Conference Program
Second International Conference on Palestine
Challenging Apartheid in Palestine: Reclaiming the Narrative, Formulating A Vision
Day 1 – Friday – June 18, 2021
Opening Session: 18:30-19:45
Session Chair: Prof. Sami Al-Arian, CIGA, IZU, Turkey
Prof. Mehmet Bulut, Rector, Istanbul Zaim University, Turkey
Mr. Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees (Mutawalli) İlim Yayma Foundation, Parent Foundation of Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University
Fr. Manuel Musallam, Former Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Palestine
Sh. Ekrima Sabri, Imam, Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islamic Supreme Committee, Jerusalem, Palestine
Ms. Belkıs İbrahimhakkıoğlu, İrfandan Medeniyete Derneği, Association for Wisdom and Civilization, Küdüs Platformu, Istanbul, Turkey
Dr. Muhammad Akram Adlouni, Executive Director, Global Coalition for Quds and Palestine, Beirut, Lebanon
Prof. Ilan Pappé, Director, European Center for Palestine Studies (ECPS), University of Exeter, UK
Prof. Nader Hashemi, Director, Center for Middle East Studies (CMES), University of Denver, USA
Mr. Na’eem Jeenah, Afro-Middle East Center (AMEC), South Africa
Program: Prof. Sami Al-Arian, Director, Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA), Turkey
Session I: 20:00-22:15 The Palestinian Struggle and the Case Against Apartheid Israel
Session Chair: Prof. Sami Al-Arian, CIGA, IZU, Turkey
The Palestinian Nakba: Decolonizing History, Reclaiming Memory
Dr. Salman Abu Sitta Palestine Land Society, UK
Israel and the Question of Apartheid
Prof. Richard Falk, Princeton University (Emeritus), USA, Queen Mary University, London, UK
Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution: What does the HRW Report Reveal?
Mr. Omar Shakir, Human Rights Watch, USA
Day 2 – Saturday – June 19, 2021
Session II: 17:30-19:45 The Reality of Occupation and Meaning of Resistance
Session Chair: Prof. Abdalrahman Migdad, CIGA, IZU, Turkey
The '48 Palestinians and the Palestinian National Project: Examining their Role and future Prospects
Prof. As’ad Ghanem, University of Haifa
The Gaza Story: An Account of Determination and Resistance
Ms. Laila El-Haddad, Author, USA
Palestinian Women in Grassroots Mobilization
Prof. Maha Nassar, University of Arizona, USA
Political Prisoners: Recounting the Human Toll
Dr. Ramzy Baroud, Palestine Chronicle, USA, CIGA, Turkey
The Forgotten Prisoners: Targeting Palestinian Activism in the US
Mr. Amith Gupta, Coalition for Civil Freedoms, USA
Session III: 20:00-22:15 The Dialectics between Zionist Settler-Colonialism, Racism, and Palestinian Decolonization
Session Chair: Mr. Uveys Han, CIGA, IZU, Turkey
Zionism, Anti-Semitism, Colonization
Prof. Joseph Massad, Columbia University, USA
Palestine, Islamophobia, and Global Decolonization
Prof. Salman Sayyid, University of Leeds, UK
A Century of Colonization and Resistance: What Does it tell us about the Future?
Prof. Ilan Pappé , University of Exeter, UK
The Youth Movement in the Palestinian Struggle
Prof. Loubna Qutami, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
Day 3 – Sunday – June 20, 2021
Session IV: 17:30-19:45 Recounting The Palestinian Story
Session Chair: Ms. Lamis Jamal Alayan, Al-Awda Coalition, USA
Decolonizing Knowledge on Palestine
Prof. Ahlam Muhtaseb, California State University, San Bernardino, USA
The Search for Truth: Examining The Zionist Narrative
Mr. Josh Ruebner, Author and Political Analyst, USA
The Struggle for Freedom and Human Rights
Mr. Sha’wan Jabarin, Al-Haq, Palestine
The Inviolability of Jerusalem
Prof. Abdallah Marouf Omar, Istanbul 29 Mayis University, Turkey
Session V: 20:00-22:00 Exploring A Framework for Dismantling Israeli Apartheid
Session Chair: Mr. Na’eem Jeenah, Afro-Middle East Center, South Africa
Dismantling Apartheid: Learning from the South African Struggle
Mr. Ebrahim Rasool, World for All, former Diplomat, South Africa
Confronting Israel's Settler Colonialism and Apartheid System: An Equal Rights Approach
Dr. Ghada Karmi, Former Research Fellow, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter, UK
Challenging Apartheid in Palestine: Examining Israeli Imperatives and Structural Factors
Prof. Sami Al-Arian, CIGA, Istanbul Zaim University, Turkey
Session VI: 22:00-22:45 A Conversation on Palestine after the recent Gaza War/HRW Report
Guest: Prof. Norman Finkelstein, Academic and Author, USA
Moderator: Prof. Nader Hashemi, Center for Middle East Studies, University of Denver, USA
Day 4 – Monday - June 21, 2021
Session VII: 17:30-19:45 Examining How the Apartheid Industry Functions
Session Chair: Mr. Ubeyd Ruff, CIGA, IZU, Turkey
In Academia and Education
Prof. Rabab Abdelhadi, San Francisco State University, USA
In the Law
Ms. Huwaida Arraf, National Lawyers Guild, USA
In the Media
Mr. Rami Khouri, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
In Culture
Ms. Rawan Damen, Media Consultant and Filmmaker, Jordan
Session VIII: 20:00-22:15 Israel, the US, and the Apartheid Industry
Session Chair: Ms. Laila Al-Arian, Al Jazeera English, Washington DC, USA
US Foreign Policy and its Impact on Palestine and Palestinian Rights
Dr. Phyllis Bennis, Institute of Policy Studies, USA
Understanding the Struggle Against White Supremacy and Zionism
Mr. Vincent Warren, Center for Constitutional Rights, New York, USA
Unholy Alliance: Exposing US Right Wing Movements in Supporting Israeli Apartheid
Ms. Estee Chandler, Jewish Voice for Peace, USA
Policing and the Security State: Unmasking Israel’s Role
Mr. Eran Efrati, Researching the American-Israeli Alliance, New York, USA
Day 5 – Tuesday - June 22, 2021
Session IX: 17:30-19:45 Reversing Apartheid: The Role of the Law, Politics, Economics, and Popular Mobilization
Session Chair: Ms. Nora Barrows-Friedman, Electronic Intifada, USA
The Law and the Struggle Against Apartheid
Prof. John Quigley, Ohio State University, USA
The Politics of Apartheid and its Resistance
Dr. Osama Abuirshaid, American Muslims for Palestine, USA
The Role of Economics in the struggle against Occupation and Apartheid
Prof. Taher Labadi, University of Aix-Marseille, France
Narrative Unravelings: A Tripartite Personal Assessment of the Nonprofit, Academic and Grassroots Role in Challenging Israeli Apartheid Propaganda
Dr. Omar Zahzah, Palestine Youth Movement, USA
Session X: 20:00-22:15 The Future of the Palestinian Struggle: Analysis and Prospects
Session Chair: Mr. Fadi Zatari, CIGA, IZU, Turkey
Examining the Realities on the Ground: A Hard Look at the Facts
Prof. Helga Baumgarten, Birzeit University, West Bank, Palestine
The Future of the Palestinian National Project: Exploring the Palestinian Options
Mr. Moin Al-Taher, Arab Center for Studies, Jordan
The US Administration and the Question of Palestine
Mr. Mouin Rabbani, Co-Editor, Jadaliyya, The Hague, The Netherlands
Arab Normalization with Israel and its impact on Palestine and the Region
Dr. Mohammad Makram Balawi, Union of Palestinian Academics, Istanbul, Turkey
Day 6 – Wednesday - June 23, 2021
Session XI: 17:30-19:45 Dismantling Apartheid: Requirements and Criteria
Session Chair: Ms. Zeenat Adam, Afro-Middle East Center, South Africa
The Role of the Youth and University Campuses
Ms. Nerdeen Kiswani, CUNY-SPJ, New York, USA
BDS and Popular Resistance
Mr. Miko Peled, Author and Public Intellectual, USA
Building Political Alliances
Prof. Berdal Aral, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Turkey
On Forming A Global Solidarity Movement
Mr. Na’eem Jeenah, Afro-Middle East Center, South Africa
Session XII: 20:00-22:00 The Role of Film and the Arts in the Palestinian Struggle: A Conversation with Palestinian Artists
Moderators: Mr. Frank Barat, Independent Film Maker, Belgium, and Prof. Abdullah Al-Arian, Georgetown University in Doha, Qatar
Panelists:
Ms. Susan Abulhawa, Novelist, USA
Mr. Saleh Bakri, Actor, Palestine
Ms. Annemarie Jacir, Filmmaker, Palestine
Ms. Farah Nabulsi, Filmmaker & Human Rights Advocate, UK
Session XIII: 22:00-22:45 A Conversation on Dismantling Israeli Apartheid in Palestine and the Way Forward
Guest: Dr. Azmi Bishara, President, Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, Doha, Qatar
Moderator: Prof. Sami A. Al-Arian, CIGA, IZU, Turkey