Sounds great! Thanks, Shannon.
On 02/01/2016 10:11 AM, Shannon Haines wrote:
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to let you all know that we have confirmed Colby professor John P. Turner as our guest discussion leader for JAFAR PANAHI’S TAXI. Not only is he an expert on Iran, but he is also a supporter of the Maine Film Center and a big fan of Panahi’s films. Win, win, win. I am waiting to hear back on which day (or both?!) he might like to participate. Joel, as with our speaker for HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT, I will put him in touch with you directly if that works for you.
Will keep you posted on a Dukhtar speaker. In the meantime, I have included John’s bio below.
Shannon
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Associate Professor of History John Turner holds a PhD in Near Eastern Studies from the University of Michigan. His research focuses on the interaction of political and religious authority in premodern Islamic history. He is particularly interested in the categorization and exclusion of heresy and heretics. His book, Inquisition in Early Islam (London, 2013), seeks to explain the role of the 8th-10th century Caliph and the Caliphate in the definition of what it means to be a Muslim. In addition to his primary field, as a graduate student he studied modern history with a focus on Syria and Iran, where he also studied Arabic (in Damascus) and Persian (in Tehran). His courses range from surveys of the premodern and modern periods in the Middle East to country specific courses, and he covers eras from the foundations of Islam to the current day.
