The afikra Podcast

4.9 (75)
Arts
Updated Biweekly

The afikra Podcast is our flagship series featuring experts from academia, art, media, urban planning and beyond, who are helping document and shape the histories and cultures of the Arab world through their ‎work. Our hope is that by having the guest share their expertise and story, the community walks away with a new‎found curiosity, and recommendations about new nerdy rabbit holes to dive into head first. ‎

4d ago

History of the British Raj in the Arabian Gulf | Prof. James Onley

Imperialism was a masterclass in maintaining the fiction of autonomy while quietly acquiring the assets of an empire. Professor James Onley, chair of Gulf and Arab Studies at the American University of Sharjah, dissects the sophisticated loopholes used by colonial powers to exert influence without the liabilities of formal control. This conversation highlights the deep-seated socioeconomic connections between India and the Gulf, a relationship far older than the modern state system. Dr. Onley provides a nuanced look at the collaborative nature of empire on the cheap, where local elites often navigated British protection to secure their own regional interests. From the arrival of Arab nationalism to the digital preservation of over two million archival pages in the Qatar Digital Library, this dialogue reveals the shifting layers of identity and power that have shaped the Arabian Peninsula. 0:00 Introduction 5:11 Distinctive Traits of British Presence in the Gulf 9:05 Millennia of Deep-seated Indo-Gulf Ties 13:17 Divergent Theories on Imperial Motivations 15:40 Indigenous Collaboration and the Native Agent Network 18:49 Transitioning from Formal Control to Security Guarantees 19:57 The Enduring Economic Gravity of India 23:01 Navigating the Administrative Hierarchies of Empire 24:45 Legal Fictions and the Optics ofinfluence 28:04 Shared sovereignty and empire on the Cheap 32:55 Friction and Resistance Across the Regional Map 36:40 Shifting Layers of Identity Before Nationalism 41:40 Reorienting from the Indian Ocean to the Arab World 54:36 Digital Preservation and the Democratizing of Archives James Onley is the Ahmed Seddiqi Chair in Gulf & Arab Studies and Professor of History. He specializes in the history and heritage of the Gulf region, the Gulf's historical connections with South Asia, archives and archival digitization, and digital humanities. He is Founding Editor of the Journal of Arabian Studies (est. 2011). Before joining AUS, he was Director of Historical Research at Qatar National Library, responsible for digitizing historical records for the Qatar Digital Library (www.QDL.qa), and Director of the Centre for Gulf Studies at the University of Exeter. Connect with James Onley 👉 https://instagram.com/@james_onley Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gbFOLLOW & 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/1014643869THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=sharedABOUT AFIKRAafikra | 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

1 hr
Jun 22

How Egypt Used Theater to Fight British Occupation | Prof. Carmen Gitre

Theatrical stages often mirror the intricate evolution of the societies that build them. Professor Carmen Gitre explores the burgeoning performance culture of Cairo between 1867 and 1930. This era witnessed a shift from street storytelling and shadow plays to formal theater houses designed for an emerging class of Western-educated intellectuals. The discussion traverses the grand spectacle of the Suez Canal’s opening to the subversive nationalist songs of performers like Mounira al-Mahdiyya. Through this historical lens, the stage appears as a critical site for negotiating modernity, colonial influence, and Egyptian identity. 00:00 Introduction 01:28 The Evolution of Performance 03:56 Commissioning an Operatic Staple for a Global Stage 07:35 Street Storytelling & the Shadows of Earlier Traditions 12:02 Urban Redesign Mirroring a Parisian Vision of Modernity 18:46 Defensive Developmentalism & the Weight of Sovereign Debt 27:21 Syrian Practitioners & the Burgeoning Role of the Press 32:31 Efendi vs. Basha 39:01 Vernacular Choices for an Elevated Public Education 44:31 Satirical Observations through a Modernist Lens 51:14 The nuances of the women's movement 57:04 Disembodied Voices in the Era of Early Recording 58:00 Performances Spilling into the Nationalist Fervor of 1919 01:03:02 Cinematic Transitions and Legacies for the Everyman Carmen Gitre is an Associate Professor of Middle East History and Associate Chair of History at Virginia Tech University. She earned her Ph.D. at Rutgers University in 2011. From 2011 to 2014, she taught in the International Studies and History Departments at Seattle University. Her academic interests include cultural history, imperialism, and the relationship between performance, identity, and modernity in Egypt. Her book, Acting Egyptian: Theater, Identity, and Political Culture in Cairo, 1867-1930, was published by the University of Texas Press in 2019. Other publications include 'The Dramatic Middle East: Performance as History in Egypt and Beyond,' and 'Nonsense and Morality: Comedy in Interwar Egypt.' Her current work delves more deeply into interwar art, performance, and cultural influence in Egypt. Connect with Carmen Gitre 👉 https://liberalarts.vt.edu/departments-and-schools/department-of-history/faculty/carmen-gitre.html Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gbFOLLOW & 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/1014643869THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=sharedABOUT AFIKRAafikra | 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

1h 6m
Jun 15

The Legacy of Science & Faith in the Arab Muslim World | Prof. Nidhal Guessoum

For centuries, the Arab and Muslim worlds led humanity in scientific discovery, establishing a culture where faith served as an inspiration rather than an obstacle to empirical research. The conversation with astrophysicist Dr. Nidhal Guessoum explores that profound intellectual legacy, from the systematization of algebra and breakthroughs in optics to the creation of the world's first dedicated astronomical observatories. Dr. Guessoum bridges the gap between this historical Golden Age and the challenges facing modern science education in the region. He addresses the perceived friction between contemporary scientific theories, such as evolution and cosmology, and religious tradition, advocating for a complementary framework that distinguishes the how of the physical world from the why of human meaning. By befriending modern science and returning it to a central place in culture, the discussion outlines a path for a qualitative new renaissance in Arab and Muslim scientific production. 0:00 Introduction 1:39 Diagnosing Science Education in the Arab World 4:07 Quantitative Growth vs Qualitative Challenges 8:41 The Importance of the Scientific Process 10:20 Reconciling Islam and Science 11:59 Understanding the Nature of Science and Religion 13:17 Inspiration from Historical Figures 15:22 Navigating Friction in Evolution and Cosmology 20:51 The Harmonization of Reason and Revelation 22:24 Distinguishing the How from the Why 23:58 The Role of the Human Subject in Science and Faith 25:58 Secular Ethics and the Islamic Intellectual Tradition 29:21 The Peak and Decline of Arab Muslim Scientific Production 30:33 Major Contributions: Algebra, Optics, and Medicine 34:55 History of Astronomical Observatories 38:38 Stagnation vs the European Scientific Revolution 45:51 Prospect of a New Arab Scientific Renaissance 49:30 Measuring Scientific Productivity 52:15 Befriending Modern Science for the Youth 57:31 Recommendations for Life-Long Learning Nidhal Guessoum is an Algerian astrophysicist and Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the American University of Sharjah, UAE. He received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California at San Diego, and spent two years as a post-doctoral researcher at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. His research spans gamma-ray astrophysics, positron-electron annihilation, gamma-ray bursts, and crescent visibility and the Islamic calendar. He has published many articles and several books on science, education, and Islam, including Islam's Quantum Question (IB Tauris, 2011) and The Young Muslim's Guide to Modern Science. He has lectured at Cambridge, Oxford, Cornell, and Wisconsin-Madison, and has appeared on Al-Jazeera, BBC, NPR, France 2, and Le Monde. In 2020, he was named among the Top 100 most influential leaders in space exploration by Richtopia, and in 2018 was ranked 22nd among top Arab thought leaders by the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute. Connect with Nidhal Guessoum 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@NidhalG Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gbFOLLOW & 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/1014643869THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=sharedABOUT AFIKRAafikra | 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

1h 1m
Jun 8

Masculine Aesthetics & Sports in the Ottoman Empire | Professor Murat Yildiz

Modern sports did not just change how people played; they fundamentally rewired how they lived, looked, and identified within a rapidly transforming world. The conversation with Murat Yildiz, an assosciate professor of history at Skidmore College, explores the high-stakes intersection of physical culture, social status, and the 19th-century quest for a new global aesthetic. Elite educational and military institutions utilized gymnastics and disciplined exercise to mold an upwardly mobile generation, using sports to reconfigure traditional social hierarchies. Meanwhile, the rise of photography helped normalize and spread a uniform corporal aesthetic, allowing young men from diverse backgrounds to adopt a standardized look of proper modern masculinity. Tracing a vibrant athletic awakening, the discussion follows how sporting culture rippled across urban centers, from Istanbul to Cairo, Beirut, and Jerusalem, signaling a deeper transformation in community, selfhood, and the shift from indigenous traditions to professionalized international play. 0:00 Introduction 1:39 Misconceptions of Athletics and Modernity 4:07 Professionalism vs. Amateurism in Regional Sporting Culture 8:41 Sports as a Tool for Capturing Urban Diversity 9:17 Educational Reformers and the Significance of Gymnastics 12:47 Sports as a New Modern Technology 18:53 Photography and the Global Corporal Aesthetic 21:56 Visual Normalization of Ethnic and Religious Identities 23:14 Sports and the Creation of New Militaries 26:13 Reconfiguring Class Hierarchies in Elite Schools 30:41 Spreading Western Sports: From Baseball to Soccer 32:21 Tension with Indigenous Traditions: The Case of Wrestling 36:40 Gendering the Ottoman World of Sports 41:04 Tracing the Regional Sports Nahda beyond the Capital 48:07 History as a Creative Conversation with the Past 52:02 Al Abtal Magazine and the Egyptian Physical Culture 56:53 Further Recommendations: Football, Books, and Film 1:01:56 Future Directions for Archival Research Murat C. Yildiz is Associate Professor of History at Skidmore College. He specializes in the cultural and social history of the modern Middle East. In particular, his research examines the intersections of sports, identity, the body, gender, and intercommunality in the late Ottoman Empire. His book, "The Ottoman World of Sports: Refashioning Bodies, Men, and Communities in Late Imperial Istanbul" (The University of Texas Press), examines how Istanbul's Muslim, Christian, and Jewish denizens created a shared sports culture during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He is an assistant editor for the Arab Studies Journal and serves as an editorial board member of the International Journal of the History of Sport. He received his Ph.D. in History from the University of California, Los Angeles and served as a Manoogian Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of History at the University of Michigan. Connect with Murat C. Yildiz 👉 https://instagram.com/abu.sami.ali Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gbFOLLOW & 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/1014643869THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=sharedABOUT AFIKRAafikra | 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

1h 4m
Jun 1

Tobacco, Soap, Beer & Cars: 100 Years of Egyptian Print Advertising | Professor Bahia Shehab

Egyptian print media has historically functioned as a cultural barometer, shifting from the early official bulletins of the 20th century into a relentless and aggressive form of capitalism on steroids. Professor Bahia Shehab discusses her book, "A Trade in Dreams: A Century of Egyptian Print Advertising", unpacking how visual culture has been both a witness to and a victim of political upheaval. Her research illuminates a century where advertising functioned as legalized psychological operations, deeply embedded in the daily life of Cairo. By dissecting the visual language of the past, she provides a necessary framework for understanding the mono-culture and flattening of aesthetic diversity in the modern era. 00:00 Introduction 01:32 Invention of the Egyptian Press 04:00 The Business Model of Early Advertising 05:50 Motivations for Researching Advertising History 08:20 Discoveries in Beauty Standards and Race 09:55 Sequential Chronology and Political Tectonic Shifts 12:13 Napoleon, Egyptomania, and Early Visual Communication 17:14 1920s–1940s: Agriculture and the Tobacco Export Industry 20:00 Professionalization and Multinational Ad Agencies 22:31 Hybrid Aesthetics: International vs. Local Design 27:21 The Nasser Era: Socialism and Nationalized Media 30:57 The Sadat Era: Peace Treaties and the Open Door Policy 32:33 Influential Figures and the Silencing of Female Voices 37:01 Domination of the Soap Industry 48:58 The 1940s: The Golden Age of Egyptian Advertising 57:04 Egypt’s Leading Role in Regional Advertising 59:08 Book Tour and Future Perspectives Bahia Shehab is a multidisciplinary artist, designer, political activist and historian whose work focuses on the interaction and intersection of modern identity and ancient cultural heritage. Her imaginative combination of calligraphy and Islamic art history produced cutting edge, beautiful, impactful street art during the Arab Spring and continues to inform her work as an educator and designer. Having always been concerned with identity and preserving cultural heritage, she investigates art history to reinterpret contemporary Arab politics, feminist discourse and social issues. Her culturally oriented work enables her to use history as a means to better understand the present and find solutions for the future. She believes that art may be employed for the purposes of social change and has explored this phenomenon through her artwork, which focuses on socially charged themes such as the Arab identity and women's rights. Her research is largely concerned with understanding the Arabic letters and has been preoccupied with Arabic calligraphy in much of her work. Her work has been displayed in exhibitions around the world and she has received several awards and recognition for her achievements. Connect with Bahia Shehab 👉 https://instagram.com/bahiashehab Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gbFOLLOW & 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/1014643869THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=sharedABOUT AFIKRAafikra | 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

1 hr
May 25

Memory & the Systematic Mending of Heritage | Dima Srouji

Palestinian architect and artist Dima Srouji explores the systematic displacement of Palestinian material culture and the liberation lab working to bring it home. For over a century, archaeology in Palestine has been weaponized, used as a tool for land grabs and the erasure of contemporary identity. From ancient glass vessels held in Western museums to human remains stored in university basements, the physical history of Palestine has been excavated, categorized, and displaced. Dima discusses her work in restitching these archives through art and collaboration. By working with multi-generational artisans like the Twam family, who still possess the ancient know-how of glassblowing, she creates ghost objects that challenge the colonial narrative of a dead past. 00:00 Introduction 01:32 Architectural Education & the Spiritual Connection to the Land 07:30 The Liberation Lab 09:47 Ghost Objects: Restitching Material Heritage Through Palestinian Glass 12:28 The History of Colonial Archaeological Excavations 15:44 Challenging Museum Narratives 18:03 The Twam Family Workshop: Four Generations of Glassblowing in Jaba 21:28 Ancient History of Levantine Glass Fabrication 25:50 The Weaponization of Archaeology 29:47 Sebastia vs. the City of David 32:32 Saving Sebastia: Experimental Film as an Exercise in Creative Diplomacy 36:01 Reclaiming the Displaced Material Culture of Gaza 39:34 Excavated Human Remains 42:36 Rituals of Return 44:01 The Restorative Power of Broken Glass 48:43 Rememberment: A Form of Restitution 50:24 The Archive of the Palestine Exploration Fund 56:00 Future Projects and the Cosmic Mediterranean Dima is an architect, artist, and researcher interested in the ground, objects, displacement, restitution, forgeries, and living archives. Dima leads the MA City Design studio focused on archaeological sites in Palestine as sites of urban struggle. Her practice explores the power of the ground, its strata, and its artefacts in revealing silenced narratives and embedded intergenerational memories. Dima holds an M.Arch from the Yale School of Architecture and a B. Arch (Hons) from Kingston School of Art. She founded Hollow Forms, a glass blowing project with the Twam family in Jaba’, Palestine in 2016. She will be Jameel Fellow at the Victoria & Albert Museum in 2022. Connect with Dima Srouji 👉 https://instagram.com/dimasrouji Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gbFOLLOW & 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/1014643869THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=sharedABOUT AFIKRAafikra | 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

59 min
May 18

The Weirdest Items in the Library of Congress | Muhannad Salhi

Rare artifacts within the vast archives of the Library of Congress (LOC) represent a shift in how our region's history is fundamentally understood. Moving beyond traditional nationalist timelines, Arab World specialist in the African and Middle East division at the LOC, Dr. Muhannad Salhi, explores the transition of diverse items in the library's "Near East" collection, from 3000-year-old economic receipts to unique cultural fragments, into autonomous objects of study that define a global narrative. Reclaiming these stories serves as a resistance against regional erasure and the invisibility often felt in the global cultural landscape. 0:00 Introduction 1:52 The "Near East" Section: Geographic and Linguistic Scope 3:02 The Library's Path 4:46 Overview of the Arabic Collection 5:20 The Library's Oldest Items 7:06 Digitization Efforts and Copyright Restrictions 9:10 The Purpose of the Library of Congress 13:24 Regional Context and Cultural Insight 16:00 A Public Resource and Supporting Global Scholarship 18:36 Overseas Offices and Book Dealers 19:17 A Typical Week with Rare Materials and Scholarly Research 22:11 The Oldest Piece of Islamic object in the Americas 25:00 Calligraphy Styles: From Kufi to South Asian and Persian Aesthetics 27:03 The Chinese Quran: A Unique Intersection of Cultures 28:03 The Dalail al-Khayrat and Mantle of the Prophet 31:55 Manuscripts from Gambia 33:24 Arabic Translations of Greek Medicine 35:45 A Unique Work on Petroleum 36:54 Astronomy and Astrology 39:53 Mapping the Region 44:42 Archiving Historic Newspapers and Pop Culture 48:42 Early Arabic Printing 52:10 The Jefferson Quran: Myth vs. Reality in Pop Culture 57:00 Arab-American Literature: Ameen Rihani's The Book of Khalid 58:20 Iraq's Most Wanted Deck of Cards 01:00:22 A Lost Letter from West Africa 01:02:15 Photography Archives 01:03:33 The Items That Got Away 01:06:08 What Policymakers Should Understand About the Region Muhannad Salhi is the Arab World Specialist in the African and Middle Eastern Division at the Library of Congress, where he covers the Arab world, North Africa, and Islam. He received his doctorate in history and his MAs in history and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago. He is the author of Palestine in the Evolution of Syrian Nationalism (1918-1920) as well as other book chapters, book reviews, and blogs. His interests include the Ancient Near East, Classical Islam, the Modern Middle East, and Islamic studies. Prior to coming to the Library of Congress, he taught courses on the Arab World and Islam at various colleges and universities in the Chicago area, including the University of Chicago and Governors State University. Connect with Muhannad Salhi 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/muhannad-salhi-09b20549/ Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gbFOLLOW & 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/1014643869THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=sharedABOUT AFIKRAafikra | 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

1h 9m
May 11

Invention of the Maghreb: Beyond the Native Colonial Gaze | Majid Hannoum

Beyond the Orientalist myth of being seductive, mysterious, and dangerous, what is the reality of Tangier? Professor of anthropology Majid Hannoum deconstructs the invention of the Maghreb and delves into the complex socioeconomic and racial fabric of contemporary Moroccan cities. He explores how colonial legacies continue to shape identity, from the very term "Maghreb" – which he argues did not exist in pre-colonial Arabic historiography in its current sense – to the phenomenology of color that influences modern social hierarchies in Tangier. 00:00 Introduction 01:50 The Colonial and Post-Colonial Invention of the Maghreb 03:31 Neighborhood Politics and Class Dynamics in Meknes, Morocco 06:12 Historical Evolution of Maghreb in Arabic Historiography 09:17 Deconstructing Orientalist Myths and the Seductive Image of Tangier 12:47 Historical European Gazes 18:03 Tangier in Pre-Colonial Times 19:41 Tangier in Fiction, Songs, and Folktales 23:41 Exploring Migration, Sexuality, and the City’s Unseen Sides 25:59 Socioeconomic Realities 30:23 Migration Patterns and the Phenomenology of Color in Moroccan Urbanism 32:59 The Native Colonial Gaze and Socioeconomic Racialization 39:46 Decolonizing Ibn Khaldun & Challenging the Myth of European Discovery 43:24 Translation Ideology 50:43 Discourse Analysis and the Radical Critique of Academic Categories 53:40 Scholarly Recommendations for Unlearning and Decolonizing Knowledge Majid Hannoum is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Kansas whose extensive research focuses on North Africa. Growing up in Meknes, Morocco, his personal history is rooted in the very urban and socioeconomic dynamics he explores in his academic work, such as the internal class and neighborhood hierarchies within Moroccan cities. His scholarship is deeply concerned with deconstructing colonial narratives and unlearning entrenched mindsets. Connect with Majid Hannoum 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/majid-hannoum-04661ab/ Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gbFOLLOW & 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/1014643869THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=sharedABOUT AFIKRAafikra | 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

59 min

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4.9

out of 5

75 Ratings

Hands down the podcast for any art and culture nerd

12/03/2025

Bonooooooooooo

Always interesting. Always quality.
Very informative

01/22/2021

Obnossious

Love the conversations with experts from the Arab world.
The perfect listen!

11/16/2020

mahakamel

Super informative and unique stories from around the Arab world!