Episodes

  • In this episode, produced in collaboration with the Qatar Foundation, Marc Owen Jones — Associate Professor of Media Analytics at Northwestern University Qatar — talks to us about this age of disinformation and how it manifests in the context of the Middle East. We discuss regulating social media platforms and try to understand what exactly disinformation is and where it came from. Touching on significant socio-political events such as the Arab uprisings of 2011, Professor Owen Jones reflects on the unique role that social media plays in the region. Referencing the dangers posed by monopolized social media platforms and data colonialism, we also talk about how the news industry is changing and what this means for historical records. Finally, the conversation moves to young people today and how they grapple with Ai, disinformation, false and new narratives, and orientalist perceptions of the Arab world.

    Marc Owen Jones is Associate Professor of Media Analytics at Northwestern University Qatar. He is the author of Digital Authoritarianism in the Middle East: Deception, Disinformation and Social Media.

    Connect with Marc 👉 https://www.instagram.com/marcowenjones/?hl=en

    Get his book 👉https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/digital-authoritarianism-in-the-middle-east/

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=shared

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

  • Tracy Chahwan's bold and vibrant posters have become a common fixture of Beirut's walls, and her colorful illustrations are known and loved by people across the Arab world and beyond. For this episode of the afikra podcast, she joined us in our Beirut-studio to reminisce on the early days of her career, and discuss key influences and what it means to remain authentic as an artist. Referencing her work for Beirut Groove Collective, Samandal, the Nib and ultimately publishing her own comic novel "Beirut Bloody Beirut", Tracy maps how her style has evolved over time. She talks about the difference between commissioned and personal work, what it takes to brand and market yourself as an artist, and how her relationship with Beirut has shifted and changed over the years.

    0:00 Introduction & Relationship to Beirut

    1:29 Does Beirut Need to Get Its S*** Together?

    5:12 Starting Out & Key Inspirations

    9:12 Self-Censorship & Comic Journalism

    14:54 Guantanamo & Current Projects

    18:36 How the Comics Landscape Has Changed

    24:56 Personal vs Commissioned Work

    33:10 Emerging Talent & Illustrators From the Arab World

    36:40 Beirut Bloody Beirut & How the City Has Changed

    42:04 Resource Recommendations

    44:38 The World of Comics

    Tracy Chahwan is a cartoonist and illustrator from Lebanon. She started her career in Beirut, producing street art and posters for local independent music venues like the Beirut Groove Collective, and working with the Samandal and Zeez comics collective publishing experimental comics and anthologies. In 2018, she published her first graphic novel "Beirut Bloody Beirut", a story of two girls lost in the Beiruti night. After the Lebanese revolution in October 2019, she turned to journalistic comics, contributing to books such as "Guantanamo Voices" and "Where to Marie? Stories of Feminisms in Lebanon".

    Connect with Tracy 👉 https://www.instagram.com/tracychahwan/

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

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  • What is the difference between being an artist and an entertainer? What are the nuances of conveying humour and comedy through art? In this conversation, multi-creative Raed Yassin gives us his take. From growing up in Beirut during the civil war and how this has impacted his work through to the story behind his "The Best of Sammy Clark" project from 2009, Yassin invites us behind the scenes of his creative practice. The conversation also touches on what it's like to work across disciplines and how being a creative has changed in the wake of October 7th and beyond.

    Raed Yassin is an artist and musician. He graduated from the theater department at the Institute of Fine Arts in Beirut in 2003, and since then has developed his conceptual practice through multiple mediums such as video, sound, photography, text, sculpture and performance. Yassin’s work often originates from an examination of his personal narratives and their position within a collective history, through the lens of consumer culture and mass production. He is also one of the organizers of the Irtijal Festival for Experimental Music (Beirut), and has released several solo music albums. In 2009, he founded his independent music label Annihaya. Raed currently lives between Berlin and Beirut.

    Connect with Raed 👉 https://www.instagram.com/raedyassinstudio/

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

  • What does it mean to decolonize our thinking? In this episode of the afikra podcast, we chat with Idriss Jebari, assistant professor at Trinity College Dublin, and discuss language, colonialism and 20th century North Africa. Tracking the transformation of North African countries through colonialism and independence, we learn about the ways that thinkers through the decades have approached decolonization.

    Dive deeper into this episode with Idriss' reading list of books about decolonization, nation-building and culture in North Africa 👉 https://www.afikra.com/daftarjournal/decolonization-nation-building-amp-culture-in-north-africa-a-reading-list

    This episode was recorded on June 7th 2024.

    Idriss Jebari is a lecturer in Middle East Studies at Trinity College Dublin. He is a historian of Arab thought and his upcoming book will address North African cultural and social history after its independence's from France, on the radical sixties and seventies, on collective memory in the Arab world. After completing his doctorate the history of production of critical thought in Morocco and Tunisia at the University of Oxford, he held a postdoctoral research fellowship at the American University of Beirut (Lebanon), and at Bowdoin College in Maine (USA).

    Connect with Idriss 👉 https://carnegieendowment.org/people/idriss-jebari?lang=en

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

  • Venetia Porter is an Honorary Research Fellow at the British Museum. Formerly Curator of Islamic and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art at the British Museum, her published titles include "Reflections: Contemporary Art of the Middle East and North Africa", "The Islamic World: A History in Objects", "Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam" and "Word Into Art: Artists of the Modern Middle East".

    Her mother, Thea Porter, known as the queen of 1960s Bohemian Chic, fused a love for Central Asian textiles with her personal experiences in Beirut working between Fashion & Interior Design. Her illustrious tapestry kaftans, Iraqi "Samawa" carpet coats, and antique chiffons saturated the pages of the era’s British Vogue. During the key decades of British boho-revival, beloved Porter designs were worn by the likes of Anita Pallenberg, Faye Dunaway, Lauren Hutton, the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd.

    Connect with Venetia 👉 https://www.instagram.com/venetia_porter/

    Thea Porter’s Scrapbook 👉 https://www.booksaboutart.co.uk/products/thea-porters-scrapbook

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

    #BohemianChic #TheaPorter #IslamicArt #Arab #ContemporaryArt #afikraPodcast #Beirut #Bloudan #Syria #Lebanon #ArabFashion

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

  • This episode of the afikra podcast was recorded on April 10th at 1pm Palestine Time

    Lorenzo Kamel teaches Global History and History of the Middle East and North Africa at the University of Turin. He has held teaching and research positions at Harvard University, the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, ‘Ain Shams University in Cairo, and a number of other universities in Europe and the Middle East. His most recent books are 'History Below the Global' (Routledge 2024) and 'The Middle from Empire to Sealed Identities' (Edinburgh UP 2020).

    Connect with Lorenzo 👉 https://twitter.com/lorenzokamel?lang=en

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

    #Palestinian #Palestine #PalestinianHistory #HistoryPodcast #afikraPodcastNetwork

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

  • A masterclass in philanthropy in the MENA region. Maysa Jalbout has founded many private and corporate foundations along with starting the Queen Rania Foundation and being the founding CEO of the Al Ghurair Foundation. With over 25 years of experience in philanthropy in the Arab world, she offers a clear introduction to philanthropy in the region, points out its limits, and how it's changing. Reflecting on education in particular, she tackles short vs long-term issues, the chronic inefficiencies of the current status quo, and why it's time to start investing in local, grassroots organizations. This afikra podcast conversation also looks at Gaza's literacy rate and education system. Finally, Maysa shares her worry about the growing chasm between the West and East, especially when it comes to philanthropy, and addresses social enterprises vs non-profits.

    Delve deeper into philanthropy in the Arab World with Maysa's recommendations for books and podcasts 👉 https://www.afikra.com/daftarjournal/maysajalbout

    This episode was recorded on May 3rd 2024.

    Maysa Jalbout is a global education advocate, philanthropy executive and impact advisor. She is an industry veteran and led the establishment of Al Ghurair Foundation, the Queen Rania Foundation and many other private and corporate foundations. A recognized leader in international development and philanthropy, Maysa has over 25 years of experience in building effective organizations, initiatives and innovative partnerships in Canada, the Middle East, and other territories.

    Connect with Maysa 👉 https://twitter.com/maysajalbout

    Listen to the Impact Room 👉https://open.spotify.com/show/4LJOSKamS6jZbCCVrAJI23?si=eccdb69003de48db

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-book-club/id1646400790

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4khpLDZ77PINLupT7xEIv7

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1044638525

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=shared

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

  • The history of North Africa is infinitely complex and barbed with post-colonial tensions. In this conversation, Professor Brahim El Guabli helps to shed light on this region's history through an Amazigh lens. He tells us about the violence of the word "Berber", Morocco's Years of Lead, and qualifying French as a colonial language or not. The episode touches on the Jewish population of Morocco, searching for "other archives" in which absent histories can be found and engaged with, and how to decolonize one's own mind and self through research.

    Discover more through Brahim's reading list 👉https://www.afikra.com/daftarjournal/north-african-history-through-an-amazigh-lens-resources-recommended-by-brahim-el-guabli

    Brahim El Guabli is the Chair and Associate Professor of Arabic Studies. He is interested in topics of Maghrebi and Middle Eastern literature, including trauma and memory, Saharan imaginations, Jews in Arabic literature and film, transitional justice processes, translation, current events, Marxist Leninist Movements, Afro-Arab solidarities, and decolonization movements. He is the co-founder and co-editor of Tamazgha Studies Journal.

    Connect with Brahim 👉https://twitter.com/sahraould

    Read more about his book Moroccan Other-Archives: History and Citizenship After State Violence 👉https://www.fordhampress.com/9781531501464/moroccan-other-archives/

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=shared

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

  • Life as a human rights attorney in Egypt. Tahrir Square in 2011. How protests transforms into revolutions. It's all in this episode of the afikra podcast with professor Atif Said from the University of Illinois Chicago. He talks about rule of Law, liberalism, and what revolutions really mean in the Arab world, challenging its common definitions in reference to (de)coloniality, and offering an understanding that sees "revolution" as a coming together of dreams and reality. Atif also speaks about the symbolism that Tahrir Square gained as a site of revolution, life, death and spectacle versus the realities on the ground. Finally, he touches on the role that digital technologies have in shaping society, advocacy and repression and what the future of revolution might look like.

    Atef Said is an associate professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, and a sociologist who's passionate about politics, revolutions and social change. His scholarship engages with the fields of sociological theory, political sociology, historical sociology, sociology of the Middle East, and global sociology. His book "Revolution Squared: Tahrir, Political Possibilities & Counterrevolution in Egypt" examines the 2011 Egyptian Revolution to trace the expansive range of liberatory possibilities and containment at the heart of every revolution.

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani

    Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna

    Follow and Rate The Afikra Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anghami, and YouTube

    The afikra Podcast is a part of The Afikra Podcast Network

    About afikra | عفكرة: We are a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. ⚡ Become a member today.

    #Egypt #EgyptianRevolution #TahrirSquare #Egypt2011 #ArabSpring

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

  • Architect, researcher, and associate professor at Zayed University, Roberto Fabbri, joined us on the afikra podcast to talk about Kuwait’s architectural transformation between 1949 and 1989 which he co-wrote a book about (with Sara Saragoça Soares and Ricardo Camacho) titled “Modern Architecture Kuwait 1949 - 1989”. In this deep dive into Kuwait’s architecture, Roberto contrasts “old Kuwait” and “new Kuwait”, maps out the modernist period in its context, and highlights the role of consumerism and obsolescence in how cities in the Gulf are understood. He points to a “cycle of demolition” for why cities such as Kuwait are unable to stratify or become preserved build environments that capture the memories of its inhabitants. Finally, we discuss the environmental impact of demolition and what we can learn from the story of Kuwait.


    Read more about the architectural history of Kuwait's Skyline 👉 https://www.afikra.com/daftarjournal/kuwait-architecture And check out Roberto's recommendations for books to read about architecture in the Gulf 👉 https://www.afikra.com/daftarjournal/architecture-gulf

    Roberto Fabbri is an architect, researcher, and associate professor at Zayed University, College of Arts and Creative Enterprises (UAE). His research interest engages with the notion of narrative spaces, reading the role of heritage and architecture in the definition of processes such as modernization, identity-making, knowledge exchange and establishment of traditions. With an emphasis on the Middle East and the Gulf, Roberto’s research embraces 20th-century architecture and its potential reuse as well as cultural spaces (museums and exhibitions) in the Global South. He co-authored the double-volume “Modern Architecture Kuwait 1949 - 1989” with Sara Saragoça Soares and Ricardo Camacho.

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani

    Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna

    Follow and Rate The Afikra Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anghami, and YouTube

    The afikra Podcast is a part of The Afikra Podcast Network

    About afikra | عفكرة: We are a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. ⚡ Become a member today.

    #Kuwait #Architecture #ArchitecturalHistory #TheGulf #Modernism

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

  • In this episode of the afikra podcast, Professor Michael Christoper Low – director of the Middle East Center at The University of Utah – explains how Mecca and its burgeoning influx of pilgrims from around the world — transported by the recently invented steamships — became ground zero for cholera. He maps out how this situated the Hejaz within broader colonial interests. We reflect on perceptions and understandings of Mecca — placing it in a "trans-imperial" space — and Michael underscores that to understand the Arabian Peninsula we need to go beyond studying the Middle East and include the Indian Ocean and British Empire.

    Michael Christopher Low received his PhD from Columbia University in 2015. He is the director of the University of Utah's Middle East Center and his primary research and teaching interests include the Ottoman Empire, the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian Ocean world, and environmental history. He is the author of Imperial Mecca: Ottoman Arabia and the Indian Ocean Hajj (Columbia University Press, 2020) which in 2021 won the Middle East Studies Association’s Albert Hourani Book Award.

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani

    Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna

    Follow and Rate The Afikra Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anghami, and YouTube

    The afikra Podcast is a part of The Afikra Podcast Network

    About afikra | عفكرة: We are a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. ⚡ Become a member today.

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

  • In this Ehkili episode with Zahra Hankir we discuss her book "Eyeliner: A Cultural History", the cultural significance of eyeliner, and the process of putting together an intersectional and cross-cultural study of its history. Zahra highlights eyeliner’s role as a cultural artifact, its use for protective, aesthetic and religious purposes, and how her book tries to decolonize the misunderstandings of the Arab world by centering its cultures and histories. We also touch on cultural preservation and erasure, particularly in the context of what is happening in Palestine.

    This episode was recorded on March 27th, 2024.

    Zahra Hankir is a Lebanese-British journalist, editor and author. She was awarded a Jack R. Howard Fellowship to attend the Columbia Journalism School and holds degrees in politics and Middle Eastern studies. Her first book "Our Women on the Ground" was a bestseller and won the Susan Koppelman award for best anthology in feminist studies. This second book "Eyeliner: A Cultural History" was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ pick and had starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal.

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani

    Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna

    Follow and Rate The Ehkili Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anghami, and YouTube

    The Ehkili Podcast is a part of The Afikra Podcast Network

    About afikra | عفكرة: We are a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. ⚡ Become a member today.

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

  • M'hamed Oualdi – professor of history at Paris' Sciences Po University – joins us on the afikra podcast to delve into the often obscured and forgotten history of slavery in North Africa. Starting with his book "A Slave Between Empires: A Transimperial History of North Africa", he talks about why there's a pointed absence of awareness around the Arab world's own history of slavery, and details the history of slavery in Mamluk Tunisia and Egypt, the role of nationalism in erasing this period, and the position of anti-black racism in fueling the North African trade.

    M’hamed Oualdi is full professor of history at Sciences Po-Paris. He is a historian of Early Modern and Modern North Africa trained in Arabic at Inalco-Paris and in history at the Sorbonne University (Paris 1-Panthéon Sorbonne) from which he obtained his PhD in 2008. Prior to joining the faculty at Sciences Po, he was associate professor at Princeton University (2013-2019) and maître de conferences at Inalco-Paris (2010-2013). His research has centered on two main topics: slavery and its social impacts on Ottoman Tunisia and the many effects of transitioning from the Ottoman rule to a French colonial domination in North African societies.

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani

    Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna

    Follow and Rate The Afikra Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anghami, and YouTube

    The afikra Podcast is a part of The Afikra Podcast Network

    About afikra | عفكرة: We are a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. ⚡ Become a member today.

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

  • In this episode of the afikra podcast, we tackle the alternative histories of Beirut, planning cities that put communities first, and rethinking public spaces. Mona Fawaz — co-founder of Beirut Urban Lab and professor of Urban Studies and Planning at the American University of Beirut (AUB) — tells us about her research into Lebanon's temporary settlements, unearthing alternative histories of Beirut, and why the city still goes by its masterplan from the 50s which puts cars first. She explains the intricacies of urban studies, what "planning" as a profession actually means, and why she considers Beirut to be a "hijacked city". Finally, Mona tells us about the fascinating work and research that Beirut Urban Lab is doing and the visions she has for the future of this city.

    Mona Fawaz is a Professor in Urban Studies and Planning at the American University of Beirut (AUB). She is also the co-founder of the Beirut Urban Lab at AUB, and serves as the director of the Social Justice and the City research program at the Issam Fares Institute of Public Policy (also at AUB). Mona was a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Studies at Harvard University during the 2014/15 academic year and in Summer 2017.

    Beirut Urban Lab is a collaborative and interdisciplinary research space. It produces scholarship on urbanization by documenting and analyzing ongoing transformation processes in Lebanon and its region's natural and built environments. It intervenes as an interlocutor and contributor to academic debates about historical and contemporary urbanization from its position in the Global South.

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani

    Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna

    Follow and Rate The Afikra Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anghami, and YouTube

    The afikra Podcast is a part of The Afikra Podcast Network

    About afikra | عفكرة: We are a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. ⚡ Become a member today.

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

  • Read about Bahrain's Dilmun Mounds 👉 https://www.afikra.com/daftarjournal/dilmun-mounds

    Civil Architecture is a cultural practice pre-occupied with the making of buildings and books about them. Civil's work asks what it means to produce architecture in a decidedly un-civil time, presenting a new civic character for a global condition. Since its founding by Hamed Bukhamseen and Ali Ismail Karimi, the practice has attracted a strong following for its provocative works and its offer of an alternate future for a nascent Middle East.

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani

    Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna

    Follow and Rate The Afikra Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anghami, and YouTube

    The afikra Podcast is a part of The Afikra Podcast Network

    About afikra | عفكرة: We are a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. ⚡ Become a member today.

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

  • Rajat Malhotra — partner at Sole DXB: Dubai's annual footwear, music, art and lifestyle festival — comes on the afikra podcast to talk about bringing street culture to his home city. He shares what it was like starting the festival alongside his co-founders, reflects on his favorite acts from over the years, and what it's really like to curate an event of this scale. Rajat also reflects on Dubai's unique nature as a city that people of mixed heritage can easily make home, what Saudi Arabia's immense cultural investment might mean for Dubai's cultural eco-system, and whether political hip-hop can thrive in the Gulf.

    Rajat Malhotra is a partner of Sole DXB alongside Hussain Moloohbhoy and Joshua Cox.

    Sole DXB is an annual footwear, music, art, and lifestyle festival that takes place in the Dubai Design District in Dubai, UAE. It launched in 2011 as a modest gathering for sneaker enthusiasts and has since grown into a regional platform that brings global brands and performers to Dubai.

    afikra partnered with Sole DXB in December 2023 to facilitate and moderate some talks as part of the festival.

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani

    Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna

    Follow and Rate The Afikra Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anghami, and YouTube

    The afikra Podcast is a part of The Afikra Podcast Network

    About afikra | عفكرة: We are a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. ⚡ Become a member today.

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

  • Renowned professor of ethics, law and political thought and leading scholar of Islamic Legal Studies, Dr Wael Hallaq, joins us on this episode of the afikra podcast to discuss Sharia law, the modern state, Legal Orientalism, and the idea of a "stateless" yet still orderly world.

    Dr Hallaq deals with reductionist understandings of Sharia law, critiques modernism and the modern state, and breaks down the successes and shortcomings of Edward Said's Orientalism. We discuss the concept of Legal Orientalism, delve into the advanced complexities of Sharia law, and talk about his book "The Impossible State: Islam, Politics, and Modernity's Moral Predicament". Finally, Dr Hallaq talks passionately about what he calls the "bankrupt realities" we're facing in the modern era and calls the very states and systems that make up our world into question.

    Wael B. Hallaq is the Avalon Foundation Professor in the Humanities at Columbia University, where he has been teaching ethics, law, and political thought since 2009. He is considered a leading scholar of Islamic Legal Studies and Islamic Law. He has written several books including "The Impossible State: Islam, Politics, and Modernity's Moral Predicament" and "Restating Orientalism: A Critique of Modern Knowledge".

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani

    Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna

    Follow and Rate The Afikra Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anghami, and YouTube

    The afikra Podcast is a part of The Afikra Podcast Network

    About afikra | عفكرة: We are a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. ⚡ Become a member today.

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

  • Maysoon Zayid, Palestinian comedian, actress, graphic novel author and co-creator of the NY Arab-American Comedy Festival, joins us on the afikra podcast to talk all things comedy, Palestine, Arab-America, and advocating for the disabled community.

    Maysoon talks about how she grew up to be the confident, unapologetic, publicly Palestinian comedian we know and love today. She gives us an insight into the world of comedy: from testing new material, getting bored of making fun of Donald Trump, and being vilified as an Arab comedian in the United States. Finally, she tells us about her upcoming graphic novel "Shiny Misfits".

    Maysoon Zayid is a Palestinian comedian, actress, writer and disability advocate who was born and raised in New Jersey. She is the co-founder and co-executive producer of the New York Arab American Comedy Festival and The Muslim Funny Fest.

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani

    Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna

    Follow and Rate The Afikra Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anghami, and YouTube

    The afikra Podcast is a part of The Afikra Podcast Network

    About afikra | عفكرة: We are a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. ⚡ Become a member today.

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

  • The first of three live Design Doha podcast recordings features an interview with the Biennial's deputy director Fahad Al Obaidly. He takes us behind the scenes of Design Doha, breaks down what "Celebrating Regional Design Excellence" means in practice, and how the Biennial roots itself in locality. Fahad tells us about the strength of the design industry in the Arab World as well as his personal highlights from the Biennial.

    Fahad Al Obaidly is the Deputy Director of Design Doha, as well as a fashion designer, artist and filmmaker.

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani

    Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna

    Design Doha is a landmark biennale dedicated to creative innovation, here to foster the design culture of the MENA region, and create a space of design excellence in Qatar. It provides creatives and institutions with a space to showcase their designs and ideas. The biennale is committed to offering tangible and authentic solutions, showcasing the richness of MENA culture and creativity, while highlighting the exceptional design environment of Qatar on the global stage.

    Follow and Rate The Design Doha Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anghami, and YouTube

    The Design Doha Podcast is a part of The Afikra Podcast Network

    About afikra | عفكرة: We are a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. ⚡ Become a member today.

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

  • Marwan Kraidy, CEO and Dean of Northwestern Qatar and leading scholar of global communication and media, joins us on the afikra podcast to discuss media, truth, and journalism in the Arab world.

    This episode dives into the impact of mobile phones, reflects on whether social media is a force for good or not, and explores the notion of “socio-political maturity”. We discuss how the center of gravity for media in the Arab world has shifted to the Gulf and why the old adage “Cairo writes, Beirut publishes and Baghdad reads” no longer holds true. Finally, we talk about the business model for media in the Arab world right now and why Turkish TV series have seen such major success.

    Marwan M. Kraidy is dean and CEO of Northwestern in Qatar. He founded the Institute for Advanced Study in the Global South, which hosts multidisciplinary teams of faculty and students dedicated to evidence-based storytelling on the diverse histories, cultures, societies and media of the Global south. He is a scholar of global communication and an authority on Arab media, culture and politics.

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani

    Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna

    Follow and Rate The Afikra Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anghami, and YouTube

    The afikra Podcast is a part of The Afikra Podcast Network

    About afikra | عفكرة: We are a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. ⚡ Become a member today.

    Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

    Hosted by:

    Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

    FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

    » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

    » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

    » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra