High-profile political campaigner in Adelaide

Tariq Ali
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Wednesday, 29 September 2010

High-profile British Pakistani author and political commentator Tariq Ali will deliver the sixth annual Edward Said Memorial Lecture at the University of Adelaide on Saturday 9 October.

A leading figure of the international left since the 1960s, Tariq Ali will discuss possible ways forward for Israel and Palestine.

The Edward Said Memorial Lecture was established at the University of Adelaide in 2005 in honour of one of the most influential and famous Palestinian intellectuals, Edward Said, who died in 2003.

Tariq Ali was a long-time friend of Said's and interviewed him many times, publishing this material in the book, Conversations with Edward Said, in 2005.

Tariq Ali was born in Lahore in 1943. He was educated at Oxford University where he became involved in student politics, in particular against the war in Vietnam. He has remained at the forefront of anti-war campaigns.

Today he is a broadcaster, filmmaker and commentator, writing regularly for The Guardian, CounterPunch and the London Review of Books. He is a member of the editorial committee of the New Left Review and the author of a number of fiction and non-fiction books including, most recently, The Obama Syndrome and a series of historical novels about Islam.

Event organiser Associate Professor Bassam Dally said: "The Memorial Lecture celebrates the life achievements of one of the most renowned post-Colonial intellectuals, the late Edward Said. Said was passionate about Palestine, his place of origin, and the annual lecture speakers have inevitably addressed this particular subject from the academic and personal perspectives.

"Tariq Ali will address the possible solutions available, especially in light of current negotiations, and he will also talk about his memories of Said and share the vision that Said had for the Middle East."

The sixth annual Edward Said Memorial Lecture, 'The Future of Palestine: Israel protectorate, genuine independence or a single-state solution?' will be held from 5-7pm, Saturday 9 October in Elder Hall at the University's North Terrace Campus.

The lecture is sponsored by The Australian Friends of Palestine Association. Tickets are $20 and can be bought online at: www.afopa.com.au or by calling 8333 9701.

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