I am a published author, attorney and specialist in Arab and Islamic affairs. I work as an independent consultant. For more information about my work, see my professional website, KirkSowell.com. If you find this blog beneficial, please consider purchasing a copy of my book, The Arab World: An Illustrated History.

I intend this blog more as a research tool than as an outlet for commentary on the news; in some weeks I will only post on the Friday sermons, depending on time considerations. I suggest checking the categories for background on specific topics of interest. For a broader introduction to this blog and its subject matter, see my introductory post, Welcome to the Shrine Cities of Iraq.