Upheaval in the Middle East: An Insiderâ??s Perspective (Part 1)

In recent weeks we have witnessed dramatic and sometime violent social unrest in many Middle East countries. While these protests have led to democratic reform in Egypt and Tunisia, civil war has been the result in Libya. Populations in several other countries have gained some concessions, but are nevertheless still demonstrating against the ruling class. Nervous Arab leaders in these countries are scrambling to stay in power. The speaker will explore the unique culture and demography of this region. He will examine who is an Arab, and what is Islam. He will inquire into the impact of Facebook and other social media. He will probe the tensions of Arab and western worlds and where the future is heading. Speaker: Thabit Alomari Thabit Alomari is a mature graduate Anthropology student at the University of Lethbridge. He is researching the phenomenon of "religious tourism". He holds an MA in tourism from Yarmouk University in Jordan as well as a B.A. in Islamic studies from Medina University in Saudi Arabia. Prior to his graduate work at the University of Lethbridge, Thabit was in a management positions at a major company in Dubai. He brings to his knowledge of the anthropological and political landscape of the Middle East, a lifetime of intimate experience with the region.