Episode 10:

Teaching about Iraq, a State in Flux

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:

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.