Monday, October 26, 2009
6 pm Reception, 7 pm Presentation
Omni Hotel, Four Riverway, Houston 77056
in the Galleria area. Free parking.
Our Presentation by Prof. Peter Awn,
Dean of the School of General Studies
at Columbia University:
Obama’s Middle East: Policies and Potential Outcomes
President Obama has made the Middle East one of his top priorities. His initial overtures make clear that it is no longer business as usual. The Cairo speech, a strong stand on the illegality of Israeli settlements and a vocal commitment to the two state solution, troop withdrawals from Iraq, increased men and money for the war in Afghanistan, willingness to meet face to face with Iran—all indicate a new, aggressive and multi-faceted approach to the challenges the region presents. But each aspect of his Middle East program has major risks: which if any of these new policies might succeed? What will be the consequences of failure?
About Professor Awn
Peter J. Awn is Professor of Islamic Religion and Comparative Religion in the Department of Religion. He received his Ph.D. in Islamic Religion and Comparative Religion from Harvard University in 1978, at which point he joined the Columbia faculty. Previously he earned degrees in Philosophy, Classical Languages, and Christian Theology. Professor Awn’s book, Satan’s Tragedy and Redemption: Iblîs in Sufi Psychology, received a book award from the American Council of Learned Societies.
Read an excellent
article about Awn's interests and strengths.
In 1984 he was the first recipient of the Phillip and Ruth Hettleman Award for distinguished teaching and research. In 1995 Professor Awn was awarded the Great Teacher Award from the Society of Columbia Graduates. Professor Awn has received numerous grants including a Fulbright and several grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities. He was also a Principal Investigator on the Muslim Communities in New York City research project, sponsored by the Ford Foundation. In addition to his work at Columbia, Professor Awn has been Visiting Professor of Religion at Princeton University. Professor Awn has traveled widely in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Iran, and South Asia.