The afikra Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

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The afikra Podcast

afikra

Arts

Education

Society & Culture

Frequency: 1 episode/4d. Total Eps: 491

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. ‎

Recent rankings

Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.

Apple Podcasts

🇫🇷 France - arts
22/07/2026
#99
🇩🇪 Germany - arts
17/07/2026
#100
🇬🇧 Great Britain - arts
02/07/2026
#77
🇩🇪 Germany - arts
26/05/2026
#97
🇫🇷 France - arts
06/04/2026
#86
🇫🇷 France - arts
05/04/2026
#81
🇫🇷 France - arts
04/04/2026
#85
🇫🇷 France - arts
21/12/2025
#97
🇫🇷 France - arts
14/06/2025
#83

Spotify

No recent rankings available

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

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http://afikra.com/podcasts
1048 shares
https://www.afikra.com/membership
1026 shares

RSS feed quality and score

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RSS feed quality

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Score global : 58%

Publication history

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Latest published episodes

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Samer Abboud | Syria's Political History From 1946

Episode 440

Monday, June 9, 2025 • Duration 01:04:46

Professor Samer Abboud from Villanova University is an expert on Syrian politics. He joins us to discuss the intricacies of Syria's political history from 1946 to the present, including the impact of French colonial rule, frequent coups, the United Arab Republic, the rise and governance of the Ba'ath Party, and the shift towards crony capitalism in the 2000s. Abboud shares insights on the lived experiences of Syrians through various political changes, the role of the military, and the economic philosophies underpinning different regimes. He also delves into the contemporary relevance of this history and offers a reading list for those interested in learning more about Syria.

00:00 Introduction

02:27 Overview of Syrian Political History

02:56 French Colonial Rule and Frequent Coups

08:21 United Arab Republic (UAR) and Its Impact

16:43 Ba'ath Party and the 1963 Coup

30:55 Brutality and Efficiency of the Regime

33:36 21st Century Syrian Politics

41:16 Role of Security Apparatus and Loyalty

47:38 Journalistic Perspectives on Syria

57:49 Recommended Readings and Films on Syria

Samer Abboud is Associate Professor of Global Interdisciplinary Studies at Villanova University and the author of Syria (Polity, 2018), a book that explores the outbreak and trajectory of the Syrian uprising. His research is broadly interested in warfare in Syria and the emergence of an illiberal post-conflict order in the country. He has recently published articles in journals such as Citizenship Studies, Peacebuilding, Middle East Policy, and The Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding that explore themes of illiberalism, post-conflict order, knowledge production, and Syrian reconstruction. His current research project is interested in the production of fear as a central mechanism of political rule prior to, and during, the period of the conflict, and how Syrians have differentially envisioned and acted upon this fear in cultural production. Samer sits on the Editorial Board of Security Dialogue and is a co-editor of Jadaliyya’s Syria page.

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

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The MENA's Pop Culture Landscape | With Editor-In-Chief of Dazed MENA Ahmad Swaid

Episode 439

Monday, June 2, 2025 • Duration 53:21

Previously Editor-in-Chief for GQ Middle East and currently for Dazed MENA, Ahmed Swaid has had an extensive career in media. He joins us to talk about his multicultural upbringing, from the UK, Syria and Lebanon, to Sierra Leone, and explores how his diverse background helps shape his unique vantage points in the media landscape. We discuss the challenges and insights of working in different media settings, the importance of representing various voices in the region, and Swaid's personal journey in creative industries. With engaging anecdotes and thoughtful reflections, this episode dives into the intricacies of cultural perspectives, identity, and the evolving content game in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

00:00 Introduction

00:33 Swaid's Multicultural Background

03:58 Early Influences and Pop Culture

09:08 Career Beginnings and Media Journey

12:02 Content Creation in Different Regions

16:53 Challenges in Media and Storytelling

24:11 Creativity in the Age of Chaos

31:43 Exploring the Meaning of "Dazed"

32:26 Cultural Significance and Global Reach

36:10 Casting and Featuring Diverse Talent

39:00 Challenges and Strategies in Media Representation

45:12 Pop Culture in the Arab World

52:56 Rapid Fire Questions

Ahmad Swaid is the founding Editor-in-Chief of Dazed MENA and previously EIC of GQ Middle East. He has led content for Dazed, AnOther Magazine, and Nowness, championing underrepresented voices and regional talent. Raised across London, Beirut, Freetown, and Aleppo, he brings a global perspective to his work, focusing on authentic storytelling from the Middle East and North Africa. He co-founded Creatives for Lebanon to support artists after the 2020 Beirut explosion and mentors young designers through the QASIMI RISING Talent Incubator.

Using Urban Fabrics Literally To Explore Layers That Shape Our World | Zé Tepedino at Quoz Arts Fest

Episode 430

Monday, March 17, 2025 • Duration 27:29

Brazilian artist Zé Tepedino tells his fascinating story of journeying from Rio to Dubai, his innovative public art residency, and the creative process behind his large-scale fabric installation. He shares his unique perspective on materials, their histories, and their transformation into art. Host Bayan Dahdah helps him delve into his childhood, inspirations, and his ritualistic approach to experiencing new cities, culminating in an engaging discussion about his exhibition Passion Fruit.

This special episode of The afikra Podcast was recorded on the Quoz Arts Fest stage at alserkal in Dubai in January, and is one in five episodes which will be published on this podcast or Quartertones. Make sure to check them out!

00:00 Introduction to the Artist and Fabric as a Medium
01:45 Zé Tepedino's Journey to Dubai
04:44 Childhood Inspirations and Early Artistic Influences
07:14 The Significance of Objects and Materials
13:35 The Creative Process and Studio Rituals
18:43 Experiencing and Adapting to Dubai
23:47 The Story Behind "Passion Fruit"
26:23 Closing Remarks

Zé Tepedino was born in 1990 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a contemporary artist renowned for his minimalist approach to abstract forms. He holds a bachelor's degree in Visual Communication from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (2017) and has further honed his craft under the mentorship of Charles Watson at Atelier Novo Mundo in 2016. His artistic practice is characterized by a deep engagement with his surroundings in Rio de Janeiro. He meticulously selects everyday materials and objects, transforming them through techniques such as sewing, painting, and sculpting. His work spans various mediums, including sculptures, installations, and performances, all reflecting a profound connection to Brazilian culture and traditions.

Connect with Ze 👉 https://www.instagram.com/zetepedino/

Quoz Arts Fest is a neighborhood festival by alserkal, where the freshest contemporary culture and creativity collide in one community event that welcomes young, old, families and pets. It features live performances, exhibitions, food trucks, pop-up shops plus a line-up of hands-on workshops, talks, and film screenings that aim to inspire. Artists transform the alserkal avenue's galleries and public spaces with immersive installations, and you get a close-up on them as well as rising musicians and DJs making waves through conversations on stage. Follow alserkal 👉 Explore Quoz Arts Fest 👉 Hosted by:

KIRSTEN SCHEID | Fantasmic Objects | Conversations

Episode 340

Monday, June 5, 2023 • Duration 01:00:25

In this episode of the afikra podcast, Professor Kirsten Scheid invites us into the world of Modern Art in Lebanon, and Lebanon through the lens of Modern Art.

We explore what art meant in the 1920s, before the establishment of the Lebanese state, how national imaginaries and identities were expressed through art, and the roles of artists during this era.

Kirsten Scheid is an associate professor of anthropology in the Department of Sociology, anthropology, and media studies, and an affiliated faculty in the fine arts and art history department at the American University of Beirut. Her research focuses on themes of the Anthropology of Art, Aesthetics, Art Historiography and Theory, and Modernization and Cosmopolitanism among others. Her book ‘Fantasmic Objects: Art & Sociality from Lebanon, 1920 - 1950’ explores modern art in Lebanon and modern Lebanon through art. Kirsten earned her Ph.D. in anthropology from Princeton University and her BA in Art History from Columbia University. Alongside her research, Kirsten also contributes actively to the art community through curation and exhibitions, as well as writing in art journals.

Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra

Edited by: Ramzi Ramman

Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/

About the afikra Conversations:

Follow

Youtube - (@afikra_) - -

UMAYYAH CABLE | Film, Activism & Palestine | Conversations

Episode 339

Wednesday, May 31, 2023 • Duration 01:08:09

In this episode, Ummayah Cable weaves together themes of art, media activism, politics, and the social aspects of cinema. Together, we explore the power of cinema and film as a mobilizing agent to catalyse wider conversations and societal discourse. We also untangle questions of categorizing films as 'Palestinian', Israel's Pink Washing, and compulsory Zionism. Ummayyah Cable is a Palestinian-American assistant professor of American Culture and Film, Television at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Their research and teaching interests span the fields of race and ethnic studies, film and media studies, anti-colonial studies, and queer theory. They are currently working on a book that looks at the history of Arab American media activism in the mobilization of Palestine solidarity politics in the US.

****** ABOUT THE SERIES ******

afikra Conversations is our flagship program featuring long-form interviews with experts from academia, art, ‎and media who are helping document and/or 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 still walks away with new ‎found curiosity - and maybe some good recommendations about new nerdy rabbit holes to dive into head first. ‎Following the interview there is a moderated town-hall style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp

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: » Anghami: THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: ABOUT 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 🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly ⚡ Become a member: 🔗 Instagram: 🔗 Facebook: 🔗 Twitter:

MALAKA GHARIB | Belonging, Divorce, & Summer in Egypt | Book Club

Episode 338

Monday, May 29, 2023 • Duration 01:01:42

In this episode of Book Club, Malika Gharib joins us to share her musings on what it means to be an artist, the symbiotic relationship between journalism and comics, as well as what the 'American Dream' truly means. She reflects on growing up as a first-generation Filipino Egyptian, her changing relationship with her heritage, and how she uses her work as a medium to grapple with questions of identity, family, and lived experience. Malika Ghareeb, is a journalist, cartoonist, and graphic novelist. She's the artist and author of I Was Their American Dream which reflects on growing up first-generation Filipino-Egyptian, and which was the winner of the 2020 Arab American Book Award. By day Malika is the digital editor of the NPR podcast Life Kit. Her reporting work for NPR has been recognized with two Gracie Awards. Before joining NPR, she worked at the Malala Fund.

****** ABOUT THE SERIES ******

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: » Anghami: THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: ABOUT 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 🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly ⚡ Become a member: 🔗 Instagram: 🔗 Facebook: 🔗 Twitter:

JOHN BAKHOS | Progressive Metal | Quartertones

Episode 337

Wednesday, May 24, 2023 • Duration 58:33

John Bakhos talks about forming his metal band, Anuryzm, and the progression of its music throughout the years. In this Quartertones episode, John plays three songs: Cosmos, Neo Luddite, and Ruby Demon.

John Bakhos is a Lebanese musician, guitarist, and the founder of the progressive metal band Anuryzm. Born in Beirut, Bakhos started playing the guitar at a young age and was heavily influenced by bands such as Dream Theater, Metallica, and Iron Maiden.

Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra

Edited by: Ramzi Ramman

Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/

About Quartertones:

QuarterTones is a music show. It is an opportunity to listen to music, across genres, from musicians of and from the Arab world. This series is similar to NPR’s All Songs Considered that is focused on the Arab world. afikra will be inviting musicians of all genres, as well as music historians, to help better understand the music that they perform or study. In this series, the guests will be invited to talk about their work and play their music, whether live or recorded, in three segments. The series will host current musicians who play contemporary and modern, including alternative scene or hip-hop, electronic, classical music, among other genres. The musicians will also be from different geographies.

Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp

Follow

Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook -

Arak-Making & the History of Vineyards in Lebanon | Ramzi Ghosn

Episode 336

Monday, May 22, 2023 • Duration 45:50

Ramzi Ghosn talks about the profession of wine and arak-making and its significance in the Levant, notably in Lebanon. From Massaya, he discusses the speaks about how Phoenicians valued viticulture and developed the finest wines that continues to be exported to the world.

Massaya is a Lebanese winery and arak distillery owned and operated by the Ghosn brothers Sami and Ramzi. The outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975 forced the family to leave the estate and both Sami and Ramzi Ghosn left Lebanon to study abroad. In the early 1990s Sami and Ramzi returned to Lebanon and decided to work on revitalisating the war-ravaged estate.

Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra

Edited by: Ramzi Ramman

Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/

About Matbakh:

Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp

Follow

Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook -

RANA HUSSEINI | The History of Honor Killings in Jordan | Conversations

Episode 335

Wednesday, May 17, 2023 • Duration 45:09

Rana Husseini talks about the history of the feminist movement in Jordan and how it progressed from the 1940s until now. She explains what women in Jordan have achieved so far and the challenges that they still face; notably honor crimes.

Rana Husseini is a Jordanian journalist and human rights activist who has dedicated her career to raising awareness about crimes against women in Jordan and the Middle East. Her investigative reporting on honor killings and other forms of violence against women has brought these issues to the forefront of national and international discourse, leading to changes in legislation and social attitudes.

Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra

Edited by: Ramzi Ramman

Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/

About the afikra Conversations:

Our long-form interview series features academics, arts, ‎and media experts who are helping document and/or shape the history and culture of the Arab world through their ‎work. Our hope is that by having the guest share their expertise and story, the community still walks away with newfound curiosity - and maybe some good recommendations about new nerdy rabbit holes to dive into headfirst. ‎Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp

Follow

Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter

ELI REZKALLAH | Plastik Magazine | Conversations

Episode 334

Monday, May 15, 2023 • Duration 01:09:09

Eli Rezkallah talks about the reality and future of photography industry in the Arab region. He delves into the works of Plastik and tells us how the magazine contributes to the creative industry.

Eli Rezkallah is a Lebanese-born photographer and visual artist based in New York City. He is best known for his work in fashion and advertising photography, as well as his creative direction and visual storytelling. Rezkallah studied graphic design at the American University of Beirut and later pursued his passion for photography and filmmaking in the United States. His work has been featured in various fashion publications such as Vogue Italia, Harper's Bazaar Arabia, and Elle Arabia, among others.

Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra

Edited by: Ramzi Ramman

Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/

About the afikra Conversations:

Follow

Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter

The afikra Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

The afikra Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other65

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other65

Instagram99

Youtube30