The afikra Podcast

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Exploring the Future of Art | Haytham Nawar on Diriyah Art Futures Feb 11, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of The afikra Podcast, host Mikey Muhanna talks to the director of Diriyah Art Futures, the MENA region’s first hub dedicated to New Media Arts, established by the Ministry of Culture of Saudi Arabia. Haytham Nawar discusses DAF’s focus on the intersection between art, science, and technology, aiming to create a hub for new media and digital art in Saudi Arabia and beyond. The conversation covers the hub’s emerging artists program, which includes mentorship, workshops, and exhibitions, as well as the challenges of building and sustaining such an innovative institution. Nawar also delves into the history of New Media Arts in the Arab world and shares insights on the role of AI in contemporary art practices.
00:00 Introduction
01:04 Exploring Art Futures and New Media Arts
02:57 The Importance of art education in the Arab region
05:29 Inside the Diriyah Art Futures hub
07:02 Emerging New Media Artists Programme and pedagogical approach
16:21 Historical Context of New Media Arts
21:55 Challenges and future of New Media Arts in the Arab World
27:29 Inaugural Exhibition: Art Must Be Artificial
33:24 The Role of AI in art and ethical considerations
37:50 Future vision and sustainability of Diriyah Art Futures
42:30 Final thoughts
Haytham Nawar is an Egyptian artist, designer, scholar, and educator. He is the director of Diriyah Art Futures, the MENA region’s first hub dedicated to New Media Arts, established by the Ministry of Culture of Saudi Arabia. He is also the founder and director of Cairotronica, a festival of electronic and new media arts in Cairo.
Connect with DAF 👉 https://www.instagram.com/dafmoc/
Learn more about Diriyah Art Futures 👉 https://daf.moc.gov.sa/en

Hosted by:
Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb
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» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869
THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK
Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=shared
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.
📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters
🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts
⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership
🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_
🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official
🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

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Curating Art Shows at Jaou Tunis & Navigating Artistic & Cultural Politics | Taous Dahmani Feb 03, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of The afikra Podcast, host Mikey Muhanna chats with Dr Taous Dahmani, a London-based art historian, writer, and curator. She discusses her career, her ties to Tunis, and curating the exhibitions Unstable Point and Assembly at Jaou Tunis. She explores the socio-political themes in these works, the challenges of political expression in art, and fostering dialogue among artists from Africa and Southwest Asia, reflecting on their impact amid global issues.
00:00 Introduction
02:01 Connection to Tunis and Curatorial Challenges
04:02 Unstable Point Exhibition
06:40 Curatorial Process and Artist Selection
20:35 Political Context and Art
27:21 Emotional and Political Dimensions of Art
35:16 Featured Artists at Jaou Tunis and Their Work
48:31 Upcoming Projects and Final Thoughts
Dr Taous R. Dahmani is a historian of photography, researcher, and writer, who divides her time between London and Marseille. Her PhD focused on the intersection of political actions and photographic practices. She is also editor and content advisor at The Eyes, a trustee of the Photo Oxford Festival, and is on the editorial board of MAI: Visual Culture and Feminism.
Connect with Taous 👉 https://www.instagram.com/taous_r_dahmani/?locale=fr_ca&hl=en
Explore Jaou Tunis 👉 https://www.instagram.com/jaoutunis/

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Nadia Maftouni on the Legacy of Ibn al-Haytham in Camera Obscura | With Fujifilm & Gulf Photo Plus Jan 20, 2025

Show notes

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-Haytham to modern science. Known as the father of modern optics, Ibn al-Haytham's extensive work on camera obscura, empirical science, and mathematics laid the foundation for future scientific advancements. Maftouni explores his methodology, significant works like the "Book of Optics," and how his concepts influenced later scholars such as German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler. Additionally, Maftouni sheds light on Ibn al-Haytham's time under house arrest and his enduring impact on science and philosophy.
00:00 Introduction
01:34 Historical Background of Camera Obscura
03:16 Ibn al-Haytham's Contributions to Optics
04:50 Ibn al-Haytham's Methodology and Scientific Approach
06:49 Ibn al-Haytham's Influence on Later Scientists
07:51 House Arrest and Major Works
12:07 Philosophical Views and Scientific Method
16:19 Transmission of Knowledge to Europe
17:45 Ibn al-Haytham's Legacy and Influence
31:44 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Nadia Maftouni is an Iranian academic, philosopher, author, and artist. She's a leading scholar of Farabian, Avicennian, and Suhrawardian philosophy, and also specializes in Jurisprudence and Islamic History. She is a professor at the University of Tehran, a Senior Research Scholar at Yale Law School, and serves on the History of Philosophy Quarterly editorial board.
Explore Gulf Photo Plus 👉 https://gulfphotoplus.com/

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Dr Sohaira Siddiqui | Al-Mujadilah: Center & Mosque for Women Dec 02, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of the afikra podcast produced in collaboration with Qatar Foundation, we discover the impactful contributions and current challenges faced by Muslim women as Dr Sohaira Siddiqui discusses the vision and mission of the Al-Mujadilah Center and Mosque for Women in Qatar. We explore the center’s role as a community hub fostering civic engagement, education, and debate for Muslim women. Dr Siddiqui provides insights into the unique and essential space aimed at creating a sense of belonging and addressing contemporary issues within the framework of Islamic tradition. Learn about the historical context of Muslim women's participation in public life, as well as the center's efforts to support their development and empowerment globally.
00:00 Introduction: Unrecognized Contributions of Muslim Women
00:26 The Vision Behind Al-Mujadilah
01:22 What is Al-Mujadilah
02:00 The Importance of a Dedicated Space for Muslim Women
04:37 Building Al-Mujadilah from the Ground Up
06:28 The Meaning Behind the Name "Mujadilah"
09:15 Civic Engagement and Women's Agency
13:57 Three Pillars of Al-Mujadilah's Work
16:11 Challenges Faced by Muslim Women
21:09 Community Response and Program Offerings
27:57 Understanding Opinions vs Analysis
29:46 Navigating Religious Questions
31:57 Case Studies and Key Scholars
34:53 Historical Context of Islamic Law
38:48 Colonial Impact on Islamic Law
53:05 Future Vision for Al-Mujadilah
Dr Sohaira Siddiqui is the Executive Director of Al-Mujadilah and Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at Georgetown University in Qatar. Her work focuses on the relationship between law, theology and political thought in classical Islam; Islamic law during British colonization; Islamic law in contemporary Muslim societies; and secularism and modernity in relation to Muslims in the West. She is the author of Law and Politics Under the 'Abbasids: An Intellectual Portrait of al-Juwayni (Cambridge University Press, 2019) and Locating the Shari'a: Legal Fluidity in Theory, History and Practice (Brill, 2019). She has also published numerous articles in Islamic Law and Society, Journal of Islamic Studies, Journal of the American Oriental Society, and Middle East Law and Governance. She has held fellowships at Cambridge University, Tubingen University and Harvard Law School.
Connect with Dr Siddiqui 👉 https://www.instagram.com/sohairasiddiqui/
Al-Mujadilah is a center and mosque that seeks to cultivate a community of women who are committed to their own growth and that of their communities. It's a community of women who engage meaningfully and sincerely with their histories, who bravely address the injustices they identify, who are inspired by conversation, dialogue and debate, and who are continuously seeking new horizons.
Explore Al-Mujadilah 👉 https://www.instagram.com/almujadilah.qa
https://www.facebook.com/almujadilah.qa
https://x.com/almujadilah_qa

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Maha El Akoum | Obesity Epidemic & Health Policy in the Arab Gulf Nov 12, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of the afikra podcast, we chat with Maha El Akoum, the Manager of Content and Policy at WISH, to try to explore the causes of childhood obesity – especially in the Arab world and particularly in the Gulf – and to understand the complexities of dealing with it. Based in Qatar, Maha discusses the alarming rise in childhood obesity within the Gulf region, but also globally. She explores factors contributing to the epidemic such as lifestyle changes, dietary habits, economic factors, and urban planning. The conversation also covers potential solutions, highlighting successful policies in other nations and outlining the comprehensive approach needed to tackle obesity effectively. Maha emphasizes the societal efforts as well as the policy changes required for meaningful impact.
00:00 Understanding the Complexity of Obesity
00:18 Introduction to WISH and Its Mission
02:38 Childhood Obesity in Qatar and the Region
04:07 Factors Contributing to Obesity
04:59 Impact of Lifestyle and Economic Development
08:07 Global and Regional Contexts of Obesity
11:23 Effective Policies and Solutions
12:50 Understanding Taxation on Unhealthy Foods
13:16 Challenges and Successes of Food Taxation
14:33 Public Awareness and Healthy Eating Campaigns
15:53 The Societal Impact of Obesity
19:23 School-Based Interventions
23:22 Trends and Statistics in Childhood Obesity
27:20 Global Perspectives and Effective Policies
28:56 Comprehensive Policy Interventions
39:20 Next Steps and Future Plans
41:41 Recommendations and Resources
Maha El Akoum is the manager of Policy and Content Development at the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH). Her particular research interests include genomics and precision medicine, global health, health policy, healthcare innovation and health systems development. With a strong interest in patient safety, Maha has led several initiatives on a national level, such as the Academy for Emerging Leaders in Patient Safety in collaboration with MedStar Health, as well spearheading several research projects looking into the role of nurses in creating a culture of safety. Maha also managed what was formerly known as the WISH Young Innovators program (from 2015-2019), where she was involved in the shortlisting of the candidates and overall execution of the program.
Connect with Maha 👉 https://qa.linkedin.com/in/maha-el-akoum-mph-51228b66
Hosted by:
Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

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Narcy at Habibi Festival 2024 With Appearances by Hamed Sinno, Nadine El Roubi, Omar Offendum & Niko | Quartertones Live at Joe's Pub Nov 06, 2024

Show notes

Habibi Festival is back for another year at Joe's Pub, bringing Arabs, comrades, and lovers of music together in New York in these difficult times that our nations continue to endure. And for another year, afikra was on stage to speak to the musicians and bring their conversations and performances to you on afikra's Quartertones podcast.
Who better to kick off the season with than the one and only Iraqi-Canadian rapper, writer and teacher Narcy who's been – for decades – making music about the atrocities and racism that the Arab region and people have endured. Narcy calls on his friends and peers Hamed Sinno, Nadine El Roubi, Omar Offendum & Niko to join him on stage in an evening filled with poetry, music and solidarity.
Narcy shares his journey of grieving the Iraq War and the blessing and importance of community in the ongoing healing process. He also discusses cultural production as a form of resistance, reflecting on when to be silent, when to be loud, and when to amplify one’s voice in protest. He and his wife, Sondos, have embodied these principles through Maktaba, their Montreal-based library dedicated to celebrating Arab culture, which he also speaks on.
0:00 Narcy Intro Performance
10:21 Poetry on Sudan by Nadine El Roubi
13:57 Narcy Invites Niko on Stage to Perform With Him
21:36 Who Cares If Kamala's Black?: Narcy & Omar Offendum Perform Together
25:10 Poetry by Hamed Sinno
29:36 Narcy Joins Hamed Sinno to Perform a Mashrou' Leila Track & Tribute to Narcy's Brother Nawaf
37:41 Mikey Interviews Narcy on Stage
Yassin Alsalman, better known by his stage name Narcy (formerly The Narcicyst), is an Iraqi-Canadian rapper, author, university instructor and actor who has shaped the music and culture of the Arab world. He currently resides in Montreal and has produced albums such as World War Free Now, We Are the Medium, and SpaceTime.
Follow Narcy 👉 https://www.instagram.com/narcynarce
Check out Maktaba 👉 https://www.instagram.com/maktaba.bookshop
Created with the goal of giving a snapshot of contemporary and traditional music of the South West Asia North Africa (SWANA) region, every year Habibi Festival takes listeners on a journey of the sounds wafting through the airwaves and living rooms of cities spanning Marrakech to Baghdad. This performing arts festival (now in its fourth year) is a collaboration between the Director of Joe's Pub Alex Knowlton, artist/composer/curator Yacine Boulares, and curator/producer Meera Dugal who are bonded by the goal of creating more joyful spaces for performance, conversation, and storytelling from this part of the world.
Follow Habibi Festival 👉 https://www.instagram.com/habibifestival
Hosted by Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu
FOLLOW & RATE THE QUARTERTONES PODCAST:
» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-quartertones/id1646407556
» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/26VHvC6yVOxlRFjeOts6uf
» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1044639452
THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK
Explore all episodes in this series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl7FiLcdH_iSgv4RiXEy4GAh
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.
📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters
🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts
⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership
🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_
🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official
🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

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Beirut Southern Suburbs & Hezbollah: History & Truth | Mona Harb Oct 18, 2024

Show notes

In this special episode of This Is Not a Watermelon podcast, we speak to Professor Mona Harb, co-founder of the Beirut Urban Lab at the American University of Beirut, to help us delve into the intricate socio-political dynamics and historical narratives of Beirut's southern suburbs, known as "Dahiyeh" that's been under severe Israeli bombardment since September.

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Manufacturing Consent and Fake News | Marc Owen Jones Sep 02, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, produced in collaboration with the Qatar Foundation, Marc Owen Jones — Associate Professor of Media Analytics at Northwestern University Qatar — talks to us about this age of disinformation and how it manifests in the context of the Middle East. We discuss regulating social media platforms and try to understand what exactly disinformation is and where it came from. Touching on significant socio-political events such as the Arab uprisings of 2011, Professor Owen Jones reflects on the unique role that social media plays in the region. Referencing the dangers posed by monopolized social media platforms and data colonialism, we also talk about how the news industry is changing and what this means for historical records. Finally, the conversation moves to young people today and how they grapple with Ai, disinformation, false and new narratives, and orientalist perceptions of the Arab world.

Marc Owen Jones is Associate Professor of Media Analytics at Northwestern University Qatar. He is the author of Digital Authoritarianism in the Middle East: Deception, Disinformation and Social Media.

Connect with Marc 👉 https://www.instagram.com/marcowenjones/?hl=en

Get his book 👉https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/digital-authoritarianism-in-the-middle-east/

Hosted by:

Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=shared

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.

📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

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Tracy Chahwan | Beirut Bloody Beirut Aug 26, 2024

Show notes

Tracy Chahwan's bold and vibrant posters have become a common fixture of Beirut's walls, and her colorful illustrations are known and loved by people across the Arab world and beyond. For this episode of the afikra podcast, she joined us in our Beirut-studio to reminisce on the early days of her career, and discuss key influences and what it means to remain authentic as an artist. Referencing her work for Beirut Groove Collective, Samandal, the Nib and ultimately publishing her own comic novel "Beirut Bloody Beirut", Tracy maps how her style has evolved over time. She talks about the difference between commissioned and personal work, what it takes to brand and market yourself as an artist, and how her relationship with Beirut has shifted and changed over the years.

0:00 Introduction & Relationship to Beirut

1:29 Does Beirut Need to Get Its S*** Together?

5:12 Starting Out & Key Inspirations

9:12 Self-Censorship & Comic Journalism

14:54 Guantanamo & Current Projects

18:36 How the Comics Landscape Has Changed

24:56 Personal vs Commissioned Work

33:10 Emerging Talent & Illustrators From the Arab World

36:40 Beirut Bloody Beirut & How the City Has Changed

42:04 Resource Recommendations

44:38 The World of Comics

Tracy Chahwan is a cartoonist and illustrator from Lebanon. She started her career in Beirut, producing street art and posters for local independent music venues like the Beirut Groove Collective, and working with the Samandal and Zeez comics collective publishing experimental comics and anthologies. In 2018, she published her first graphic novel "Beirut Bloody Beirut", a story of two girls lost in the Beiruti night. After the Lebanese revolution in October 2019, she turned to journalistic comics, contributing to books such as "Guantanamo Voices" and "Where to Marie? Stories of Feminisms in Lebanon".

Connect with Tracy 👉 https://www.instagram.com/tracychahwan/

Hosted by:

Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:

» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743

» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze

» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

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Personal Narratives in Collective History, Consumer Culture & Mass Production | Raed Yassin Aug 12, 2024

Show notes

What is the difference between being an artist and an entertainer? What are the nuances of conveying humour and comedy through art? In this conversation, multi-creative Raed Yassin gives us his take. From growing up in Beirut during the civil war and how this has impacted his work through to the story behind his "The Best of Sammy Clark" project from 2009, Yassin invites us behind the scenes of his creative practice. The conversation also touches on what it's like to work across disciplines and how being a creative has changed in the wake of October 7th and beyond.

Raed Yassin is an artist and musician. He graduated from the theater department at the Institute of Fine Arts in Beirut in 2003, and since then has developed his conceptual practice through multiple mediums such as video, sound, photography, text, sculpture and performance. Yassin’s work often originates from an examination of his personal narratives and their position within a collective history, through the lens of consumer culture and mass production. He is also one of the organizers of the Irtijal Festival for Experimental Music (Beirut), and has released several solo music albums. In 2009, he founded his independent music label Annihaya. Raed currently lives between Berlin and Beirut.

Connect with Raed 👉 https://www.instagram.com/raedyassinstudio/

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