Lakshmi Reddi Interim Provost and Chief Academic Officer | nmsu.edu
Lakshmi Reddi Interim Provost and Chief Academic Officer | nmsu.edu
The Borderlands and Ethnic Studies department at New Mexico State University (NMSU) has launched a new interdisciplinary research-art project titled "Shahadat Theatrical Readings." This initiative is inspired by Manal Hamzeh's 2020 book, "Women Resisting Sexual Violence and the Egyptian Revolution: Arab Feminist Testimonies," which draws from eight years of research conducted in Las Cruces, Amman, Jordan, and Cairo, Egypt.
Hamzeh's work challenges Western feminist narratives about the Egyptian Revolution and highlights Arab women's perspectives through methodologies such as shahadat—public political testimonies—and haki—trust-based intimate conversations. The project aims to create live embodied representations of these testimonies to amplify the voices of women who resisted being silenced during the revolution.
"This project invites actors and audiences to understand the consequences of state-sponsored sexual violence in one specific context and the power of women's resistance," said Hamzeh. It is a collaborative effort involving Hamzeh, playwright Fouad Teymour, Silk Road Cultural Center in Chicago, NMSU theater faculty Nichole Hamilton and Larissa Lury, and seven students.
The first phase took place on October 4 with an NMSU student-led reading followed by a reflection session. A second reading will be held on November 4 at the International Voices Project in Chicago by a professional team.
Hamilton expressed gratitude for the students' participation, describing it as a "beautiful experience" due to their contributions. Teymour also praised the event as an "amazing reading and discussion."
Dulcinea Lara, head of the BEST department at NMSU, remarked on how students' trustful relationships guided their powerful readings. Students Ezequiel Soliz and Eva Cullen shared their personal reflections on participating in the readings.
Starting October 30, Hamzeh along with Silk Road Rising Cultural Center will conduct a five-day workshop involving professional actors. The live performance is scheduled for November 4 at Chicago's International Voices Project.
In 2025, NMSU plans to report on this project's impact on its students and collaborate with Las Cruces Public Schools to develop a related curriculum. Through her scholarship rooted in Arab feminist methodologies, Hamzeh continues to contribute significantly to feminist thinking and activism against colonial violence.
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