Department of History Professor Thabit Abdullah is the creator and host of the podcast, Afaq fi Tarikh al-Iraq (Horizons in Iraq’s History). Each episode features an interview with a historian and covers various topics in the history of Iraq from the early medieval pre-Islamic period to the present. The podcast’s primary audience are Iraqis and the broader Arabic-speaking individuals, although some episodes will be available in both English and Arabic.
The first episode deals with the environmental history of the Tigris and Euphrates during the Ottoman period (1534-1918). Other episodes include topics such as the Jewish Community in the Early 20th Century, the Great Translation Movement in 10th Century Baghdad, Arab-Persian Cultural Dynamics in 6th Century al-Hira and the Security Services Under Saddam Hussein.
“In October 2019, waves of demonstrations spread throughout Iraq demanding democratic reforms, an end to corruption, and a firmer commitment to progressive patriotism.” Says Professor Abdullah. “At the time, one of the issues that many of the youthful leaders told me was their need to understand the history of their country in an objective manner. This podcast would not just serve to educate about the past (which is by itself important) but would also make a point of linking the past to contemporary debates.”
Afaq fi Tarikh al-Iraq podcast is now available to stream across YouTube, Spotify and Apple podcasts.
Thabit A.J. Abdullah was born and raised in Baghdad, Iraq. He received his PhD in history in 1992 from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He currently holds the position of Professor of History at York University. Prior to this he held positions of Assistant Professor and Director of the Middle East Studies Program at the American University in Cairo (1992-1996), Assistant Professor of History at Oklahoma State University, Associate Dean for External Affairs, and Chair of the Department of History at York University. His chief academic interests are medieval and early modern social and economic history of Iraq. He has also published on modern and contemporary Iraq. Among his publications are Arab and Islamic Studies: In Honor of Marsden Jones (Editor, AUC Press, 1997); Merchants, Mamluks and Murder: The Political Economy of Trade in 18th Century Basra (SUNY Press, 2000); Dictatorship, Imperialism and Chaos: Iraq Since 1989 (Zed Books, 2006); A Short History of Iraq: From 636 to the Present, 2nd edition (Pearson-Longman Books, 2010). In addition to English and Arabic, his books have been translated to several languages including Italian, Spanish and Chinese. Professor Abdullah is also active as a regular commentator in a number of television and radio programs in Iraq, Canada and the US.
Congratulations to Dr. Abdullah on this important project.
