In his extensive body of work, Professor Abdullahi Ahmed An-Naim challenges both historical interpretations of Islamic Sharia and neo-colonial understanding of human rights. To advance the rationale of scholarship for social change, An-Naim proposes advancing the universality of human rights through internal discourse within Islamic and African societies and ... Show More
Aug 20
David Commins, "Saudi Arabia: A Modern History" (Yale UP, 2025)
A major new history of Saudi Arabia, from its eighteenth-century origins to the present day Saudi Arabia is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, a major player on the international stage and the site of Islam’s two holiest cities. It is also one of the world’s only absol ... Show More
29m 8s
Aug 16
Adriana Carranca, "Soul by Soul: The Evangelical Mission to Spread the Gospel to Muslims" (Columbia UP, 2024)
US-born Protestant evangelicalism has gone global to an extent of which many of us might be unaware. Soul by Soul: The Evangelical Mission to Spread the Gospel to Muslims (Columbia Global Reports, 2024) tells the story of Americans’ colossal mobilization to proclaim Christianity ... Show More
55m 37s
Jun 2024
Human Rights When There Are None: with Volker Türk, UN
What's it like to be the world leader of human rights at a time when it looks like they've been abandoned? Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, sits down for an eye-opening talk about "human rights economies" that value human dignity over ... Show More
39m 42s
May 2024
The Truth behind Hawza, Maraje' & Scholars (Ft. Hajj Mustafa Masood)
Join us for an insightful discussion with Sh Mustafa Masood of Najaf, as we delve into the role of scholars in Islamic society, the institution of Marja'iyya, and whether it's obligatory, relevant and globally applicable. We explore the intersection of AI and scholarship, ... Show More
1h 18m
Jul 2024
Maarit Jänterä-Jareborg and Hélène Tigroudja, "Women’s Human Rights and the Elimination of Discrimination" (Brill/Nijhoff, 2016)
Despite global undertakings to safeguard the full enjoyment of human rights, culture, traditional practices and religion are widely used to discriminate against women. In Women’s Human Rights and the Elimination of Discrimination (Brill/Nijhoff, 2016), 17 scholars approach women’ ... Show More
48m 17s
Apr 2024
Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein: Human Rights in a Messy World
This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a former Jordanian diplomat, and the current president and CEO of the International Peace Institute. They discuss the pursuit of human rights in a multipolar worl ... Show More
36m 15s
Jul 2024
Maarit Jänterä-Jareborg and Hélène Tigroudja, "Women’s Human Rights and the Elimination of Discrimination" (Brill/Nijhoff, 2016)
Despite global undertakings to safeguard the full enjoyment of human rights, culture, traditional practices and religion are widely used to discriminate against women. In Women’s Human Rights and the Elimination of Discrimination (Brill/Nijhoff, 2016), 17 scholars approach women’ ... Show More
48m 17s