Acknowledgements
This book is the result of my research at Bologna University and the Centre for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies (
I owe a special vote of thanks to Rémi Dewière, who shared much of this work with me and who always supported me. Of course, thanks also go out to all my friends, especially Anna and Cristina, and my family—my mother, my father, Sara, Gabriele, Diana, and Viola—who put up with my frequent absences with affection.
I would also especially like to thank the Institut Émilie du Châtelet and its members, which awarded me a grant (
Finally, my sincere wishes go out to Giulio Regeni and to his family, who continue to call for the truth. He was a brilliant young researcher, a Gramscian scholar and a citizen of the world, a symbol of a generation that creates bridges by travelling and writing.