Anwar Mhajne

Anwar Mhajne

Associate Professor of Political Science

amhajne@stonehill.edu
508-565-1262
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Biography

Associate Professor of Political Science Anwar Mhajne, Umm Al Fahem Native, specializes in international relations and comparative politics. Her research focuses on feminist security studies, critical cybersecurity, disinformation, and Middle Eastern politics. She is the coeditor of Critical Perspectives on Cybersecurity (Oxford University Press 2024). Her writing has been featured in the Journal of Human Rights, International Affairs, the Journal of Genocide Research, the Journal of Women, Politics & Policy, The International Feminist Journal of Politics, Political Research Quarterly, Religion and Politics, Culturico, The Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, Foreign Policy, The Conversation, Times of Israel, Haaretz, Middle East Eye, +972 Magazine, Quartz, The Defense Post, The Jerusalem Post, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Albawaba, The New Arab, and The National, among others.

Education

  • Ph.D., Political Science, University of Cincinnati
  • M.A., Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, University of Cincinnati
  • B.Med Lab Sc., Ben-Gurion University

Courses Taught

  • Politics of Cybersecurity
  • Politics of the Middle East
  • Global Security Studies
  • International Politics
  • U.S. Foreign Policy

Areas of Expertise

Political Science , Israel/Palestine , Feminist Security Studies , Cybersecurity , Disinformation , Middle East , Digital Authoritarianism

Titles

Associate Professor of Political Science

Departments

Political Science & Intl Relat

Selected Publications, Awards & Accomplishments

Scholarly Articles

  • Mhajne, Anwar, Leah Tabor, and Brian Traves. “Online Responses and Backlash to 'Women, Life, Freedom' Hashtag Activism.” Global Studies Quarterly (Forthcoming).
  • Mhajne, Anwar. “Democratic backsliding, social media, and surveillance of the Palestinian community in Israel since October 7, 2023.” Journal of Human Rights 24, no. 1 (2025): 132-150.
  • Mhajne, Anwar and Crystal Whetstone. “A Feminist Security Studies: Addressing the Crisis of Cyber(in)security.” International Affairs (November 2024).
  • Mhajne, Anwar. "Understanding Sexual Violence Debates Since 7 October: Weaponization and Denial." Journal of Genocide Research (2024): 1-19.
  • Mhajne, Anwar and Alexis Henshaw. Critical Perspectives on Cybersecurity. (Oxford University Press 2024).
  • Mhajne, Anwar, and Crystal Whetstone. “Navigating Area Studies: Insiders and Outsiders in Middle Eastern and North African, South Asian and Latin American Studies.” Studia Territorialia, 2022. DOI: 10.14712/23363231.2022.8
  • Mhajne, Anwar, and Crystal Whetstone. "Combative Civil Society: Contesting Political Leaders’ Power Grabs in Crises." Romanian Review of Political Science and International Studies, 2022.
  • Mhajne, Anwar, and Gregory W. Saxton. "Gender Egalitarian Attitudes and Support for Islamist Parties in the Middle East and North Africa." Journal of Women, Politics & Policy (2021): 1-18.
  • Mhajne, Anwar and Rasmus Brandt. “Rights, Democracy and Islamist Women’s Activism in Tunisia and Egypt.” Religion and Politics, October 2020.
    • Received Honorable Mention for the APSA Religion & Politics Sections’ Ted Jelen Best Article Award.
  • Niven, David, Anwar Mhajne, and Alexis Straka. “Who Reveals, Who Conceals? Gender and Candidate Communication Styles,” Political Research Quarterly, March 2019.
  • Mhajne, Anwar, and Crystal Whetstone. “The Use of Political Motherhood in Egypt’s Arab Spring Uprising and Aftermath.” International Feminist Journal of Politics, October 2017. DOI:10.1080/14616742.2017.1371624.

Book Chapters

  • Mhajne, Anwar. “Gendered Disinformation and Authoritarianism in the Middle East and North Africa” in Arab Authoritarianism, Forthcoming (2025).
  • Mhajne, Anwar and Alexis Henshaw. “Gendered Violence Online” in the second edition of the Handbook on Gender & Violence to be published by Edward Elgar, Forthcoming (2025).
  • Mhajne, Anwar and Crystal Whetstone. “Redefining (In-)Security in Cybersecurity: An Intersectional Lens” in Gendering New and Old (In)Securities: A Research Handbook, Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd, April 2025.
  • Mhajne, Anwar. “Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence in the Middle East: A Tool of State Repression” in the Routledge Handbook of Feminism and International Relations, Routledge, Forthcoming.
  • Mhajne, Anwar. “Silencing Dissent: Suppression Tactics in Israel Since October 7” in The Gates of Gaza: Critical Voices from Israel on October 7 and the War with Hamas, de Gruyter, 2024.
  • Mhajne, Anwar. “Polarization, Integration & Moderation: The Case of Ra’am” in Consensus and Polarization in Israel, Routledge Academic Press, July 2023.
  • Mhajne, Anwar. “Toward a comprehensive approach to understanding the construction of Islamic masculinities in the Middle East and North Africa” in The Routledge Handbook of Religion, Gender and Society, Routledge, 2020.
  • Mhajne, Anwar. “Political Opportunities for Islamist Women in Morocco and Egypt” in Hanane Darhour and Drupe Dahlerup, ed. An Age of Uncertainty: The Double-Edged Politics of Empowering and Sidelining Women in the MENA Region, Palgrave Macmillan, 2020.
  • Calfano, Brian and Anwar Mhajne. “Muslim Women in the US: Pathways and Perceptions” in Brian Robert Calfano, Nazita Lejarvardi, and Melissa Michelson, ed. Understanding Muslim Political Life in America: (Contested) Citizenship in the Trump Era, Temple University, May 2019.
  • Mhajne, Anwar and Crystal Whetstone. “Troubling Conceptions of Motherhood: State Feminism and Political Agency of Women in the Global South” in Laura J. Shepherd, ed. Troubling Motherho
  • Jean Hamler Diversity and Social Justice Award (2023-2024) - Stonehill College
  • Digital Innovation Grant, Stonehill (2023) ($1500) - incorporating virtual reality in teaching global security issues.
  • Student Government Association’s Adviser of the Year Award (2022)
  • ISA - The Feminist Theory and Gender Studies Early Career Engagement Award (2022)
  • Student Government Association’s Outstanding Faculty Award (2021)
  • Professional Development Grant (2020) ($3000)
  • Graduate Student Government Association Outstanding International Student
  • Excellence Award in the non-STEM field (2018) ($200)
  • UC Department of Political Science Enhancement Award (2017) ($1500)
  • The Jane Addams Peace Association (2017) ($500)
  • UC WGSS President's Transformation Fund Award (2017) ($500)
  • UC Graduate School Dean's Fellowship (2017-2018) in support of the last year of my dissertation work ($20,000)
  • UC Department of Political Science Enhancement Award (2016) ($1000)
  • UC Charles Phelps Taft Research Center Enrichment Award (2016) in support of my field work in Turkey ($743)
  • UC Graduate School Graduate Student Fellow Award (2016-2018) ($2000 per year)
  • UC Charles Phelps Taft Research Center Dissertation Fellowship (8/2016-6/2017) in support of my doctoral research ($17,500)

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