Iraqi Scholar Finds Sanctuary at Stony Brook

By Rohma Abbas

It’s not often that a university plays a role in saving a professor’s life. This was the case, however, with Stony Brook University’s new visiting professor Dr. Donny George Youkhanna, an Iraqi. He was president of the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage and internationally known for recovering thousands of priceless relics for the National Museum of Baghdad.

Dr. George made a permanent mark on the world with his efforts to safeguard Iraq’s artifacts—specifically the 15,000 Mesopotamian pieces he recovered for the National Museum of Baghdad that date back to as much as 6,000 years. He also made the decision to shutter the Museum about a half a dozen times to prevent further post-war looting in opposition to the Ministry of Culture according to a press release issued by the university on Dec. 11.

Despite his efforts to preserve Mesopotamian relics and antiquities, Dr. George was met with fierce opposition from the Iraqi government because of his religious orientation as a Christian, according to Dr. Elizabeth Stone, a long-time friend. Dr. Stone, a distinguished professor of Anthropology, recognized this and sought to help. “I asked President Shirley Strum Kenny, ‘Could we be his parachute?’” she said.

Dr. Stone has known Dr. George for 20 years. She has visited Iraq a total of four times between May 2003 and March 2004, conducting field work and exploring an archeological project from 1990. Recently, she has championed a Stony Brook effort, funded by an $11 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development, to reverse the plight of Iraqi universities and libraries and to restore Iraqi higher education.

“He was always a bright light in the department of antiquities—just always smart. I watched him rise to the ranks,” Dr. Stone said admiringly, “He’s the real hope for the future.”

With Dr. Stone’s efforts, Dr. George came to Stony Brook in October 2003 to present a standing-room-only lecture on the conditions and problems that existed at the Iraq Museum. Dr. George’s other accomplishments include the conduction of field work at several Iraqi sites, including the Bekhma Dam project, Tel Al-Namel, Nineveh, and Umm Al-Aqarib. He was also the field director of the Babylon restoration project, and has authored two books on the architecture and stone industries of Tell Es-Sawaan.

In Iraq, Dr. George was in constant fear for his life. “Having a position in Iraq is a dangerous thing,” he said. “I changed my car everyday, I changed my route. I changed the times I drove. It was a hard situation because I would never know if I’d make it to the museum or not.”

In light of a tumultuous past in Iraq, Dr. George is very pleased with his appointment to faculty at Stony Brook. “It’s wonderful,” he said. “I’m among wonderful friends. It’s a wonderful life here with wonderful people.” He will begin teaching two courses next semester; one undergraduate course on the archeology of mesopotamia and a graduate course in the cultural heritage of iraq. He will also lecture at the Stony Brook Manhattan campus about the occupation of Iraq and the negative and positive consequences, which might be backed by the political science department.

Dr. George was grateful towards President Kenny and Dr. Stone. “I would love to thank President Kenny and Dr. Stone because they gave me an opportunity,” he said. “They provided me and my family a safe haven.”