Salim Tamari
Encyclopedia
Salim Tamari is the director of the Institute of Jerusalem Studies and is an associate professor of sociology at Birzeit University
, near Ramallah
in the West Bank
. Rashid Khalidi
, Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies at Columbia University
, has called Tamari "the preeminent Palestinian historical sociologist."
Tamari was born in the ancient port city of Jaffa
in 1945. When he was three years old, in April 1948, his family fled Jaffa when it was attacked by Jewish paramilitary groups as part of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Tamari studied at Birzeit College (later renamed Birzeit University), and then received a B.A. in politics from Drew University
in New Jersey, United States. He later received an M.A. in sociology from the University of New Hampshire
and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Manchester
.
Tamari has been a sociologist at Birzeit University since 1971. In 1994 he was appointed director of the Institute of Jerusalem Studies, an affiliate of the Beirut-based Institute for Palestine Studies
that publishes the Arabic journal Jerusalem Quarterly (formerly Jerusalem Quarterly File). He has also served on the refugee committee in the multilateral peace talks held following the Madrid Conference of 1991
. He has been a visiting fellow at the Aga Khan
Program for Islamic Architecture at MIT, and has been a visiting professor at the University of California Berkeley (2005, 2007), New York University (2001–2003); Cornell University (1997), and the University of Chicago (1991–1992). He was a 2008 Eric Lane Fellow at Cambridge University, and is a lecturer in Mediterranean Studies at the Ca' Foscari University of Venice.
Drawing upon archival materials and personal diaries, Tamari has produced numerous studies documenting and analysing Palestinian society. Books by Tamari include “Jerusalem 1948: The Arab Neighborhoods and Their Fate in the War,” “Palestinian Refugee Negotiations: From Madrid to Oslo II,” “Mountain against the Sea: Essays on Palestinian Society and Culture,” and "Year of the Locust: A Soldier's Diary and the Erasure of Palestine's Ottoman Past," a biography of Ihsan Hasan al-Turjman, a young Palestinian soldier stationed in Jerusalem during World War I.
Birzeit University
Birzeit University is a university located in Birzeit near Ramallah, Palestinian territories. BZU is among the foremost tertiary educational institutes in the Palestinian territories and has played a significant role in the Palestinian political dialogue.- History :The institution was originally...
, near 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...
in the West Bank
West 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...
. 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...
, Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, has called Tamari "the preeminent Palestinian historical sociologist."
Tamari was born in the ancient port city of Jaffa
Jaffa
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:...
in 1945. When he was three years old, in April 1948, his family fled Jaffa when it was attacked by Jewish paramilitary groups as part of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Tamari studied at Birzeit College (later renamed Birzeit University), and then received a B.A. in politics from Drew University
Drew University
Drew University is a private university located in Madison, New Jersey.Originally established as the Drew Theological Seminary in 1867, the university later expanded to include an undergraduate liberal arts college in 1928 and commenced a program of graduate studies in 1955...
in New Jersey, United States. He later received an M.A. in sociology from the University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
.
Tamari has been a sociologist at Birzeit University since 1971. In 1994 he was appointed director of the Institute of Jerusalem Studies, an affiliate of the Beirut-based Institute for Palestine Studies
Institute for Palestine Studies
The Institute for Palestine Studies is the oldest independent non-profit, public service, research institute in the Arab world, was established and incorporated in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1963 and has since served as a model for other such institutes in the region...
that publishes the Arabic journal Jerusalem Quarterly (formerly Jerusalem Quarterly File). He has also served on the refugee committee in the multilateral peace talks held following the Madrid Conference of 1991
Madrid Conference of 1991
The Madrid Conference was hosted by the government of Spain and co-sponsored by the USA and the USSR. It convened on October 30, 1991 and lasted for three days. It was an early attempt by the international community to start a peace process through negotiations involving Israel and the Palestinians...
. He has been a visiting fellow at the Aga Khan
Aga Khan
Aga Khan is the hereditary title of the Imam of the largest branch of the Ismā'īlī followers of the Shī‘a faith. They affirm the Imamat of the descendants of Ismail ibn Jafar, eldest son of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, while the larger Twelver branch of Shi`ism follows Ismail's younger brother Musa...
Program for Islamic Architecture at MIT, and has been a visiting professor at the University of California Berkeley (2005, 2007), New York University (2001–2003); Cornell University (1997), and the University of Chicago (1991–1992). He was a 2008 Eric Lane Fellow at Cambridge University, and is a lecturer in Mediterranean Studies at the Ca' Foscari University of Venice.
Drawing upon archival materials and personal diaries, Tamari has produced numerous studies documenting and analysing Palestinian society. Books by Tamari include “Jerusalem 1948: The Arab Neighborhoods and Their Fate in the War,” “Palestinian Refugee Negotiations: From Madrid to Oslo II,” “Mountain against the Sea: Essays on Palestinian Society and Culture,” and "Year of the Locust: A Soldier's Diary and the Erasure of Palestine's Ottoman Past," a biography of Ihsan Hasan al-Turjman, a young Palestinian soldier stationed in Jerusalem during World War I.
Further reading
- An interview with Salim Tamari, PBS NewsHour