Latest news with #HistoryDepartment
Al-Ahram Weekly
18-03-2025
- General
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Join a seminar on global gold market by Islam Helmy at El Sawy Culturewheel and an inspiring talk with Menna El-Shiati at AUC - Lectures - Al-Ahram Weekly
American University in Cairo Sun 23, 8 – 9.30pm (Online): "Discover your invaluable self, and understand the essence of self-esteem" workshop, presented by the Psychological Counseling Services and Training Centre, will focus on the different factors that may influence low-self esteem and the different ways to build stronger self-esteem. Zoom meeting ID: 87134884100/ the link is New Cairo Campus History Department Conference Room 2144 Wed 9 April, 1– 2pm: "History Hash Outs: From Studying History to Working at the UN and Beyond" join an inspiring talk with Menna El-Shiati '13. El-Shiati is the Chief Implementation officer at Community Systems Foundation, where she spearheads various projects to enhance data systems and drive evidence-based programming and advocacy for global development partners. With extensive expertise in strategic programme support and technical assistance, she has played a pivotal role in equipping stakeholders with cutting-edge data platforms and analytical tools to inform policy and decision-making. El-Shiati brings a wealth of international and regional experience in the field of gender and the fight against Female Genital Mutilation. As a former Regional Coordinator at UNFPA, she conducted fieldwork across the region, directly supporting national and regional programming under the Global Joint Programme for the Abandonment of FGM. Based in Cairo, Egypt, she continues to champion impactful, data-driven solutions to address pressing global development challenges. El Sawy Culturewheel End of 26th of July St, underneath the 15th of May Bridge, Zamalek, Tel 2736 8881/6178/2737 4448 Word Hall Sun 23, 9.30pm: "Gold Bulletin" seminar will discuss global and local gold prices, especially before Eid Al-Adha. The seminar features Gold mining expert and global gold market analyst Islam Helmy. He has over 15 years of experience in the gold industry, including gold mining, gold refining, and raw gold trading in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. He has participated in establishing and operating two of the largest gold projects in Africa over the past 25 years, and has numerous local and international television interviews and articles on the gold industry. Tahrir Cultural Centre (TCC) AUC's Tahrir Campus, Al-Sheikh Rihan St, off Tahrir Square, Tel 02 2615 2694/01280009077 Oriental Hall Fri 11 and Sat 12 April, 9am – 5pm: "Entertainment in Middle East History: The Serious Business of Leisure and Fun" is the annual history seminar, hosted by the Sheikh Hassan Abbass Sharbatly Department of Arab and Islamic Civilizations. This year's theme explores the vibrant role of entertainment in Middle Eastern culture. * A version of this article appears in print in the 20 March, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
04-03-2025
- General
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Don't miss Concordia University History Professor Wilson Jacob's lecture at AUC
American University in Cairo New Cairo Campus History Department Conference Room, 2144 Wed 12, 9.45am – 10.55am: "History Hash Outs — The Gender of Al-Riyada: Secular and Religious Bodies in Egypt and Beyond, 1820-1936" join this lecture with Wilson Chacko Jacob, Professor of History at Concordia University, as he explores how gender, leadership and bodily discipline shaped secular and religious spheres in Egypt from 1820 to 1936, offering insights into power and identity that resonate beyond this era. Wed 19, 9.45am – 10.55am: "History Hash Outs—Reclaiming Voices, Reimagining Futures: A Personal Journey Through Gender, History and Public Policy" join Reham Elmorally (HIST '16), Assistant Professor of Public Policy at AUC, for an inspiring talk on her journey—what led her to her work, how her experiences shaped her views, and why she wrote Recovering Women's Voices: Islam, Citizenship, and Patriarchy. She'll also share insights from her role as Head of Public Policy and Research at Entlaq Holding, an Egyptian think tank supporting entrepreneurs, and why empowering change makers is more important than ever. El Sawy Culturewheel End of 26th of July St, underneath the 15th of May Bridge, Zamalek, Tel 2736 8881/6178/2737 4448 Word Hall Fri 7, 9.30: " So That You Do Not Miss Ramadan" a meeting with His Eminence Sheikh Ali Mustafa, First Preacher in the Cairo Preaching District and His Eminence Sheikh Ahmed Abbadi in the Cairo Preaching District. The meeting will discuss several topics such as preparing yourself for worshiping in Ramadan, organizing your time well and give everyone their due and getting rid of restrictions that impede you from fasting properly in the holy month of Ramadan. * A version of this article appears in print in the 6 March, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Express Tribune
28-02-2025
- Express Tribune
Remembering Allah Daad Wahid
Another young life stolen, another future erased—Allah Daad Wahid's memory haunts Karachi University's silent halls. The University of Karachi is a world in itself. Walking through the shade of trees and exploring the long roads across multiple seasons, you meet a lot of people you wouldn't otherwise encounter. Sometimes, you don't even meet them—you just keep hearing about them. And sometimes, you don't hear about them at all until they become a story themselves. Allah Daad Wahid is one such story, with no conclusion. A life fulfilled, yet half-lived—cut short and taken away brutally, leaving everyone who knew him devastated. Daad was gunned down by unknown assailants on February 6, 2025. The police confirmed the murder, stating that he was shot dead after evening prayers at Ghamshad Hotel while having tea with a friend. Condemning the murder, his friends and families gathered at Kitab Ghar to pay their tributes to this young person with dreams in his eyes, and a smile on his face. However, this is not the first murder of a young member of an underrepresented community, and it will certainly not be the last. A young death breaks you like nothing else, especially when you have known the person on such a deep level that it feels like your back is breaking under the weight of their absence. Someone like Daad—who stayed away from politics, away from the chaos that heavy terms like socialism and activism bring, and worked solely for the betterment of his region through education. Moiz, with a smile on his face and pain in his eyes, remembers the good times: "Daad and I were classmates, and whenever we had a break of one or two hours after a lecture, he'd drag me to the library. I would ask him to hang out at the canteens with others, but he'd always reply, 'It's the same conversation. You should focus on learning.' And just like that, I, someone who was never very keen on studying, was dragged into the library,." Daad graduated from the History Department at the University of Karachi in 2019. He later enrolled in an MPhil program in anthropology at Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, expanding his academic horizons. Soon after, he moved back to his birthplace, Balochistan, driven by a strong desire to use his education to improve the lives of children who lacked access to the resources he had. He was very keen on publishing books, especially on the causes he was passionate about. Since in Pakistan, the nation is not very big on regional literature, that too in our regional languages, he wanted to expand more on Balochi literature. Waqas Aalam Angaria, a friend, fondly recalled: 'Honestly, whoever you meet at the university who knew him would tell you that he was solely interested in gaining knowledge. He wasn't someone who flaunted his intelligence; rather, he was always eager to learn more and invest it where needed.' He continued with a profound smile, though a hint of sadness lingering in his eyes. 'He would often tease me for being so vocal, mocking my activism by saying, 'Marxism, communism, and all these heavy terms you throw around might just be words for you, but for us, it's a matter of life and death.'' Daad was not an activist; he was a man who believed in educating himself through any knowledge he could absorb. From the stories I heard about him from his friends, he seemed to be doing far more for his community and the world than it appeared. He was part of a community working to educate Baloch children in Faqeer Colony, one of the areas in Karachi with the lowest literacy rates. Akhtar, a close friend, remembered how Daad had been trying to learn how to ride a bike. "Even two days before he died, he was asking me to teach him. We used to go to university together, and he'd always say, 'I should learn this, too.' It feels unreal that he never got the chance." Saad, another friend, recalled their bond with quiet sorrow. "We were inseparable. Our humor matched in a way that few people understood. It was like an unspoken language. Now, there's just silence." Silence has long hung over Balochistan, a place where voices are stifled before they can be heard, where young men vanish before they can fully live. Daad was one of them—he was killed outright. But in the end, what is the difference? A young life stolen, a future erased. A story half-lived. Balochistan province, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, has seen a rise in violence over the past year, marked by deadly terror attacks and suicide bombings targeting Pakistani security forces, civilians and foreign nationals alike. This uptick in violence coincides with escalating tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban rulers of Afghanistan, with a noticeable increase in attacks across the country. In Balochistan, terrorism is driven by both ethnic and religious factors. Analysts believe the Taliban's takeover has empowered regional armed groups, including Baloch terror groups, who have acquired US military equipment left behind after the 2021 withdrawal. This influx of weapons has greatly enhanced the capabilities of these groups. The tragedy of Balochistan is not just in the numbers. It is in the absence—the absence of laughter that once filled university corridors, the absence of footsteps retracing old paths, the absence of those who should have been here but are now just memories. As Baloch poet Atta Shad wrote: "The flowers have withered in my land, But the fragrance still lingers in the wind. Even if my voice is silenced, The mountains will echo my song." These lines resonate deeply, reflecting the enduring spirit of those who continue to fight for their rights, ensuring that even in silence, their presence is felt. This is just one story—one that I have grasped. But there are so many more stories that deserved to be told, that deserved to live. Yet, not only were their lives cut short, but their deaths did not seem to matter as much as others. As Saad, Daad's friend, said: "Whoever killed him, killed themselves, making him live forever." The more lives they take, the stronger the resistance grows. The journey is painful, but it is worthwhile.
