After reviewing many excellent theses, the Selection Committee is pleased to announce Waseem Sari Nabulsi as winner of the 2023 Alwaleed Bin Talal Undergraduate Thesis Prize in Islamic Studies for his thesis entitled, "Magic Mountain: Samaritan Astrological Intervention in Palestinian Misfortune."
Waseem, who holds a joint concentration in anthropology and history, studied the fortunetelling and other magical practices of the Samaritans, an ethnoreligious group who reside in Kiryat Luza, a village outside the city of Nablus. Waseem uses a wide range of historical materials and ethnographic interviews for his study and finds that, far from facing "religious animosity," as depicted by some Western narratives of Palestinians, the Samaritans and their magical practices actually thrive in the context of Palestinian subjugation to Israeli occupation.
Congratulations, Waseem!
The winner of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Dissertation Prize in Islamic Studies will be announced in Fall 2023.
May 19, 2023