Kreisky Forum Talks

The Long Road to Stability “How does a historian [ethnographer] write about violence [against  the history of his own city]? How can he make sense of violent acts, for  himself and for his readers, without compromising its sheer excess and  its meaning-defying core? How can he remain a scholarly observer when  the country of his birth is engulfed by terror?” These were the questions raised by Errol Valentine Daniel in his book  „Chapters in an Anthropography of Violence” on the work of Omar  Mohammed, the Iraqi historian and journalist behind Mosul Eye –  the anonymous news blog that reported on conditions in Mosul and the  atrocities carried out by ISIS during the group’s occupation of the  city. As one of the main sources of information on daily life in the city  under ISIS control, the Mosul Eye blog was a crucial resource for the  outside world. Since Mosul was liberated, Omar Mohammed continues to  work to support the revival of the city. His focus has now shifted to developing civil society, having  transformed Mosul Eye into a collective of citizen activists and a  global platform for the world to interact with and support the city’s  recovery. He will give an insight on the current situation and recent developments in Mosul and in Iraq. Omar Mohammed is a Mosuli historian and civil society practitioner. He  focuses his scholarly work on conceptual history and research dealing  with local historiographies and narratives, micro-histories and  Orientalism. Omar is a regular media commentator on Iraq, has an MA in  Middle East History from the University of Mosul, and was named 2013  Researcher of the Year by Iraq’s Ministry of Higher Education and  Scientific Research. His doctoral research in Europe explores history  and historians in 19th and 20th century Mosul. He was also a 2018 Yale  Greenberg World Fellow. Moderation: Gudrun Harrer, Author, senior editor Der Standard