College of Arts

On Sunday, June 1, 2025, the Department of English Language at the College of Arts discussed a master’s thesis titled “A Pragmatic Analysis of Defamation on Iraqi Social Media.” A portion of the discussion was attended by the Dean of the College, Professor Dr. Hatem Fahd Al-Taie, the Head of the Department, Dr. Saleh Abdullah Abdulrahman, and a number of faculty members from the college.

The thesis, submitted by Sana Atef Abdullah, a student in the Department of English Language, explored the phenomenon of defamation on Iraqi social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and X) from a pragmatic perspective. It analyzed the linguistic strategies employed in defamatory discourse, categorized user patterns, and emphasized the influential socio-cultural contexts of such discourse.

The study aimed to investigate how Iraqi social media users (public figures, anonymous accounts, and ordinary individuals) engage in defamation by violating Grice’s maxims and utilizing Culpeper’s impoliteness strategies. It also sought to identify the most prevalent rhetorical figures in defamatory statements.

Examinning gPanel:

• Professor Dr. Nashwan Mustafa Salih / University of Mosul / College of Arts / Chairman
• Assistant Professor Dr. Marwan Najeeb Tawfiq / University of Mosul / College of Arts / Member
• Assistant Professor Sana Sabih Othman / University of Mosul / College of Arts / Member
• Assistant Professor Dr. Ibaa Muthaffar Yahya / University of Mosul / College of Arts / Member and Supervisor