1 week Ago By Qatar Tribune
Qatar tribune Tribune News Network Doha In light of the intense public debate surrounding the war in Gaza, the Arabic Book Club at Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) departed from its usual single-book discussion format to explore publications on Israel and Palestine from the past year. Panellists at the Arabic-language event included Dr Khaled Al-Hroub, professor in residence at Northwestern Qatar; Dr Ayat Hamdan; and Dr Hani Awad, both researchers at the Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies, Doha Institute. “It’s important to look at what narratives are being produced from a scholarly lens,” said event moderator Dr Yehia Mohamed, GU-Q associate professor of Arabic and club founder.
He noted an increase in Palestinian think tank publications over the previous year, and the response of publishing houses which have focused on reprinting old volumes with updates in light of developments in the region, rather than putting out new literature. The panellists talked about the differences between scholarly material, which tended to be more descriptive of events, and commercial publications which aim to capitalise on the polemic on both sides in order to sell more books. “The battles in the field have moved to publishing houses,” said Dr Al-Hroub, adding: “You find the same trends that exist politically, extending to the academic and research fields.
” Several Arabic literature trends over the previous year were discussed, including, as Dr Hamadan pointed out, influential texts like Azmi Bishara’s book The Flood, which gave voice to concerns that Israel and its supporters have crafted a narrative about the events of October 7 which has enabled them to pursue their agenda more aggressively. Dr Awad compared Arab and Israeli reactions to the media broadcasting of October 7, 2023 Go-pro camera footage shot by Hamas fighters. The ensuing discussion focused on the diversity of interpretations of these events by Arab intellectuals and media outlets, and the galvanizing effects it had on the Israeli side, who used the footage to garner support for waging war on Palestine.
What emerged from this analysis was a picture of the role that academic and media publications have played in political storytelling this year, and the important role that research and publishing can play in contributing to either resolving or escalating violence in the future. Copy 11/11/2024 10.
