Academic to Speak on Decolonizing Kurdish Studies at Middle East Center

By The Botan Times | April 13, 2025

Dr. Mehmet Mashuq Kurt of Royal Holloway, University of London, will speak about decolonizing Kurdish studies at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. The event will take place on April 22 at 340 Stephens Hall, sponsored by the Othering and Belonging Institute and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies.

Seminar Content

The seminar will explore the emerging movement toward decolonizing Kurdish studies, examining its challenges and opportunities within the academic landscape. Central to the discussion is the concept of the “coloniality of power,” which provides a framework for understanding the ongoing oppression of Kurds within the context of continued colonial domination in the Middle East.

Kurt will address issues of historical erasure and academic marginalization, highlighting the struggle for recognition not only within Turkish, Arab, Iranian, and Middle Eastern studies, but also within the broader Euro-American academy.

About Mehmet Mashuq Kurt

Born in Mardin in 1982, Mehmet Mashuq Kurt has worked at Bingöl University, Queen Mary University of London, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the University of Manchester, and Yale University.

His book “Hizbullah in Turkey” (Pluto Press, 2017) has been translated into English, and he has published numerous articles in international academic journals including Current Anthropology, Social Research: An International Quarterly, Journal of Middle East Women’s Studies, Contemporary Islam, HAU: Journal of Ethnographic Theory, and South Atlantic Quarterly. Several of his articles have been translated into Turkish and Kurdish.

Beyond his academic career, Kurt is the creator of the documentary film “The Seven Doors,” which received the Jean Rouch Award from the American Anthropological Association.

Kurt currently serves as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Law and Criminology at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Research Objectives

During the seminar, Kurt will emphasize the importance of decolonial methodologies in reshaping the study of Kurds and Kurdistan. He will discuss the necessity of amplifying voices from the field, including Kurdish intellectuals, activists, and politicians.

Through critical reflection and engagement with diverse perspectives, this seminar calls for reimagining Kurdish studies, particularly the decolonization of knowledge that centers the experiences and agency of Kurdish communities.

Source: Berkeley Events, Wikipedia, Botan Times

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