Ibrahim Abu-Lughod
Encyclopedia
Ibrahim Abu-Lughod was a Palestinian
(later American
) academic, characterised by Edward Said
as "Palestine's foremost academic and intellectual" and by Rashid Khalidi
as one of the first Arab-American scholars to have a really serious effect on the way the Middle East
is portrayed in political science
and in America". His student Deborah J. Gerner wrote that he "took on the challenge of interpreting U.S. politics and society for the Palestinian community as well as eloquently articulating Palestinian aspirations to the rest of the world."
, a port city in what was then British Mandate Palestine. His father was a metal manufacturer. From his student days, he was involved in the Palestinian struggle; he demonstrated against the British and "skirmished" with local Zionist
settlers. He completed high school in March 1948, after which he volunteered to work for the National Committee in Jaffa to discourage residents from leaving the city in the face of what Jamal R. Nassar describes as "Zionist assaults." His own family left only weeks later, on April 23 of the same year. Active in the resistance, he remained behind a bit longer, but on May 3, 1948, he left on the Belgian ship, Prince Alexander, "the last" ship out of Jaffa, headed to Beirut.
), he soon headed as a refugee
to the United States
, where he received his B.A.
from the University of Illinois
(1951), and a Ph.D.
in Middle East studies from Princeton University
(1957). Then he spent three years as a field expert in Egypt
for UNESCO
, where he directed the social science research department. He would later hold several United Nations
consultancies.
(Northampton, Massachusetts
) and McGill University
, (Montreal
) before settling in 1967 at Northwestern University
(Evanston, Illinois
), where he would remain for 34 years as a professor of political science (and department chair 1985–1988), eventually serving as Director of Graduate Studies and founding Northwestern's Institute of African Studies. During this time he founded the Association of Arab-American University Graduates (1968) and the journal Arab Studies Quarterly
(1978), held two more UNESCO posts, one in Beirut and one in Paris
. He became a U.S. citizen in 1975. According to Edward Said, Abu-Lughod established a reputation as "the leading Arab academic activist in North America", with "an encyclopaedic knowledge - of the third world, Arab culture, history and language, and the western tradition of rationalism and humane understanding…"
According to Kenneth Janda, "his course on the politics of the Middle East regularly attracted many Jewish students, some of whom enrolled to monitor his lectures. Invariably, they left the class professing admiration for Ibrahim's knowledge and even-handedness in dealing with the difficult political issues in the region." Noted as an orator, he spoke often on behalf of the Palestinian cause, had a strong interest in other liberation movement
s, and traveled extensively in the Arab world, Asia and Africa.
(in which Israel invaded Lebanon); he returned to Northwestern. With Edward Said, he met in April 1988 with United States Secretary of State
George Shultz. Said would write in his obituary for Abu-Lughod, "We told him that the Palestinian people were prepared to coexist with Israel if their self-determination was insured by a Middle East peace plan. What was needed was a mode of sharing and coexistence between two national communities in historic Palestine."
, where the university credit him with being "a pioneering champion" in establishing the faculty of graduate studies. "Palestinian society today needs a higher level of competence and specialization which is achievable only through education at the graduate level," he wrote. "We cannot depend on the achievements of other societies; we Palestinians need to generate our own specialists on the ground." During this time he was also founder of the Independent Commission for Citizens' Rights, the Centre for Curricular Reform, and the Qattan Cultural Centre in Ramallah
.
Deborah J. Gerner writes that "…he was critical of the ossification of the Palestinian bureaucracy that he observed in the years following the Oslo accords
and deeply troubled by the autocratic elements within the government. Yet he never gave up working for a free, independent, and democratic Palestine." He died of a lung disease in Ramallah, aged 72, and was buried in the family plot in Jaffa. Bir Zeit University honored him posthumously, naming the Ibrahim Abu-Lughod Institute of International Studies after him.
, Mariam, and Deena, his son Jawad, and six grandchildren.
Works authored by Abu-Lughod.
Works edited by Abu-Lughod.
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
(later American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) academic, characterised by Edward Said
Edward Said
Edward Wadie Saïd was a Palestinian-American literary theorist and advocate for Palestinian rights. He was University Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University and a founding figure in postcolonialism...
as "Palestine's foremost academic and intellectual" and by Rashid Khalidi
Rashid Khalidi
Rashid Ismail Khalidi , born 1948, a Palestinian-American historian of the Middle East, is the Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University, and director of the Middle East Institute of Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs.-Family, education and...
as one of the first Arab-American scholars to have a really serious effect on the way the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
is portrayed in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and in America". His student Deborah J. Gerner wrote that he "took on the challenge of interpreting U.S. politics and society for the Palestinian community as well as eloquently articulating Palestinian aspirations to the rest of the world."
Early life
Abu-Lughod was born and raised in JaffaJaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
, a port city in what was then British Mandate Palestine. His father was a metal manufacturer. From his student days, he was involved in the Palestinian struggle; he demonstrated against the British and "skirmished" with local Zionist
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
settlers. He completed high school in March 1948, after which he volunteered to work for the National Committee in Jaffa to discourage residents from leaving the city in the face of what Jamal R. Nassar describes as "Zionist assaults." His own family left only weeks later, on April 23 of the same year. Active in the resistance, he remained behind a bit longer, but on May 3, 1948, he left on the Belgian ship, Prince Alexander, "the last" ship out of Jaffa, headed to Beirut.
Exile
From Beirut (and, briefly, NablusNablus
Nablus is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 126,132. Located in a strategic position between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center.Founded by the...
), he soon headed as a refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he received his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
(1951), and a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Middle East studies from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
(1957). Then he spent three years as a field expert in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
for UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, where he directed the social science research department. He would later hold several United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
consultancies.
Academia
Returning to North America, he entered a career in academia, serving on the faculties of Smith CollegeSmith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
(Northampton, Massachusetts
Northampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...
) and McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, (Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
) before settling in 1967 at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
(Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
), where he would remain for 34 years as a professor of political science (and department chair 1985–1988), eventually serving as Director of Graduate Studies and founding Northwestern's Institute of African Studies. During this time he founded the Association of Arab-American University Graduates (1968) and the journal Arab Studies Quarterly
Arab Studies Quarterly
Arab Studies Quarterly is an English-language academic journal devoted to Arabist studies. It was established in 1979 by the late Professors Edward Said and Ibrahim Abu-Lughod. They envisioned the journal to be a platform for academic research to counter anti-Arab propaganda veiled by academic...
(1978), held two more UNESCO posts, one in Beirut and one in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He became a U.S. citizen in 1975. According to Edward Said, Abu-Lughod established a reputation as "the leading Arab academic activist in North America", with "an encyclopaedic knowledge - of the third world, Arab culture, history and language, and the western tradition of rationalism and humane understanding…"
According to Kenneth Janda, "his course on the politics of the Middle East regularly attracted many Jewish students, some of whom enrolled to monitor his lectures. Invariably, they left the class professing admiration for Ibrahim's knowledge and even-handedness in dealing with the difficult political issues in the region." Noted as an orator, he spoke often on behalf of the Palestinian cause, had a strong interest in other liberation movement
Liberation movement
A liberation movement is an organization leading a rebellion against a colonial power or national government, often seeking independence based on a nationalist identity and an anti-imperialist outlook.-See also:*Anti-imperialism...
s, and traveled extensively in the Arab world, Asia and Africa.
Statesman
In 1977, he was elected to the Palestine National Council (PNC); he remained on the council until 1991. His work under the auspices of UNESCO to establish a Palestine national open university in Beirut was cut short by the 1982 Lebanon War1982 Lebanon War
The 1982 Lebanon War , , called Operation Peace for Galilee by Israel, and later known in Israel as the Lebanon War and First Lebanon War, began on 6 June 1982, when the Israel Defense Forces invaded southern Lebanon...
(in which Israel invaded Lebanon); he returned to Northwestern. With Edward Said, he met in April 1988 with United States Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
George Shultz. Said would write in his obituary for Abu-Lughod, "We told him that the Palestinian people were prepared to coexist with Israel if their self-determination was insured by a Middle East peace plan. What was needed was a mode of sharing and coexistence between two national communities in historic Palestine."
Final Years
In 1991, having resigned from the PNC, his American citizenship allowed him to return to his homeland for the first time since 1948. During the last decade of his life he was a professor and vice-president of Bir Zeit University on the West BankWest Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
, where the university credit him with being "a pioneering champion" in establishing the faculty of graduate studies. "Palestinian society today needs a higher level of competence and specialization which is achievable only through education at the graduate level," he wrote. "We cannot depend on the achievements of other societies; we Palestinians need to generate our own specialists on the ground." During this time he was also founder of the Independent Commission for Citizens' Rights, the Centre for Curricular Reform, and the Qattan Cultural Centre in Ramallah
Ramallah
Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...
.
Deborah J. Gerner writes that "…he was critical of the ossification of the Palestinian bureaucracy that he observed in the years following the Oslo accords
Oslo Accords
The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles , was an attempt to resolve the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict...
and deeply troubled by the autocratic elements within the government. Yet he never gave up working for a free, independent, and democratic Palestine." He died of a lung disease in Ramallah, aged 72, and was buried in the family plot in Jaffa. Bir Zeit University honored him posthumously, naming the Ibrahim Abu-Lughod Institute of International Studies after him.
Family
Abu-Lughod was married in 1951 to Janet Abu-Lughod (née Lippman); the marriage ended in a 1991 divorce. He was survived by three daughters, LilaLila Abu-Lughod
Lila Abu-Lughod is a Palestinian-American professor of Anthropology and Women's and Gender Studies at Columbia University in New York City. A specialist on the Arab world, her seven books, most based on long term ethnographic research, cover topics from sentiment and poetry to nationalism and...
, Mariam, and Deena, his son Jawad, and six grandchildren.
Works
This is a very partial list of Abu-Lughod's extensive writings and does not include a considerable number of journal articles.Works authored by Abu-Lughod.
- The Arab Rediscovery Of Europe: A Study in Cultural Encounters (1963)
- The Evolution of the Meaning of Nationalism (1963)
- The transformation of the Egyptian elite : prelude to the 'Urabi Revolt (1967)
Works edited by Abu-Lughod.
- The Arab-Israeli Confrontation of 1967: An Arab Perspective (1970)
- The Transformation Of Palestine (1972)
- Settler regimes in Africa and the Arab world : the illusion of endurance (1974)
- African themes / Northwestern University studies in honor of Gwendolen M.Carter. (1975)
- Palestinian Rights: Affirmation and Denial (1982)
- The Landscape of Palestine: Equivocal Poetry (1999)
External links
- My Father's Return to Palestine by Lila Abu Lughod, Winter-Spring 2001, Issue 11-12 Jerusalem Quarterly (Accessed 4 September 2007)
- Lila Abu-Lughod: Professor and author, Institute for Middle East Understanding (Accessed 4 September 2007)