MONTREAL/November 3, 2005—
On Wednesday, November 9th, the Concordia/UQAM Chair in Ethnic Studies (Concordia section) and the Festival du Monde Arabe (FMA) will present a day-long conference titled Femmes d'Orient, femmes d'Occident, mythes et rèalitès. It will take place in room H-765 of the Henry F. Hall Building (1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West), beginning at 8:30 a.m.
The conference will examine Western attitudes about women in general and Arab women in particular in order to break through the myths and clichÈs and revisit the harem.
Numerous specialists, researchers and intellectuals will take part in a series of panel discussions on women and power, peace and desire. They include Hinde Taarji, Moroccan journalist and author; Hanane Hajj Ali, well known Lebanese avant-garde actress; Zohra Drif Bitat, politician, Vice-President of the Algerian Senate who fought in the country's revolutionary war; Patricia Rimok, President of the Conseil des relations interculturelles du Quèbec; and ZÈna el Tibi, Lebanese author, journalist and president of the Observatoire d'Ètudes gÈopolitique in Paris, France.
Representing Concordia will be Walid El-Khachab who teaches Arab language and culture in the Department of Classics, Modern Languages and Linguistics; Lucie Lequin, a specialist on womens' literature in …tudes FranÁaises; MaÔr Verthuy, founder of the Simone de Beauvoir Institue; Daniel SalÈe, Director of the Concordia/UQAM Chair in Ethnic Studies (Concordia section); and Evelyne Abitbol, Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations.
The conference will be moderated by Aida Kamar, journalist and president and communications director for the Festival du Monde Arabe de Montrèal.
The following day, Thursday, November 10, the public is invited to hear a summary of the previous day's discussion. This event will be held in room H-765 of the Henry F. Hall Building (1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West).
For more information about this conference and the complete FMA schedule of events, contact PamÈla Kamar at (514) 733-8134 or visit the FMA web site at:
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Source :
Tanya Churchmuch
Senior Media Relations Advisor
Concordia University
