The afikra Podcast

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Tobacco, Soap, Beer & Cars: 100 Years of Egyptian Print Advertising | Professor Bahia Shehab Jun 01, 2026

Show notes

Egyptian print media has historically functioned as a cultural barometer, shifting from the early official bulletins of the 20th century into a relentless and aggressive form of capitalism on steroids. Professor Bahia Shehab discusses her book, "A Trade in Dreams: A Century of Egyptian Print Advertising", unpacking how visual culture has been both a witness to and a victim of political upheaval. Her research illuminates a century where advertising functioned as legalized psychological operations, deeply embedded in the daily life of Cairo. By dissecting the visual language of the past, she provides a necessary framework for understanding the mono-culture and flattening of aesthetic diversity in the modern era.

00:00 Introduction

01:32 Invention of the Egyptian Press

04:00 The Business Model of Early Advertising

05:50 Motivations for Researching Advertising History

08:20 Discoveries in Beauty Standards and Race

09:55 Sequential Chronology and Political Tectonic Shifts

12:13 Napoleon, Egyptomania, and Early Visual Communication

17:14 1920s–1940s: Agriculture and the Tobacco Export Industry

20:00 Professionalization and Multinational Ad Agencies

22:31 Hybrid Aesthetics: International vs. Local Design

27:21 The Nasser Era: Socialism and Nationalized Media

30:57 The Sadat Era: Peace Treaties and the Open Door Policy

32:33 Influential Figures and the Silencing of Female Voices

37:01 Domination of the Soap Industry

48:58 The 1940s: The Golden Age of Egyptian Advertising

57:04 Egypt’s Leading Role in Regional Advertising

59:08 Book Tour and Future Perspectives

Bahia Shehab is a multidisciplinary artist, designer, political activist and historian whose work focuses on the interaction and intersection of modern identity and ancient cultural heritage. Her imaginative combination of calligraphy and Islamic art history produced cutting edge, beautiful, impactful street art during the Arab Spring and continues to inform her work as an educator and designer. Having always been concerned with identity and preserving cultural heritage, she investigates art history to reinterpret contemporary Arab politics, feminist discourse and social issues. Her culturally oriented work enables her to use history as a means to better understand the present and find solutions for the future. She believes that art may be employed for the purposes of social change and has explored this phenomenon through her artwork, which focuses on socially charged themes such as the Arab identity and women's rights. Her research is largely concerned with understanding the Arabic letters and has been preoccupied with Arabic calligraphy in much of her work. Her work has been displayed in exhibitions around the world and she has received several awards and recognition for her achievements.

Connect with Bahia Shehab 👉 https://instagram.com/bahiashehab

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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.
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Memory & the Systematic Mending of Heritage | Dima Srouji May 25, 2026

Show notes

Palestinian architect and artist Dima Srouji explores the systematic displacement of Palestinian material culture and the liberation lab working to bring it home. For over a century, archaeology in Palestine has been weaponized, used as a tool for land grabs and the erasure of contemporary identity. From ancient glass vessels held in Western museums to human remains stored in university basements, the physical history of Palestine has been excavated, categorized, and displaced. Dima discusses her work in restitching these archives through art and collaboration. By working with multi-generational artisans like the Twam family, who still possess the ancient know-how of glassblowing, she creates ghost objects that challenge the colonial narrative of a dead past.

00:00 Introduction

01:32 Architectural Education & the Spiritual Connection to the Land

07:30 The Liberation Lab

09:47 Ghost Objects: Restitching Material Heritage Through Palestinian Glass

12:28 The History of Colonial Archaeological Excavations

15:44 Challenging Museum Narratives

18:03 The Twam Family Workshop: Four Generations of Glassblowing in Jaba

21:28 Ancient History of Levantine Glass Fabrication

25:50 The Weaponization of Archaeology

29:47 Sebastia vs. the City of David

32:32 Saving Sebastia: Experimental Film as an Exercise in Creative Diplomacy

36:01 Reclaiming the Displaced Material Culture of Gaza

39:34 Excavated Human Remains

42:36 Rituals of Return

44:01 The Restorative Power of Broken Glass

48:43 Rememberment: A Form of Restitution

50:24 The Archive of the Palestine Exploration Fund

56:00 Future Projects and the Cosmic Mediterranean

Dima is an architect, artist, and researcher interested in the ground, objects, displacement, restitution, forgeries, and living archives. Dima leads the MA City Design studio focused on archaeological sites in Palestine as sites of urban struggle. Her practice explores the power of the ground, its strata, and its artefacts in revealing silenced narratives and embedded intergenerational memories. Dima holds an M.Arch from the Yale School of Architecture and a B. Arch (Hons) from Kingston School of Art. She founded Hollow Forms, a glass blowing project with the Twam family in Jaba’, Palestine in 2016. She will be Jameel Fellow at the Victoria & Albert Museum in 2022.

Connect with Dima Srouji 👉 https://instagram.com/dimasrouji

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The Weirdest Items in the Library of Congress | Muhannad Salhi May 18, 2026

Show notes

Rare artifacts within the vast archives of the Library of Congress (LOC) represent a shift in how our region's history is fundamentally understood. Moving beyond traditional nationalist timelines, Arab World specialist in the African and Middle East division at the LOC, Dr. Muhannad Salhi, explores the transition of diverse items in the library's "Near East" collection, from 3000-year-old economic receipts to unique cultural fragments, into autonomous objects of study that define a global narrative. Reclaiming these stories serves as a resistance against regional erasure and the invisibility often felt in the global cultural landscape.

0:00 Introduction

1:52 The "Near East" Section: Geographic and Linguistic Scope

3:02 The Library's Path

4:46 Overview of the Arabic Collection

5:20 The Library's Oldest Items

7:06 Digitization Efforts and Copyright Restrictions

9:10 The Purpose of the Library of Congress

13:24 Regional Context and Cultural Insight

16:00 A Public Resource and Supporting Global Scholarship

18:36 Overseas Offices and Book Dealers

19:17 A Typical Week with Rare Materials and Scholarly Research

22:11 The Oldest Piece of Islamic object in the Americas

25:00 Calligraphy Styles: From Kufi to South Asian and Persian Aesthetics

27:03 The Chinese Quran: A Unique Intersection of Cultures

28:03 The Dalail al-Khayrat and Mantle of the Prophet

31:55 Manuscripts from Gambia

33:24 Arabic Translations of Greek Medicine

35:45 A Unique Work on Petroleum

36:54 Astronomy and Astrology

39:53 Mapping the Region

44:42 Archiving Historic Newspapers and Pop Culture

48:42 Early Arabic Printing

52:10 The Jefferson Quran: Myth vs. Reality in Pop Culture

57:00 Arab-American Literature: Ameen Rihani's The Book of Khalid

58:20 Iraq's Most Wanted Deck of Cards

01:00:22 A Lost Letter from West Africa

01:02:15 Photography Archives

01:03:33 The Items That Got Away

01:06:08 What Policymakers Should Understand About the Region

Muhannad Salhi is the Arab World Specialist in the African and Middle Eastern Division at the Library of Congress, where he covers the Arab world, North Africa, and Islam. He received his doctorate in history and his MAs in history and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago. He is the author of Palestine in the Evolution of Syrian Nationalism (1918-1920) as well as other book chapters, book reviews, and blogs. His interests include the Ancient Near East, Classical Islam, the Modern Middle East, and Islamic studies. Prior to coming to the Library of Congress, he taught courses on the Arab World and Islam at various colleges and universities in the Chicago area, including the University of Chicago and Governors State University.

Connect with Muhannad Salhi 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/muhannad-salhi-09b20549/

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Invention of the Maghreb: Beyond the Native Colonial Gaze | Majid Hannoum May 11, 2026

Show notes

Beyond the Orientalist myth of being seductive, mysterious, and dangerous, what is the reality of Tangier? Professor of anthropology Majid Hannoum deconstructs the invention of the Maghreb and delves into the complex socioeconomic and racial fabric of contemporary Moroccan cities. He explores how colonial legacies continue to shape identity, from the very term "Maghreb" – which he argues did not exist in pre-colonial Arabic historiography in its current sense – to the phenomenology of color that influences modern social hierarchies in Tangier.
00:00 Introduction
01:50 The Colonial and Post-Colonial Invention of the Maghreb
03:31 Neighborhood Politics and Class Dynamics in Meknes, Morocco
06:12 Historical Evolution of Maghreb in Arabic Historiography
09:17 Deconstructing Orientalist Myths and the Seductive Image of Tangier
12:47 Historical European Gazes
18:03 Tangier in Pre-Colonial Times
19:41 Tangier in Fiction, Songs, and Folktales
23:41 Exploring Migration, Sexuality, and the City’s Unseen Sides
25:59 Socioeconomic Realities
30:23 Migration Patterns and the Phenomenology of Color in Moroccan Urbanism
32:59 The Native Colonial Gaze and Socioeconomic Racialization
39:46 Decolonizing Ibn Khaldun & Challenging the Myth of European Discovery
43:24 Translation Ideology
50:43 Discourse Analysis and the Radical Critique of Academic Categories
53:40 Scholarly Recommendations for Unlearning and Decolonizing Knowledge
Majid Hannoum is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Kansas whose extensive research focuses on North Africa. Growing up in Meknes, Morocco, his personal history is rooted in the very urban and socioeconomic dynamics he explores in his academic work, such as the internal class and neighborhood hierarchies within Moroccan cities. His scholarship is deeply concerned with deconstructing colonial narratives and unlearning entrenched mindsets.

Connect with Majid Hannoum 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/majid-hannoum-04661ab/

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Modern Egyptian Art & Post-Colonial Cultural Politics | Clare Davies May 04, 2026

Show notes

Modern Egyptian art was not simply an institutional byproduct of the 20th century, but rather a profound ontological shift in how the nature of the art object was fundamentally understood. Moving beyond traditional nationalist timelines, this transformation was deeply intertwined with the physical dismantling of historic Cairo, where stripped architectural fragments were repurposed into autonomous art objects for a new elite. Today, reclaiming these narratives serves as an urgent resistance against the regional erasure and invisibility often felt in the global cultural landscape.

00:00 Introduction: Defining the Autonomous Art Object

02:28 Challenging the "East Meets West" Trope

05:28 The Ontological Shift

10:20 The Nahda Influence

13:31 Memories of Gaza and the Weight of Regional Crisis

18:03 The Urgency of Representation and Invisibility

22:22 Huda Sha'arawi: Feminist Icon and Anti-Colonial Art Patron

25:32 Disrupting Colonial Markets

30:14 Mahmoud Mukhtar & Publicly Funded Neoperonism

34:02 The Rise of Surrealist Criticism

37:06 Connectivity Across Lebanon, Syria, and the Cairo Salon

41:44 The National Salon vs. the European Cairo Salon

46:13 Confronting Pseudomorphism

51:39 Scholarly Recommendations for Re-centering Arab Art History

54:03 The Art and Liberty Group’s Interruption of Futurism

56:11 Marxism, Feminism, and the Social Unconscious

Clare Davies is an associate curator at the The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. She has contributed to a wide range of research, programming, and archival projects related to art and photography in the Middle East since serving as associate curator of the Townhouse Gallery in Cairo between 2004 and 2006. She completed her doctoral dissertation at New York University Institute of Fine Arts and was subsequently awarded the inaugural Irmgard Coninx Prize Fellowship at the Forum Transregionale Studien, Berlin. She is the coauthor of "Robert Morris: Object Sculpture, 1960–65" and has published regularly on contemporary art from the Arab world.

Connect with Clare Davies 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/clare-davies-a49a9b143/

Hosted by Mikey Muhanna

Connect directly with Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://instagram.com/mikey_mu

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Shar & the Forgotten Genocide of Libya | Ali Abdullatif Ahmida Apr 27, 2026

Show notes

Unveiling the suppressed history of "Shar," Professor Ali Abdellatif Ahmida details the forgotten genocide of the Libyan people under Italian settler colonialism in 1911. As a distinguished political scientist and historian at the University of New England, Professor Ahmida dedicated 15 years to investigating why this mass tragedy was systematically erased from global scholarship and collective memory. Through meticulous research and rare oral testimonies from survivors, he reconstructs the horrors of forced displacement and concentration camps that claimed the lives of tens of thousands. He offers a nuanced critique of the "collective amnesia" in Western academia and the strategic silence of post-war Italy, challenging myths of "moderate" Italian fascism.

00:00 Introduction: An Extensive Scholarly Void

02:28 Beyond the Stereotypical Image

05:28 Navigating the Colonial Transition in 1911

10:20 Perspectives From the Southern Frontier

13:31 The Slow Dismantling of an Empire

18:03 The Ideological Weight of the Roman Myth

22:22 Artificial Lines and the Unified Movement

25:32 The Roots of Organized Resistance

30:14 Negotiating the Terms of Independence

34:02 Contradictions of the Post-War Client State

37:06 The Logic of the Fourth Shore

41:44 The Mechanics of Mass Displacement

46:13 Global Complicity and the Politics of Amnesia

51:39 Reclaiming a Seat in Historical Memory

54:03 The Ethics of the Freedom Fighter

56:11 Shar: The Survivors’ Conceptualization of Death

Professor Ali Abdellatif Ahmida is the founding chair and a professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of New England in Maine. Born in Waddan, Libya, and educated at Cairo University and the University of Washington, his scholarship focuses on historical sociology, political theory, and anti-colonial resistance in North Africa. A prolific author, his major works include "The Making of Modern Libya" and his most recent investigative research into "Shar," the forgotten colonial genocide in Libya.

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A Love Letter to Tunisian Artisans | Kenza Fourati Apr 20, 2026

Show notes

Model and entrepreneur Kenza Fourati discusses her origins, growing up 1990s in Tunisia to becoming a trailblazing figure in the international fashion industry. She reflects on how she initially viewed beauty through a French lens and the subsequent realization of how limiting that perspective was to the beauty of her immediate surroundings. The conversation delves into her brand, Osay (Our Stories Are Yours), which seeks to challenge the traditional fashion hierarchy by making Tunisian artisans the central designers and protagonists of their own craft. Through Osay, Fourati emphasizes the importance of supply chain accountability and human connection, moving away from a model of nameless, faceless hands toward one that celebrates the ingenuity and heritage of the Global South.

0:00 Introduction

2:06 Reclaiming Arab Aesthetics

3:01 Growing Up in Tunisia and Early Notions of Beauty

5:42 Navigating the Modeling Industry

7:52 Lack of Arab Role Models in Global Fashion

9:18 Choosing Creative Freedom

11:04 Finding Power in a Discardable Industry

12:59 Osay: Elevating Tunisian Artisans

14:16 Challenging the Fashion Supply Chain

16:06 Reversing the Design Hierarchy: Artisans as Protagonists

18:05 Modeling as a Blank Canvas vs. Projecting a Story

19:57 A Love Letter to Tunisian Heritage

23:14 Reflections on the Sports Illustrated Milestone

25:52 Amplifying the Tunisian Revolution

27:21 Stereotypes and the Western Gaze

30:23 Finding Your Tribe

35:08 Local Critique and Patriotism

38:06 The Influence of Producer Dora Bouchoucha and Life on Film Sets

42:10 Creative Production in Hollywood and the Middle East

43:24 The Shift Toward Individualism

46:30 Celebrating Tunisian Brands

49:08 Remembering Master Artisan Mansour and the Preservation of Craft

Kenza Fourati is a Tunisian model and entrepreneur whose career is defined by a commitment to bridging global fashion with authentic cultural heritage. After gaining international recognition as the first Arab Muslim woman featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition in 2011, she leveraged her platform to advocate for social and labor rights, even sharing personal letters regarding the Tunisian revolution through major media outlets. Fourati co-founded the brand Osay (Our Stories Are Yours), which centers on elevating the visibility of artisans from the global south by making them the primary designers of modern textile and leather goods. Currently based in New York, she continues to challenge traditional industry hierarchies by advocating for transparency, ethical labor practices, and the preservation of ancestral craftsmanship.

Connect with Kenza Fourati 👉 https://instagram.com/kenzafourati

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Domicide in Homs & Beyond | Architect Ammar Azzouz Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

The concept of domicide and its profound impact on Homs, Syria, is explored through the work and personal experiences of architect Ammar Azzouz. A research fellow at the University of Oxford, Dr. Azzouz discusses the deliberate destruction of homes, the trauma of exile, and his eventual return to his homeland. He examines how international attention frequently prioritizes the loss of ancient heritage sites, such as Palmyra, while often overlooking the intimate grief associated with the destruction of residential areas where people lived their daily lives. The discussion also delves into the slow violence of pre-war urban projects, like the "Homs Dream", which proposed demolishing parts of the historic old city for modern development, and how these top-down models continue to threaten the city's identity during current reconstruction efforts.

01:04 Introduction

01:35 Personal Memories of Home

05:00 The Architectural Identity of Homs

06:11 Exile and Return

10:51 Domicide vs. Urbicide

13:16 Slow Violence and the Homs Dream

17:18 The Politics of Reconstruction and Dubaization

21:04 Alternative Visions for Healing

33:00 Empowering the Next Generation

34:32 The Limitations of International Heritage Organizations

41:06 Highlighting Favorite Historical Sites

Dr. Ammar Azzouz is a British Academy Research Fellow at the School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford. Originally from Homs, Syria, he studied architecture before moving to the UK to complete his PhD. Since leaving Syria in 2011, he has not been able to return. Dr. Azzouz is the author of Domicide: Architecture, War and the Destruction of Home in Syria (2023, Bloomsbury), with a foreword by Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent. He is the Principal Investigator of the Slow Violence and the City research project, which explores the connection between violence and the built environment in both wartime and peacetime. His current research focuses on art and culture in exile, particularly within the Syrian diaspora. Dr. Azzouz has contributed to platforms such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and The New Statesman, and has been invited to speak at over 130 events worldwide, from Mexico and the US to Germany, the Netherlands, and Qatar.

Connect with Dr. Ammar Azzouz 👉 https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ammar-azzouz

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The Secrets of Ancient Egypt: Dynasties, Pyramids & Pharaohs | Egyptologist Aidan Dodson Apr 06, 2026

Show notes

What made Egypt the longest-surviving country in the world? Aidan Dodson is a professor and author of over 30 books and helps us explore fundamental shifts in our understanding of ancient Egypt. The discussion spans the civilization's long run, from the unification around 3000 BC—a feat commemorated by the crucial Narmer Palette—until Christianity began to erode its religious and linguistic foundations around 300 AD. Dodson examines the Pyramid Era, explaining these structures as magical machines designed to transition the dead king into a god. He also covers the rise of the sun cult and the political power of female pharaohs, including Nefertiti, whose historical importance lies in her role negotiating the religious transition from Akhenaten's revolution to Tutankhamun's return to tradition. The episode concludes with Dr. Dodson's top archaeological discoveries he wishes he had witnessed.

00:00 Introduction

01:30 A Passion for Egyptology

02:47 How Ancient Egypt is Presented to Young Audiences

03:47 Defining the Span of Ancient Egypt

04:21 The Unification of Egypt

08:18 Narmer: The Unifier of Egypt

09:56 Daily Life in Early Ancient Egypt

11:31 The Political Center: Memphis

12:57 Knowing the Personalities of Ancient Rulers

15:48 The Narmer Palette and the Discovery of Human Sacrifice

24:29 The Dawn of the Pyramid Era

27:44 Imhotep: Djoser’s Right-Hand Man

30:38 Sneferu: The Greatest Pyramid Builder

33:36 The Purpose of the Pyramids

38:35 The Elevation of the Sun Cult

40:34 The Pyramid Texts and Egyptian Religion

44:49 The Female Pharaohs

49:25 Nefertiti: From Glamour to Political Power

53:57 Dr. Dodson’s Top Archaeological Moments

54:50 The Discovery of Tutankhamun’s Tomb

01:00:04 The Imperial Relationship of Ancient Egypt and Nubia

01:03:17 The Nubian Pharaoh

Aidan Dodson is honorary full professor of Egyptology in the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of Bristol, and has authored some thirty books. He was also Simpson Professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo in 2013, and Chair of the Egypt Exploration Society during 2011–16. Awarded his PhD by the University of Cambridge in 2003, he was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 2003.

Connect with Aidan Dodson 👉 https://uk.linkedin.com/in/aidan-dodson-57179434

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Inheriting a Legacy and a Platform | Najla Said Mar 30, 2026

Show notes

As the daughter of the renowned intellectual Edward Said, Najla Said discusses the unique pressures of navigating her family's legacy while forging her own creative voice in the shadow of his immense influence. The conversation explores her journey from attempting to assimilate into American culture as a youth to confronting her heritage during a pivotal trip to Palestine and Lebanon. Said details her entry into professional theater and the development of her acclaimed one-woman show, Palestine, which grew from an intimate journal entry. She also offers a personal perspective on her father's moral backbone, the impact of recent global events on her sense of safety in New York, and the evolution of her activism through new collaborative theater projects. The discussion touches on the enduring intimacy of her memoir, Looking for Palestine, and how sharing her inner monologue has helped her find a community based on genuine solidarity.

0:00 Introduction
1:37 Childhood Stories and Typewritten Plays
2:54 Growing Up in the Shadow of Intellectual Giants
7:23 The Weight of Family Legacy
10:00 Journaling and the Discovery of a Personal Voice
12:47 Acting, Identity, and Hollywood Reality Checks
20:36 Defining "Arab" through Theater
22:10 Navigating Identity Shifts: Lebanon, Palestine, and New York
33:32 Misunderstandings and the Moral Backbone of Edward Said
36:58 Current Work: Dialogue in a Time of Hostility
44:30 Erasing Legacy: Columbia University and Global Activism
47:40 Politics and Perception
52:14 Looking for Palestine: The Vulnerability of Memoir
56:56 Shedding the Need to Be Liked
58:07 Solidarity as the Greatest Expression of Love
Najla Said is a Palestinian-Lebanese-American actress, playwright, author, and activist, recognized for her memoir Looking for Palestine: Growing Up Confused in an Arab-American Family (2013), which chronicles her struggles with cultural identity amid a privileged New York City upbringing as the daughter of prominent Palestinian intellectual Edward W. Said and his Lebanese-born wife Mariam Cortas Said. Said initially distanced herself from her Arab heritage, assimilating into American and Jewish social circles while attending elite institutions like Dalton School and Princeton University, before a transformative trip to the Middle East prompted her to embrace Palestinian roots more fully. Said's career spans theater and performance, including her solo show Palestine, which she has presented at over 25 high schools, colleges, and universities worldwide since its off-Broadway debut, addressing themes of diaspora, stereotyping, and Arab-American experiences. She has worked with New York institutions such as New York Theatre Workshop, The Public Theater, and Second Stage, and maintains affiliations like a "Usual Suspect" at NYTW. As an activist, Said advocates for Palestinian self-determination, drawing on her father's legacy of critiquing Western orientalism, though her public engagements, including support for campus protests, reflect a personal evolution from identity confusion to vocal solidarity with causes tied to her heritage.
Connect with Najla Said 👉 https://instagram.com/kittybubble

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