Hiding in Plain Sight | Thursday, Oct. 25th @ 5pm
Department: Global Middle East Studies
Date and Time: October 25, 2018 | 5:00 PM-6:30 PMEvent Location: HG 1030
Event Details
OMAR MOHAMMED is the Iraqi historian and citizen journalist behind Mosul Eye, a news blog that
reported on conditions in Islamic State-occupied Mosul. In one of most courageous and daring acts of
historical documentation since World War II, during the worst and most dangerous period of ISIS rule
in its "capital," Mohammed disguised himself and wandered the streets of his city to post updates on
life in Mosul on Facebook, Twitter, and Wordpress. The blog quickly became one of few reliable sources
on life in Occupied Mosul, helping journalists and scholars understand the atrocities committed by ISIS
ghters and the controversial process of retaking the city by the Iraqi government. The blog was targeted
by the Islamic State's security apparatus for its fearless and honest reporting, so Mohammed continued
to hide his identity out of concern for his safety until he was forced to see Mosul in 2015.
UCI historian MARK LEVINE, who himself did research in Iraqi during some of the worst periods of the
US Occupation and civil war, will open a conversation with Omar about Iraq since 2003, the unique,
mundane and murderous aspects of ISIS rule, the dangers and necessity of doing history in wartime,
and the role of the historian in an era of unprecedented and unreliable potential sources for news and
information. Audience members will be encouraged to join the presentation, which will be followed by
a reception.