Episodios
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Richard sits down with Joshua Benjamin and Elaria Essak of Coptic Orphans, a US-based advocacy and charity organization whose mission is to serve Coptic Christian orphans in Egypt. We discussed the history, legacy, and trials of Egypt’s Coptic Christians… and got a glimpse into the important work and impact of Coptic Orphans.
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Richard sits down with Mr. Thomas Abraham, a Lebanese-American business leader, philanthropist and humanitarian. Mr. Abraham also serves as Chairman of the Board at the Anthony R. Abraham Foundation, and Advisory Board Member at In Defense of Christians. Together, they discussed the Christian heritage of Lebanon, and got a glimpse into the important work and impact of the Anthony R. Abraham Foundation.
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IDC's Richard Ghazal sat down with Mr. Kaldo Ramzi, Director General of the Syriac Culture and Arts Directorate of the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq. Mr. Ramzi shared details on the background and mission of the Syriac Culture and Arts Directorate, and the Syriac Heritage Museum, and how they stand to preserve and develop the endangered Christian heritage of Iraq.
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IDC's Richard Ghazal sat down with Mr. Habib Afram, President of the Syriac League of Lebanon, and Secretary General of the Levantine Christian Congress to discuss the history and trials of Christians in Lebanon and the Levant. They also discussed Mr. Afram’s long career fighting for religious freedom, for Christians in the Middle East.
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IDC's Richard Ghazal sat down with Mr. Ano Abdulmaseeh Abdoka, Minister of Transportation and Communication in the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq. As the only Christian member of the KRG Cabinet, Mr. Abdoka provides a very unique and enlightening perspective on the situation of Christians in Iraq a decade following the ISIS Genocide. How has the situation of Christins in northern Iraq changed over the past decade, and what is their current situation?
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Richard Ghazal sits down with Bishop Gregory Mansour of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Saint Maron in Brooklyn, NY, Dr. George Kiraz of The Syriac Institute, and Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America to take a critical look back at the last century of the Mid-East Christian Diaspora in the USA, challenges and opportunities.
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Richard Ghazal sits down with Dr. Michael Wingert of Agora University, and Dr. Sofia Mutlu-Numansen of the University of Twente (Netherlands) to look beyond “Sayfo” (the Syriac Genocide). Over the last century, much has been written and discussed about the events of Sayfo itself. However, this conversation seeks to ask the next-level meta-questions that have presented themselves as a consequence of Sayfo in the diaspora a century later (including moral, psychological, philosophical, and national questions).
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Richard sits down with Bishop Gregory Mansour of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Saint Maron in Brooklyn, NY, and Ambassador Edward Gabriel, President of the American Task Force on Lebanon. They discussed Lebanon’s Christian character, its unique “message” bridging East and West, and the challenges it has faced historically, and continues to face.
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Richard and William sit down with Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America, and member of the In Defense of Christians Board of Advisors. They discussed the history and trials of the Armenian people, church and nation.
Just days after our conversation, in December 2022, Azerbaijan imposed an illegal blockade on the Lachin Corridor, a critical lifeline which sustains the Armenian Christians in the Republic of Artsakh (also known as Nagorno-Karabakh). As of the date of this recording, the blockade has been in place upwards of three months, and counting…and continues to inflict untold suffering on over 120,000 native Armenian Christians in Artsakh.
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Richard sits down with Bishop Gregory Mansour of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Saint Maron in Brooklyn, NY, and Professor Gene-Nicole Saint-Laurent, a professor of Syriac Studies and Early Christianity at Marquette University. They discussed the Early Church, the unique characteristics of Syriac Christianity, and the contributions and legacies of the early Church Fathers.
In the course of this conversation, Richard and his guests shared the hope to, one day, witness the cooperation and unification of the Syriac family of Churches. On Dec 16, 2022, one day after the recording of this conversation, Patriarch Aphrem II of the Syriac Orthodox Church hosted the patriarchs of the Syriac Catholic Church, the Syriac Maronite Church, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Chaldean Catholic Church in a historic meeting of the Patriarchs. This “Pan-Syriac conference” was the first meeting of its kind in over 1500 years. Following the meeting, the patriarchs issued a joint statement reflecting a shared purpose and commitment to the Syriac heritage and language.
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Richard sits down with former NBA star Enes Freedom. Enes is a former NBA basketball star, whose decade-long NBA career was spent with such teams as the Utah Jazz, New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics (just to name a few). But in addition to playing basketball, Enes is also an outspoken advocate for human rights. But, as you’ll find out, his advocacy didn’t come cheap.
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The Middle East is the birthplace of Christianity. The ancient Christian communities native to the Middle East have played a central role in shaping and enriching world civilization, but are persecuted and being pushed to the brink of extinction.
Who are these Christians? What can be done to interrupt this destructive historical course? And how can their rich legacy be preserved, invigorated, and shared with the world?
We’ll tackle these questions, and more, on “In the Middle: A Podcast on Christianity in the Middle East.” Join us as we tackle the tough questions and engage in candid, thought-provoking discussions with a roster full of interesting and engaging experts and activists.
In the Middle can be found on all major podcast platforms, and on YouTube, with new episodes dropping monthly. We look forward to having you join us In the Middle.
