CMENAS

TODAY at 5:30PM at 555 Weiser Hall.

Happening TOMORROW: Sitting with Loss Poetry. Translation. Reflection on Iran 🗓 April 22 | 5:30 PM 📍 555 Weiser Hall 🔸 In person only - pizza provided 🍕

Here's wishing that remembering Mahfoud Bennoune helps us to keep acting in hope for a better future in these difficult times for the world. Thank you for taking the time to read this thread. mahfoudbennoune.com tinyurl.com/bdejhptt 7/7

Donations to the Mahfoud Bennoune Memorial Thesis Award @Umich Center for Middle Eastern & North African Studies @CMENAS can be made at this link: tinyurl.com/bdejhptt It is an essential time to encourage young people to study & understand these vital regions of the world 4/7

We are also continuing our fundraising to support the Mahfoud Bennoune Memorial Thesis Award at the University of Michigan Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies @UMCMENAS. mahfoudbennoune.com tinyurl.com/bdejhptt 3/7

To continue to share his words & wisdom, we plan to mark what would have been Dr. Bennoune’s 90th birthday year in a number of ways, including posting his unfinished memoirs on mahfoudbennoune.com & holding a virtual memorial conference in October 2026... #Algeria 2/7

Today would've been the 90th birthday of my dear dad, Mahfoud Bennoune, Algerian anthropologist & activist. His work against colonialism & extremism remains sadly relevant To help remember him & draw strength for today's rights struggles, please visit mahfoudbennoune.com 🧵

Less than a week away! Addressing Human Rights and Democracy: The Challenges and Opportunities for Business When: April 7th, 4:30PM Where: Weiser Hall 1010 RSVP here: myumi.ch/Mke54 Cosponsored by Weiser Diplomacy Center

Happening TODAY @ 4:30PM in Weiser Hall Room 355. Dont miss it!

Join us tomorrow at 4:30 PM in 355 Weiser Hall!

Where do #Qatari students choose to study and why? Join the CMENAS for an alumni lecture exploring student decision-making, mobility, and higher ed in Qatar. myumi.ch/mRy3N 📅 March 24 | 🕓 4:30 PM 📍 355 Weiser Hall #MENA #HigherEd #UMich

💛 Thank you.💙 Because of you, CMENAS will continue to foster scholarship, language study, and global dialogue 🌍 even in the absence of federal funding. Your support ensures we do not retreat at a critical global moment. We are deeply grateful. Go Blue!

#GivingBlueday is coming to a close, but there is still time. If you haven't yet, make your gift to CMENAS. Spread the word! 🔗myumi.ch/g3qeW

Giving Blueday is finally here! Join thousands of UM supporters as we come together to make an impact. Make your gift to CMENAS! Spread the word; visit 🔗myumi.ch/g3qeW #GivingBlueday

Today, we invest in understanding. In language study. In interdisciplinary research. In dialogue that bridges complexity. Make your gift to support CMENAS on #givingblueday ! 🔗myumi.ch/g3qeW

The day has started and Giving Blueday is ongoing! Check out our progress at 🔗 myumi.ch/g3qeW Join the movement and make your gift to CMENAS #GivingBlueday

TOMORROW! Iran: What’s Going On Thursday, March 19 @ 7:30PM Angell Hall auditorium D Refreshments provided! A discussions on how Iran got to its current state, life in Iran under the current regime, and public opinion of Iranians around the regime. A conversation with Dr. Babayan & Dr. Amin

NEXT WEEK: Islamic Virtual Reality Apps: "Pilgrim VR: Hajj & Umrah" and "Al-Aqsa VR" Wednesday, March 25th, 4:00 pm 555 Weiser Hall (5th floor) 500 Church St, Ann Arbor MI 48109 RSVP: myumi.ch/n1dZN Join the University of Michigan Global Islamic Studies Center (GISC) and Dr. Ermin Sinanović (Shenandoah University) on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 4:00 PM in 555 Weiser Hall for a demo of and conversation on two new VR apps for Islamic holy sites: one for experiencing and learning how to perform the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages to Mecca, and another for visiting the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Al-Quds or Jerusalem. Pilgrim VR: Hajj and Umrah is a one-of-a-kind interactive training through realistic, geospatially accurate 3D environments. It shows holy sites, offers ritual tutorials, and is made for prospective pilgrims to Mecca. Al-Aqsa VR is made for students, educators, historians, and explorers to experience the beauty of the Al-Aqsa Mosque without leaving home. For this talk and demonstration, we will use the Meta Quest 3 with a controller headset, and have several on hand for audience members to try out the VR apps! Cosponsored by @UmichDigital