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Ismat Mehdi

Ismat Mehdi taught French and German in Osmania University and Arabic in EFLU, Hyderabad. She has lectured and written on the history and culture of India and the Middle East, Sufiism, Women in Islam, Mahatma Gandhi, and Hyderabad. She has been a Supervisor of the Arabic Service of  All India Radio, New Delhi, and Director of Maulana Azad Cultural Centre, Indian Embassy, Cairo. Her recent books include Abid Hasan Safrani:  Netaji’s Comrade in Arms (2023) and her memoir I Almost Wasn’t (2025). She is a recipient of the President of India’s award for scholarship in Arabic.