Dr Zarqa Parvez

Dr Zarqa Parvez

Dr. Zarqa A. Parvez is an adjunct Assistant Professor at Georgetown University in Qatar and adjunct lecturer at Northwestern University in Qatar. She has a masters degree from SOAS London, and her PhD from Durham University focused on Women and National Identity in Qatar. Her research focus includes Nationalism, National Identity, Women, State and Society in the Gulf Region.

April 12, 2022 | Dr Zarqa Parvez

The politics of sport, human rights and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

Contemporary sport is a key component of modern nation state-building and a cornerstone of international diplomacy and image building; it is not limited to the sport in question and...

Published in: Article, FIFA, International Organisations, Middle East, Opinion, Qatar
February 23, 2022 | Dr Zarqa Parvez

Qatar's soft power, shifting alliances and strategic interests

On 31 January, 2022, during Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad's visit to Washington, Joe Biden officially announced the designation of Qatar as a Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA). It...

Published in: Article, Europe & Russia, Middle East, Opinion, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Ukraine
October 26, 2020 | Dr Zarqa Parvez

The politicisation of civilisations and ideologies: Macron, Charlie Hebdo and blasphemy in France

The reproduction of Charlie Hebdo's cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) recently was no surprise. What was frustrating though was French President Emmanuel Macron's open endorsement of...

Published in: Article, Europe & Russia, France, Middle East, Opinion
June 29, 2020 | Dr Zarqa Parvez

The contextualization of racism and discrimination in the Gulf

The latest Black Lives Matter protests triggered by the killing of George Floyd on 25 May by a Minneapolis police officer highlight the fact that we live in a...

Published in: Article, Asia & Americas, Kuwait, Middle East, Opinion, UAE, US
May 11, 2020 | Dr Zarqa Parvez

Um Haroon and the politics of normalisation in the Gulf

MBC's Ramadan drama series Um Haroon has sparked controversy and debate about the presence of Jews in the Gulf region and their relationship with local Muslim communities. In itself,...

Published in: Article, Israel, Kuwait, Middle East, Opinion, Palestine, UAE
January 22, 2020 | Dr Zarqa Parvez

Nationalism and National Identity in Gulf States

Nationalism and national identity are two key concepts in the shaping of the contemporary world since the 19th century. Nationalism aims to create group loyalty, through a single national...

Published in: Article, Asia & Americas, GCC, International Organisations, Middle East, Opinion, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, US, Yemen
November 15, 2019 | Dr Zarqa Parvez

Qatar and the blockade have a new narrative with the Gulf Cup

The news that the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are to participate in the Gulf Cup football tournament was a surprise to most people. Ever since the blockade was...

Published in: Article, Middle East, Opinion, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE
September 23, 2019 | Dr Zarqa Parvez

Israa Ghrayeb: murdered for 'honour'

Dedicated to Israa Ghrayeb and all women who have been murdered in the name of "honour". The recent heart-wrenching news of the murder of Israa Ghrayeb in Palestine sparked...

Published in: Article, Middle East, Opinion, Palestine
August 8, 2019 | Dr Zarqa Parvez

Are changes to Saudi Arabia's guardianship laws really about women?

Saudi women are amongst the strongest, most intelligent and inspirational women in the Middle East. Female Saudi academics and activists have lobbied for women's rights in Saudi Arabia for...

Published in: Article, Middle East, Opinion, Saudi Arabia
June 13, 2019 | Dr Zarqa Parvez

The power of storytelling and narrative-building for Middle Eastern women

Lila Abu-Lughod describes the work of contemporary scholars on women and gender studies in the Middle East as that of "storytelling". She explains that these scholars are narrating stories...

Published in: Article, Middle East, Opinion, Qatar
March 25, 2019 | Dr Zarqa Parvez

The 'othering' of humanity, a divided world and the global rise in terrorism

Among the most pressing issues of the 21st century, "othering" and "belonging" have become common themes. These are part of the broader issues of nations and nationalism, and homogeneous...

Published in: Article, Asia & Americas, Kuwait, Middle East, New Zealand, Oceania, Opinion, US
February 6, 2019 | Dr Zarqa Parvez

Qatar's victory in the Asian Cup illustrates the strength of soft power

The Asian Cup 2019 occupied centre stage in the Gulf over the past few weeks. The football matches between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and Qatar and the UAE in...

Published in: Middle East, Opinion, Qatar, UAE
January 31, 2019 | Dr Zarqa Parvez

Is 'feminism' really helping women's rights in the Middle East?

"Feminism" was perhaps one of the most commonly used terms in 2018. In the past two years, global awareness on women's issues has grown as a result of the...

Published in: Article, International Organisations, Middle East, Opinion, UN

Dr Zarqa Parvez

Items by Dr Zarqa Parvez