The Arab Spring: One Year On Public Forum, organised by the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland in association with the Islamic Foundation of Ireland and the Irish Anti-War Movement. When Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in Tunisia on 17 December 2010 he launched a movement which changed his country, the region and the world. On 14 January 2011 the Tunisian dictator, Zinedine Ben Ali fled and on the 25 January the Egyptian Revolution began. Since then we have seen the fall of Mubarak and of Gaddafi and revolts in Bahrain, Syria and Yemen which continue to this day.
At the same time the Arab Spring and Tahrir Square has been an inspiration and reference point for events as wide ranging as the Indignados Movement in Spain, the resistance against austerity in Greece and the Occupy Movement in the US and many other places.
The forum, timed to mark the first anniversary of the 25 January, will reflect on the meaning of these momentous events for the peoples of the Middle East and for us all. It will be addressed by a distinguished panel of speakers
Speakers:
Anas Al-Tikriti, Founder and CEO of The Cordoba Foundation in London. He is former President of the Muslim Association of Britain who successfully negotiated the release of Western hostages in Iraq in 2005. He is a TV presenter, media commentator and journalist, and a vice-president of the Stop the War Coalition who helped organise the two million strong march against the Iraq War in London in 2003.
Dr Faheem Bukhatwa, BSc, MSc, PhD, a Libyan living in Dublin. He is a lecturer in Computer Science at Griffith College with specialist knowledge in computer communications and networks, and security. His nephew was killed in the early days of the uprising against Gaddafi and he played an active role in mobilising solidarity amongst the Libyan Community.
Philip Marfleet, Professor of Migration and Refugee Studies at the University of East London. A long standing expert on Middle Eastern politics, he has lived and worked in Egypt and is the author of many books and articles including, Intifada: Zionism Imperialism and the Palestinian Resistance, Refugees in a Global Era and Egypt: the Moment of Change(with Rebab al-Mahdi). He has visited Egypt several times in the past year.
Judith Orr , member of Stop the War Coalition Steering Committee, writer and journalist. Judith is editor of Socialist Worker (UK) and reported on the Egyptian Revolution from Cairo as it was happening. She is also author of Sexism and the System. Judith is returning to Cairo and Tahrir Square for the first anniversary of the 25 January Revolution and will be flying directly from there to Dublin for this forum.
Richard Boyd Barrett, TD for Dun Laoghaire and Chair of the Irish Anti-War Movement will chair the forum.
4pm -6pm Saturday 28 January Liberty Hall Dublin
For more information contact John Molyneux Irish Anti-War Movement: 0857356424.
"" "
