Muataz Al-Ali is an aspiring scholar interested in International Relations and cultural studies and their relationship to contentious politics and political theory. After earning his B.A. in Politics and International Politics in 2020 at Mason, Muataz is doing a Master’s in Middle East and Islamic Studies and is projected to graduate in Fall 2021. Previously, Muataz worked at the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Washington D.C. for five years, where he performed in multiple positions during his professional tenure and worked his way up to becoming the Director of the Visa Office in 2016. Currently, Muataz is doing an internship-for-credit at the Ali Vural Ak Center for Global Islamic Studies.