Dr Quraysha Ismail Sooliman

Dr Quraysha Ismail Sooliman is the Programme Director for Public Engagement and Science at the Centre for Mediation in Africa. Her publications, both accredited and on alternative platforms, attest to her commitment to research.

Dr Quraysha SoolimanShe has channelled much of her work to the study of violence as is apparent from her PhD on the “Development and Rise of Islamic State and the violence it manifests” and her Master’s thesis which interrogated South Africa’s foreign policy on and response to the Israeli Occupation of Palestine. Her interest in violence, conflict and peace further incorporates the study of structural and systemic factors that lead to conflict and harm, including the study of Islamophobia. She is also committed to local issues of conflict and injustice and was an active participant in the #FeesMustFall protests. Quraysha is currently conducting research through expert conversations with women leaders in business, civil society and NGO’s as social partners. The research considers how women leaders in these sectors are building from the ground-up through ethical leadership, driving the idea of positive peace.

Research Profile

Publications: Peer reviewed:

  1. Ismail, Sooliman, Q. (2023) “”Navi Pillay: Champion of the Voiceless”; “Ferial Haffajee: Powerful reflection in a time of great turmoil”; “Aggrey Klaaste: Building a nation with the stroke of a pen” Chapters in the book The Texture of Dissent: Defiant Public Intellectuals in South Africa HSRC Press
  2. Ismail Sooliman, Q. (2022) “Entrenching Privilege: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Afriforum Jeug During the #Mustfall Protests at the University of Pretoria: A Case Study” Politikon, DOI: 10.1080/02589346.2022.2032914
  3. Ismail Sooliman, Q & Yousuf, I. (2021) “Space and Approach in the Virtuous City: A tale of two Universities” Strategic Review of Southern Africa 43(1)
  4. Ismail Sooliman, Q. (2021) “Echoes from the Global South: Reflections on the Student Public Intellectual, #Hashtags and Neoliberal themes in the #FeesMustFall student protests in South Africa (2015-2016)” Latin American Report 36 2021 https://unisapressjournals.co.za/index.php/LAR/article/view/4518
  5. Ismail Sooliman, Q. ( (2021) Chapter in Book: Mabasa, K & Mabasa, B. (Eds) “Citizenship, identity, and nation formation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (oPT), Gaza and East Jerusalem: The impact of land expropriation and annexation” in  Land in South Africa: Contested Meanings and Nation Formation, Mistra Publication
  6. Ismail Sooliman, Q. (2019) “History, Naming and Intellectualism in the #FeesMustFall protests” in International Journal of Critical Diversity Studies https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/10.13169/intecritdivestud.2.1.0041.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A60d8f5113b81092172d8d15b027b018d
  1.  Ismail Sooliman, Q. (2019) “Know to Change” Journal of Decolonising Disciplines, Vol 1(2) (2019) https://upjournals.up.ac.za/index.php/jdd/article/view/31/298   https://doi.org/10.35293/jdd.v1i2.31

Non-peer reviewed: Opinion Pieces and Editorials

  1. Ismail Sooliman, Q. (2023) “South Africa needs leaders with conscience” https://mg.co.za/thoughtleader/opinion/2023-06-01-south-african-needs-leaders-with-conscious/ 01 June 2023
  2. Ismail Sooliman, Q. (2023) “The student activist is my hero. Here’s why” https://www.news24.com/news24/opinions/fridaybriefing/quraysha-ismail-sooliman-the-student-activist-is-my-hero-heres-why-20230309 09 March 2023
  3. Ismail Sooliman, Q;  Shangare, A & Wielenga, C.  (2022) “South Africa and Switzerland: A pivotal moment to move beyond the 16 days of activism” 27 December 2022 https://www.news24.com/news24/opinions/columnists/guestcolumn/opinion-south-africa-and-switzerland-a-pivotal-moment-to-move-beyond-the-16-days-of-activism-20221226
  4. Ismail Sooliman, Q. (2022) “Islam, the Fifa World Cup and university prayer facilities” 30 November 2022 https://www.news24.com/news24/opinions/columnists/guestcolumn/opinion-quraysha-ismail-sooliman-islam-the-fifa-world-cup-and-university-prayer-facilities-20221130
  5. Shangare, A; Holtzhausen, M;  Ismail Sooliman, Q.  (2022) “Tokens and smokescreens – Why women don’t need more commemorations on Women’s Day” University of Pretoria News 05 August 2022 https://www.up.ac.za/news/post_3093320-up-expert-opinion-tokens-and-smokescreens-why-women-dont-need-more-commemorations-on-women
  6.  Ismail Sooliman, Q. , Reddy, V. , & Relebohile, R. (2021) “From indoctrination to education: Reflexivity and critique in decolonising knowledge generation and dissemination for Africa’s people” Journal of Decolonising Disciplines Vol 2(2021) https://doi.org/10.35293/jdd.v3i2.3969 co-authored with Prof Vasu Reddy and Prof Moletsane Relebohile
  7. Ismail Sooliman, Q (2021) “Indians were the soft targets of looting insurgents- Plan B” Mail and Guardian 25 July 2021 https://mg.co.za/opinion/2021-07-25-indians-were-the-soft-target-of-looting-insurgents-plan-b/
  8. Ismail Sooliman, Q. (2020) “Weaponising voices, language and writing in times of turmoil” Journal of Decolonising Disciplines Vol 2(2) file:///C:/Users/u28225547/Dropbox/My%20PC%20(UP924619)/Downloads/ARTICLE_EDITORIAL%20(1).pdf
  9. Ismail Sooliman, Q. (2020) “Education as the practise of Freedom” Journal of Decolonising Disciplines Vol 2(1) https://doi.org/10.35293/jdd.v2i1.1805