Faculties:
- Arts, Department of Anthropology
Country of origin: Sudan
Academic degrees and institutions:
- Postdoctoral Visiting Scholar - AbuSulayman Center for Global Islamic Studies, George Mason University (2023)
- PhD in Political Studies, Queen's University (2020)
- MA in Political Science, University of Saskatchewan (2012)
- Hon BA in Political Science, University of Saskatchewan (2010)
Describe your work and how it embodies the nature of the program.
My dissertation-based book project explores ruling Islamists’ approaches to minorities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It analyzes the variation in ruling Islamists’ treatment of the South Sudanese and Darfuris in Sudan, as well as the Kurds in Turkey. It asks why some minorities are repressed while others are accommodated. For example, non-Arab Darfuris were subject to a genocide, while the South Sudanese were afforded the right to self-determination in Sudan. The research project was stimulated by a marked gap of knowledge on ethnic minorities in MENA in general and Islamists’ approaches toward these groups in particular. Despite its real-world and academic salience, empirical research on the relationship between contemporary Islamist rulers and ethnic minorities has been sparse.
My research finds that Islamists in power do not follow a coherent approach toward minorities. Rather, Islamists change their approaches diachronically between accommodative and exclusionary toward the different minority groups regardless of religious bond. The manuscript challenges conventional expectations by demonstrating that religious-ideological and identity motivations have little explanatory powers. Instead, it illustrates that governing approaches toward minorities are an outcome of coalition building contingent on first, strategic interactions between domestic actors, and second, regional and international contexts.
What are some activities you hope to accomplish during your postdoctoral appointment at University of Waterloo?
I intend on fulfilling several objectives during my post-doctoral fellowship. First, I aim to increase my research output through completing a book manuscript based on my doctoral dissertation. Additionally, I hope to contribute to Waterloo’s intellectual environment through participation in the Department of Anthropology's speaker series. During my fellowship, I also hope to contribute to Waterloo’s Anti-Racism Initiatives.
Have you been the recipient of any other major or donor-funded awards?
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Doctoral Fellowship; Ontario Graduate Scholarship; Queen's University Graduate Scholarship.
Why did you choose the University of Waterloo?
I enjoy spending time with my two little girls and becoming a muscle mommy.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I enjoy spending time with my two little girls and becoming a muscle mommy.
What are you currently enjoying about the University of Waterloo?
I appreciate the university's commitment to diversity and inclusion and I look forward to being a part of its growing diverse population.
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