Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Seminar Series: Bahar Fayeghi and Erin Robbins

Abstracts

Writing as resistance: everyday resistance of Afghan women in Iran

by Bahar Fayeghi

Afghan women in Iran combine many practices to resist material and ideational domination in their homes, in the community, and against governmental constrains. In this research, the works of Afghan female authors are analysed through the lens of everyday resistance.

Writing is an act of resistance by women through which they shed light upon the obstacles they face including policies that deprive them of citizenship, maltreatment by family members and discrimination by the Iranian society. Their writings prove that they recognise and challenge subordinating powers because in each story the characters use small acts of everyday resistance to undermine those powers.  

Religion and Mysticism in the Poetry of Adonis

by Erin Robbins

Despite enjoying near-universal renown in the Arabic-speaking world, the Syrian poet Adonis is much less familiar to English-speaking audiences. Moreover, while highly-esteemed for his contributions to modern Arabic poetry, he is a figure who nevertheless invites controversy, largely due to his views on religion and culture.

This research thus seeks to explore these views through an analysis of his critical and poetic works, emphasising in particular the distinction drawn therein between religion and mysticism, as well as the crucial role of poetry and language in cultural revolution. 

Speaker bios

Bahar Fayeghi is a third-year PhD student of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies at the University of Edinburgh. Her background in politics and international relations of the Middle East, her experience working with the United Nations in Iran, and her interest in gender and refugee studies have led to her current research on the everyday resistance of Afghan women in Iran.

Erin Robbins is a third-year PhD student Islamic and Middle Eastern studies at the University of Edinburgh. Prior to her doctoral studies, she received a BA in International Studies from the University of Chicago (2012), as well as an MSc in Middle Eastern Studies (2019) and an MSc in Advanced Arabic (2020) from the University of Edinburgh.

About the seminar series

Each semester, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies (IMES) welcomes a fantastic range of guest speakers, PhD students and colleagues from across the University to present an evening seminar on their research.

In the spring semester of the 2022 to 2023 academic year, the overall theme is 'Persian Narratives'.  Topics include Persian, Iranian, and Arabic folklore, literature, poetry, traditions, and political structures.

All seminars will be followed by a Q&A and wine reception.

How to join

Events are free and everyone is welcome.

No booking is required for this seminar.

Are you interested in studying with us?

We are the only university in Scotland to offer courses in the Muslim world's three main languages, placing Arabic, Persian and Turkish in the context of history, literature, culture, religion and politics, past and present.

Choose from a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, including PhD programmes.

Find out more about Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at Edinburgh