Iqbal called Afghanistan “The Heart of Asia” because anything that happens there sends shock waves throughout the entire continent. Since 9/11 Afghanistan is watched warily from around the world, especially with regard to the Taliban and the specter of failed statehood looming. Yet, Afghanistan is loved dearly by its people and seemingly by all who visit there. Join us on February 3rd at 10am as we discuss Afghanistan, its people, and its past and present roles in the world. We will be live on Facebook/mesc.osu – or catch it later as a podcast. You will be able to find the episode here, or nearly anywhere you may listen to podcasts.

Dr. Alam Payind, Director of the Middle East Studies Center joins us. We discuss Minority Religious Groups in the Middle East, delving into the struggles different religious minorities have faced over the centuries until today. The Middle East is uniquely diverse as a crossroads of civilizations. Religious identity has played an important role in the power dynamics between the many different communities created by the many different traditions, cultures, and languages. Invaders, also, have played a central part in divisions and conflicts between religious communities. At the same time, communities withstand all of these situations and continue to practice their faith, even until today.

Join us next Wednesday at 10am ET for  Facebook live stream on the topic of Minority Religious Groups in the Middle East.  We will look at Sunni minorities in countries like Iraq, other minority sects within Islam, as well as religious groups with smaller populations within their countries. This topic relates to a recent webinar we hosted on the Alevi minority in Turkey, with professor Ayfer Karakaya-Stump that you can view on our MESC Outreach Youtube channel.

CC2.0 “The Friday of One Demand” by Al Jazeera English via Flickr

Live stream podcast on Wednesday!! Meet Professor and anthropologist, Dr. Joy McCorriston, and learn about what life was like thousands of years ago in the Arabian Peninsula. Hear about her experiences in #Yemen and #Oman doing #archeology.  Catch it live on Facebook at 10am on Wednesday: https://www.facebook.com/mesc.osu/videos/742558563339152

Map of the Middle East. via Picryl, CC0 https://picryl.com/media/middle-east-2

We did our first live stream on Facebook today! We will also continue to publishing the podcast via Spreaker and Youtube. “Who Are the Taliban” shed light on the Taliban’s origins, how they differ from the other well-known jihadists, the Mujaheddin, and what a pivotal role Pakistan plays in the region. Check it out!

Join us on our Facebook Page on Wednesday, Dec. 16 at 10 am U.S. East Coast Time as we discuss who the Taliban are, how they came to be, and what the current situation with U.S. -Taliban negotiations might portend. Dr. Payind, who is a native of Afghanistan and has been teaching about the region for many years, will offer his insights and share information about the Taliban you won’t find anywhere else. His combination of academic qualifications and life experience uniquely qualifies him to give the cultural, historical, and current social context for recent events. Dr. Payind has seen Afghanistan through many phases: under King Zahir Shah, President Dawud, the ten-year Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the Mujahiddin regime, followed by the Taliban regime, and the US-led invasion of Afghanistan, and subsequent Karzai government. Unlike most political scientists, he has fluency in the languages of the region he studies and literary competence, as well. Dr. Payind served in the Afghan government as the Director General of Cultural and Foreign Relations and was a professor at Kabul University before the Soviet invasion in 1979 forced him to seek refuge in the US. He remains a member of the faculty and offers classes whenever he visits Kabul.