Behnaz Mirzai

Prof. Dr. Behnaz Mirzai is a Full Professor of History at Brock University, Canada, and currently a Senior Guest Researcher at the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (June 2024–September 2025). Her research focuses on the history of the Middle East, particularly African slave communities, their cultural identity, and religious practices in Iran and the Indian Ocean region. She has conducted extensive fieldwork in Sistan and Baluchistan, Iran, producing influential documentaries like Afro-Iranian Lives and The African-Baluchi Trance Dance, the latter winning recognition at the Zanzibar International Film Festival.

Her academic credentials include a Ph.D. in History from York University (2004) and a career marked by groundbreaking publications, including A History of Slavery and Emancipation in Iran, 1800–1929, which was a finalist for the Canadian Historical Association’s Wallace K. Ferguson Prize. Her current project explores the cultural identity of Saharan and Indian Ocean communities.

Mirzai’s work bridges historical and anthropological methodologies, examining themes like slavery’s legacy, ethnic identity transformation, and the intersection of religion and culture. She has authored/co-edited multiple books and peer-reviewed articles, contributing significantly to diaspora studies and Middle Eastern history.

Her awards include film festival accolades and scholarly recognitions, reflecting her interdisciplinary impact. Mirzai’s research also extends to documentary filmmaking as a tool for cultural preservation and academic outreach, highlighting marginalized voices in global history.