Azza Karam
Azza Karam | |
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| Born | |
| Occupation(s) | Professor, chief executive officer, author |
| Known for | first woman executive director of Religions for Peace |
Azza Karam is an Egyptian professor and author, who is known for being the first woman executive director of Religions for Peace.
Early life and education
[edit]Karam grew up in Egypt and India.[1] She grew up in a conservative Egyptian Muslim family,[2] but had an Hindu nanny while living in India. Karam has said that seeing both her parent's praying and nanny's puja from a young age sparked her interest in religion and religious collaboration.[1] Her father was a diplomat, so Karam traveled frequently throughout her childhood.[3]
Karam earned a B.A. from American University in Cairo[3] in 1988.[4] She earned an M.A. from the International Institute of Social Studies in 1990. She earned a Ph.D. in environmental sciences in 1996 from the University of Amsterdam.[4]
Career
[edit]From 2000 until 2004 Karam worked as the head of the Global Women of Faith Network at Religions for Peace.[1] She was the both the first woman and the first Muslim to hold the position of Secretary General at Religions for Peace.[2][5] During this period she spoke about the range of identities for Muslims in the United States in the period following the September 11 attacks,[6] and the impact of war and conflict.[7] After this time, she moved to the United Nations where she worked at the United Nations Population Fund serving as an advisor on culture. In 2010, she founded and chaired the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Faith Based Organizations and Sustainable Development. In 2018 Karam coordinated the establishment of the Multi-faith Advisory Council while provides guidance to the United Nations.[1]
She resigned from her position at Religions for Peace in June 2023.[5]
Teaching
[edit]Karam taught at West Point University from 2002 until 2018.[8] She became a Professor of Religion and Development at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in 2019, where has the position of Religion and Sustainable Development Chair for five years.[9]
Selected publications
[edit]- Karam, A. (1997-12-08). Women, Islamisms and the State: Contemporary Feminisms in Egypt. Springer. ISBN 978-0-230-37159-0.[10]
- Karam, Azza M. (1999). "Islamisms and the decivilising processes of globalisation". Anthropology, Development and Modernities. Routledge. doi:10.4324/9780203450895-11/islamisms-decivilising-processes-globalisation-azza-karam (inactive 1 November 2024). ISBN 978-0-203-45089-5. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)
- Karam, Azza (2004). Transnational Political Islam: Religion, Ideology and Power. London: Pluto Press. ISBN 978-0-7453-1625-3.[11]
- Ballington, Julie; Karam, Azza M., eds. (2005). Women in parliament: beyond numbers. Handbook series (Revised ed.). Stockholm, Sweden: International IDEA. ISBN 978-91-85391-19-6. OCLC 71006907.[12]
- Karam, Azza (2015-07-03). "Faith-Inspired Initiatives to Tackle the Social Determinants of Child Marriage". The Review of Faith & International Affairs. 13 (3): 59–68. doi:10.1080/15570274.2015.1075754. ISSN 1557-0274.
Awards and honors
[edit]- Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from John Cabot University (Rome, Italy) in 2022.[13]
- International Religious Liberty Award. Awarded by the International Religious Liberty Association, Washington DC, 2023.[14]
- The Spirit of the United Nations Award (2015), Committee for Spirituality and Global Concerns at the United Nations.[15]
- Distinguished Alumni Award (2009), American University in Cairo[16]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Chitwood, Ken (2020-11-16). "Azza Karam: The Role Of Women In Faith And Diplomacy". crcc.usc.edu. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
- ^ a b Lyman, Eric J. (2021-10-05). "Religions for Peace made history with its new leader. Then came historic challenges". Religion News Service. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
- ^ a b Hassan, Yasmine (2017-12-05). "Egyptian Women in Development: UNFPA's Azza Karam". EgyptToday. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
- ^ a b "Azza Karam - Who is she". The Women and Memory Forum. Retrieved 2024-11-09.
- ^ a b Banks, Adelle M. (2023-06-21). "Azza Karam resigns as secretary general of Religions for Peace". Religion News Service. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
- ^ Ax, Joseph (2004-09-20). "Muslim women reclaim Islam's image at fund-raiser". The Journal News. p. 11. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
- ^ "Conn lectures to address war and humanitarian action". The Day. 2003-03-30. p. 20. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
- ^ "Azza Karam". parliamentofreligions.org. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
- ^ "Research ACRSD". Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
- ^ Reviews of Women, Islamisms and the State
- Schneider, Nathan. "The Rubicon is in Egypt: An interview with Azza Karam". SSRC The Immanent Frame. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
- Hatem, Mervat (1999). "Review of Women, Islamisms and the State: Contemporary Feminisms in Egypt". Middle East Journal. 53 (4): 678–679. ISSN 0026-3141. JSTOR 4329423.
- Kinawy, Kathleen Howard (2003). "Review of Women, Islamisms, and the State: Contemporary Feminisms in Egypt". Middle East Studies Association Bulletin. 36 (2): 250–251. doi:10.1017/S0026318400045181. ISSN 0026-3184. JSTOR 23062783.
- ^ Review of Transnational Political Islam
- Malik, Anas (2005-04-01). "Transnational Political Islam: Religion, Ideology, and Power by Azza Karam, ed. (London: Pluto Books, 2004. 157 pages.)". American Journal of Islam and Society. 22 (2): 105–108. doi:10.35632/ajis.v22i2.1712. ISSN 2690-3741.
- '^ Reviews of Women in Parliament
- Lasslop, Nathalie; Zakharova, Natalia (2007-01-01). "Women in parliament : Beyond numbers, Julie Ballington and Azza Karam foreword by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf : book review". Conflict Trends. 2007 (1). hdl:10520/EJC15951. ISSN 1561-9818.
- Jad, Islah (1999). "Review of Women in Parliament: Beyond Numbers, (Handbook Series #2)". Middle East Studies Association Bulletin. 33 (1): 101–102. doi:10.1017/S0026318400038839. ISSN 0026-3184. JSTOR 23063949.
- Jad, Islah (July 1999). "Women in Parliament: Beyond Numbers, edited by Azza Karam. (Handbook Series #2) 198 pages, annexes, indexes, poster. Stockholm: Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), 1998. ISBN 91-89098-19-6". Review of Middle East Studies. 33 (1): 101–102. doi:10.1017/S0026318400038839. ISSN 0026-3184.
- ^ "John Cabot University Celebrates the Class of 2022 |". John Cabot University News. 2022-05-18. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
- ^ "Leaders Call Religious Liberty Advocates to Be Ambassadors for Freedom". International Religious Liberty Association. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
- ^ "2015 Spirit of the U. N. Awarding Ceremony". CSVGC-NY. 2016-09-14. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
- ^ "Awards | The American University in Cairo". www.aucegypt.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-09.
Further reading
[edit]- Marshall, Katherine (2021-10-04). "Azza Karam". In Goshen-Gottstein, Alon (ed.). Interreligious Heroes. Wipf & Stock Publishers. pp. 327–333. ISBN 9781666709605.
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