The afikra Podcast

afikra

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

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Top 10 The afikra Podcast Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The afikra Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The afikra Podcast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The afikra Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Philanthropy in the Arab World | Maysa Jalbout

The afikra Podcast

06/24/24 • 58 min

A masterclass in philanthropy in the MENA region. Maysa Jalbout has founded many private and corporate foundations along with starting the Queen Rania Foundation and being the founding CEO of the Al Ghurair Foundation. With over 25 years of experience in philanthropy in the Arab world, she offers a clear introduction to philanthropy in the region, points out its limits, and how it's changing. Reflecting on education in particular, she tackles short vs long-term issues, the chronic inefficiencies of the current status quo, and why it's time to start investing in local, grassroots organizations. This afikra podcast conversation also looks at Gaza's literacy rate and education system. Finally, Maysa shares her worry about the growing chasm between the West and East, especially when it comes to philanthropy, and addresses social enterprises vs non-profits.

Delve deeper into philanthropy in the Arab World with Maysa's recommendations for books and podcasts 👉 https://www.afikra.com/daftarjournal/maysajalbout

This episode was recorded on May 3rd 2024.

Maysa Jalbout is a global education advocate, philanthropy executive and impact advisor. She is an industry veteran and led the establishment of Al Ghurair Foundation, the Queen Rania Foundation and many other private and corporate foundations. A recognized leader in international development and philanthropy, Maysa has over 25 years of experience in building effective organizations, initiatives and innovative partnerships in Canada, the Middle East, and other territories.

Connect with Maysa 👉 https://twitter.com/maysajalbout

Listen to the Impact Room 👉https://open.spotify.com/show/4LJOSKamS6jZbCCVrAJI23?si=eccdb69003de48db

Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

Hosted by:

Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu

FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-book-club/id1646400790

» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4khpLDZ77PINLupT7xEIv7

» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1044638525

THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=shared

ABOUT AFIKRA

afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

Hosted by:
Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb
FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:
» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743
» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze
» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869
THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK
Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=shared
ABOUT AFIKRA
afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.
📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afi...

Slavs and Tatars | Eurasian Narratives & the Linguistic History of the Muslim World

The afikra Podcast

10/16/23 • 65 min

This conversation is a deep dive into every corner of the Muslim world. We hear about the story of Slavs and Tatar’s origins, what their work is concerned with, and why much of their activity is about disarticulation and decentering. We reflect on linguistic gravitas, the meaning of language, paying attention to “small peoples'', and the racist origins of the very term “Tatars”. We move onto the role of art, why it’s infantilising, and how it should scramble things and harness its social capital – and about the Slavs and Tatar’s slavic aperitivo “Pickle Bar '' as a facilitating space.
Slavs and Tatars is an art collective and faction of polemics and intimacies devoted to an area east of the former Berlin Wall and west of the Great Wall of China known as Eurasia. It was founded as a collaboration between artists and designers Payam Sharifi and Kasia Korczak. The group’s work is centered around exhibitions, books and lecture performances. Slavs and Tatars has a residency and mentorship program for young professionals from their region, a slavic aperitif bar-cum-project space called Pickle Bar in Berlin, and an online store by the name of MERCZbau.

***** ABOUT THIS SERIES *****

The afikra Podcast is our flagship program featuring experts from academia, art, media and beyond 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 walks away with a new ‎found curiosity - and maybe some good recommendations about new nerdy rabbit holes to dive into head first. ‎

Explore all afikra Podcast episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0voh_EioBM&list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX

****** ABOUT AFIKRA ******‎

afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present, and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

📍 Local events in 30 locations worldwidehttp://afikra.com/chapters

🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

⚡ Support our work: http://afikra.com/support

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

Abu Dhabi's Performing Arts: Present & Future | Bill Bragin

The afikra Podcast

09/14/23 • 49 min

Bill Bragin – executive artistic director of the NYUAD Arts Center – talks to us about the center’s upcoming season, how it's impacted the city of Abu Dhabi so far, and what he envisions for the future of both the center and its ripple effect on the country as a whole.

Bill shares his approach to curatorial work and practice, as well as the importance of responding to a space/venue when programming. We also reflect on what it means to exchange culture and build long-lasting educational institutions, and how Abu Dhabi’s unique audience has reacted to the center’s work so far.

This conversation kicks off the second season of the podcast series in collaboration with The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi and delves deep into the intricate tapestry of the Arab world's histories and cultures. This podcast is your passport to the Arab world's rich and diverse histories and cultures. Get ready to embark on an immersive journey of knowledge, inspiration and endless curiosity.

ABOUT THE SERIES

Join us on an intellectual odyssey with The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi Podcast Series that delves deep into the intricate tapestry of the Arab world's histories and cultures.

As our guests share their expertise and personal journeys, we invite you to embark on a voyage of discovery. Prepare to be enlightened, entertained, and intrigued, as each conversation sparks a new flame of curiosity within you.

The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi Podcast Series is your passport to the Arab world's rich and diverse histories and cultures. Get ready to embark on an immersive journey of knowledge, inspiration, and endless curiosity.

****** ABOUT AFIKRA ******‎

afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity.

🖥️ Live Events & Conversations hosted on Zoom http://afikra.com/rsvp

📍 Local Events in 30 locations worldwide (17 in MENA, 7 in Europe, 6 in Americas) http://afikra.com/chapters

🎧 New Podcasts + Videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

⚡ Support our work http://afikra.com/support

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

*******

FADI BARDAWIL | Arab Marxism, the New Left & Political Realities | Conversations

The afikra Podcast

09/11/23 • 66 min

Learn about Arab Marxism, radical patriarchal politics, and Lebanon’s political economy over the last century in this conversation with professor Fadi Bardawil from Duke University. Starting with his book “Revolution and Disenchantment: Arab Marxism and the Binds of Emancipation”, Professor Bardawil maps out the history of the Political Left in Lebanon and more broadly in the region, pointing us to key moments over the past century. We also touch on the New Left, Lebanon’s new political realities and the significance of October 17th as a moment of feminist resurgence.

Fadi Bardawil is assistant professor of contemporary Arab cultures in the Department of Asian Studies and Middle East Studies at Duke university. He also regularly writes for Megaphone, an online independent media platform based in Lebanon. His work is interdisciplinary, combining political anthropology, critical theory and intellectual history. In particular, Bardawil focuses on Lebanon investigating articulations of cultural production and political practice.

About “Revolution and Disenchantment: Arab Marxism and the Binds of Emancipation”:

The Arab Revolutions that began in 2011 reignited interest in the question of theory and practice, imbuing it with a burning political urgency. In Revolution and Disenchantment Fadi Bardawil redescribes for our present how an earlier generation of revolutionaries – the 1960s Arab New Left – addressed this question. Bardawil excavates the long-lost archive of the Marxist organization Socialist Lebanon and its main theorist, Waddah Charara, who articulated answers in their political practice to fundamental issues confronting revolutionaries worldwide: intellectuals as vectors of revolutionary theory; political organizations as mediators of theory and praxis; and non-emancipatory attachments as impediments to revolutionary practice. Drawing on historical and ethnographic methods and moving beyond familiar reception narratives of Marxist thought in the postcolony, Bardawil engages in "fieldwork in theory" that analyzes how theory seduces intellectuals, cultivates sensibilities, and authorizes political practice. Throughout, Bardawil underscores the resonances and tensions between Arab intellectual traditions and Western critical theory and postcolonial theory, deftly placing intellectuals from those traditions into a much-needed conversation.

****** 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

Watch all afikra Conversations: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...

****** ABOUT AFIKRA ******‎

afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity.

🖥️ Live Events & Conversations hosted on Zoom http://afikra.com/rsvp

📍 Local Events in 30 locations worldwide (17 in MENA, 7 in Europe, 6 in Americas) http://afikra.com/chapters

🎧 New Podcasts + Videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

⚡ Support our work http://afikra.com/support

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

*******

RAMI KHOURI | Politics, Journalism & The State of Media Today | Conversations

The afikra Podcast

03/24/23 • 71 min

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

www.afikra.com/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.
Read more about us on afikra.com

ASHRAF FAGIH | What is Arab Science Fiction? | Conversations

The afikra Podcast

01/25/23 • 57 min

Ashraf Fagih talked about science fiction in the Arab world; a topic yet to be explored. Through his writings, Fagih talked about historical fantasy and mainstream culture.

Ashraf Fagih (Saudi Arabia) is a writer born in 1977. He obtained a PhD in Computing from Queen’s University in Canada and is an assistant Professor at the King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals. He began writing fiction early and published a science fiction short story collection (The Ghost Hunter) in 1997, aged twenty. He continued writing science fiction until he switched to historical fantasy. His novel The Impaler is in this genre and explores the Eastern origins of the legend of Dracula. He is currently writing a historical novel about the military campaign of the Ottoman ruler of Egypt, Muhammad Ali Pasha, in the Arabian Peninsula.

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:

Follow

Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter

Support

www.afikra.com/support

About afikra:‎

GEORGE SALIBA | Golden Age of Islamic Science | Conversations

The afikra Podcast

01/23/23 • 59 min

George Saliba talked about his research in Islamic science. He discussed the works of Muslim astronomers and scholars and how they shape modern-day science.

George Saliba is a Professor of Arabic and Islamic Science. He is currently the Founding Director of Farouk Jabre Center for Arabic & Islamic Science and Philosophy, and holder of the Khwarizmi Chair in Arabic and Islamic Science at the Department of History at the American University of Beirut.

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:

Follow

Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter

Support

www.afikra.com/support

About afikra:‎

BURNING ISSUES | EP02 of Cultures in Conversation: Preludes & Postscripts [Alserkal]

The afikra Podcast

05/25/22 • 37 min

BURNING ISSUES | Featuring: Mary Ellen Carroll (artist and activist), Adib Dada (architect, eco activist, and founder, theotherdada) & Tansha Vohra(researcher and current resident, serendipity arts foundation).

PART OF CULTURES IN CONVERSATION: PRELUDES & POSTSCRIPTS. The brand new series with Alserkal and powered by afikra.

Cultures in Conversation is commissioned by Expo2020 Dubai and programmed by Alserkal

Eat Like a Sultan: Medieval Arab Cooking | Daniel Newman

The afikra Podcast

05/20/22 • 62 min

Daniel Newman talked about his work on travel, geography and food in the 19th century.

Daniel Newman holds the Chair of Arabic Studies at the University of Durham (UK). His research and publications have centred on Arabic geographical and travel literature, 19th-century reform movements in Egypt and Tunisia, and medieval Arab culinary history. In 2009, he was the co-recipient of the World Award of the President of the Republic of Tunisia for Islamic Studies for the book entitled Muslim Women in Law and Society. His research interests also include translation studies and mediaeval Islamic medicine. His other books include An Imam in Paris; Account of a stay in France by an Egyptian cleric (1826-1831) and The Sultan’s sex Potions. Arab Aphrodisiacs in the Middle Ages. His latest book is entitled The Sultan’s Feast. A Fifteenth-century Cookbook, which was longlisted for the Peter Mackenzie Smith Book Prize 2021. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and Vice President of the British Association of Teachers of Arabic (BATA). He also maintains a blog (http://eatlikeasultan.com/) where he shares his passion for bringing medieval Arab dishes to life by recreating recipes.

Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra

Hosted by Salma Serry, Kitchen Sufra

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

www.afikra.com/support

About afikra:‎

My Mother’s Extraordinary Life in Beirut of the Late 50s & Early 60s | Venetia Porter

The afikra Podcast

07/22/24 • 54 min

Venetia Porter is an Honorary Research Fellow at the British Museum. Formerly Curator of Islamic and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art at the British Museum, her published titles include "Reflections: Contemporary Art of the Middle East and North Africa", "The Islamic World: A History in Objects", "Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam" and "Word Into Art: Artists of the Modern Middle East".

Her mother, Thea Porter, known as the queen of 1960s Bohemian Chic, fused a love for Central Asian textiles with her personal experiences in Beirut working between Fashion & Interior Design. Her illustrious tapestry kaftans, Iraqi "Samawa" carpet coats, and antique chiffons saturated the pages of the era’s British Vogue. During the key decades of British boho-revival, beloved Porter designs were worn by the likes of Anita Pallenberg, Faye Dunaway, Lauren Hutton, the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd.

Connect with Venetia 👉 https://www.instagram.com/venetia_porter/

Thea Porter’s Scrapbook 👉 https://www.booksaboutart.co.uk/products/thea-porters-scrapbook

Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

Hosted by:

Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu

FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl40ZRFvo_VVYg6i56flEjSK&si=hSVcqPQlXdqq3sgT

ABOUT AFIKRA

📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

#BohemianChic #TheaPorter #IslamicArt #Arab #ContemporaryArt #afikraPodcast #Beirut #Bloudan #Syria #Lebanon #ArabFashion

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FAQ

How many episodes does The afikra Podcast have?

The afikra Podcast currently has 422 episodes available.

What topics does The afikra Podcast cover?

The podcast is about Culture, Arab, Society, History, Conversations, Educational, Community, Middle East, Podcasts, Education and Arts.

What is the most popular episode on The afikra Podcast?

The episode title 'Imperial Narratives vs Palestine’s Reality | Lorenzo Kamel' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on The afikra Podcast?

The average episode length on The afikra Podcast is 50 minutes.

How often are episodes of The afikra Podcast released?

Episodes of The afikra Podcast are typically released every 2 days, 4 hours.

When was the first episode of The afikra Podcast?

The first episode of The afikra Podcast was released on Aug 27, 2020.

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The afikra Podcast

afikra

Top 10 The afikra Podcast Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does The afikra Podcast have?

What topics does The afikra Podcast cover?

What is the most popular episode on The afikra Podcast?

What is the average episode length on The afikra Podcast?

How often are episodes of The afikra Podcast released?

When was the first episode of The afikra Podcast?

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