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 ... Show More
Oct 26
Ottoman Environmental History, Sultan Selim's Ambition, & NYC's First "Muslim" | Prof. Alan Mikhail
We know about Islam in America, but what about America in Islam? Yale historian Alan Mikhail unpacks Sultan Selim I, the thuggish sultan who wrote bad poetry yet conquered the Arab world in 1516–17 and, Mikhail argues, changed the course of world history. From the water buffalo t ... Show More
52m 35s
Oct 19
Architecture & Identity in the Gulf | Sumaya Dabbagh, Award Winning Architect
Shaping space goes far beyond physical structures, it deeply impacts people's lives and connects to the human spirit. Renowned, award-winning Saudi architect Sumaya Dabbagh shares her journey navigating the evolving architectural landscape of the Gulf, shifting away from commerci ... Show More
48m 31s
Oct 12
Marie al-Khazen: Pioneer Lebanese Photographer, 1899 to 1983 | Art Historian, Dr. Yasmine Nachabe Taan
A collection of black-and-white photographs from 1920s mandate Lebanon completely flips traditional regional history on its head. Dr. Yasmine Nachabe Taan takes us on a fascinating journey behind her PhD research into the life and legacy of Marie al-Khazen, a pioneer Lebanese pho ... Show More
1 h
Jan 2025
39. The World is Syrianised with Yassin al-Haj Saleh
The Syrian writer and political theorist, Yassin al-Haj Saleh, has lived a remarkable life. As a student activist affiliated with one of Syria's communist parties, Yassin spent 16 years in Hafez al Assad's prisons. Then, shortly after the revolution of 2011, Yassin's wife, Samira ... Show More
43m 6s
Nov 2025
The Origins of the Syrian Crisis
The Syrian Civil War didn’t begin in 2011; it began centuries earlier. Dr. Roy explores how the legacy of empire, the carving up of the Middle East after World War I, and repeated Western interference destabilized Syria and Iraq long before the Arab Spring. Along the way, Dr. Roy ... Show More
1h 50m
Jan 2025
On the Situation in Syria and its Implications for the Region
Thuraya, Angie, Mohammad, and Edward join Breht to discuss recent events in Syria. Together they discuss what happened, Syria under the Assad government, the hope and concerns of the the Syrian people, the role Syria plays in the axis of resistance, Syria's connections to Palest ... Show More
1h 34m