ICM Spring 2021 Lecture Series

April 15, 2021 11:00 a.m.–12:15pm 

AHMAD SIKAINGA

Associate Professor, History, The Ohio State University

Scholars interested in the study of slavery in the Middle East have often lamented that the subject has received little attention within the region itself, particularly in the Arab world. Indeed, slavery has remained a sensitive subject in many Middle Eastern societies. However, during the past few decades, a significant body of literature in Arabic language has emerged. A few local academics, public intellectuals, writers, artists, and activists have written about various aspects of slavery and its legacy in the region, including the attitude of Islam towards slavery, abolition, and the experiences of certain categories of enslaved people such as eunuchs, enslaved women, slave soldiers, singers, and performers. The subject has also figured prominently in several literary and artistic works such as novels, film, and theatre. This presentation will shed light on some of these writings, the way in which academics and non-academics from the region have approached and engaged the subject, and the extent to which their perspectives would enhance and contribute to the current debate on slavery and its legacy in Middle Eastern societies.

BIO

Ahmad Sikainga is a history professor at the Ohio State University. His research deals with Africa and the Middle East, focusing on such topics as slavery, labor, urban history, and popular culture. His publications include: Slaves into Workers: Emancipation and Labor in Colonial Sudan (1996), City of Steel and Fire: A Social History of Atbara, Sudan's Railway Town, 1906-1984 (2002), and Africa and World II (2015). He is currently completing a book project on slavery, oil, and wage labor in the Gulf, with a focus on Qatar.