Natasha Shahid

Natasha Shahid was born and raised in Pakistan, where she earned an MA in History with distinction and an MPhil in Asian Studies. She would like to describe herself as a historian of the medieval Middle East, along with her native South Asia, and her primary area of focus as the history of the early Nizārī Ismā'īlis - also known as the 'Order of the Assassins' - on which she has produced one thesis, an academic paper, as well as several newspaper features, so far. Natasha also has several years of teaching experience, along with a decade in journalism in which she wrote, edited, researched, and published extensively. 

At Columbia MEI, she has continued to explore the history of the early Nizārī Ismā'īlis, working with the famed Ilkhānid historical compilations, the Jāmi' al-Tawārīkh and the Zubdat al-Tawārīkh for her Islamic Studies MA thesis. Apart from these valuable texts, she is also exploring the material culture of the Nizārī Ismā'īlīs of Alamūt, with hopes of enhancing our understanding of this thus far largely misunderstood polity.

In addition to her primary area of interest, Natasha is also interested in Quranic hermeneutics, the place of outer space in Islamic scripture, and - being a mom of two - the ethics of parenting in Islam. She welcomes all interaction and discussion on these topics, and can be reached at her academia.edu profile, here.