 4:30 p.m. For more information contact MIT’s Center for International Studies at <http://web.mit.edu/shass>.

Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition (PRRC), will host its first annual international convention, titled “The Palestine Right to Return Movement: Principles, Strategies and Programs,” June 19-22 in Toronto, Canada. The PRRC (<http://Al-Awda.org>) is the largest network of activists and organizations for Palestinian rights, with chapters and groups in over 40 states and 25 countries. The convention will focus on advancing activism for Palestinian rights with special emphasis on refugees’ Right of Return.

In addition to strategy sessions and workshops aimed at empowering activists, the convention will feature keynote Palestinian speakers from Palestine and international speakers from the spectrum of the Palestine Solidarity Movement, in addition to various movie screenings and cultural events.

To volunteer to help:

• With media work: contact <mazin@al-awda.org>

• With outreach work: contact <zahi@al-awda.org> or <Jess@al-awda.org>.

• With the literature committee: contact <givara72@yahoo.com> or <ibnhazm65@hotmail.com>

• With the logistics committee: contact <PRRC_Canada@yahoo.ca>

• With other functions, contact <info@al-awda.org>

Tax-deductible donations (checks made out to PRRC with subject line “convention”) can be sent to: Palestine Right of Return Coalition, P.O. Box 1172, Orange, CT 06477-7276

DEATHS

Alaa Wally Eldeen, 40, beloved Egyptian comedian and actor, died Feb. 11 in Cairo after entering a diabetic coma, according to Egypt’s Middle East News Agency. Eldeen played comic roles in numerous films and was best known for his range of trademark funny faces. His first starring role was in 1999’s “Aboud on the Borders,” which earned $2.5 million, making it the highest grossing Egyptian release that year. The role featured Eldeen as an Egyptian who, despite attempts at dodging the draft, ends up on a border patrol and eventually foils a gang of Israeli drug smugglers attempting to infiltrate Egypt. Eldeen, whose late father Sameer Wally Eldeen was also an actor, is survived by his mother and two brothers.

Annemarie Schimmel, 80, renowned German expert on Islam and the history of the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent, died Jan. 26 in Bonn, Germany of unreported causes. Dr. Schimmel first became interested in the art and literature of the Middle East—especially poetry—as a young girl.

She earned her doctorate in Arabic and Islamic Studies from the University of Berlin in 1941, and spent World War II working as a translator for the German Foreign Office. She then earned her second doctorate, in the History of Religion, from the University of Marburg, where she taught until 1954. Following teaching appointments at the University of Ankara, Turkey and the University of Bonn, she joined the Harvard University faculty in 1967 as professor emerita of Indo-Muslim culture in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. She remained at Harvard until her retirement in 1992.

Dr. Schimmel once told the BBC that her life’s goal was “to awake understanding for Islam,” which she called “among the most misunderstood religions.” She took significant steps toward that goal, authoring over 50 books and numerous technical papers on topics ranging from calligraphy to Islamic art, literature, and mysticism. Her passion for Middle Eastern languages and cultures resulted in fluency in Turkish, Farsi, Urdu, Dari, Punjabi, and Sindhi. She also spoke fluent English, German, Latin and ancient Greek.