New Academic Publication on History of Moroccan Sahara

A new academic book by Dr. Ismail Hamed Ismail Ali, Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at the Islamic University of Minnesota has been recently published by Manuscripts Publishing and Distribution in The Hague, Netherlands. The book, titled “The History of the Moroccan Sahara and the Question of Historical Rights up to the Colonial Era: A New Historical and Documentary Study,” has drawn notable media and cultural attention upon its release.

Across nineteen chapters, the author presents a documentary analysis tracing the history of the Moroccan Sahara from prehistoric times to the end of the colonial period, relying extensively on archives, historical documents, and manuscripts. The work seeks to reinforce Morocco’s historical rights over its southern territories.

The book has attracted significant media coverage. The Moroccan platform Al-Mizan featured a report discussing its academic contributions, while the news outlet Al-Balad highlighted it as a valuable research addition. Moreover, Atlantic Radio conducted an interview with the author, published on its Facebook page, in which he spoke about his research motivations, methodology, and the challenges he faced while preparing this work.

A signing ceremony was also held for the book, attended by academics, researchers, and those interested in Moroccan history and the Sahara issue. The event included discussions on the book’s themes and its importance as a research reference.

This publication reflects the strong scholarly presence of the Islamic University of Minnesota and affirms the ability of its academic leadership to contribute to the production of rigorous knowledge on sensitive historical issues.