While waiting to view the award-winning foreign film “Paradise Now,” students and faculty in Nunemaker Hall started a flow of conversation about how to take action on the awareness of peace in the Middle East – starting at Loyola.
The Middle East/Peace Studies program was the main point of discussion. Behrooz Moazami, assistant history professor, wants to use Loyola’s mission statement to promote peace and social justice in the Middle East. The program, which still needs approval from a curriculum committee, is still in its planning stages.
There are four main topics the program would like to focus on: the Palestine and Israel conflict; a better understanding of Jerusalem; languages such as Persian, Arabic, Turkish and Hebrew; and Middle Eastern religion and literature. Based on the success of the event, Moazami is positive about the program.
“Any doubt that I had about the program being a possibility was gone after seeing the level of discussion and questions from everyone at the event,” he said.
History instructor Lori Ranner and Moazami will be teaching a course called The History of the City of Jerusalem: Prehistoric to the Present. Ranner will be teaching the first part of the course, which will cover the time period up to the 18th century. Moazami will teach the second part of the course, which picks up where Ranner’s course stops and continues into the present. Ranner describes the course as a “history survey of the city’s wealth, historical, cultural and spiritual significance.” She continued to say that she hopes students will have a “wider perspective of the Middle East than just present day.”
The Rev. Leo Nicoll, S.J., made opening remarks about his hopes for the film and the Middle East/Peace Studies program.
“The task of this generation and (Moazami’s) hope for the future is to learn history and correct it,” he said. His closing remarks ended with a prayer for peace in the Middle East and around the world.
“Paradise Now” documents 48 hours in the lives of two Palestinian men on a suicide mission who are having second thoughts about their decisions.
The film sparked many student conversations about peace issues in the Middle East during the five-minute intermission before the faculty discussion panel.
“This is an important issue for today’s world,” international business freshman Robert Schuldt said. “The film was very good from a Palestinian viewpoint.”
After the intermission, Moazami presented a panel discussion on the film. The panel consisted of Moazami; department of theater and dance assistant professor Laura Hope, who commented of the artistic viewpoint of the film; political science associate professor Roger White, who explained the global process of the film; and Adeline Masquelier, Tulane University anthropology professor, who discussed Islamic youth in the film.
Hope discussed how performance can be dangerous. She pointed out several examples of the cast and crew’s fear of filming in the Middle East. Many of the local villagers thought the actors were real suicide bombers and cheered. One actor and six staff members left the filming in fear for their lives after they received threats. Hope said the film is a “catalyst for a positive change and open issues,” and that it “points out the power of performance.”
White explained the tactics of suicide bombers. “It is a tactic not tied to culture and religion,” he said. He continued to describe the conflicts between modernization and traditional culture of the Middle East.
Masquelier thought the film shows a broad range of issues – including heroics in Palestine history and youth. She spoke in detail about why young men become suicide bombers.
“(Suicide bombing) is dying in such a way you become immortal,” she said. “Everyone will know about you. Your family will be protected, something you couldn’t do in life.”
Jess Burrola can be reached at [email protected].
