Best Making Sense Of Islam Podcasts (2025)

1
The Revolution within (S. 14, Ep. 13) 45:39

3d ago45:39

45:39

On this week's episode of the podcast, Yasmin Moll of the University of Michigan joins Marc Lynch to discuss her new book, The Revolution Within: Islamic Media and the Struggle for a New Egypt. This book challenges conventional accounts of the 2011 revolution and its aftermath as a struggle between secular and religious forces, reconsidering what m…

1
Road to October 7 (S. 14, Ep. 12) 48:41

17d ago48:41

48:41

On this week's episode of the podcast, Erik Skare of the University of Oslo joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, Road to October 7: A Brief History of Palestinian Islamism. In this book, Erik Skare argues that Palestinian Islamism is far more complex and dynamic than generally assumed. The phenomenon has continuously developed through disputes…

1
Decentralization, Local Governance, and Inequality (S. 14, Ep. 10) 48:08

1M ago48:08

48:08

On this week's episode of the podcast, Kristen Kao and Ellen Lust of the University of Gothenburg join Marc Lynch to discuss their new book, Decentralization, Local Governance, and Inequality in the Middle East and North Africa. This book directs our attention toward the ways in which decentralization is “lived locally” by citizens of the MENA regi…

1
The King Can Do No Wrong (S. 14, Ep. 11) 44:50

1M ago44:50

44:50

On this week's episode of the podcast, Scott Williamson of the University of Oxford joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, The King Can Do No Wrong: Blame Games and Power Sharing in Authoritarian Regimes. This book stresses the importance of understanding autocratic blame games. Scott Williamson argues that how autocrats share power affects thei…

1
Contested City (S. 14, Ep. 9) 57:32

2M ago57:32

57:32

On this week's episode of the podcast, Alissa Walter of Seattle Pacific University joins Marc Lynch to discuss her new book, Contested City: Citizen Advocacy and Survival in Modern Baghdad. . The book offers a history of state-society relations in Baghdad, exploring how city residents managed through periods of economic growth, sanctions, and war, …

1
Making Sense of the Arab State (S. 14, Ep. 8) 42:03

2M ago42:03

42:03

On this week's episode of the podcast, Steven Heydemann of Smith College joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, Making Sense of the Arab State. This book grapples with enduring questions such as the uneven development of state capacity, the failures of developmentalism and governance, the centrality of regime security and survival concerns, the …

1
Centers of Power in the Arab Gulf States ( S. 14, Ep. 7) 51:53

2M ago51:53

51:53

On this week's episode of the podcast, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen of Rice University joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, Centers of Power in the Arab Gulf States. This book offers a comparative analysis of military, political, economic and religious power in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as well as of the power of nar…

1
Islamic State (S.14, Ep. 6) 43:26

3M ago43:26

43:26

On this week's episode of the podcast, Austin J. Knuppe of Utah State University joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, Surviving the Islamic State:Contention, Cooperation, and Neutrality in Wartime Iraq. This book offers an insightful account of how Iraqis in different areas of the country responded to the rise and fall of the Islamic State. Au…

1
Women, Money, and Political Participation (S. 14, Ep. 5) 43:34

3M ago43:34

43:34

On this week's episode of the podcast, Bozena Welborne of Smith College joins Marc Lynch to discuss her book, Women, Money, and Political Participation in the Middle East. This book examines women, money, and political participation in the Middle East and North Africa focusing on women’s capacity to engage local political systems. The research that…

1
Mayors in the Middle (S. 14, Ep. 4) 55:45

3M ago55:45

55:45

On this week's episode of the podcast, Diana Greenwald of the City College of New York joins Marc Lynch to discuss her new book, Mayors in the Middle: Indirect Rule and Local Government in Occupied Palestine. Diana B. Greenwald offers a new theory of local government under indirect rule through a historically informed, empirically nuanced analysis …

1
Wars of Ambition (S. 14, Ep. 3) 1:04:43

3M ago1:04:43

1:04:43

On this week's episode of the podcast, Afshon Ostovar of the Naval Postgraduate School joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, Wars of Ambition: The United States, Iran, and the Struggle for the Middle East. This book offers a sweeping, comprehensive history of the post-9/11 wars in the Middle East and the politics that fueled them. Ostovar discu…

1
The Abraham Accords (S. 14, Ep. 2) 43:10

3M ago43:10

43:10

On this week's episode of the podcast, Elham Fakhro of the Harvard Kennedy School joins Marc Lynch to discuss her new book, The Abraham Accords: The Gulf States, Israel, and the Limits of Normalization. In this book, Elham Fakhro demonstrates how shared security concerns, economic interests, and regional political shockwaves led to a surprising str…

1
From Jihad to Politics (S. 14, Ep. 1) 54:19

4M ago54:19

54:19

Welcome to Season 14 of the POMEPS Middle East Political Science Podcast!On this week's episode of the podcast, Jerome Drevon of International Crisis Group joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, From Jihad to Politics: How Syrian Jihadis Embraced Politics. In the book, Drevon offers an examination of the Syrian armed opposition, tracing the emer…

1
Ancient Arabia: A New UNESCO Site 27:35

8M ago27:35

27:35

Join Juan De Lara as he takes us on a tour through the colourful history of Arabia's Qaryat al Faw; a fascinating gem in the desert rich with treasure-laden tombs, frescoes of Egyptian goddesses, statues of Greek demigods, and marvellous inscriptions. Listen in as Juan discusses the wonders of the Incense Routes, the brilliance of the famed Nabatae…

1
Teaching Islamic Art in Schools, with Rizwan Iqbal 35:43

10M ago35:43

35:43

Join Rizwan Iqbal as he explores how to get young people excited about Islamic art. Listen as he details the problems faced, solutions he has discovered, and the exciting work he has done as part of our Hands On Islamic Art project, which connects the wider UK to Islamic art collections, with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.…

1
Seals of Sumatra, with Annabel Gallop 27:36

11M ago27:36

27:36

Join Annabel Gallop as she takes us to the Indonesian province of Aceh, where she introduces us to the Ninefold Seal, and through it, takes us on a tour through Mughal power, Chinese trade, European conquest, and the wonderful artistic expression of the people of Sumatra.By Asia House Arts and Learning

1
Lost Libraries of Tunis, with Laura Hinrichsen 26:00

12M ago26:00

26:00

Join Laura Hinrichsen as she walks us through her fascinating new research, reconstructing the great libraries of 16th century Tunis, once thought completely lost, by hunting down fragments scattered across the world. Listen as she explores the great conquest that destroyed these libraries, the sort of things you could read there, and the clever wa…

1
Zanzibar Was a Country (S. 13, Ep. 25) 51:22

1y ago51:22

51:22

On this week's episode of the podcast, Nathaniel Mathews of Binghamton University joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, Zanzibar Was a Country: Exile and Citizenship between East Africa and the Gulf. This book traces the history of a Swahili-speaking Arab diaspora from East Africa to Oman. The stories of postrevolution exiles and emigrés from Z…

1
Field Notes: The Making of Middle East Studies in the United States (S. 13, Ep. 24) 1:00:05

1y ago1:00:05

1:00:05

On this week's episode of the podcast, Zachary Lockman of New York University joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, Field Notes: The Making of Middle East Studies in the United States. This book reconstructs the origins and trajectory of area studies in the United States, focusing on Middle East studies from the 1920s to the 1980s. Lockman show…

1
The Resilience of Parliamentary Politics in Kuwait (S. 13, Ep. 23) 52:05

1y ago52:05

52:05

On this week's episode of the podcast, Courtney Freer of Emory University joins Marc Lynch to discuss her new book, The Resilience of Parliamentary Politics in Kuwait: Parliament, Rentierism, and Society. This book provides an unprecedented holistic treatment of grassroots contemporary Kuwaiti politics in English in over two decades, incorporating …

1
My Brother, My Land (S. 13, Ep. 22) 1:00:08

1y ago1:00:08

1:00:08

On this week's episode of the podcast, Sami Hermez of Northwestern University and Sireen Sawalha join Marc Lynch to discuss their new book, My Brother, My Land: A Story from Palestine. This is the story of Palestinian resistance that follows Sireen's family after walking back to Palestine against the traffic of exile. Through the lives of the Sawal…

1
Material Power: Palestinian Embroidery, with Rachel Dedman 23:22

1y ago23:22

23:22

Join Rachel Dedman as she explores the beauty and politics of Palestinian textiles. Listen as she discusses her work on the current Material Power exhibition in the UK, whose public programme was part of our Hands On Islamic Art project which works to engage the UK public with Islamic art.By Asia House Arts and Learning

1
Joyful Muslimah 12 Week Online Program - Service 3:58

1y ago3:58

3:58

By Princess R Lakshman

1
Joyful Muslimah 12 Week Online Program - Positive Thoughts over Negative Thoughts 4:05

1y ago4:05

4:05

By Princess R Lakshman

1
Joyful Muslimah 12 Week Online Program - Forgiveness over Grudge Holding 4:16

1y ago4:16

4:16

By Princess R Lakshman

1
Joyful Muslimah 12 Week Online Program - Faith over Fear 6:22

1y ago6:22

6:22

By Princess R Lakshman

1
Joyful Muslimah 12 Week Online Program - Gratitude 5:41

1y ago5:41

5:41

By Princess R Lakshman

1
Joyful Muslimah 12 Week Online Program - Silence 3:58

1y ago3:58

3:58

By Princess R Lakshman

1
Joyful Muslimah 12 Week Online Program - Kindness 3:36

1y ago3:36

3:36

By Princess R Lakshman

1
Joyful Muslimah 12 Week Online Program - Reflections 8:14

1y ago8:14

8:14

By Princess R Lakshman

1
Joyful Muslimah 12 Week Online Program - Understanding 3:40

1y ago3:40

3:40

By Princess R Lakshman

1
Joyful Muslimah 12 Week Online Program - Clarity over Confusion 3:39

1y ago3:39

3:39

By Princess R Lakshman

1
Joyful Muslimah 12 Week Online Program - Calm over Anger 4:03

1y ago4:03

4:03

By Princess R Lakshman

1
Joyful Muslimah 12 Week Online Program - Confidence over Poor Self Esteem 4:29

1y ago4:29

4:29

By Princess R Lakshman

1
The Political Science of the Middle East and The Uprisings of Gaza (S.13, Ep. 21) 54:33

1y ago54:33

54:33

On this week's episode of the podcast, Alexander Cooley of Barnard College joins Marc Lynch to discuss Cooley's review essay, The Uprisings of Gaza: How Geopolitical Crises Have Reshaped Academic Communities from Tahrir to Kyiv. This essay reflects upon the contributions of Marc Lynch's edited volume (The Political Science of the Middle East: Theor…

1
Redefining Ceasefires (S. 13, Ep. 20) 48:50

1y ago48:50

48:50

On this week's episode of the podcast, Marika Sosnowski of the University of Melbourne Law School joins Marc Lynch to discuss her new book, Redefining Ceasefires: Wartime Order and Statebuilding in Syria. This book explores how ceasefires are not only military tactics but are also tools of wartime order and state-building. While ceasefires have bee…

1
Smugglers and States (S. 13, Ep. 19) 54:10

1y ago54:10

54:10

On this week's episode of the podcast, Max Gallien of Institute of Development Studies joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, Smugglers and States: Negotiating the Maghreb at Its Margins. This book examines the rules and agreements that govern smuggling in North Africa, tracing the involvement of states in these practices and their consequences …

1
The Gulf Monarchies After the Arab Spring (S.13, Ep. 18) 50:40

1y ago50:40

50:40

On this week's episode of the podcast, Cinzia Bianco of the University of Exeter joins Marc Lynch to discuss her new book, The Gulf Monarchies After the Arab Spring: Threats and Security. This book applies an original theoretical framework to unpack the threat perceptions and strategic calculus driving the behavior of new impactful regional players…

1
Soldiers of Democracy? (S. 13, Ep. 17) 55:52

1y ago55:52

55:52

On this week's episode of the podcast, Sharan Grewal of the College of William and Mary and the Middle East Initiative at Harvard University joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book Soldiers of Democracy? Military Legacies and the Arab Spring. The book argues that a military's behavior under democracy is shaped by how it had been treated under auto…

1
Egypt Under El-Sisi (S. 13, Ep. 16) 50:09

1y ago50:09

50:09

On this week's episode of the podcast, Maged Mandour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, Egypt under El-Sisi: A Nation on the Edge. His book follows President Sisi's regime in the aftermath of the coup that brought him to power, as a chronology of the devastating political, economic, and socia…

1
Moroccan Other-Archives (S. 13, Ep. 15) 1:06:10

1y ago1:06:10

1:06:10

On this week's episode of the podcast, Brahim El Guabli of Williams College joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, Moroccan Other-Archives: History and Citizenship After State Violence. The book shows how Moroccan cultural production has become an other-archive: a set of textual, sonic, embodied, and visual sites that recover real or reimagined …

1
Gaza: Art History & Lost Monuments, with Leena Ghannam 30:25

1y ago30:25

30:25

Join Leena Ghannam as she walks us through an often unfamiliar aspect of Gaza: its art, architecture, and monuments. Listen in as she takes us through mermaid monuments and golden markets, from temples of Aphrodite to masterpieces of modern art, exploring from the conquests of Alexander until the recent annihilation of many of these precious sites.…

1
The Rebel's Clinic (S.13, Ep. 14) 1:10:42

1+ y ago1:10:42

1:10:42

On this week's episode of the podcast, Adam Shatz of Bard College joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, The Rebel's Clinic: The Revolutionary Lives of Frantz Fanon. In this searching biography, Adam Shatz tells the story of Frantz Fanon’s journey as a prominent intellectual activist of the postcolonial era. Shatz offers a dramatic reconstructio…

1
Repression in the Digital Age (S.13 Ep. 13) 49:38

1+ y ago49:38

49:38

On this week's episode of the podcast, Anita Gohdes of the Hertie School joins Marc Lynch to discuss her new book, Repression in the Digital Age: Surveillance, Censorship, and the Dynamics of State Violence. Gohdes looks at how digital technology supports traditional, violent state repression. Her book draws on theory and evidence to examine the li…

1
Middle East Scholar Barometer (S. 13, Ep. 12) 55:11

1+ y ago55:11

55:11

On this week’s episode of the podcast, Shibley Telhami of the University of Maryland joins Marc Lynch to discuss the Middle East Scholar Barometer. The Middle East Scholar Barometer is a project of University of Maryland’s Critical Issues Poll and George Washington University’s Project on Middle East Political Science. It aims to probe the assessme…

1
The Ghosts of Lebanon, It's Just How Things are Done, & Unreported Realities (S. 13, Ep. 11) 57:53

1+ y ago57:53

57:53

On this week's episode of the podcast, Sarah Parkinson of Johns Hopkins University joins Marc Lynch to discuss some of her latest publications. Her article, The Ghosts of Lebanon: To See What Lies Ahead in Gaza, Look Back to Israel’s 1982 Invasion, in the Foreign Affairs Journal, looks at the lessons of Israel’s disastrous 1982 invasion of southern…

1
Unearthing Ottoman Greece, with Konstantinos Politis 24:42

1+ y ago24:42

24:42

Join Konstantinos Politis as he digs through the long history of the Greek city of Chalkida, from its war-altering strategic importance to its lush date farms. Listen as he discusses his work, as a grantee of The Barakat Trust, exploring the town's Ottoman Heritage, discovering several mosques, and navigating the complexities of Greek identity and …

1
Refuge and Resistance (S. 13, Ep. 10) 42:50

1+ y ago42:50

42:50

On this week's episode of the podcast, Anne Irfan of University of College London joins Marc Lynch to discuss her new book, Refuge and Resistance: Palestinians and the International Refugee System (Starts at 0:33). This book is a groundbreaking international history of Palestinian refugee politics. Irfan traces the history and politics of UNRWA’s i…

1
Politics as Worship (S. 13, Ep. 9) 40:35

1+ y ago40:35

40:35

On this week's episode of the podcast, Sumita Pahwa of Scripps College, joins Marc Lynch to discuss her new book, Politics as Worship: Righteous Activism and the Egyptian Muslim Brothers. Sumita Pahwa explores the question of why leading Islamist movements like the Egyptian Muslim Brothers embrace electoral politics while insisting that their main …

1
Politics in the Crevices (S. 13, Ep. 8) 44:29

1+ y ago44:29

44:29

On this week's episode of the podcast, Sarah El Kazaz of SOAS, University of London, joins Marc Lynch to discuss her new book, Politics in the Crevices: Urban Design and the Making of Property Markets in Cairo and Istanbul. In this transnational ethnography of neighborhoods undergoing contested rapid transformations, Sarah El Kazaz reveals how the …

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Making Sense Of Islam Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen