Omar Imady:   Scholar, Novelist & Poet

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Omar Imady  is a scholar, novelist and poet who is primarily preoccupied with Syria. Born in Damascus in 1966 to an American mother and a Syrian father, Imady received his doctorate in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Pennsylvania in 1993.  Imady’s professional background combines practical fieldwork in Syria as a UN officer (1994-2004), and academic experience, as an Associate Professor of Middle East Studies (2004-2012). In 2012, Imady joined the Centre for Syrian Studies (University of St Andrews) as a Senior Fellow, and the Managing Editor of the Centre's peer reviewed journal, Syria Studies. Imady is the author of various studies and UN reports on Syria and the Middle East, with a research focus that includes popular movements, and organizational aspects of civil society in Syria. His novel, The Gospel of Damascus, has been translated into several languages.

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Current Projects

• Historical Dictionary of Syria

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I. Personal

Date of birth: July 8, 1966

Languages: English & Arabic (Native)

Email: -

Web:

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II. Education

Macalester College (St. Paul, MN)

Bachelor of Arts, BA (June 1988)

Major: Middle Eastern Studies Core: Economics Minor: History

University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)

Master of Arts, MA (June 1990)

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES)

University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)

Doctorate of Philosophy, PhD (December 1993)

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES)

Thesis Title: Journals, associations and political parties: The institutions of Islamic reform (1871-1949)

(Available at Van Pelt Library - Call Number: Diss. POPM1993.343)

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III. Professional Experience

University of St Andrews, Centre for Syrian Studies

• Managing Editor of Syria Studies, January, 2014 - Present

• Deputy Director - Senior Research Fellow, January, 2014 - Present

• Research Fellow - January, 2013 - December , 2013

• Visiting Fellow - September, 2012 - December, 2012

New York Institute of Technology, NYIT (Amman, Jordan)

• Dean of Academic Programs, September 2009 – July 2012​

• Associate Professor of Middle East Studies, College of Arts & Sciences, March 2008 – July 2012

• Assistant Professor of Middle East Studies, College of Arts & Sciences, August, 2004 – March 2008

  • Presidential Excellence Awards: Award for Outstanding Achievement in Full-Time Teaching, Oct, 2007​

United Nations Development Program (UNDP) & The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

• Advisor, IFAD & UNDP, April, 2001 - March 2004

Syria: Idlib, Raqqa, Dier al-Zur, Hama, Hasakah, Suwaida, Dar’a, Quneitra, Aleppo, Jabal al-Hoss

Lebanon: Baalbek-Hermel

Jordan: Karak & Tafilah

• NPO / Assistant Resident Representative, UNDP, Damascus, March 1994 – April, 2001

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IV. Conferences & Seminars (selected list)

 

 

 

V. Publications

• Books (Syria & ME)

  1. Imady, O. 2019. The Historical Dictionary of Syria, Fourth Expanded Edition. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. (forthcoming)

  2. Hinnebusch, R. and Imady, O., eds., 2018. The Syrian Uprising: Domestic Origins and Early Trajectory. London: Routledge.

  3. Imady, O., 2005. The Rise and Fall of Muslim Civil Society. Hollister: MSI.

  4. Imady, O., 2004. Ta’rikh Dimashq (Historicizing Damascus). Damascus: Dar Tlas.

• Chapters in Books

  1. Imady, O 2018, Organisationally secular: Damascene Islamist movements and the Syrian Uprising. in R Hinnebusch & O Imady (eds), The Syrian Uprising: Domestic Origins and Early Trajectory. Routledge/ St. Andrews Syrian Studies Series, Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315143798-8

     1. Arabic translation.​

  2. Imady, O & Hinnebusch, R (eds) 2018, The Syrian Uprising: Domestic Origins and Early Trajectory. Routledge/St-Andrews Syrian Studies Series, Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon.

  3. Imady, O & Hinnebusch, R 2018, Conclusion: The early trajectory of the Syrian Uprising: From agency to structure. in R Hinnebusch & O Imady (eds), The Syrian Uprising: Domestic Origins and Early Trajectory. United Kingdom edn, Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon, pp. 329-335.

  4. Hinnebusch, R & Imady, O 2018, Introduction: Origins of the Syrian uprising-From structure to agency. in R Hinnebusch & O Imady (eds), The Syrian Uprising: Domestic Origins and Early Trajectory. Routledge/ St. Andrews Syrian Studies Series, Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon, pp. 1-11. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315143798

• Articles in Journals

  1. Imady, O., 2019. The weaponization of Syria’s reconstruction: a preliminary sketch . Syria Studies. 11 (1), 6-21.

  2. Hinnebusch , R. and Imady, O., 2017. Syria’s Reconciliation Agreements. Syria Studies, 9 (2), 1–14.

  3. Imady, O., 2016. Organisationally Secular: Damascene Islamist Movements and the Syrian Uprising. Syria Studies. 8 (1), 66-91.

  4. Imady, O., 2014. How a Microfinance Network Could Have Preempted the Syrian Uprising. Syria Studies, 6 (1), 81–122.

  5. Seibel, H.D. and Imady, O., 2003. Sanduq: A microfinance innovation in Jabal Al-Hoss, Syria. NENARACA, (1).

• Articles in Magazines

  1. Hinnebusch , R. and Imady, O., 2014. Can the inaction of the UN in Syria have a negative impact on the existing liberal world order? . Euro-Atlantic Quarterly.

  2. Imady, O., 2003. Al-Tanmiyyah al-Rifiyyah wa Mabadi’ al-Taghiyyir. (Rural Development & Principles of Change). Al-Iqtisadiyyah.

• Prefaces (Syria Studies)

  1. Imady, O., 2018. Untold Stories Gender-sensitive readings of the Syrian Uprising. In: Syria Studies.

  2. Imady, O., 2017. The Day After: Post-Uprising Realities & Challenges. In: Syria Studies.

  3. Imady, O., 2017. An Exploration Of Impact: Hunger, Cartoons & Philosophy. In: Syria Studies. 

  4. Imady, O., 2016. Syrian Mutations: The Random & the Purposeful. In: Syria Studies. 

  5. Imady, O., 2015. Roots & Consequences: Further Explorations into the Syrian Uprising. In: Syria Studies.

  6. Imady, O., 2015. The View From Without: Syria & Its Neighbours. In: Syria Studies. 

  7. Imady, O., 2015. Sympathetic Stereotypes: the Syrian Uprising in Western Media and Scholarship. In: Syria Studies. 

  8. Imady, O., 2014. Preludes to the Islamic State: Contextualizing the Rise of Extremism in the Syrian Uprising. In: Syria Studies.

  9. Imady, O., 2014. Tribes & Neighborhoods: The Dynamics Of Subtlety. In: Syria Studies.

•  Posts (Online Blogs)

1. Imady, O., 2019. Stranded in Kabul. Inspired by Syria.

2. Imady, O., 2019. Syria's Day After: Sex, Lies, & Videotapes. Inspired by Syria.

3. Imady, O., 2019. The Price of life. Inspired by Syria.

4. Imady, O., 2018. Syria's Reconstruction - the Good, the Bad & the Ugly. Inspired by Syria.

   • (Also published by LSE)

5. Imady, O., 2018. In the Circle of Kings - A personal sequel. Inspired by Syria.

6. Imady, O., 2018. In the Circle of Kings. Inspired by Syria.

7. Imady, O., 2018. Minor & Cardinal Sins. Inspired by Syria.

8. Imady, O., 2018. Of Mice and Men. Inspired by Syria.

9. Imady, O., 2018. All in the name of sovereignty. Inspired by Syria.

10. Imady, O., 2018. The Secret History of the Ghouta. Inspired by Syria.

11. Imady, O., 2018. Reconstruction & other Syrian myths. Inspired by Syria.

12. Imady, O., 2018. When you're shoved from the right, look to the left. Inspired By Syria. 

13. Imady, O., 2017. All the Syrians you meet! - Inspired By Syria.

14. Imady, O., 2017. When a refugee, become an anarchist. - Inspired By Syria.

15. Imady, O., 2017. This is for Syria. - Inspired By Syria.

16. Imady, O., 2015. To be a Damascene reformer. - Inspired By Syria.

17. Imady, O., 2014. After the pigeons departed. - Inspired By Syria.

18. Imady, O., 2014. All the things that stopped. - Inspired By Syria.

• Reports

  1. Abu Ismail, K., Imady, O., Kuncic, A., and Nujum, U., 2016. Syria At War: Five Years Later. ESCWA & St Andrews.

  2. Hinnebusch, R., IZartman, I.W.,  Parker-Magyar, E.,  and Imady, O., 2016. UN Mediation in the Syrian Crisis: From Kofi Annan to Lakhdar Brahimi. International Peace Institute, 2016.

  3. Butcher, F., Hashem, M., Goodbody, S., Imady, O., Mananwatte, S., and Bishay, M., 2004. Jordan: Agricultural Resources Management Project. IFAD.

  4. Butcher, F., Hashem, M., Kennard, R., Imady, O., Joensen, L.,  and Bishay, M., 2003. The Republic of Lebanon Smallholder Livestock Rehabilitation Project Completion Evaluation. IFAD. 

• Book Reviews

  1. Imady, O., 2015. Lil-Tarikh wa-al-Dhikra, Qisat Jihad wa-‘Umur (For History and Memory, the Story of a Struggle and a Life). Syria Studies. 7 (4).

  2. Imady, O. 2015. Secret War in the Middle East, The Covert Struggle for Syria, 1949–1961 - The Syria–Iran Axis: Cultural Diplomacy and International Relations in the Middle East Scheller - The Wisdom of Syria’s Waiting Game: Foreign Policy under the Assads. Diplomacy & Statecraft. 26 (2). 

1. Fiction & Poetry

   1. Imady. O., 2019. The Gospel of Bethany Mormon Coffee & Sufi Tea. [Kindle DX version]. ISBN: 9781088651278

   2. Imady. O., 2019. Damascene Tea. Self-published poetry.

   3. Imady. O., 2016. Injil Dimashq. VA: Virginia Press Institute. 

   4. Imady, O., 2016. The Gospel of Damascus  (2nd ed.). VA: Virginia Press Institute.

   5. Imady, O., 2016. El Evangelio de Damasco. VA: Virginia Press Institute.

   6. Imady, O., 2016. L’Evangile de Damas. Paris: Edilivre.

   7. Imady, O., 2012. The Gospel of Damascus. Hollister: MSI.

   8. Imady, O., 2005. Prosdechomai. In: Thoughts Without a Title. Hollister: MSI.

   9. Imady, O., 2004. A Child of Waiting. Damascus: Dar Tlass for Studies, Translation & Publication.

• Islam & Sufism

  1. Imady, O., 2005. Rasail al-Bashir (Letters to a Disciple). Damascus: Dar Tlass for Studies, Translation & Publication.

  2. Imady, O., 2005.When you’re shoved from the right, look to your left: Metaphors of Islamic Humanism. Hollister: MSI.​

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VI. Media Appearances

1 - TV

2018. Interview. In: France24, Mar 15.

2018. Interview. In: France24, Mar 12.

2018. Interview. In: France24, Feb 19.

2018. Interview. In: EuroNews, Feb 22.

• Turkish version

• Spanish version

• Russian version

• German version

2017, Interview. In: TRT, Dec 22.

2017. Interview. In: TRT, Aug 25.

2017. Interview. In: TRT, Mar 16.

2017. Interview. In: TRT, Feb 14.

2016. Interview. In: TRT, Dec 15.

2016. Interview. In: DW, Dec 14.

2016. Interview. In: Australian Broadcast Corporation (ABC), Jan 29.

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2 - Radio

Regular interviews on BBC Scotland

2016. Interview. In: Good Morning With ..., BBC Scotland, Dec 4.

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3 - Novel Promotion Videos

Omar Imady speaks about his novel The Gospel of Damascus - English with English subtitles.

Omar Imady speaks about his novel The Gospel of Damascus - English with Arabic subtitles.

​Omar Imady - El Evangelio de Damasco - Inglés con subtítulos en español.

Omar Imady - L´Evangile de Damas - Anglais avec sous titres.

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4 - Harassing Sensei: A Timeless Islam for Generation Y.

2015. Harassing SenSei, Mar 31.

2015. Harassing SenSei - Pilot: False Options, May 6.

2015. Harassing SenSei, ISIS WasWas, Jun 2.

2015. Harassing SenSei, Traveling With Sensei - Special Edition, Aug 4.

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5 - Miscellaneous

2015. Talk on the difference between timeless and historical Islam, Mar 23.

2009. Dr Omar Imady on the MBTI Personality Test, Apr 13.

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