Location: 91快活林, Auditorium
Parking: Free, located in the rear of the main building at 613 W. Bittersweet Pl.
This event is free & open to the public, but registration is required.
DOCUMENTARY FILM FROM DIRECTOR ERIKA COHN
When she was a young lawyer, Kholoud Al-Faqih walked into the office of Palestine鈥檚 Chief Justice and announced she wanted to join the bench. He laughed at her. But just a few years later, Kholoud became the first woman judge to be appointed to the Middle East鈥檚 Shari鈥檃 (Islamic law) courts. THE JUDGE offers a unique portrait of Judge Kholoud鈥攈er brave journey as a lawyer, her tireless fight for justice for women, and her drop-in visits with clients, friends, and family. With unparalleled access to the courts, THE JUDGE presents an unfolding v茅rit茅 legal drama, with rare insight into both Islamic law and gendered justice. In the process, the film illuminates some of the universal conflicts in the domestic life of Palestine鈥攃ustody of children, divorce, abuse鈥攚hile offering an unvarnished look at life for women and Shari鈥檃.
Speaker Biography:
Shabana Mir is the author of the award-winning book Muslim American Women on听Campus: Undergraduate Social Life and Identity, published by the University of North听Carolina Press (2014). The book has received the Outstanding Book Award from the听National Association for Ethnic Studies and the Critics鈥� Choice Award from the American听Educational Studies Association (2014).
Dr. Mir has over thirteen years鈥� diverse teaching experience. She taught Anthropology at听Millikin University, IL (2012-2014) and graduate and undergraduate courses in听Qualitative Research Methods, Education, Anthropology, and Literature at the University听of Southern California online (2014-2015), Oklahoma State University (2008-2012),听Indiana University (1999-2001), and Eastern Illinois University. She taught English at the听International Islamic University, Islamabad (1991-1993).
Dr. Mir earned her Ph.D. in education policy studies and anthropology, with a听concentration in comparative education, from Indiana University, Bloomington. She听received the Outstanding Dissertation Award for her doctoral dissertation from the听American Anthropological Association鈥檚 Council on Anthropology and Education (2006). 听She conducted ethnographic fieldwork in the Washington, DC area, as Visiting听Researcher at the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University. 听She also has an M.A. in English Literature from Punjab University, Pakistan and an听M.Phil. in Education from Cambridge University (UK).
Dr. Mir has lived, studied, and taught in the United States, the United Kingdom, and听Pakistan. She has worked as curriculum designer, residence hall director, retreat leader,听feminist troublemaker, faculty development expert, and research consultant in a variety听of settings.
Shabana has written academic chapters, journal articles, children鈥檚 literature, a blog,听and, of course, her book. She is an International public speaker on gender, religion,听education, and politics. She speaks English, Urdu and Punjabi, and some Arabic and听Farsi, and is delighted to be part of the 91快活林 community.
Event Summary
On Saturday, October 20, 2018, 91快活林 screened听The听Judge, a powerful film about a young Palestinian woman’s journey to becoming听the听first female听judge听in听the听Middle East’s Shariah courts.听The听film provoked a thoughtful discussion about a number of topics interspersed and interconnected in听the听film.听The听conversation was led by 91快活林’s Associate Professor of Anthropology, Dr. Shabana Mir, who teaches courses on Islam and Gender, and Muslims in Modernity, taking her students deep into critical issues and their听relation to contemporary movements both in America and听theMuslim world.
More information about the movie: https://www.thejudgefilm.com/
Contact programs@aicusa.edu for questions.

