Hello!
I am a doctoral candidate at the University of Texas at Dallas’s School of Economic, Political, and Policy Sciences (EPPS). My research interests revolve around the intersection of social resistance dynamics, autocratic behavior, and traditional and digital repression in political activism, with a regional focus on the Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) region region. My passion for the study of civil resistance dynamics was ignited by my involvement in the Tahrir Square protests, where witnessing firsthand the power of collective action and non-violent resistance in effecting social change erupted my fervent commitment to understanding the dynamics and complexities of civil resistance movements.
Through my dissertation project, I embark on a multifaceted exploration of this field, comprising three distinct papers that investigate various dimensions of non-violent resistance. In the first paper of my dissertation, I delve into the temporal effects of repressive actions against non-violent resistance campaigns, examining how the timing and intensity of state coercion influence movement trajectories and outcomes. The second paper of my dissertation focuses on the strategic use of digital repression strategies by states to combat online dissident collective activism following periods of resistance mobilization. This empirical data collection project will evaluate the efficacy and implications of these tactics in suppressing dissent in the digital age across the SWANA region. In the final paper, I propose a comprehensive decision-making model that rationalizes state responses to campaign mobilizations across different sub-national geographic contexts. Drawing from theories of political science and conflict studies, this model integrates various factors to elucidate the strategic calculus behind state repression strategies against civil resistance efforts.
Born and raised in Cairo, Egypt; I have long been passionate about understanding the political and social dynamics of political behavior and participation in the SWANA region. When I’m not immersed in academic pursuits and seminal works, you can often find me attempting to master the art of baking. My kitchen adventures have led to some interesting results, including a memorable incident where I mistook salt for sugar in a cake recipe. Needless to say, it was a learning experience that left me with a new found appreciation for precision in both research and baking!
