Wednesday, December 16, 2015
12:00 - 1:30 pm
1050 Connecticut Ave, NW, Ste. 1060
Washington, DC 20036 SPEAKERS
Dr. Hatoon Al-Fassi, Dr. Kristin Smith Diwan, additional speakers TBC
Though women have made small electoral gains, can they have an impact on the overall status of women in their prospective countries? Given the example of the UAE, can state-led feminism be more effective in elevating women politically in the Gulf? Finally, what has been the overall response of women voters to these elections? RSVP
The appalling terrorist attacks in Paris by ISIL that killed at least 120 people have drawn strong condemnation from the international community as a whole, including the Arab Gulf states and their leaders. But it’s unclear as to whether the attacks will prove to be a game changer in the international or regional response to the threat posed by the extremist organization. Read more
The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claims to be waging “jihad.” This is one of the group’s most essential assertions, a sine qua non of everything else the group says or does. Therefore, these claims must be carefully examined. Read more
The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claims to have established a caliphate. But what is the basis for this claim and how widely is it accepted? ISIL’s main attraction for recruits rests on the fact that it controls a sizable territory where it has established what it claims to be an Islamic caliphate under sharia (Islamic law). Read more
1001 Lights illuminated AGSIW on Friday November 20 with Najla AlKhalifa’s latest photography exhibition. AlKhalifa spoke about the importance of the multitude of life stories in the world and the representation of her own story through her photographs. Prince Abdullah bin Faisal bin Turki (pictured right with AGSIW President Marcelle Wahba), the newly appointed ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United States, attended the reception and made some of his first public remarks in Washington, emphasizing the importance of cultural expression and praising AlKhalifa for her work.
From the outset, sceptical voices, especially in the West, rushed to deem the Arab intervention in Yemen – led by Saudi Arabia with support from the UAE – a “quagmire”. While this is indeed a danger, Yemen has proved neither a quagmire nor a lost cause. Read more
In the Media
AGSIW Board Member and CEO of GE Middle East Nabil Habayeb recently received the Takreem Award for Corporate Leadership in honor of his pivotal role in GE's strategy in the Middle East and North Africa. The Takreem Award recognizes Arabs who serve as leaders in the region in the fields of culture, economics, science, education, humanitarianism, and more. Read more
AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Hussein Ibish was quoted in an article discussing the reach of ISIL for NPR and in another piece analyzing Syria's future for Al Arabiya. In both articles, Ibish discussed the increasing number of similarities between ISIL and its forerunner, al-Qaeda. Read more
AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Kristin Smith Diwan was quoted in an article for POLITICO discussing President Obama’s trip to the Philippines and Malaysia after the G-20 Summit in Turkey. Diwan noted that “Arab Gulf allies in particular have taken the administration’s pivot to Asia as an indication of a relative lack of interest in their affairs.” Read more
Outreach
AGSIW will be attending the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) in Denver until November 24. Stop by our booth to learn more about our work and pick up one of our many issue papers. Click here for more information about MESA
AGSIW Board Member and CEO of GE Middle East 
AGSIW will be attending the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) in Denver until November 24. Stop by our booth to learn more about our work and pick up one of our many issue papers.