Dr. Shaul Gabbay, Ph.D.
Dr. Shaul Gabbay, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized expert witness specializing in the cultural and societal norms of Muslim-majority countries.
With a career spanning decades in academia and legal consulting, Dr. Gabbay has become a trusted resource for attorneys navigating immigration, asylum, and deportation cases where cultural context is critical.
Academic and Professional Background
Dr. Gabbay earned his Ph.D. in Sociology with a focus on cultural and societal dynamics in Muslim-majority countries. His academic work spans topics such as human rights, societal norms, political conditions, and gender issues, making him uniquely qualified to provide nuanced and credible analysis for legal cases.
As a professor and researcher, Dr. Gabbay has published extensively on the cultural, political, and historical realities shaping the Muslim world. His deep knowledge is grounded in rigorous scholarship, ensuring his insights are both reliable and well-informed.
Expert Witness Experience
Dr. Gabbay has provided expert testimony in courts across the United States, working on cases involving:
Asylum and Deportation: Offering detailed analyses of country conditions to demonstrate risks of persecution or harm.
Cultural Disputes: Explaining societal norms and practices to clarify misunderstandings in legal proceedings.
Human Rights Cases: Providing reports and testimony on violations, threats, and risks faced by individuals in specific cultural contexts.
His expert reports and courtroom testimony have been praised for their clarity, credibility, and depth, often playing a pivotal role in achieving successful outcomes for clients.
Global and Cultural Expertise
Dr. Gabbay’s work spans Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. He is deeply familiar with the cultural, political, and societal factors that influence legal cases, including:
Gender and Family Dynamics: Insights into practices like honor killings and gender-based violence.
Political Persecution: Analysis of risks faced by individuals opposing authoritarian regimes.
Religious and Cultural Norms: Context for how these shape societal expectations and individual behavior.
Whether you need expert testimony, a detailed country conditions report, or guidance on cultural dynamics, Dr. Gabbay is here to help.
Credentials & Resume
Education:
Post Doctorate, University of Chicago (1997)
Ph.D. Sociology, Columbia University (1995)
M.Phil., Columbia University (1994)
M.A. Sociology and Anthropology, Tel-Aviv University (1990)
B.A. Political Science and Economics, Bar-Ilan University (1986)
Visiting Professor:
University of Illinois, Chicago (1997)
Visiting Scholar:
Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago (1993)
Department of Sociology, University of Chicago (1993)
Professional Experience:
Director, Global Research Institute (2015 – Present)
Professor, Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver (2001 – 2015)
Senior Scholar, University of Denver (2010 – 2015)
Director, Institute for the Study of Israel in the Middle East, University of Denver (2001 – 2010)
Middle East Affairs Expert, 9News NBC Denver Affiliate (2008 – 2013)
World Affairs Expert, Fox31 Colorado (2006)
World Affairs Expert, CBS4 Colorado (2002 – 2004)
Middle East Expert, News4 Colorado (2001)
Visiting Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago (1997)
Visiting Scholar, Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago (1993)
Visiting Scholar, Department of Sociology, University of Chicago (1993)
Middle East Politics
Democratization in the Middle East and the Muslim World
Middle East, Terrorism and Homeland Security
Social Networks in Iraq
The Arab/Israeli Conflict
Politics among the Nations
The Role of NGOs in Conflict Resolution
Social Capital and Social Networks
News of the World
Beyond the Sound Bites
Organizational Structures and Processes
Organizational Intervention
Research Methods
Introduction to Sociology
The Strategy of Peacemaking – Contemporary Trends in Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process
Evaluation of Evidence
Research Methods
Institutional and Social Structure of Israel
Conference Presentations:
2026
"The Social Structure of Islam, Social Capital, and Democratic Dynamics in Syria"
International Conference on Social Sciences"The Social Structure of Islam and Democratic Dynamics in Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan"
Political Science Association Annual Conference (Florida)
2025
"Is Peace in Yemen Possible: From Social Capital to Social Liability"
International Conference on Political Science and International Relations (Florida)"A Social Structural Analysis for the Struggle for Peace in Yemen"
International Conference on Peace and Conflict Resolution (Denver)
2024
“Winds of Resentment: The Rise of Anti-US and Anti West Sentiments in Predominantly Muslim Societies – The Case of Somalia”
International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (Chicago)
2023
“A Social Structural Approach for Understanding Democracy Challenges in Kyrgyzstan”
International Conference on Multidisciplinary Social Studies (Denver)“A Social Structural Approach for Democratization Challenges in Turkey: The Case of Kurds”
International Conference on Political Sciences (Manchester, UK)“A Social Capital Approach for Democratization Challenges in Egypt”
International Conference on Social Science and Humanities (London)“Social Capital and Social Liability in Iraq”
International Conference on Economics and Social Science (Israel)
2022
“Islamophobia, Genocide, and the Violent Effects of Socio-political Exclusion of the Muslim Minority in India”
Midwest Political Science Association“The Social Structure of Iran and Human Rights Violations”
4th World Conference on Social Science (Oxford, UK)“Marrying the Kafir: U.S. Asylum and Interfaith Couples as a Persecuted Social Group in Iraq”
Western Social Science Association“Where Should We Send You? Stateless Palestinians, Deportation, and U.S. Asylum”
Midwest Political Science Association
2021
“The Effect of Bangladeshi Social Structure on Democratization Process – A Social Network Approach”
International Conference on Research in Social Sciences and Humanities (Amsterdam)“Honor Killings in Algeria: The Effect of the Hirak Movement”
International Conference on Research in Social Sciences and Humanities (London, UK)
2020
“A Social Network Approach for Explaining Challenges of Implementing Democracy in the Muslim World: The Case of Mauritania”
6th International Conference on Social Science & Humanities
2015
“Political and Terror Networks in Somalia – A Forensic Social Network Approach for Explaining Consistent Unrest”
International Conference on Forensic Research and Technology
2014
“Iran and the West: Building Trust Through Social Engineering”
6th International Conference (Qazvin, Iran)“Bullets and Ballots - Terrorist Networks and the Challenge of Democratization: A Comparative Study of the Middle East and Africa”
Hawaii International Conference on Social Science“Honor Killing in the Middle East and the Muslim World and Forensic Sociology: Family Narratives from Malaysia, Morocco, Jordan, Iran, Egypt, Turkey, and Pakistan”
International Conference on Forensic Research and Technology (San Antonio)“State Borders vs. Cultural Historical and Religious Social Networks: The Case of the Turkish Kurds”
Western Social Science Association (New Mexico)“Honor Killing in the Muslim World – From Social Capital to Social Liability”
Hawaii International Conference on Social Science“Muslims in Predominantly Christian Societies: A Comparative Study of Germany, The Netherlands, and Russia”
American Association of Behavioral and Social Sciences (Las Vegas)
2013
“The Arab Spring in Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen and the Potential Muslim Spring – A Social Networks Analysis of the Middle East and Its Effect on the Muslim World”
Hawaii International Conference on Social Science“Religiously Motivated Violence in North and West Africa (e.g., Egypt and Nigeria): A Forensic Sociology Perspective”
International Conference on Forensic Research and Technology (Las Vegas)
2012
“What Does the Past Tell Us About the Future of Syria and Egypt: A Social Structural Approach”
Hawaii International Conference on Social Science“The Changing Social Structure in Bangladesh – Minorities Within Minorities”
Hawaii International Conference on Social Science
2011
“Current Social Changes and the Effect of the Islamist Government in Contemporary Egypt, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates – Law or Social Networks?”
Hawaii International Conference on Social Science
2010
“Socio-Political Forces for Understanding Current Changes in Afghanistan and Their Effect on Internal Islamic Conservatism”
Hawaii International Conference on Social Science“Contemporary Pakistan: Social Challenges and the Rise of Talibanism”
Western Social Science Association
2009
“Socio-Political Forces for Understanding Current Changes in Afghanistan and Their Effect on Internal Islamic Conservatism”
Hawaii International Conference on Social Science
2008
“Gays from the Muslim World and Immigration to the United States”
Hawaii International Conference on Social Science“Networks of Terror: Lebanon 1980–2007”
Western Social Science Association“Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Immigration to the United States”
Western Social Science Association“Are Strong Ties Indeed Strong? The Case of Family Norms in Afghanistan and Pakistan”
Midwest Political Science Association
2007
“Christians in Predominantly Muslim Societies: A Comparative Study of Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, and Egypt”
Hawaii International Conference on Social Science“Muslim Norms and U.S. Asylum: The Case of Immigrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Iran”
Hawaii International Conference on Social Science“Honor Killing in Muslim Societies and Their Effect on Immigration to the U.S.: A Network Approach Using the Cases of Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, and Gulf States”
Hawaii International Conference on Social Science
2006
“Saudi Arabia Between Islamism and Arabism”
Association for Israel Studies Annual Conference“The Israeli/Palestinian Conflict and the Path to Peace: The Role of Religious Leadership”
Iliff Religious Leadership Conference (Denver)
2005
“The Paradigmatic Clash: Rationality and Ideology in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict”
Association for Israel Studies Annual Conference (Tucson, Arizona)
2004
“Rationality and Ideology: A Paradigmatic Analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict”
Hawaii International Conference on Social Science“The War in Iraq and the Internal Social Ramifications for the Middle East”
International Symposium on the Middle East (China)
2002
“Social Capital and Conflict Resolution – The Case of the Middle East”
International Conference on Middle East Issues (Havana, Cuba)“Social Capital in the Middle East Conflict”
Association for Israel Studies Annual Meeting (Vail, Colorado)
2001
“Networks of Terrorism”
Canadian Centre for Foreign Policy Development Roundtables on New Directions in U.S. Foreign Policy(Denver, Colorado)
Papers:
“Religious Minorities, Social Vulnerability, and Informal Religious Enforcement in Contemporary Egypt”
Advances in Social Sciences and Management (ASSM) (2026)“The Erosion of Consent: Protests and State Violence in Iran”
Journal of International Politics (JIP) (2026)“Social Capital and Social Liability in Nigeria: Honor Norms, Gender-Based Violence, and the Limits of Formal Protection”
International Journal of Humanities and Social Science (2026)“When Patronage Fails in Jordan: Vulnerabilities of Returnees in a Time of Crisis”
Journal of Political Science and International Relations, Vol. 8(4), pp. 257–262 (2025)“Social Capital and Social Liability in the Fight Against Terrorism: The Case of Pakistan”
Journal of Political Science and International Relations (JPSIR), Vol. 8, Issue 3, pp. 224–230 (2025)“Social Liability and the Unbroken Chains of Slavery in Mauritania”
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ), Vol. 12, No. 08 (2025)“When Protection Becomes Persecution: Social Liability, Identity, and Democratic Decline in India”
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ), Vol./No. 05 (2025)“Progress & Tradition: Challenges in Morocco and other Predominantly Muslim Nations”
Advances in Social Sciences and Management, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 70–78 (2025)“Palestinian Diaspora: Status and Rights in Middle East and African Countries”
Advances in Social Sciences Research Vol. 11, No. 10 (2024)“Forgotten Victims: Male Honor Killings in Muslim Societies”
Advances in Social Sciences and Management (ASSM) (2024)“The Critical Role of Researching Case Studies for Understanding Terrorism”
In Martine Herzog-Evans & Stephen J Morewitz (Eds.), Handbook of Understanding Terrorism (pp. 263–267). Springer (2024)“The Pendulum of Power: Tracing Turkey's Democratic Evolution and Authoritarian Drift”
European Journal of Applied Sciences Vol. 12(2), pp. 271–278 (2024)“Balancing Acts: Jordan’s Remarkable Stability Amidst Regional Conflict and Humanitarian Response”
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal Vol. 10, No. 11 (2023)“Crushed Under Authoritarian Rule: Islam, State Power, and Religious Persecution in Tajikistan”
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal Vol. 10, No. 8 (2023)“Caught in the Crossfire: Bangladesh's Erosion of Human Rights in the Battle Against Terrorism and Religious Extremism”
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) (2023)“Pakistan’s Intractable Corruption Provides Terror Groups Agency”
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal Vol. 10(4), pp. 390–396 (2023)“The Political Role of Apostasy Charges in the Muslim World: Part One”
The Official Newsletter of the Forensic Social Sciences Association Vol. 5, No. 1 (2023)“Kyrgyzstan at a Crossroads: Democracy and the Struggle for Human Rights”
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal Vol. 10, No. 12, pp. 296–302 (2023)“Iran’s Human Rights Record Continues Downward Trajectory”
International Journal of Social Science Studies (IJSS) Vol. 10, No. 4 (2022)“Political Corruption Cripples Mauritania’s Societal and Economic Development”
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research Vol. 10(2), pp. 205–209 (2022)“Yemen’s Human Rights Abuses Skyrocket Amidst Ongoing Chaos”
International Journal of Social Science Studies (IJSS) Vol. 9, No. 4 (2021)“Extremists’ Weaponization of the Internet in Bangladesh: A Threat to Rapid Development?”
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research Vol. 9(2), pp. 308–312 (2021)“Lebanon: Unraveling the Hezbollah Factor”
International Journal of Recent Research in Social Sciences and Humanities Vol. 8(2), pp. 12–19 (2021)“Algeria Unfinished: Honor Killings and Women’s Rights from the Black Decade to the Hirak Movement”
International Journal of Recent Research in Social Sciences and Humanities (2021)“Persecution of Minorities in Algeria: What Fuels the Maltreatment”
International Journal of Social Science Studies (IJSS) Vol. 9, No. 4 (2021)“Hereditary Slavery Shackles Mauritania”
International Journal of Social Science Studies Vol. 9 (2021)“India’s Muslims and Hindu Nationalism”
International Journal of Social Science Studies Vol. 8, No. 5 (2020)“Impact of Tribal Influence on Djibouti Society”
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research Vol. 8(3), pp. 11–17 (2020)“Turkey’s Human Rights Abuses Derail Candidacy to Become a Member of the European Union”
International Journal of Recent Advances in Multidisciplinary Research Vol. 6(4), pp. 1–7 (2019)“The Impact of External Military Intervention on the Syrian Civil War”
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research Vol. 7(2), pp. 56–62 (2019)“Human Rights in Sri Lanka”
Journal of Social Science Studies Vol. 5(3) (2018)“Socio-Political Conditions for Christians in Egypt”
European Scientific Journal (ESJ) Vol. 14(19) (2018)“The Treatment of Minorities in Kyrgyzstan: The Case of Uzbeks”
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research Vol. 6(1) (2018)“Existential Threats to Christians in Iraq”
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research Vol. 5(5) (2017)“Tribal Values and Norms in Mongolia and Their Effect on Women’s Status”
Journal of Social Science Vol. 3(5) (2015)“Networks, Social Capital, and Social Liability: The Case of Pakistani ISI, the Taliban, and the War Against Terrorism”
Social Networking Vol. 3, No. 5, pp. 220–229 (2014)“Social Membership and Historical Conflict: The Case of Bangladesh’s Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party”
International Journal of Recent Advances in Multidisciplinary Research Vol. 2(3) (2015)
Published analysis in media:
“So Far Much Better: Palestinians Find they are Steadily Making Progress” (2005)
“Threats to Take-Out Arafat Have Backfired on Israelis” (2003)
“Mapping peace: Unforeseeable consequence await region, world if Israelis, Palestinians can't strike a deal” (2002)
“Arafat, Sharon must act now for peace” (2001)
“Middle east in dire need of Powell plan” (2001)
“Gaza withdrawal: Heartbreaking – but Worth the Risk” (2005)
“How Israelis and Palestinians are Working Together” (2004)
Member of Editorial Scientific Journals:
International Journal of Forensic Social Science (Regional Editor for Middle East and South Asia, 2022 – Present)
Journal of Forensic Social Science (2018 – Present)
Israel Studies Forum (2004 – 2011)
Awarded Research Grants:
Social Science Foundation, U.S.A. (With Paul Olk)
The Netherlands-Israel Development Research Program (NIRP) (With M. S. Dajani, R. Th. A. Leenders, and S. Mishal)
Y. Apter Research Fund, Technion
The Hertzog Center for Regional Studies, Ben Gurion University (With Moshe Semyonov and Shaul Mishal)
Center for Human Resource Management, Chicago, Illinois (With John Walsh)
Faculty of Art and Science, Tel Aviv University
Sociology Department, Tel Aviv University
Honors and Awards:
Samuel and Ester August Academic Lectureship
Visiting Fellowship, University of Chicago
Korenhouse Grant, Columbia University
President's Fellow, Columbia University
Paul F. Lazarsfeld Fellow, Columbia University
Membership in Professional Associations:
Qualified Immigration Proceedings as Muslim-World Expert:
Within the U.S.:
Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, Washington
Outside the U.S.:
Canada, The Netherlands, Great Britain
Board Memberships:
Hidden Light Institute - Denver, Colorado (2025 - present)
Beit Midrash Hagadol - Denver, Colorado (2017 – 2023)
Jewish National Fund (2010 – 2016)
Mizel Museum - Denver, Colorado (2008 – 2012)
Stand-With-Us Colorado (Founding Chairman of the Board, 2010 – 2014)
Sister City International - Denver, Colorado (2010 – 2011)
Student Interfaith Peace Project, University of Denver (2009 – 2010)
Association for Israel Studies (2005 – 2008)
Congregation BMH-BJ - Denver, Colorado (Vice President, 2004 – 2005)
Rainbow Bridge - Denver, Colorado (Chairman of the Board, 2001)
