
The East is a Podcast
A critical lens on the history of the present on West Asia and North Africa. Interviews with experts and archival mashups.
Created by Sina Rahmani (twitter: @urorientalist)
Latest episodes

Jun 15, 2024 • 1h 19min
Imperial scheming and the "humanitarian pier" in Gaza w/ Ahmed Omar
The US regime has spent over 300 million USD constructing a port on the Gaza coast and is calling it a "humanitarian pier". Ahmed Omar (@MENAUnleashed), a political economist from Gaza based in the UK, explores the darker motivations behind the construction of the port. Watch the video edition on The East is a Podcast YouTube channel Consider supporting the podcast www.patreon.com/east_podcast

Jun 12, 2024 • 1h 6min
Tankie Group Therapy #18: Tank you for being a friend
We're back for another round of group therapy talking about the latest developments in the Gaza genocide with a small group of Tankie therapees: Sina (@UrOrientalist), Rob (@robrousseau) and Mikey (@karaokecomputer). Sadly, our comrade Joe Emersburger was on the call but his file didn't upload so we sometimes reference his contribution. Please send your complaints to Podcastle.ai for their shitty, unstable platform. Watch the video edition on The East is a Podcast YouTube channel Consider supporting the podcast www.patreon.com/east_podcast

Jun 7, 2024 • 1h 21min
The End of Sport #141: Protest Politics w/Robin D. G. Kelley
UCLA historian Robin D. G. Kelley discusses the UCLA anti-genocide encampment, protest politics, and the role of sport in activism. They explore challenges in recognizing Palestinian loss, escalating violence on campus, and parallels between isolating South Africa and contemplating isolating Israel in sports.

Jun 2, 2024 • 1h 5min
Tankie Group Therapy #17: An Assault on Our Minds
Our regular therapy session debriefing the events of the week. Rob Rousseau (@robrousseau), Alex Avina (@Alexander_Avina), Joe Emersberger (@rosendo_joe), Nora Barrows Friedman (https://x.com/norabf) all join. Hosted by Justin Podur (@justinpodur) Watch the episode on The Anti-Empire Project YouTube channel Consider supporting the show www.patreon.com/east_podcast

May 31, 2024 • 2h 4min
The Art of Boycott: Delinking, Zionism, and the Agrarian Question فن المقاطعة: فك الارتباط، الصهيونية والقضية الزراعية؟
**The Arabic half of the conversation begins around minute 72** Essam Elkorgle (@elkorgle) guesthosts a special dual-language episode with Tunis-based sociologist Haithem Gasmi (@HaithemGasmii) on the sociocultural dimensions of the Zionist boycott and the wider question of delinking from the neocolonial world system. Check out the short video discussed in the episode. Cover art by Suhaib Tantoush Haithem's recent articles (Arabic) "Disengagement After Boycott: Disengagement From What? (Part One)" "Disengagement After Boycott: Disengagement From What? (Part Two)" Consider supporting the show www.patreon.com/east_podcast

May 26, 2024 • 55min
Tankie Group Therapy #16: Apocalypse, now!
Get out your most painful traumies cause it's that time again. A smaller helping of Tankie Group Therapy featuring Justin, Joe, and Sina. Watch the episode on The Anti-Empire Project YouTube channel Consider supporting the podcast www.patreon.com/east_podcast

May 15, 2024 • 29min
(Preview) World War Civ 40: How Britain Took Palestine in 1917
(A preview of the latest episode of Justin Podur's World War Civ series on his very excellent Anti-Empire Project podcast) General Allenby, Sharif Hussein and his son Feisal, and their handler TE Lawrence array the forces of the British Empire and the Arab Revolt against the Turco-German forces in Palestine. The battle starts in Gaza and ends with Allenby walking into the Jaffa Gate of Jerusalem. The story of the fateful campaign that brought British imperialism to Palestine (and Lebanon, and Syria…). We note that the British found Gaza to be a “fortress” from which it was impossible to dislodge the Turkish forces; Justin felt TE Lawrence was overrated, just another imperialist; and we compare admiration of the stoicism with which Allenby took news of his son’s death, with an analogous situation today. https://podur.org/2024/05/13/world-war-civ-40-how-britain-took-palestine-in-1917/

May 14, 2024 • 1h 15min
Tankie Group Therapy #15: Segregationist Methuselah and the fading US Empire
Nora (@norabf), Sina (@UrOrientalist), Rob (@robrousseau), and Alex (@Alexander_Avina) are back on the couch for another session of Tankie Group Therapy. Watch the episode on The East is a Podcast YouTube channel Consider supporting the show www.patreon.com/east_podcast

29 snips
Apr 30, 2024 • 1h 34min
Tankie Group Therapy #14: Too much democracy!
An extra large helping of Tankie Therapy featuring a big crowd of patients crammed together on the digital couch: Nora, Rob, Mikey, Arama, Justin, Alex, Joe, and Sina chaotically trying to host. We discussed the very irrational response on the part of the university administrators across the West to the encampments in solidarity with Palestinians sprouting up at dozens of schools. Watch the video edition on the East is a Podcast YouTube channel Consider supporting the show www.patreon.com/east_podcast

Apr 27, 2024 • 1h 15min
Buying Back Our Things: One Man’s Mission to Reclaim Somali Material Culture w/ Aziz Faarah
Guest host and writer Amal Nura (@amaalnuura) interviews Aziz Faarah (@azizfaarah), independent archivist and collector of Somali artifacts. They discuss his auction adventures and encounters with vendors including one who spent a few weeks in Somali jails in the 1970s https://twitter.com/azizfaarah/status/1736547727821943090. Their conversation touches on the value of material culture, the museum as a colonial invention and Aziz’s mission to reclaim and repatriate pieces to Somalis in the Horn of Africa and across the diaspora. To read more and get a glimpse into Aziz’s collection: https://africasacountry.com/2024/04/buying-back-our-things Consider supporting the show www.patreon.com/east_podcast Check out the Anti-Imperialist Archive https://feeds.libsyn.com/437079/rss