1. The AHRC funded Decolonizing Sexualities Network (DSN) roundtable event followed by a book launch will be taking place on:
Wednesday 3rd July from 15.00-18.00 in Keynes College Lecture Theatre 4, University of Kent. Canterbury.
15.00-16.30 DSN roundtable speakers include:
Sokari Ekine (Queer feminist writer, blogger and educator and founder and principal author of Black Looks).
Sabreen Al-Rassace, Ariadine Boussetta, Moruni Turlot, Vanessa Wilson, Nawo Crawford from Paris-based activist group Lesbians of Colour.
Discussants:
Fatima El Tayeb (Associate Professor – African-American Literature and Culture, UC San Diego)- ‘European Queer of Color Activism and Global Networking’
Paola Bachetta (Associate Professor of Gender & Women’s Studies , UC Berkeley)– Title to be confirmed.
16.30-17.00: Refreshments
This will be followed at 17.00 – 18.00 with:
Book Launch of ‘Queer African Reader’ (2013) edited by Sokari Ekine, Hakima Abbas (Fahamu Books and Pambazuka Press)
Speakers: Sokari Ekine and Valerie Mason-John
Chair: Eddie Bruce-Jones (Lecturer, School of Law, Birkbeck, University of London).
2. Safra Project conference 2013
This event will bring together individuals, academics, activists and communities to discuss a range of issues that impact on the lives of queer Muslim women in the UK and beyond. Themes to be addressed include statutory service provision, Islamic theology, the global context and youth. There will also be live music and poetry performances from Ajah UK.
Date: Saturday 6 July
Location: Birkbeck University, Malet St, London, WC1E 7HX
Programme: 10.00 – 10.30 Registration
10.30 – 10:40 Welcome
10:40 – 12:00 Keynote Speakers – open session Chaired by Dr. Umut Erel • Women’s same-sex relationships in Islamic theology (Dr. Ghazala Anwar) • Pink Washing (Sarah Colborne- Director of Palestinian Solidarity Campaign) • Global happenings, international networks and geopolitics (Asst. Prof. Anissa Helie)
12:00 – 13:00 Refreshments and performance by Ajah Uk and poetry Fronted by Lucidity and Jaheda Choudhury this group have already been making a name for themselves across the North West and Manchester. The group draws from its collective strength of being multi-gender, multi-racial, multi lingual and multi-sexuality to create music that challenges preconceptions and embraces individuality.
13:00 – 14:00 ‘World Cafe’ workshop – closed session for Muslim lesbian, bisexual and trans women only • Women and the Mosque • Statutory service provision for Muslim lesbian, bisexual and trans women • Youth and the scene
14:00 – 14:10 Final remarks
Keynote Speakers: Dr Ghazala Anwar of Starr King School for the Ministry, Berkeley, California. Dr Anwar’s research and teaching interests include Islamic jurisprudence and Sufism, as well as the exploration of issues of healing, gender and sexuality in Islam. She also participates frequently in national and international colloquia on interfaith dialogue and other current issues relating to Islam.
Asst. Prof. Anissa Helie of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York. An expert on colonial history and decolonization processes; politics of Islam and gender; gender, women and sexualities in Muslim contexts; religious fundamentalisms, violent conflict and women. She is a board member of the Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights and of Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights. She also serves on WLUML’s Publications Committee, and on the Advisory Editorial Board of Reproductive Health Matters Journal.
Sarah Colborne– Director of Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (PSC) PSC works to build a mass movement and change government policy on Palestine, through focused and coordinated national and local activism; and is building alliances with faith groups, students, trade unions and other organisations in support of Palestinian rights. Sarah has also been centrally involved in campaigns against racism and for abortion and LGBT rights. She presented in a panel at the World Social Forum-Free Palestine in November 2012, organised by Queer Visions, on creative campaigning to expose Israel’s attempt to ‘pinkwash’ its occupation.