The Maydan Podcast is a production of Maydan, with dedicated themes around Islamic Studies and related fields. Maydan is an online publication of theAli Vural Ak Center for Global Islamic Studies at George Mason University, offering expert analysis on a wide variety of issues in the field of Islamic Studies for academic and public audiences alike.
Project Team: Ahmet Tekelioglu: Editor-in-Chief | Nicholas Gunty: Post Production and Audio Editor | Robert Zayd KiaNouri-Zigmund: Project Assistant. Contact: publish@themaydan.com (Former team members: Sophie Potts: Post Production and Audio Editor.)
The Maydan Podcast was incubated through the generous support of the Henry Luce Foundation.
EXPLORE OUR STREAMS:
A Common Word
A Common Word podcast focuses on Islam and Interreligious Studies.
History Speaks
Connecting conversations across disciplines on gender, law, and theology in Islamic history and how they speak to contemporary issues today.
Islam on the Edges
Islam on the Edges with Ermin Sinanović features conversations on global Islam, highlighting themes and experiences from the geographical and other edges of Muslim thought and life.
Knowledge and its Producers
Knowledge and its Producers is a limited podcast series from the Maydan hosted by N.A. Mansour, featuring people who are at the forefront of knowledge production, typically away from the traditional educational power structures.
On The Square
On the Square is a podcast from Sapelo Square in collaboration with the Maydan Institute exploring the dynamics of race and Islam in the Americas.
RECENT EPISODES:
History Speaks EP 18 | Shi’a Islam in Post-Soviet Eastern Europe | Roshan Iqbal with Akif Tahiiev
In this episode of History Speaks, Dr. Roshan Iqbal is joined by Dr. Akif Tahieev to explore a topic that rarely appears in mainstream scholarship: Shia Muslim communities in post-Soviet Eastern Europe. Together, they discuss...
A Common Word | EP 9- Younus Mirza with Khairudin Aljunied on Islam in Southeast Asia
When I first started my graduate education, I was attracted to the framework of Abrahamic Religions or the idea that Jews, Christians and Muslims should return back to their founder, Abraham, to better understand their...
History Speaks EP 17 | Imagining the Muslim Malcom X | Roshan Iqbal with Martin Nguyen
In this episode of History Speaks, Dr. Roshan Iqbal sits down with Dr. Martin Nguyen, author of Modern Muslim Theology: Engaging God and the World with Faith and Imagination, to explore what it means to imagine a...
History Speaks EP 16 | What Happened to the Judeo-Muslim? | Roshan Iqbal with Santiago Slabodsky
In this episode of History Speaks, Dr. Roshan Iqbal speaks with Dr. Santiago Slabodsky, who holds the Florence and Robert Kaufman Endowed Chair in Jewish Studies and directs the Jewish Studies program at Hofstra University. Drawing on...
A Common Word | EP 8- Younus Mirza with Amir Hussain
When I was writing The Islamic Mary, I became further interested in the field of Christian and Muslim dialogue and its relevance today and in the future. This led me to various books published on the...
History Speaks EP 15 | Animals in the Qur’an | Roshan Iqbal with Sarra Tlili
The Maydan Podcast · History Speaks EP 15 | Animals in the Qur’an | Roshan Iqbal with Sarra Tlili In this episode of History Speaks, Dr. Roshan Iqbal speaks with Dr. Sarra Tlili, author of...
History Speaks EP14 | # Oscars # Animation # Racism # Speciesism | Roshan Iqbal with Natalie Khazaal
In this episode of History Speaks, I talk with Dr. Natalie Khazaal, Associate Professor in the School of Modern Languages at Georgia Tech. Drawing from her research, we explore how racism, speciesism, and cultural bias...
History Speaks EP 13 | Maryam/Mary in the Qur’an | Roshan Iqbal with Younus Mirza
In this episode of History Speaks, Dr. Roshan Iqbal speaks with Dr. Younus Mirza, founding director of the Barzinji Institute for Global Virtual Learning at Shenandoah University, about his recent book The Islamic Mary. Together,...
A Common Word | EP 7- Younus Mirza with Rita George-Tvrtkovic
When I started my career, I was interested in the figure of Abraham/Ibrahim and how he could be a bridge figure between Christians, Jews and Muslims. However, as I wrote my book on “The Bible and...
History Speaks EP 12 | Islamophobia, Zohran Mamdani, & US Muslims | Roshan Iqbal with Elliott Bazzano
In this episode of History Speaks, Dr. Roshan Iqbal speaks with Dr. Elliott Bazzano, Associate Professor at Le Moyne College, about Islamophobia, the election of Zohran Mamdani, and what his success means for U.S. Muslims....
History Speaks EP 11 | A Brief Guide to Shi’a Islam | Roshan Iqbal with Saba Fatima
In this episode, Dr. Roshan Iqbal speaks with Dr. Saba Fatima, Professor of Philosophy at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, about her new book, A Brief Guide to Shia Islam: Beliefs, Practices, and Exemplars. Together, they...
A Common Word | Episode 6 – Younus Mirza with Shawkat Toorawa
When I started writing my book The Islamic Mary: Maryam Through the Centuries, I was drawn to the Qur’anic chapter of Mary or Surat Maryam. As I started to research the chapter, I came across the...
History Speaks EP10 | Between Worlds: Muslim Women and Campus Life | Roshan Iqbal with Shabana Mir
In this episode of History Speaks, Dr. Roshan Iqbal talks with Dr. Shabana Mir, Associate Professor of Anthropology at American Islamic College and author of the award-winning book Muslim American Women on Campus. Drawing from...
History Speaks EP9 | Karbala and Nobility | Roshan Iqbal with Cyrus Ali Zargar
What does it mean to act with nobility in the face of certain loss? In this episode of History Speaks, host Roshan Iqbal speaks with Dr. Cyrus Ali Zargar, Al-Ghazali Distinguished Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of...
A Common Word | Episode 5- Younus Mirza Hosts Maria Barga
In the Chapter of Mary (Surat Maryam), Zechariah/Zakariyya foreshadows the coming of Maryam. I sit down with Maria Barga to discuss her article “Redeeming Zachariah” which uses the Qur’an to understand the Biblical narrative and...
A Common Word | Episode 4- Younus Mirza Hosts Jordan Denari Duffner
While writing my book the Islamic Mary, I came across various works on Christian-Muslim relations, in particular the groundbreaking Catholic document of Nostra Aetate which speaks about positive relations with Muslims. However, the document is...
A Common Word | Episode 3- Younus Mirza Hosts Martin Nguyen
In this episode of A Common Word, Dr. Younus Mirza speaks with Dr. Martin Nguyen on his edited book “An American Muslim Guide to the Art and Life of Preaching” by Sohaib Sultan. They discuss how the...
A Common Word | Episode 2- Younus Mirza Hosts Alexander Massad
On this episode of A Common Word, Younus Mirza sits down with Alexander Massad to discuss his new book “Witnessing God: Christians, Muslims, and the Comparative Theology of Missions”. Alex is a strong proponent of...
History Speaks EP 8 | Inner Dimensions of Fasting | Roshan Iqbal with Celene Ibrahim, Oludamini Ogunnaike, and Younus Mirza
In this episode of History Speaks, Roshan Iqbal is joined by Celene Ibrahim, Oludamini Ogunnaike, and Younus Mirza to explore distinct fasting practices and their inner and outer dimensions in Islamic scholarship, especially focusing on...
A Common Word-Episode 1 | Younus Mirza Hosts Rachel Mikva
One of the reasons I have been drawn to A Common Word and the Islamic Mary or Maryam in particular is the idea of a shared figure between various religious traditions and the interactions between them. ...
On The Square – Episode 17 The Bean Pie: A Reclamation of Family History
The Maydan Podcast · On The Square – Episode 17 The Bean Pie: A Reclamation of Family History In this episode of On The Square, Sapelo Square’s Executive Director Latasha Rouseau talks with Tiffany Green-Abdullah,...
History Speaks EP 7 | Storytelling, Virtue Ethics, and Rūmī | Roshan Iqbal with Cyrus Ali Zargar
In this episode of History Speaks, Roshan Iqbal speaks with Cyrus Zargar on the role of storytelling and virtue ethics in the work of Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, the 13th-century jurist, philosopher, poet, and polymath....
On the Square EP 16 – Serving Community Through Civic Engagement
The Maydan Podcast · On the Square EP 16 – Serving Community Through Civic Engagement In this episode of On The Square, Sapelo Square’s Executive Director Latasha Rouseau sits down with Salima Suswell. Salima is...
On The Square EP 15-Getting Real: Writing Black American Muslim Life in the Nation & Sunni Tradition
The Maydan Podcast · On The Square EP 15-Getting Real: Writing Black American Muslim Life in the Nation & Sunni Tradition In this episode of On The Square, Sapelo Square’s Senior Editor Ambata Kazi talks...
On the Square Episode 14 – Black Like Me: Adding Color to Our Highest Courts
The Maydan Podcast · On the Square Episode 14 – Black Like Me: Adding Color to Our Highest Courts Juvaria Khan is the founder and executive director of the Appellate Project, a non-profit that strives...
Islam on the Edges EP10- The Ethics of Travel, Halal Tourism, and Visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina
In episode 10 of the “Islam on the Edges” podcast, Ermin Sinanović talks with Prof. Ingrid Mattson about her recent visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Religious tourism, including the Muslim version of “halal tourism,” has...
On the Square EP 13: The Jabbari Lincoln Files
On this episode of On The Square, Sapelo Square’s News Editor Dr. Nisa Muhammad, speaks with Yaya Fanusie, creator of The Jabbari Lincoln Files. The Jabbari Lincoln Files is an international spy thriller presented in...
Stand Up Comedy, African American Islam, and Humor with Moses the Comic and Guangtian Ha
The Maydan Podcast · Stand Up Comedy, African American Islam, and Humor with Moses the Comic and Guangtian Ha In this episode Maydan Podcast’s Editor-in-Chief Ahmet Tekelioglu hosts Philadelphia comedian and entrepreneur Moses the Comic...
The Ontology of the Soul Among Early Ashʿarī Theologians with Ahsen Nimet Cebeci
The Maydan Podcast · The Ontology of the Soul Among Early Ashʿarī Theologians with Ahsen Nimet Cebeci In this episode of Maydan Podcast, we host Ahsen Nimet Cebeci, a PhD Candidate at the Department of...
Islam on the Edges EP9 – Living Islam on the Edges of Counterterrorism, Racism, and Disobedience: A Conversation with Dr. Asim Qureshi
In episode 9 of the “Islam on the Edges” podcast, Dr. Ermin Sinanović talks with Dr. Asim Qureshi about the racialization and securitization of Muslims after 9/11. Dr. Qureshi is the Research Director at the...
Maria Dakake & Katrin Jomaa on Ummah: A New Paradigm for A Global World
Prof. Maria Dakake, Professor of Religion and Director of AbuSulayman Center for Global Islamic Studies at George Mason University, hosts scholar Dr. Katrin Jomaa for a conversation on her recent title, Ummah: A New Paradigm...
CSID Annual Conference and Democracy in MENA
In this guest episode of Maydan Podcast, our Editor-in-Chief Dr. Ahmet Selim Tekelioglu hosts Dr. Radwan Masmoudi and Dr. Dalia Fahmy from the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID )for a conversation...
On The Square EP 12 – The Fight to SAVE Our Black Boys
In this episode of On The Square, it’s all about our Black boys! Sapelo Square’s Executive Director, Latasha Rouseau, speaks with Atiba Saleem Jones, the founder and Executive Director of SAVE Institute, which offers middle...
Dr. Aminah Al-Deen with Dr. Abdullah bin Hamid Ali on Black American Muslim Internationalism
Dr. Aminah Al-Deen, PI of Black Islam Internationalism Project (BAMI) at GMU’s AbuSulayman Center for Global Islamic Studies interviews Dr. Abdullah bin Hamid Ali, a faculty member at Zaytuna College and founder of Lamppost Productions...
Dr. Aminah Al-Deen with Okolo Rashid on Black American Muslim Internationalism
Dr. Aminah Al-Deen, PI of Black Islam Internationalism Project (BAMI) at GMU’s AbuSulayman Center for Global Islamic Studies interviews Okolo Rashid, Co-Founder, International Museum of Muslim Cultures on Black Islam in Mississippi and beyond. See...
On the Square EP 11 – Preserving the Legacy: Black Creatives Making a Way
Aïdah Aliyah Rasheed, Special Projects Lead sits down with Bianca Bee Walker, photographer, filmmaker and one-half of Paper Monday. Within this episode, Aïdah and Bee talk about the beginning stages behind the collaborative project between...
Islam on the Edges EP8 – Muslims of the Caribbean
In episode 8 of the “Islam on the Edges” podcast, our host Dr. Ermin Sinanovic talks with Dr. Aliyah Khan and Dr. Kenneth Chitwood about the Muslims of the Caribbean. There is a country with...
Islam on the Edges EP7- The Islamic Party in North America
African-American Muslim thought and activism are still relatively understudied areas. Even though they constitute one-quarter to one-third of the Muslim population in North America, African-American Muslims did not receive as much attention in the study...
Dr. Aminah McCloud Al-Deen on the Black American Muslim Internationalism Project – Guest Episode
In this episode of the Maydan Podcast, our editor-in-chief, Dr. Ahmet Tekelioglu speaks with a new GMU faculty member, Dr. Aminah McCloud Al-Deen who joined Mason to lead the Black American Muslim Internationalism Project, supported...
[Maydan Podcast] Knowledge and Its Producers EP 8 – Bharti Lalwani & Nicolas Roth
This episode of Knowledge and its Producers talks to Bharti Lalwani, who is a perfumer and art critic as well as the curator of the online exhibition Bagh-e Hind. Throughout the interview, Lalwani tells us...
History Speaks EP 6 | Muslim History in the American Midwest | Tazeen Ali with Edward E. Curtis IV
In this episode of History Speaks, Tazeen M. Ali speaks with Edward E. Curtis IV about his recent book, Muslims of the Heartland: How Syrian Immigrants Made a Home in the American Midwest (NYU Press, 2022). They...
Rahina Muazu on Qur’an Recitation and Female Reciters in Nigeria- Special Guest Episode
In this solo episode, Rahina Muazu discusses Qur’an recitation and female reciters in Nigeria. She touches briefly on the history of Islam and Islamic knowledge in west Africa, particularly in Hausaland (what is today northern...
[Maydan Podcast] Wikke Jansen & Ken Chitwood on The Muslims of Latin America & the Caribbean – Special Guest Episode
In this episode of Maydan Podcast, our guest host Wikke Jansen speaks with Ken Chitwood about his latest book, The Muslims of Latin America and the Caribbean (Lynne Rienner, 2021). They discuss the role of...
Knowledge and its Producers EP 7 – Sami Tamimi & Tara Wigley
Welcome to Knowledge and its Producers, a limited series from the Maydan produced by me, NA Mansour. In each episode, we’ll be talking to people who are at the forefront of knowledge production, typically away from...
Islam on the Edges EP6 – The Securitization of Muslims in Europe
In the just-concluded first round of presidential elections in France, President Macron and a far-right candidate, Marie Le Pen, emerged as the top two contenders and will face each other in a run-off. These...
History Speaks EP 5 | Law, Education, Ethics | Tazeen Ali with Aria Nakissa
In this episode of History Speaks, Tazeen Ali speaks with Aria Nakissa about his recent book, The Anthropology of Islamic Law: Education, Ethics, and Legal Interpretation at Egypt’s al-Azhar (Oxford University Press, 2019). They discuss shifting pedagogical...
On The Square EP10- Sapelo’s Top Ten of 2021
In this episode of On The Square, our host Dr. Su’ad is joined by the Sapelo Squad! As we round out the podcast series and 2021 we wanted to bring the Squad to you up...
History Speaks EP 4 | Qur’an, Gender, Feminism | Roshan Iqbal with Celene Ibrahim and Hadia Mubarak
In this episode of History Speaks, Dr. Roshan Iqbal speaks with Dr. Celene Ibrahim and Dr. Hadia Mubarak on Gender as a lens to study the Qur’an, Muslim feminism, its contributions and challenges, the limits...
H. A. Hellyer & Peter Mandaville on Tradition, Traditionalism, and Muslim Politics – Special Guest Episode
In this episode of Maydan Podcast, CGIS Director Peter Mandaville speaks with H.A. Hellyer, a scholar and analyst unique in his experience in studying religious establishments worldwide and the halls of policy-making in the West....
On The Square EP9 – Being Black and Muslim in the World
In this episode of On The Square, we are in a diasporic mood! We talk with Gilary Massa-Machado from Canada, Tahir Fuzile Sitoto, a lecturer from South Africa, and Ismael Lea South, a community and...