Hamas: Origins and Evolution
Speaker: Dr. Maria Tedesco
Maria Tedesco is Associate Teaching Professor of Islam at Seattle University. She holds a BA and an MA in Islamic Studies from the University of Naples “L’Orientale” in Naples, Italy and a Ph.D. in Social and Political Sciences from the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. Her research interests lie at the intersection of Islamic studies, political theology, and political science, with a particular focus on contemporary Islamic political movements in the Middle East and in the US. At Seattle University she teaches courses on religion, such as “Introduction to Islam”, “Gender and Sexuality in Islam”, “Islam and Politics” and “Religion, Conflict and Peace”. Her work has been published in the Journal of Political Theology and in several edited collections.
Description: In this session, Maria Tedesco (Seattle University), a scholar of Islam, will put Hamas into social and political context. She will address topics such as academic definitions of terrorism, the history and evolution of Hamas, its relationship with Israel and the PLO, the continuities and differences between Hamas and other Islamist radical organizations, and the efficacy of using war to respond to Islamic political violence. The session will include time for questions from the audience.
5 Broken Cameras (2011)
This documentary was recommended by a COSI audience member: "Five Broken Cameras is an Oscar nominated and critically-acclaimed documentary film by Emad Burnat. Presented by POV, this powerful work of front-line filmmaking tells a deeply personal first-hand account of life and nonviolent resistance to the actions of the Israeli army in Bil'in, a village in the West Bank. Structured around the violent destruction of each one of Burnat’s cameras, the film follows one family’s evolution over five years of village turmoil. 5 Broken Cameras gives viewers direct insight into life in Palestine under Israeli occupation."
