September 27, 2012
For those confounded by the complexity of recent events throughout the Arab world, a trip to the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute in Utica on Oct. 2nd could prove extremely helpful. At 5:30 p.m., former U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Israel and Hamilton professor, Edward S. Walker, will discuss the 2011 Egyptian uprising and explore the issues related to the fall of the Mubarak regime. His lecture entitled “The New? Middle East: The Egyptian Case” will help listeners to better understand the governmental and social shifts that have occurred in Egypt as a result of the mass protests of 2011, which led to the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in February of that year. The presentation will also address how the current changes in Egypt affect the United States, the Middle East and relations between the two.
Ambassador Walker, a 1963 graduate of Hamilton College, has many years of experience dealing with issues that permeate the Arab world and U.S.-Egypt relations in particular. He served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates from 1989 to 1992, and later as Ambassador to Israel and Egypt during the mid- to late-1990s. During the Bush Administration, he worked with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. At this time, he helped to negotiate U.S. policies towards Iran and Iraq, as well as the general Middle East peace process. Walker has also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Middle East Institute Public Policy Center, a Washington-based think tank and cultural center. He is currently an adjunct scholar of this association.
Serving as Hamilton’s current Christian A. Johnson Distinguished Professor of Global Political Theory, Ambassador Walker offers a unique perspective to students taking his classes.
“He critically analyzes and contextualizes the situation, considering how colonization and religion come into play in these regions” Junior Shaha Zehra said. “Ambassador Walker never fails to provide a nuanced view of an undoubtably complex situation.”
Walker himself was in Egypt one week before the Egyptian protests broke. In describing the surprise of the U.S. government at the start of the Facebook-driven protests and the call for the end of the Mubarak regime, Walker explains, “Nobody had the slightest clue that it was going to fall apart, including the CIA and secretary of state.”
After the protests ended, the Egyptian military set up a command structure in order to run the country until a new leader was chosen. In June 2012, former leader of the Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Morsi became the first democratically elected president of Egypt.
Morsi has declared that his nation is now a free and modern state, but he believes that it is up to Washington to repair America’s alliance with Egypt. Professor Walker notes that, “Morsi and his government have been feeling their way, as have we. It’s still a relationship that’s not solidified. What we have to get used to is that it will be a government that is heavily influenced by Islam.” Morsi has made it clear that Arab culture is different from American culture and thinks that the States should show greater respect for his country’s distinct values.
When asked about the inevitability of the Arab Spring, Professor Walker said that it was, “bound to happen at some point because of the nature of the regimes…Mubarak had become isolated…and you had an economic situation that had been deteriorating with a very high unemployment rate for young people…When you get that kind of situation all it takes is a spark to ignite pent-up emotions.”
Walker’s lecture will be given at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute in association with the museum’s current exhibit “Shadow of the Sphinx: Ancient Egypt and its Influence,” which is on view until Nov. 25. This exhibit examines how Egyptian artifacts have inspired and impacted fine and decorative arts for over a century.
When asked about the importance of Professor Walker coming to speak at the MWPAI, Director and Chief Curator Anna D’Ambrosio said, “it is a great opportunity for the community to have someone with his experience coming to speak here. He will help to put these recent current events into context, and we are really honored that he’ll be with us.”
The lecture, which will include a 45 minute Q&A session, is sure to be an informative and thought-provoking event. Admission is $10 for the general public and $5 for museum members.
“I would definitely encourage students to go see him speak,” commented Leah Kramer ’14 who is currently a student in one of his classes, “his stories and experiences are extremely interesting and continue to be relevant today.”