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Welcome to the Middle East Law Students Association

MELSA is a group that seeks to engage the HLS community in a discussion of the unique and vibrant (legal) cultures of the Middle East and of the legal aspects of the ongoing U.S. engagement in the Middle East. The war in Iraq, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, as well as the human rights challenges within many Middle Eastern countries are situations in which the laws of war, the law of occupation, human rights law, international law and national laws all intersect.

MELSA seeks to focus the debate on the Middle East in a legal context by inviting speakers, screening films, and hosting other activities at HLS.  It is open to all members of the Harvard community.

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Justice A.O. Sherif of Egypt Visits HLS

Read coverage of “The Nile Revolution: Constitutional Promises and Challenges,” a panel discussion featuring Justice Adel Omar Sherif,  Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt, here.

 

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National SJP Statement on Impact of Grand Jury Subpoenas on Students’ First Amendment Rights

In December, HLS MELSA joined 60 other student groups around the country in speaking out against the aggressive use of grand jury subpoenas to stifle the lawful and peaceful work of students, journalists, and peace activists in the Chicago and Minneapolis areas. For background information, see Democracy Now, the Electronic Intifada, and MondoWeiss. For the full statement, read more here.

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Global Economy panel

MELSA Panel Discussion

MELSA’s “Global Economy” in the Middle East panel discussion covered in the Harvard Crimson: http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2010/11/22/east-middle-university-harvard/.

Global Economy panel

Photo by Jennifer Y. Chang, The Harvard Crimson

Jonathan Nitzan, Professor of Political Economy at York University, talked about the ruling class and the future of capitalism at the Global Middle East panel during Harvard Arab weekend.

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California State Professor As’ad AbuKhalil

Read coverage of Prof. As’ad AbuKhalil’s talk at HLS

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2009/11/24/policy-foreign-law-abukhalil/

California State Professor As’ad AbuKhalil

Carlos A. J. Rodriguez-RussoCalifornia State Professor As’ad AbuKhalil contrasts the Middle East policies of Presidents Bush and Obama yesterday at Harvard Law School.

MELSA featured in the Harvard Crimson: A California State professor fiercely criticized the Obama administration’s foreign policy at a Harvard Law School speech yesterday for continuing what he termed the Bush administration’s policy of seeking to solidify American power.

As’ad AbuKhalil—a politics and public administration professor at California State University Stanislaus—offered a blistering critique of the Obama administration’s record thus far, focusing on combating beliefs that Obama’s foreign policy has marked a departure from the expansionist philosophy he said was espoused by the Bush administration

As evidence, AbuKhalil pointed to similarities between Obama’s landmark speech to the Muslim world in Cairo and Bush’s speeches. He said both had a kind exterior but carried an underlying message that “Muslims would be tolerated, provided they do what they are told.”

AbuKhalil also criticized what he said was a limited range of viewpoints with influence over U.S. foreign policy. (click to read more)

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