1. Conferences and debates

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AAU 4.1 Iraq nearly twenty years after its “liberation” Play

AAU 4.1 Iraq nearly twenty years after its “liberation”

Published at 10 20,,, 22 2022
On September 26, our program Aula Árabe Universitaria will be back with this conference, at which Iraqi activist Haifa Zangana will explain the current situation in the country. We are just a few months away from the twentieth anniversary of the war in Iraq, launched by the US in March 2003, when it sent 160,000 soldiers with the support of the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland. According to the former president of the United States, George W. Bush, that invasion would lead to the “liberation of Iraq.” Two years later, during his speech at the Fort Bragg military base (you can watch the full speech in English by following this link), Bush argued that, as a pillar of his “war on terror,” eliminating terrorists who “know that as freedom takes root in Iraq, it will inspire millions throughout the Middle East to demand their freedom as well.” However, the reality in Iraq today is radically different, and the region, whose popular demands of 2011 have been silenced, is no better off politically, economically or socially. At this opening conference in the new Aula Árabe Universitaria 4 event series organized by Casa Árabe and held with the cooperation of the Master’s degree in Contemporary Arab and Islamic Studies (MEAIC) at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, analyst Hayder al-Khoei will be examining current event in this key country in the stability of the Middle East, in terms of the American concept of democracy, in a nation mired in internal struggles, fighting between armed militias, with a failed government plagued by corruption, and the state’s sovereignty violated on a daily basis. The author will be accompanied by Nieves Paradela, tenured lecturer in the Department of Arab and Islamic Studies at the Autonomous University of Madrid, and Karim Hauser, Casa Árabe's International Relations Coordinator. Presented by Cristina Juarranz, Programming Coordinator and Assistant Director of Casa Árabe. Hayder al-Khoei is the head of external relations at the Al-Khoei Institute in Iraq, where his work focuses on intra- and inter-religious dialogue in the Middle East region. Prior to this, he was a member of the Middle East and North Africa programs at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) and the European Council on Foreign Relations, where his research focused on political and security-related developments in Iraq and Syria. He earned a Master’s degree in International Studies and Diplomacy from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and another Master’s degree in Islamic Studies from the Islamic College of London. Further information: https://en.casaarabe.es/event/iraq-nearly-twenty-years-after-its-“liberation” Foto: Iraq (@USArmy en Flickr)

ALL VIDEOS IN THIS CATEGORY

  • Policies and Strategies for Tourism Development in the MENA Region (OS)Show video

    Policies and Strategies for Tourism Development in the MENA Region (OS)

    Casa Árabe and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) have organized this fourth edition of a ministerial round table discussion on “Tourism Development Policies and Strategies in the MENA Region: Sustaining Growth through Shocks,” with the support of IFEMA and Fitur 2016, as part of the Fitur International Tourism Trade Fair of 2016. The debate taking place analyzed current trends and short-terms prospects for tourism in the region -within the context of a regional state of turmoil and the persistent uncertainty about world economic prospects-, as well as the strategies and measures to be implemented in order to improve security in the tourism industry, to accelerate and strengthen the sector’s recovery and sustained growth, to promote the competitiveness of tourist destinations and to promote investments. This year, participating in the debate for the first time were the Ministers of Tourism of Algeria, Jordan and Sudan, in addition to the Tourism Ministers of Morocco, Lebanon and Palestine. The event was officially opened by the Secretary General of the UNWTO, Taleb Rifai, the State Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Ignacio Ybáñez Rubio, the Director General of Turespaña, Marta Blanco Quesada, and Pedro Villena, the General Director of Casa Árabe. More info: http://en.casaarabe.es/event/policies-and-strategies-for-tourism-development-in-the-mena-region
    Published at 20 27,,, 16 2016
  • The Stars of Sidi Moumen (FRENCH)Show video

    The Stars of Sidi Moumen (FRENCH)

    Visual artist and writer Mahi Binebine presented this cultural project to fight against radicalization in Morocco. Sidi Moumen, on the periphery of Casablanca, is sadly known as the neighborhood where the young kamikazes who carried out the terrorist attacks in that city on May 16, 2003 grew up. However, ten years later, it is also in this neighborhood that families of the terrorists’ victims, as well as the families of the kamikazes themselves, were able to meet for the first time, at the initiative of the Ali Zaoua Foundation, during a debate over the fight against radicalization and the paths towards forgiveness. Those responsible for this unusual event were the filmmaker Nabil Ayouch and the writer and visual artist Mahi Binebine. Moved by the need to fight against radicalization and build bridges between the inhabitants of disadvantaged neighborhoods in Moroccan cities and the rest of the people, these two intellectuals created the Ali Zaoua Foundation in 2009. Convinced that this connection can be built through the arts and culture, the foundation has started up several initiatives to allow youths who are socially excluded to express themselves through channels other than violence and to discover spaces for dialogue. The Stars of Sidi Moumen is precisely one of these initiatives. It is a cultural center set up in the neighborhood, where youth training is provided in the fields of art, dance, theater, etc. It is also a meeting point with the rest of the people in the city of Casablanca, because it regularly hosts shows and activities put on with the cooperation of Moroccan and international performers and artists. More info: http://en.casaarabe.es/event/the-stars-of-sidi-moumen
    Published at 01 27,,, 16 2016
  • Today’s Arab comics as seen by their authorsShow video

    Today’s Arab comics as seen by their authors

    As a complement to the exhibition “Pens and Cartoons: Arab comics in motion,” two representatives of the vibrant, cutting-edge scene of comics and graphic novels in the Arab world give this talk: Lina Ghaibeh, an illustrator and professor at the American University of Beirut, and Issam Smiri, a graphic designer, illustrator and author of comics. Through a dialogue guided by the exhibition’s curator, Pedro Rojo, we get a first-hand account about the details in the creative process which these artists follow, the environment in which these works are produced and circulate within and around Arab countries, and the local audiences’ viewpoints and opinions on these stories. More info: http://en.casaarabe.es/event/today’s-arab-comics-as-seen-by-their-authors
    Published at 45 27,,, 16 2016
  • The Resolution on the Partition of Palestine and Its Consequences: from 1947 to the present (ARABIC)Show video

    The Resolution on the Partition of Palestine and Its Consequences: from 1947 to the present (ARABIC)

    On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, this conference was given by Mustafa Kabha. In his presentation, Kabha, a history professor at the Open University of Israel, was accompanied by Mussa Amer Odeh, head of the Diplomatic Mission of Palestine in Spain, and Pedro Villena, the General Director of Casa Árabe. The conference dealed with United Nations Resolution 181, adopted on November 29, 1947, in which the partition of Palestine into two states was decided, on the basis of recommendations made by the Special Palestine Commission. Through a historical focus, the consequences of that decision will be examined throughout the course of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from 1947 to date, as well as analyzing its in becoming part of the foundation for a future resolution of the conflict. The event will be held within the framework of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. More info: http://en.casaarabe.es/event/international-day-of-solidarity-with-the-palestinian-people#13566
    Published at 42 03,,, 15 2015
  • The Syrian refugee crisis: response and management by neighboring countriesShow video

    The Syrian refugee crisis: response and management by neighboring countries

    This round table discussion, titled “The Regional Dimension of the Refugee Crisis in Syria (II): Response and management by neighboring countries,” is the second in a series of two encounters organized by Casa Árabe to discuss this matter. At the first, which took place on November 3, the refugee crisis was analyzed from a regional perspective, while also examining the socio-economic impact of the crisis and humanitarian aid. The goal of this new gathering is to analyze the way in which neighboring countries are dealing with this situation and the measures which they are implementing to find a solution. Participating in the event will be Omer Onhon, the Ambassador of Turkey in Spain; Hala Helou, an advisor to the Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs on humanitarian topics and international relations; Nayef Faraj, an advisor to the Embassy of Jordan in Spain, and Rafael de Prado, head of the Office of Humanitarian Action, attending as a substitute for the AECID. The event will be moderated by Miguel Ángel de Frutos, an ambassador and international advisor for Casa Árabe. At the beginning of the round table discussion, an excerpt of the film “Hany’s Story” will be shown. It was produced and directed by Zahra Mackaoui, in a co-production between the UNHCR and Channel 4 (plot summary below). More info: http://en.casaarabe.es/event/the-syrian-refugee-crisis-response-and-management-by-neighboring-countries
    Published at 07 03,,, 15 2015