Explore every episode of the podcast The afikra Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samer Abboud | Syria's Political History From 1946 | 09 Jun 2025 | 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: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| The MENA's Pop Culture Landscape | With Editor-In-Chief of Dazed MENA Ahmad Swaid | 02 Jun 2025 | 00:53:21 | |
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
Connect with Swaid 👉 https://www.instagram.com/ahmadaswaid/?hl=en Explore Dazed MENA 👉 https://www.instagram.com/dazedmiddleeast/ Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Using Urban Fabrics Literally To Explore Layers That Shape Our World | Zé Tepedino at Quoz Arts Fest | 17 Mar 2025 | 00:27:29 | |
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. Bayan Dahdah 👉 https://www.instagram.com/bayandahdah Bayan Dahdah is a multidisciplinary designer and the founder of Sarj - a mobile seat made for sketching, with which she gives traveling observational sketching workshops in groups. Using the tactile touch of art (sketchbooks, memorabilia), and the freedom/accessibility of digital art (graphic design elements/photographs) she aims to retell her memories and document her journeys. Hailing from an architectural background, she has dabbled in the fields of photography, graphic design and film. Writing and directing a short film titled Shishbarak with the Doha Film Institute, which screened at the Malmo Arab Film Festival and the Chicago Palestine Film Festival, has allowed her to understand the fundamentals of narrative storytelling, as well as how to manifest this visually. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| KIRSTEN SCHEID | Fantasmic Objects | Conversations | 05 Jun 2023 | 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: 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. Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra 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. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| UMAYYAH CABLE | Film, Activism & Palestine | Conversations | 31 May 2023 | 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: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| MALAKA GHARIB | Belonging, Divorce, & Summer in Egypt | Book Club | 29 May 2023 | 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 ****** 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: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| JOHN BAKHOS | Progressive Metal | Quartertones | 24 May 2023 | 00:58:33 | |
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 - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra 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. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Arak-Making & the History of Vineyards in Lebanon | Ramzi Ghosn | 22 May 2023 | 00:45:50 | |
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 - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra 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. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| RANA HUSSEINI | The History of Honor Killings in Jordan | Conversations | 17 May 2023 | 00:45:09 | |
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 Support About afikra: afikra 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.
Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| ELI REZKALLAH | Plastik Magazine | Conversations | 15 May 2023 | 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: 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 Support About afikra: afikra 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.
Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Unraveling the Etymology of Arabic Words & Expressions With Fadi Boukaram aka @cedrusk | 10 May 2023 | 00:59:54 | |
Fadi Bou Karam talks about the history of Levantine etymologies and their possible origins. He discusses the influence of the Ottomans on the way certain words are pronounced, notably in Lebanese Arabic. The words include fruits and vegetables, such as artichoke, orange, loquat & more. Fadi Bou Karam is a photographer based in Beirut, Lebanon. He was born and raised in Beirut, and growing up in a war-torn country, photos held a special significance for him as they were often the only remnant of people who no longer existed. It wasn't until he reached his thirties that Bou Karam realized how much he needed photography, both as a therapeutic tool and a way to discover oddities within the mundane. In 2013, he and a group of photographers from around the world started the Observe Collective, which was founded on a shared fascination with watching and documenting the diverse humanity that surrounds us.
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 Support About afikra: afikra 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.
Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| AIDA ABBASHAR | Context for What is Happening in Sudan | Conversations | 08 May 2023 | 00:49:17 | |
Aida Abbashar talks about the current situation in Sudan. She discusses how the war is affecting citizens and refugees in the country and explains its future implications. Aida is a Research Assistant for the LSE Middle East Centre’s project ‘Understanding the Barriers and Enablers to Women’s Leadership in Sudan’ and a PhD candidate at Durham University. Her research focuses on the history of constitution-making in Sudan, where she looks at the role that different actors, policies, and events have played in constitutional development and negotiations since 1956. More broadly, she is interested in Sudanese political history and racialised and gendered discourses in Sudan.
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 Support About afikra: afikra 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.
Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| TAHIR SHAH | Finding the Caliph's House | Book Club | 03 May 2023 | 00:59:57 | |
Tahir Shah talks about his experiences in the Arab region. He talks about The Caliph's House, a book he has written that is inspired by his trips to Morocco in his childhood; from Marrakesh to the Sahara. Tahir Shah is a best-selling author and filmmaker known for his work in both fiction and non-fiction. He has produced over forty works, including books, documentaries, screenplays, and journalism. Tahir's work is characterized by his unique perspective as an "enthusiast and adventurer," which has taken him to some of the world's most exotic and little-known places. His books have been widely translated, and his documentaries have been screened on major channels such as National Geographic TV and The History Channel. Tahir's work is highly regarded for its ability to uncover the hidden and often overlooked aspects of the places and cultures he explores. Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Book Club: Book Club is an interview series that calls for afikra community members, who are interested in literature and reading, to spend time reading along with the entire community. Books in Arabic and English will be announced on afikra’s reading list and the members will be asked to do the reading at home at their leisure and then join afikra for a conversation with the authors of those books. Every two weeks, a conversation will be held with an author to discuss their work and the book in particular. Individuals joining the call will be expected to have read the book and prepared questions regarding the context, motivation, and background stories. 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 Support About afikra: afikra 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. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| On Lifting the Hijab Ban in Basketball, Growing Up Sudanese in Britain & Finding Home in Poetry | Asma Elbadawi at Quoz Arts Fest | 10 Mar 2025 | 00:24:07 | |
We dive into the multifaceted life of Asma Elbadawi, a Sudanese British poet, photographer, basketball player, and activist. From her early struggles with dyslexia to lifting the hijab ban on women's basketball, Asma's story is one of perseverance and empowerment. We get an intimate look at her relationship with Sudan and how it influences her art. Asma gives a special poetry performance that encapsulates her experiences and emotions. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| J. E. PETERSON | Centuries of Omani History | Conversations | 01 May 2023 | 00:55:41 | |
J. E. Peterson talks about his research about the history of the Arab region. In this afikra Conversation, Peterson introduces us to the history of Oman through his books "Historical Muscat," "Oman at War," and "Oman in the Twentieth Century." Dr. J.E. Peterson is a historian and political analyst specializing in the Arabian Peninsula and Gulf. He obtained his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University and has worked at the Library of Congress and taught at several universities in the US. He has been a Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and the Middle East Institute and has served on the editorial boards of several academic journals. Dr. Peterson's extensive experience and knowledge make him a valuable contributor to the field of Middle Eastern studies. 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 Support About afikra: afikra 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.
Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| GEORGE KHOURY (JAD) | The History of Arab Comics | Conversations | 26 Apr 2023 | 01:06:07 | |
George Khoury (JAD) talks about the history of comics in the Arab region. He discusses how visual storytelling has shaped major events in Arab countries and how he has contributed to the field. George Khoury (JAD), Comics critique, Comics Artist and Animator since the 80s. Lecturer at the Lebanese American University in the Graphic Design Department, and Manager of the Animation Department at Future Television since its launch in 1993. His artworks and movies have been featured in many local instances and international festivals. His Comics “Shahrazad” is acquired by The National Museum of Comics in (France/Angoulême). Co-founder of the “Lebanese Syndicate of Professional Graphic Designers, Illustrators and Animators”, he earned several awards for his artwork and filmography. Author of the “History of Arabic Comics” in addition to several essays and articles related to the Art of Comics and Animation. 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 Support About afikra: afikra 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.
Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| MAI AL-NAKIB | Kuwait and "An Unlasting Home" | Book Club | 24 Apr 2023 | 01:00:46 | |
Mai Al-Nakib talks about her novel "An Unlasting Home" which traces Kuwait's rise from a pearl-diving backwater to its reign as a thriving cosmopolitan city to the aftermath of the Iraqi invasion. Mai Al-Nakib is a Kuwaiti writer and academic. She was born in Kuwait and spent her early years living in London, Edinburgh, and St. Louis, Missouri. She received her PhD in English literature from Brown University and is currently an Associate Professor of English and comparative literature at Kuwait University. Her academic research focuses on cultural politics in the Middle East, with an emphasis on gender, cosmopolitanism, and postcolonial issues. In 2014, she published a collection of short stories titled "The Hidden Light of Objects," which won the Edinburgh International Book Festival’s 2014 First Book Award, making it the first collection of short stories to do so. In April 2022, she published her debut novel, "An Unlasting Home," which explores the themes of family, loss, and displacement. Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Book Club: Book Club is an interview series that calls for afikra community members, who are interested in literature and reading, to spend time reading along with the entire community. Books in Arabic and English will be announced on afikra’s reading list and the members will be asked to do the reading at home at their leisure and then join afikra for a conversation with the authors of those books. Every two weeks, a conversation will be held with an author to discuss their work and the book in particular. Individuals joining the call will be expected to have read the book and prepared questions regarding the context, motivation, and background stories. 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 Support About afikra: afikra 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. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| KAREN BARKEY | Cultural Diversity in the Ottoman Empire | Conversations | 19 Apr 2023 | 00:58:23 | |
Karen Barkey talks about her research that stems from her fascination in the empire. She discusses how cultural diversity shaped the Ottoman empire. Karen Barkey’s research has been engaged in the comparative and historical study of the state, with special focus on its transformation over time. Her work has explored state society relations, peasant movements, banditry, and opposition and dissent organized around the state. Her main empirical site has been the Ottoman Empire, in comparison with France and the Habsburg and Russian Empires. She also pays attention to the Roman and Byzantine worlds as important predecessors of the Ottomans. 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 Support About afikra: afikra 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.
Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Blu Fiefer | Independent Hip Hop from Lebanon to the World | 17 Apr 2023 | 01:02:29 | |
Blu Fiefer plays three of her songs: Sharaf, Nazele Big Champagne, and Sint El Ew. She talks about her contribution to hip-hop in Lebanon and how she uses storytelling in her music. Blu Fiefer is a Lebanese-Mexican artist, music producer and director, approaching her art as a multi-faceted platform. Today, Fiefer readies her debut album 'Villain Bala Cause' inspired by the traditions of story-telling and testimony captured in hip-hop while paying tribute to Arabic music. The record will come out on Mafi Budget, her independent label based in Lebanon that’s focused on the Arabic Hip Hop scene emerging from the MENA region.
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 - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra 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. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| FAWZI MESMAR | Video Game Design in the Arab World | Conversations | 12 Apr 2023 | 01:02:15 | |
Fawzi Mesmar talks about the gaming industry in the Arab region. He introduces us to his book which is the first gaming book to be written in the Arabic language. Fawzi explains the challenges in the field, the responsibilities a game designer should have in the region, and pointers to succeed in the gaming industry. Fawzi is an award-winning Creative Director, Game designer, Leader, author, public speaker, mentor and retired e-sports player that has been in the gaming industry for 2 decades in a career that spanned The Middle East, New Zealand, Japan and Europe working for companies such as Ubisoft, DICE (EA), King (Activision Blizzard), Gameloft and Atlus (SEGA) to name a few.
Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Ashraf Abi Said 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 Support About afikra: afikra 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.
Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Tunisian Classics Reimagined Through Jazz | Omar El Ouaer | 10 Apr 2023 | 01:00:39 | |
Omar El Ouaer plays three of his songs: Alif Ya Soltani, Aziza, and Mana3ref Win. He tells us about Tunisian music and how he discovered Jazz. Omar el Ouaer, a Tunisian jazz musician. He started his music education at the age of 11, studying Arabic music at the conservatory, and later discovered jazz and modern piano. He participated in various jazz workshops and played concerts with local and international musicians, including the JCT Bigband project under the direction of renowned musicians from the New York Vangard Jazz Orchestra. He is currently touring with his own project "Another Perspective" in a quartet and teaches jazz piano at the Higher Institute of Music in Tunis. 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 - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra 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. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Arab History & Narratives: Reconnecting With the Past Through Art | Mary Ann Peters | 07 Apr 2023 | 01:04:28 | |
Mary Ann Peters talks about her art work and productions that stem from the histories of the Middle East. She uses watercolor, gouache, and walnut ink to create pieces that tell stories. Mary Ann Peters is an artist whose combined studio work, installations, public art projects and arts activism have made noted contributions to the Northwest and nationally for over 30 years. Most recently her work has focused on the overlap of contemporary events with splintered histories in the Middle East. Her awards include the 2015 Stranger Genius Award in Visual Art, a 2013 Art Matters Foundation research grant, the MacDowell Colony Pollock Krasner Fellowship (2011), the Civita Institute Fellowship (2004) and the Behnke Foundation Neddy Award in Painting (2000). She is a founder of COCA (Center on Contemporary Art), a recipient of the Artist Trust Leadership and Arts Award, and former board member and board president of NCFE (National Campaign for Freedom of Expression).
Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Outline: Outline is a process-focused conversation that looks at guests’ individual projects rather than their full bodies of work. The conversation sketches the journey of the project; the spark of curiosity that led to the project, the process of implementing the idea, the struggles that emerged throughout the implementation, and the aftermath of the project that includes new questions and new ideas. The name “Outline” stems from the idea of creating a retroactive project outline which is part of a broader emphasis on the process of curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking from a nuts and bolts perspective. Outline is not discipline-specific; the series will be held with artists, academics, writers, filmmakers, among others. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra 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. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| The Palestinian Home Cooking Community | Haya Bishouty | 05 Apr 2023 | 00:57:15 | |
Haya Bishouty talks about her techniques in recreating traditional Palestinian food through Haya's Kitchen. She speaks about her favorite dishes and desserts such as Christmas Kaak, Rummaniyeh, Shush Barak Bel Laban and more. Haya Bishouty is the founder of Haya's Kitchen, a supper club that she started in order to revive the tradition of Palestinian grandmothers opening their homes and inviting people to feast communally. While she began with friends, word began to spread and eventually she would have strangers join her traditional Palestinian feasts where she would share the context and stories behind the dishes she was serving.
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 - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra 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. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| DAIZY GEDEON | The Lebanese Diaspora's Role | Conversations | 03 Apr 2023 | 01:12:08 | |
Daizy Gedeon talks about her work as a filmmaker and activist, producing work about Lebanon from Australia. She discusses the importance of the role of the diaspora in creating change. Daizy's family immigrated to Australia when she was five years old. She began her writing career as a sports writer in 1987 and was the first female sports journalist on The Australian newspaper and the first female football writer in Australia which led her to the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.
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 Support About afikra: afikra 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.
Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Inside the Islamic Arts Biennale | HE Rakan Altouq & Dr Julian Raby | 03 Mar 2025 | 00:56:37 | |
In this episode of the afikra podcast, host Mikey Muhanna speaks with His Excellency Rakan Altouq – Vice Chair of the Diriyah Biennale Arts Foundation and Assistant Minister for Culture of Saudi Arabia – and Dr Julian Raby, one of the artistic directors of the Islamic Arts Biennale. Live from the historic Hajj terminal in Jeddah, they discuss the significance of this architectural marvel and its role as a fitting venue for the Biennale, aimed at showcasing the richness and diversity of Islamic arts and culture. This edition, themed "وما بينهما," (AND ALL THAT IS IN BETWEEN), includes seven unique components that explore various aspects of Islamic art, from sacred texts and artifacts to contemporary installations. The conversation delves into the deep emotional and intellectual impact that the Biennale hopes to achieve, the inclusive and interdisciplinary approach adopted by the artistic directors, and the Biennale's resonance with both local and international visitors. The discussion emphasizes the Biennale's potential to reshape narratives, provoke new thoughts, and foster a sense of pride and identity among attendees. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| CLIVE HOLES | History of Standard Arabic | Conversations | 31 Mar 2023 | 01:09:52 | |
Clive Holes talks about the relationship between standard and non-standard Arabic, cultural myths of the history of Arabic, and the vectors impacting the evolution of Arabic. Clive Holes received his education from High Arcal Grammar School, Trinity Hall (Cambridge University), Wolfson College (Cambridge University), and Birmingham University. He worked as an Overseas Career Officer of the British Council in various countries and was involved in the establishment of Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat, Oman. He served as a Lecturer and Reader in Arabic at Salford and Cambridge Universities, respectively, and held the Khalid bin Abdullah Al-Saud Chair for the Study of the Contemporary Arab World at Magdalen College and the Oriental Institute. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2002 and became Emeritus Professor in 2014. He was also elected as the President of the Council for British Research in the Levant (CBRL) in 2017. 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 Support About afikra: afikra 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.
Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Spoken Word in Abu Dhabi | Rooftop Rythms at the NYUAD Arts Center | 29 Mar 2023 | 01:00:39 | |
Dorian Paul Rogers, Salem Al Attas & Maryam Alshehhi talk about Rooftop Rhythms and how it aims to add life and positive energy in to the UAE community with culturally-appropriate performance arts and nightlife concepts. Rooftop Rhythms was founded in March 2012 by award-winning poet and educator, Dorian Paul Rogers, Ed. D. What started as a poetry open mic night in Abu Dhabi quickly grew into a variety of community-based culture, arts, and nightlife event offerings. 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 Support About afikra: afikra 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.
Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Zeid Hamdan | Indie Music in Lebanon & Beyond | 27 Mar 2023 | 00:53:59 | |
Zeid Hamdan introduces us to the Indie music scene in the Arab region. We listened together to songs he produced: Herzan by Soapkills and Zamel by Bedouin Burger, which he forms with Lynn Adib. Zeid Hamdan is a Lebanese music composer. For the last 2 decades, he's been producing some of the most interesting bands of the Lebanese and regional indie music scene such as Soapkills, The New Government, Hiba Mansouri, Kanjha Kora, Maryam Saleh, Maii Waleed and his own songs under the band name "Zeid and the Wings".
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 - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra 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. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| RAMI KHOURI | Politics, Journalism & The State of Media Today | Conversations | 24 Mar 2023 | 01:11:14 | |
Rami George Khoury talks about the status of politics and journalism in the modern world and how it shapes people's lives. He discusses how the media has shifted in light of today's circumstances. Rami George Khouri is Co-Director of Global Engagement at the American University of Beirut (AUB) based in NY, an internationally syndicated political columnist and book author, and Journalist-in-Residence at AUB, and a non-resident senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School. 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 Support About afikra: afikra 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.
Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Nadir Nahdi | Telling Global Stories Through Local Flavors | 22 Mar 2023 | 01:01:54 | |
Nadir Nahdi talks about his exploration of the world's cultures through their different cuisines. He discusses his revelations in Morocco, Yemen, and Palestine through Bastilla, coffee steaks, and Jaffa cakes. Nadir Nahdi is a presenter, film-maker and producer from London with Yemeni, Indonesian, Pakistani and Kenyan heritage. Nadir was recently voted by the Evening Standard as one of 'the most influential Londoners'. His videos articulate the unique experience of children of the diaspora. His work has acquired 10 million views and has since been selected as a YouTube Creators for Change Ambassador. He is also the founder of BENI, a ‘Culture Lab for innovative Ideas’, providing an online and offline community with engaging events, content and unique products that address social issues.
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 - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra 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. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Maysoon Pachachi | Everyday Stories from 2006 Baghdad | 20 Mar 2023 | 00:58:36 | |
Maysoon Pachachi talks about her film "Our River... Our Sky," an Arabic language narrative feature film. The film is a web of intersecting stories that describes a collective drama happening in this time and place... in 2006 Baghdad. Maysoon Pachachi is a London-based filmmaker of Iraqi origin. As a director, she largely works through her production company, Oxymoron Films (www.oxymoronfilms.com). Her documentary films include Iraqi Women — Voices from Exile, Bitter Water about four generations of Palestinian refugees in a camp in Beirut; Return to the Land of Wonders about her return to Iraq after an exile of over 30 years; Iranian Journey and Our Feelings Took the Pictures; and Open Shutters Iraq about a participatory photography project with 12 Iraqi women. She has taught filmmaking and she is a founding member of ACT TOGETHER: Women’s Action for Iraq (www.acttogether.org). In 2004, with London-based Iraqi filmmaker, Kasim Abid, she set up the Independent Film & Television College (www.iftvc.org), a free-of-charge film-training center in Baghdad. Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Movie Night: Movie Night is an interview series that calls for afikra community members who are interested in movies and films to spend time watching along with the entire community. Movies will be announced on afikra’s watching list. This interview series will host filmmakers and actors who are featured in the announced movie. Community members will be asked to watch the film on online streaming platforms or online film festivals before the series and join the conversation with the creators of the film. Movie Night is an opportunity for members to ask questions about the plot, behind the scenes, themes, and information about the movie.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 Support About afikra: afikra 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. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| المطبخ النوبي بين الذاكرة والإبداع | محمد كمال | 17 Mar 2023 | 01:09:41 | |
يتحدث الشيف محمد كمال عن أساليبه في الطهي النوبي في مصر وكيف يحافظ عليه بين الذاكرة والابداع. إعداد مايكي مهنا تقديم سلمى سري إنتاج رمزي رمان موسيقى طارق يمني 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 - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra 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. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| From Morocco to the World: the Art of Making Borderless Music | Malika Zarra | 15 Mar 2023 | 01:01:38 | |
Malika Zarra takes us on a musical journey to discover Moroccan music. She tells about her newest album "RWA (The Essence)" and about who inspires her the most, from Moroccan Hajja Hamdaouia to Lebanese Farid Al-Atrash and Algerian Warda. Malika is a singer and composer who was born in Southern Morocco and raised in a suburb of Paris. Her musical background is a blend of French and Moroccan influences, with jazz and Arabic music being the most prominent. Her breakthrough came when she started singing in Arabic and writing new lyrics for jazz standards, which evoked a strong emotional response from her audience. In 2004, she relocated to New York City, where she developed her unique repertoire, combining Berber, Gnawa, Chaabi, French pop, and jazz music. With the release of "Berber taxi" in 2011, Malika took her place as a prominent world-jazz artist in New York's multicultural music scene. 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 - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra 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. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| RULA ALAMI | The Power & History of Tatreez | Conversations | 13 Mar 2023 | 00:56:03 | |
Rula Alami talks about her work at INAASH and her private work as a collector and artistic curator. She talks about Palestinian embroidery "Tatreez" and how its empowers Arab identity and culture. Rula Alami is an art collector, assistant curator and art dealer based in Lebanon. She is the vice president of INAASH Association. She has been engaged in Middle East art market for over 15 years. Her area of special interest is Arab modern and contemporary art. She has co-curated thematic exhibitions in Beirut (Art in Iraq Today), Dubai (Art Palestine) and Kuwait (Third Identity), and collaborated with regional galleries (Amman) to curate exhibitions for Lebanese and Palestinian artists. 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 Support About afikra: afikra 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.
Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Egyptian Flavors, French Pastries | Farah Elcharkawy | 10 Mar 2023 | 00:50:54 | |
What happens when you take a lawyer turned pastry chef trained in France and mix in Egyptian flavors and heritage? Listen to find out. Beware: don't listen while hungry! After 10 years of experience in law (studying and working), El Charkawy first discovered her love of cooking while pursuing a Master’s degree in Law in France. Prior to her move, she had hardly ever stepped foot in the kitchen. 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 - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra 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. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Crude Capitalism: Oil, Corporate Power, and the Making of the World Market | Prof Adam Hanieh | 20 Feb 2025 | 01:01:08 | |
In this episode of The afikra Podcast, host Mikey Muhanna speaks with Professor Adam Hanieh, author of "Crude Capitalism: Oil, Corporate Power, and the Making of the World Market," to discuss the transformative role of oil in shaping global economics and politics. The conversation delves into the historical context of oil production, including the rise of Standard Oil and the dominance of the Seven Sisters, the emergence of the term "petrodollars," OPEC's influence, and the strategic movements of oil in the global market. The discussion also addresses the implications of oil on geopolitical relations, particularly in the Middle East, the US, and the emerging role of China. Prof Hanieh examines the flawed solutions proposed to address the climate crisis and the ongoing pervasiveness of fossil fuel reliance. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| SLIMAN MANSOUR | Palestine, Art, and Resistance | Conversations | 08 Mar 2023 | 00:49:07 | |
Iconic Palestinian Artist Sliman Mansour has spent a lifetime inspiring people all over the world with the power of his art. You don't want to miss this conversation. Sliman Mansour is one of the most distinguished and renowned artists in Palestine. His style embodies steadfastness in the face of a relentless military occupation. His work — which has come to symbolize the Palestinian national identity — has inspired generations of Palestinians and international artists and activists alike. 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 Support About afikra: afikra 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.
Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Beirut Street Culture on Film | Amin Dora | 06 Mar 2023 | 01:07:37 | |
From Shankaboot to Brando Al Sharek, we talk with innovative Emmy-winning filmmaker Amin Dora about cinema, advertising, working with George Khabbaz, Shankaboot, Beirut, and where we are today in TV and Film in Lebanon. Amin Dora is an Emmy-Winning Film Director and Visual Artist, born and raised in Zahle, Lebanon. Dora won "International Emmy Award" in 2011 for Shankaboot, the world's first Arabic Web Drama series he directed, and in which he explored innovative ways of portraying real life in Beirut by depicting tough issues and tackling taboo subjects that mainstream media wouldn't touch, Shankaboot successfully engaged young audiences across the region during the Arab Spring, inspiring discussions across social media networks and in the press and engaged young audiences across the region Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Movie Night: Movie Night is an interview series that calls for afikra community members who are interested in movies and films to spend time watching along with the entire community. Movies will be announced on afikra’s watching list. This interview series will host filmmakers and actors who are featured in the announced movie. Community members will be asked to watch the film on online streaming platforms or online film festivals before the series and join the conversation with the creators of the film. Movie Night is an opportunity for members to ask questions about the plot, behind the scenes, themes, and information about the movie.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 Support About afikra: afikra 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. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| INTRODUCING SEASON 2 OF KHATT CHRONICLES | Conversations | 03 Mar 2023 | 00:58:16 | |
Talking to the Khatt Chronicles team, Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès, Yasmine Taan, Yara Khoury Nammour & Fawzi Rahal, about the new season of the Khatt Chronicles. We talk about the history of graphic design in the region and what people can expect from season 2 of Khatt Chronicles. Khatt Chronicles podcast features remarkable designers, illustrators and researchers from the Arab World. We host engaging conversations about their practice, vision, and aspirations. 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 Support About afikra: afikra 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.
Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| TERESA CHAHINE | Social Entrepreneurship | Conversations | 01 Mar 2023 | 00:53:58 | |
Helping facilitate positive impact and growth in disaster struck communities, Theresa Chahine talks about the importance of social entrepreneurship and enabling sustainable businesses and organizations. Teresa Chahine is the inaugural Sheila and Ron '92 Marcelo Lecturer in Social Entrepreneurship at the Yale School of Management. She is the author of "Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship," a twelve step framework for building impactful ventures in new and existing organizations.. 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 Support About afikra: afikra 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.
Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Bringing Iraqi Food to the Mainstream | Philip Juma | 27 Feb 2023 | 00:54:31 | |
Bringing Iraqi food into the English food scene, Chef Philip Juma is keeping the essence of the Iraqi home alive with his Kubba, Quozi, and Dolma at Juma Kitchen. Philip Juma studied Economics for Business and started his career in finance. Throughout his time in finance, he always loved cooking – he would speak about food, restaurants, hospitality with such enthusiasm but it was just a ‘passion’ of his. He worked for an energy consultancy company and after 18 months there, he made the leap in becoming a chef. Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Mysa Kafil-Hussain 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 - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra 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. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| DINA RIZK KHOURY | Iraq: 1500 to Now | Conversations | 24 Feb 2023 | 00:59:44 | |
We're delighted to revisit the history of the Ottoman empire with Dina Rizk Khoury in this episode of the Afikra podcast. We learn about the exchanges and interactions between the Ottoman Empire, the British, and the French and the systems they relied on in order to maintain control of their populations. This includes different garments for classifying their internal rankings as well as nationality laws that eventually led to some of the first passports. Dina Rizk Khoury's research and writing spans the early modern and modern history of the Middle East. Her first book, State and Provincial Society in the Ottoman Empire: Mosul, 1540-1834, which won awards from the Turkish Studies Association and British Society of Middle Eastern Studies, explores the relationship between the Ottoman state and group of local power holders and urban gentry on the eastern Iraqi frontiers of the Ottoman Empire. . 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 Support About afikra: afikra 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.
Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| JOUMANA HADDAD | A Century of Stories of Armenian Life & Family | Book Club | 22 Feb 2023 | 00:59:51 | |
Welcome to this episode of the Afikra Book Club with the engaging Joumana Haddad who takes us on a journey through her past and upbringing in Bourj Hammoud to uncover family sorrows and share the stories of those left scathed by the Armenian genocide. Joumana Haddad is an award-winning Lebanese writer, journalist, university professor and human rights advocate. She’s worked for Lebanon’s An Nahar newspaper and taught creative writingand Italian at the Lebanese American University in Beirut. She has a weekly audio blog on Radio Monte Carlo International, and she writes regularly for several international newspapers and magazines. Haddad been selected as one of the world’s 100 most powerful Arab women by Arabian Business magazine. She speaks seven languages, and has published sixteen books so far. Most of her works of fiction, non-fiction, theater and poetry have been translated into numerous languages. Her titles include I Killed Scheherazade, Superman is an Arab, The Return of Lilith and The Book of Queens. Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Book Club: Book Club is an interview series that calls for afikra community members, who are interested in literature and reading, to spend time reading along with the entire community. Books in Arabic and English will be announced on afikra’s reading list and the members will be asked to do the reading at home at their leisure and then join afikra for a conversation with the authors of those books. Every two weeks, a conversation will be held with an author to discuss their work and the book in particular. Individuals joining the call will be expected to have read the book and prepared questions regarding the context, motivation, and background stories. 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 Support About afikra: afikra 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. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| WALID SITI | Migration, Art & Kurdistan, Iraq | Conversations | 20 Feb 2023 | 00:52:06 | |
On this episode of afikra, Walid Siti shares with us the origins and the stories behind his solemn pieces, from his life in Duhok and Ljubljana, Slovenia, to his start in printmaking, to the creation of works such as the "Seven Towers", "Climbing To Nowhere", and "The Black Tower." We touch upon the themes of large culminating structures, the recurrent climbing in a life, the return to memory, and acknowledgement of change. Walid Siti was born in 1954, in the city of Duhok, in Iraqi-Kurdistan. Formerly trained in printmaking, Siti works extensively in a variety of mediums including video, installation, 3D works, work on paper and painting. His works traverse a complex terrain of memory and loss, while at the same time offering an acute insight into a world, which for him has been a place of constant change. Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Aya Nimer 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 Support About afikra: afikra 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.
Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| KHALED BARAKEH | Global Network of Syrian Art & Artists | Conversations | 17 Feb 2023 | 00:55:39 | |
Khaled Barakeh talked about his art work on reframing moments of dissonance, and often outright injustice, in political, and social structures. Khaled Barakeh is a conceptual artist and cultural activist. He graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Damascus in 2005 and received his MFA from Funen Art Academy in Odense, Denmark, in 2010. In 2013, he completed a Meisterschuler study at the Städelschule Art Academy in Frankfurt a.M., Germany. In recent years, his projects have delved into the media’s portrayal of victims of conflict, once cohesive communities divided by political strife, and the dynamics of integration for refugees. Barakeh sees art as an opportunity for these moments to be understood, and felt, by a broader audience; not just the individuals which experience their acute effects. 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 Support About afikra: afikra 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.
Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Expanding the Contemporary Nubian Songbook | Nesma Herky | 15 Feb 2023 | 00:56:18 | |
On this episode of Quartertones we're talking with Nubian-rooted Egyptian singer Nesma Herky who takes us to the origins of her interest in singing. We then listen to her work starting with Amary, continuing with Ne3eesh Be3eed, and end with her rendition of Mohamed Mounir's Ya Marakby. Nesma Herky is a marvelous Nubian rooted Egyptian singer and a skillful music composer, who is taking steady steps toward the limelight of the music scene in Egypt. 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 - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra 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. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Exploring the Future of Art | Haytham Nawar on Diriyah Art Futures | 11 Feb 2025 | 00:43:18 | |
In this episode of The afikra Podcast, host Mikey Muhanna talks to the director of Diriyah Art Futures, the MENA region’s first hub dedicated to New Media Arts, established by the Ministry of Culture of Saudi Arabia. Haytham Nawar discusses DAF’s focus on the intersection between art, science, and technology, aiming to create a hub for new media and digital art in Saudi Arabia and beyond. The conversation covers the hub’s emerging artists program, which includes mentorship, workshops, and exhibitions, as well as the challenges of building and sustaining such an innovative institution. Nawar also delves into the history of New Media Arts in the Arab world and shares insights on the role of AI in contemporary art practices. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| JUSTIN K. STEARNS | Contagion & Plague in Al-Andalus | Conversations | 13 Feb 2023 | 00:57:28 | |
Justin K. Stearns talked about his work as professor of Arab Crossroads Studies at NYUAD and his research in contagion and diseases in Al-Andalus and North Africa. Justin Stearns received his BA in English and History from Dartmouth College in 1998 and his PhD in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University in 2007. He is a Professor of Arab Crossroads Studies at New York University Abu Dhabi. His research interests focus on the intersection of law, science, and theology in the pre-modern Muslim Middle East. His first book was a comparative intellectual history of Muslim and Christian understanding of contagion, especially in the context of the plague, entitled Infectious Ideas: Contagion in Pre-Modern Islamic and Christian Thought in the Western Mediterranean (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011). Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Aya Nimer 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 Support About afikra: afikra 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.
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| JOANA HADJITHOMAS & KHALIL JOREIGE | Potency of our Dreams & Latency of our Memories | Conversations | 10 Feb 2023 | 00:58:28 | |
Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige talked about their multidisciplinary work as artists, photographers, and filmmakers. They discussed their art work and installations, as well as their movies, notably Memory Box. Filmmakers and artists, Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige question the fabrication of images and representations, the construction of imaginaries, and the writing of history. Their works create thematic and formal links between photography, video, performance, installation, sculpture, and cinema, being documentary or fiction film. The artists are known for their long-term research based on personal or political documents, with particular interests in the traces of the invisible and the absent, histories kept secret such as the disappearances during the Lebanese Civil War, a forgotten space project from the 1960s, the strange consequences of Internet scams and spams or the geological and archaeological undergrounds of cities. Created and 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 Support About afikra: afikra 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.
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| Food, Community & Social Justice | Reem Assil | 08 Feb 2023 | 00:57:38 | |
Reem Assil talked about her culinary approach at her restaurant 'Reem's California,' in addition to her chosen single ingredient that can be used in different dishes and desserts: Ashta. Reem Assil is a Palestinian-Syrian chef based in Oakland, CA. She is the owner of Reem’s California, a nationally acclaimed restaurant, inspired by her passion for Arab street corner bakeries and the vibrant communities that surround them.
Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Salma Serry 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 - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra 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. Hosted by: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||