Ervand Abrahamian, Iranian expert and CUNY Distinguished Professor of History at Baruch College, will be the featured speaker at this year’s Endowed Lecture sponsored by Friends of History. The event will take place on Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 7:30 pm in Smith Memorial Student Union room 296/298 at Portland State University. A book signing session will immediately follow the lecture.

The Friends of History Endowed Lectures have developed into anticipated hallmarks of the year. Established in 1988 to bring nationally recognized experts in the field of History to the PSU campus, they give the community access to new scholars and scholarship, thus enabling PSU to sustain its characteristic as a "leading urban university." 2008 marks the 20th anniversary of these elucidating and thought-provoking lectures, and this year will be no exception. Abrahamian’s insight, rich with historical perspective, will capture Iran’s complexity, and instill a greater appreciation for the region.

Abrahamian will lecture on “The Crowd in the Iranian Revolution,” the 1970’s revolution that transformed Iran from a monarchy to an Islamic republic. The movement has been called "the third great revolution in history," after the French and Bolshevik revolutions.

Much of the lecture will be based on Abrahamian’s well-received book, Kohmeinism, which among other things, reveals how the Islamic Republic has systematically manipulated history through propaganda, and how the U.S. has interfered with the political upheaval.

Abrahamian is widely recognized for his expertise in the region, and is often referenced by prominent journalists worldwide for his insight. He is also well-known in the intellectual community for his sophisticated writing and depth. The leading Iranian authority has also taught at Princeton, New York University, and Oxford University. He received his B.A. and M.A. at Oxford University, and his Ph.D. at Columbia University.

Abrahamian has authored numerous critically acclaimed books on the political history of Iran, including Iran Between Two Revolutions, The Iranian Mojahedin, Tortured Confessions, and Inventing the Axis of Evil: The Truth About North Korea, Iran, and Syria. He was one of the three individuals (alongside Noam Chomsky and Nahid Mozaffari) to be interviewed in a recent publication, Targeting Iran.

Abrahamian is also acutely informed with Modern Iran and the outlooks for its future. During a brown-bag colloquium (at noon on Friday, April 18 in room 494, Cramer Hall) he will be discussing the tangled relationship between Iran and U.S. and prospects for war between the two nations. Abraham is particularly critical of the U.S.’s campaign of misinformation on and demonization of Iran. He subscribes to the view that a U.S.-led attack on Iran is indeed impeding.

Friends of History is also offering the opportunity to have an intimate dinner with Abrahamian, appropriately at a Middle Eastern venue for an enriching experience. The Endowed Lecture dinner, a ticketed event, will take place on April 18th, immediately preceding the Endowed Lecture. The Endowed Lecture and brown-bag colloquium is free and open to the public.

Friends of History is a non-profit organization that promotes excellence in the teaching and study of history within the History Department at PSU while increasing awareness of this community resource. For more information or to purchase tickets for the Endowed Lecture dinner, call the History Department at 503-725-3917.