We are very pleased to announce the latest issue of "Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective," a monthly on-line news magazine published by the Public History Initiative and eHistory in the History Department at The Ohio State University. You can find Origins at:

http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/origins/

The October 2007 issue is titled “Tradition vs Charisma: The Sunni Shi'i Divide in the Muslim World” by Stephen Dale. During the course of the war in Iraq, most Americans have become familiar with the terms 'Sunni' and 'Shia.' Few, however, have much sense of the historical origins of these two Islamic groups. In our second issue Professor Dale provides us with a primer.

The podcast of the October issue is located at:

http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/origins/podcasts.cfm

In each issue of Origins, an historian analyzes a particular current issue–political, cultural, or social–in a larger, deeper historical context. In addition to the analysis provided by each month’s feature, Origins will also include images, maps, graphs and other material to complement the essay.