Tag: Islam

In this episode, based on listener questions, Dr. Yaron Friedman of the University of Haifa joins the podcast to discuss the fundamentals of the religion of Islam. The conversation covers the definition of Islam, its historical spread, its various streams and factions, and the possibility of a secular Muslim state.

This episode of This Week in the Middle East features Mor Shapira, a lecturer at Bar-Ilan University and a researcher of Arab media at the MEMRI institute. The conversation deals with the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) and the spread of fake news in the Arab world. It examines how these technologies affect politics, religion, and society in the Middle East, especially in the context of the current war.

The episode hosts Yinon Dan Kehati, author of the book "Shma Yishmael" and a right-wing peace activist. In a conversation with Boris Gorelik, Kehati presents his approach to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a solution with religious and theological roots based on using Islam's own sources.

This episode's guest is Dr. Dafna Sharf-Davidovich, a lecturer on the material culture of Islamic lands at the Open University of Israel and the Hebrew University. The conversation is about the architecture of mosques in Israel and around the world. It examines the stylistic, social, and political changes they reflect, from the new mosque in Abu Ghosh to contemporary trends in Muslim construction.

This episode's guest is Dr. Mor Shapira, a lecturer in the Department of Arabic at Bar-Ilan University and a researcher at the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). The conversation deals with reactions in the Arab and Muslim world to the September 2024 murder of the American conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

This episode's guest is Leon Schwartz, the owner of the Biratenu pub and other bars in Jerusalem, an alcohol expert, and a graduate of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies. Schwartz paints a complex picture of Islam's relationship with alcohol, from the pre-Islamic period, through the development of the prohibition in the Quran and Hadith, to the diverse reality of alcohol consumption and production in Muslim countries today.

This episode's guest is Idit Sharoni, curator at the Museum for Islamic Art in Jerusalem. She talks about the museum's new exhibition, "Love Stories", which explores and presents tempestuous love stories from the medieval Middle East. The exhibition focuses on illustrated manuscripts and touches on themes like forbidden love, madness, and death.

This episode's guest is Mansour Ashkar, a former officer in a well-known unit who currently lives in Germany. Since the events of October 7, Ashkar has become a prominent activist in Israeli advocacy. In a conversation with Boris Gorelik, he discusses the motives that led him to engage in advocacy, analyzes the ideology of radical Islam, and describes the challenges facing Europe and Israel in the face of rising antisemitism and Islamism.

This episode's guest is Tom Wegner, a strategic consultant, founder of "The Center for the Middle East," co-founder of the "Center for Normalization in the Middle East" association, and author of the books "The Abrahamic Revolution" and "Union of the Believers." Wegner participated in a simulation of the "Riyadh 2025 Conference" in a unique role, and he talks with Boris Gorelik about his insights from the event and his vision for regional peace based on religious and political cooperation.