logo
episode-header-image
Feb 19
56m 56s

The People Who Became Arabs

MESSAGE HEARD
About this episode
In this Conflicted Conversation, Thomas speaks to historian Yossef Rapoport about his new book Becoming Arab, and the revolutionary argument at its heart: that Arab identity in Egypt and the Levant was not the result of mass migration from Arabia, but was forged in the medieval countryside between the 11th and 15th centuries. Rapoport explains: What the ... Show More
Up next
Feb 28
🚨 Emergency Episode: The Iran War Has Begun 🚨
In this very special Emergency Episode, Aimen and Thomas discuss the Iran War, which began this morning with wide-ranging air strikes carried out by Israel and the United States against IRGC and Iranian regime targets, and which almost immediately resulted in Iranian counter-stri ... Show More
56m 10s
Feb 26
African Slavery: The Untold Story
In this Conflicted Conversation, Thomas speaks to former BBC journalist Martin Plaut about his new book Unbroken Chains: A 5,000-Year History of African Enslavement, which tells the whole story of African slavery, a story far older and more global than the one that focuses only o ... Show More
49m 44s
Feb 24
Conflicted Revisited: Spying for Saudi
As Saudi Arabia celebrates Founding Day, and as the murky underbelly of GCC geopolitics is on everyone's minds, we're re-releasing this classic Conflicted episode from early 2022. Thomas & Aimen discuss: The deep history of Arabia The first foundations of Saudi Arabia The transit ... Show More
1h 21m
Recommended Episodes
May 2025
Syria's Minority Report: Sectarian attacks on Alawites and Druze threaten Syrian unity
The New Arab Voice is back!This week we look at the recent sectarian violence that engulfed the Syrian coast and targeted the country's Alawite community and the violence that hit in the south, which targeted the country's Druze community. We examine the causes of the violence, t ... Show More
41m 1s
Oct 2024
Turning Point: A New Security Order in the Middle East? | Joshua Landis
<p dir="ltr">In <a href= "https://hiddenforces.io/podcasts/turning-point-a-new-security-order-in-the-middle-east-joshua-landis"> Episode 386</a> of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with the Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, Joshua ... Show More
56m 48s
Jan 2025
Why the West Wants to Bring Down the New Syrian State - with Sami Hamdi (Part 2)
In this second session of our 2024 roundup we have Sami Hamdi back on the show to discuss Syria in more detail. Syria is in many ways a ray of hope but also raises all sorts of uncertainties. What path will the revolution take? How do we assess Jolani and the rebel movement? What ... Show More
1h 47m
Aug 2025
Syria After Assad
What are the prospects for democracy in Syria? Is this the right question to ask? What do we need to better understand about Syria’s new leader, its civil society, and the challenges it faces in a new era for Syria? Join Rana Khoury, Daniel Neep, and Emily Scott for this special ... Show More
40m 48s
Dec 2024
Understanding HTS and the New Syria with Bilal Abdul Kareem
Become a member to ger access to exclusive monthly calls: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipSyria is now free. But what does the future hold for a revolution that we believed had all but been decimated? The most recent spectacular offensive has given the rebel groups contr ... Show More
55m 14s
Feb 2025
372. Syria, al-Sharaa, and the future of the Middle East
What does al-Sharaa's rise to power mean for Syria? Given his surprise takeover, how will today’s CIA analysts be changing the way they think about the country and what happens next? Will Syria be the next Libya? Join Rory and Alastair as they discuss Syria’s rapidly shifting po ... Show More
1h 6m
Oct 2024
Ep71. Nasrallah Killed in Lebanon – What’s Next?
Over the weekend, Israel confirmed that they had killed Hezbollah’s charismatic leader – and terrorist master mind --  Hassan Nasrallah. He was frequently described as the leader of the globe’s most powerful non-state armed group.  So, what does Nasrallah’s exit from the stage an ... Show More
46m 55s
Aug 2025
"Lebanon's Moment of Truth" with David Schenker (Ep.429)
An episode discussing David Schenker's latest policy analysis titled "Lebanon's Moment of Truth" and the multiple variables needed to line up for Hezbollah's disarmament to succeed and for Israel's full withdrawal to take place. With David Schenker, former United States Assistant ... Show More
38m 42s
Dec 2024
Syria: Can The Tyrant Assad Fall? With Razan Saffour
Become a member to get access to exclusive monthly calls: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipIt’s been a spectacular week in Syria. The world had written off the rebellion that began in 2011, believing Assad, with the support of Russian air power and Iranian militias, had c ... Show More
59m 5s
Oct 2025
The Untold Story of the Gaza Ceasefire - Thomas Small
Thomas Small is a historian and filmmaker best known as co-host of the Conflicted podcast, where he explores Middle Eastern history, geopolitics, and religious thought alongside ex-jihadi Aimen Dean. He also writes on ancient Christian spirituality and global conflict dynamics. T ... Show More
1h 23m