Since the U.S. and several allies invaded Iraq in 2003 and deposed Saddam Hussein, the country has undergone a civil war, partial conquest by ISIS, and reunion. What did the 2018 parliamentary elections suggest about voters’ wishes for Iraq going forward? What are the major challenges for Iraq, and hopes of its people today? Dr. Muhamed Almaliky, a research fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University, joins us to discuss these issues, while Nicholas Ristaino, a high school teacher in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, explains approaches for cultivating an understanding of Iraq’s recent past and current events.
Guest Bios
Dr Muhamed Almaliky
Dr Muhamed Almaliky is a research fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University, where he teaches a seminar on the politics of health and lectures on Iraq. His research interests and journal publications focus on postwar democratization, economics, and security developments in Iraq.
Nicholas Ristaino
Nicholas Ristaino teaches Social Studies at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School in South Hamilton, Massachusetts.
Free Resources and Featured Books
Learn more about modern Iraq with these free online resources:
Project LookSharp’s lesson plan, “Media Constructions of the Middle East,” specifically Unit 3: War in Iraq: Whose Voice, Whose Story? (free registration required to access)
“Is there hope for Iraq?” by Muhamed H. Almaliky, The Cairo Review of Global Affairs
Brown University’s Costs of War project, which tracks and makes available via public website the human, economic, and politics costs of war in Iraq and Afghanistan
1001 Iraqi Thoughts – commentary on Iraq today by Iraqis
For historical context, we also recommend:
- The Modern History of Iraq (4th edition, 2017) by Phebe Marr and Ibrahim Al-Marashi
Episode Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Qatar Foundation International, which provided the seed funding and support to develop and launch this podcast and to produce this episode.
We are grateful to Muhamed Almaliky and Nicholas Ristaino for sharing their expertise and teaching strategies with our listeners.
Image Credits
“Proud Iraqi Women Vote in Nasiriyah,” by DVIDS, used under Creative Commons License Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0). The image has been cropped.
Featured Music
“Kim Arar,” by Wind of Anatolia, from the album Live at the 2014 Golden Festival, used with permission from Wind of Anatolia. The track has been excerpted and mixed with narrative.
“Our Names Engraved,” by Blue Dot Sessions, from the album Duck Lake, used under Creative Commons License Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). The track has been overlaid with narrative.
“Clay Pawn Shop,” by Blue Dot Sessions, from the album Castro, used under Creative Commons License Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). The track has been overlaid with narrative.
“Guinea,” by Blue Dot Sessions, from the album Little Rock, used under Creative Commons License Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). The track has been overlaid with narrative.
“The Basket,” by Blue Dot Sessions, from the album, The Balloonist, used under Creative Commons License Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). The track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Jog to the Water,” by Blue Dot Sessions, from the album Duck Lake, used under Creative Commons License Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). The track has been overlaid with narrative.
“So Go We,” by Blue Dot Sessions, from the album Duck Lake, used under Creative Commons License Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). The track has been overlaid with narrative.
“Slate Tracker,” by Blue Dot Sessions, from the album Glacier Quartet—Araby, used under Creative Commons License Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). The track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Jat Poure,” by Blue Dot Sessions, from the album The Sweet Hots, used under Creative Commons License Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). The track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.