Almanac – The Oxford Middle East Podcast Oxford University

Michael Willis joins Almanac to discuss his new book, Algeria: Politics and Society from the Dark Decade to the Hirak, recent developments in Tunisia and Morocco, and why studying the area “West of Cairo” is of critical importance to Middle East Studies. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

2022 is the 60th anniversary of the publication of Albert Hourani’s magnum opus Arabic Thought in the Liberal Age, 1798-1939. Matthew Smith and Charles Ough sit down with Professor Marilyn Booth, Professor Emeritus Paul Dresch (Albert’s last two DPhil Students), and Professor Eugene Rogan to discuss Albert Hourani the man, the scholar, and the advisor, and his impact on the field of Middle East Studies. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

An explanation and discussion of the modern history and recent political developments in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Piotr Schulkes, Guy Fiennes, and Matthew Smith highlight important topics such as Palestinian refugees, the royal family, and the politics of foreign intervention in the Kingdom.

The entire Almanac team gets together to discuss what they believe was the most important event in the region over the past year, something they are watching for in the region in 2022, and their favorite book on the Middle East. People featured: Piotr Schulkes, Guy Fiennes, Isabella Cibelli Du Terroil, Oliver Franks, Kalyani Nedungadi, Matthew Smith, Adam Abdalla

Piotr Schulkes, Adam Abdallah, and Kalyani Nedungadi discuss non-official ways in expressing dissent, comparing Morocco, Turkey, Egypt, and Palestine. They highlight the role of music and graffiti, and the unique position football ultras have in MENA culture.

Piotr Schulkes, Helna Murphy, Hajar Meddah, and Felix Walker discuss the recent development in the Western Sahara, caused by America’s recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the territory. They give an overview over the area’s history, the foreign actors involved, and what the future might hold