Public lectures and events
Saturday Forum | Egypt at a Turning Point
The 2011 revolution in Egypt has intensified the struggle of competing groups and belief systems to define the country's national character. While many citizens are proud of the achievements of Pharaonic civilization, some reject the pagan, polytheistic society that preceded Islamization. A few want prohibitions on alcohol and restrictions on female dress—restrictions that would impact the tourist industry. Excavation and preservation work by Egyptian and foreign expeditions continues, but has been hampered by instability. Tourism—a major sector of the national economy—desperately needs security to recover from its deep slump.
Lecturer
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Donald Reid, who holds an MA and a PhD from Princeton University, is a professor emeritus of Middle Eastern history at Georgia State University. He resides in Seattle, where he is faculty affiliate with the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization at the University of Washington.
His books include Whose Pharaohs? Archaeology, Museums, and Egyptian National Identity from Napoleon to World War I; Cairo University and the Making of Modern Egypt; and Lawyers and Politics in the Arab World, 1880–1960. His current research is on archaeology and Egyptian identity from the First World War to Nasser.
Sponsors
The Free Saturday Forums are sponsored by SFU Seniors Lifelong Learners Society.
Questions?
Email: csreg@sfu.ca
Phone: 778-782-8000