Note: This is a visual-heavy episode. You can watch the lecture here. The Arab Spring began in December 2010 when Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi’s desperate protest against corruption sparked uprisings that swept across North Africa and the Middle East. Dr. Roy explores how these revolts evolved from Egypt’s mass protests to Syria’s devastating civi ... Show More
Nov 6
The Origins of the Syrian Crisis
<p>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. ... Show More
1h 50m
Oct 29
How Islam Saved Western Civilization
<p>Western civilization didn’t vanish when Rome fell - it moved east. Dr. Roy explores how the libraries of Persia, Egypt, and Baghdad became the true heirs of the ancient world. From the Great Library of Alexandria to the Academy of Gundishapur, from Persian mathematicians to Ar ... Show More
1h 58m
Jan 2025
Nadia Maftouni on the Legacy of Ibn al-Haytham in Camera Obscura | With Fujifilm & Gulf Photo Plus
<p>The afikra podcast is back with a new season hosted by Mikey Muhanna. We kick off with an episode in partnership with Fujifilm and Gulf Photo Plus with Iranian academic, philosophical author, and artist Nadia Maftouni, who delves into the groundbreaking contributions of Ibn al ... Show More
33m 6s
Nov 2024
True Arabian Nights | How Early Islamic Education Shaped a Golden Age?
Read, Read, Read!True Arabian Nights invites you into the heart of one word: 'Read.' This episode explores how a single command ignited the minds of early Muslims, fostering a culture of learning, wisdom, and intellectual achievement. Journey with us to understand the impact of K ... Show More
16m 6s
May 2025
Between Two Rivers: Ancient Mesopotamia and The Birth of History | Dr Moudhy Al-Rashid
<p>We sit down with Dr Moudhy Al-Rashid, author of "Between Two Rivers: Ancient Mesopotamia and The Birth of History" an honorary fellow at Wolfson College, University of Oxford. She takes us on an incredible journey through ancient Mesopotamia, exploring the region's rich histor ... Show More
1h 3m
Sep 2024
What We Get Wrong About Studying Muslim History With Dr Yakoob Ahmed
It is said a people without a past are a lost soul. And in today’s turbulent world, the Muslim ummah has come to realise that we have, in many cases, been taught a version of history that fails to appreciate what the late Shabbir Akhtar called Islam as a imperial faith.Dr Yakoob ... Show More
1h 12m
Jun 2025
Sami Al Daghistani | Al-Ghazali's Influence on Islamic Thought, Ethics & Economic Philosophy
<p>We're joined by professor and author Sami Al Daghistani to explore the life and thought of Al-Ghazali, a prominent figure in Islamic intellectual history. We delve into Al-Ghazali's multifaceted contributions to Islamic law, philosophy, and theology, highlighting his major wor ... Show More
1 h
May 2024
Sari Nusseibeh, "Avicenna's Al-Shifā': Oriental Philosophy" (Routledge, 2018)
Sari Nusseibeh's book Avicenna's Al-Shifā': Oriental Philosophy (Routledge, 2018) deals with the philosophy of Ibn Sina - Avicenna as he was known in the Latin West- a Persian Muslim who lived in the eleventh century, considered one of the most important figures in the history of ... Show More
1h 3m
Jul 2024
Fusus al-Hikam (The Bezels of Wisdom) - Ibn Arabi's Controversial Masterpiece
Sources/Recomended Reading:
Addas, Claude (1993). "Quest for the Red Sulphur". The Islamic Texts Society.
Austin, R.W.J. (translated by) (1980). "The Bezels of Wisdom". Classics of Western Spirituality Series. Paulist Press.
Chittick, William (1989). "The Sufi Path of Knowledge: ... Show More
1h 32m