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This episode explores the intersection of migration policies, colonial history, and human rights in the North African borderlands. Guests Dr. Ahlam Chemlali and Dr. Younous Arbaoui discuss how European Union (EU) externalization policies impact daily life in Tunisia and the broader Mediterranean. The conversation centers on the lived experiences of those affected, from migrants forced into dangerous routes to Tunisian fishermen confronted by death at sea. By examining the ripple effects of border intensification and persistent colonial tropes, the conversation highlights the need for state accountability and the protection of the fundamental right to life.

01:31 Introduction

02:44 The Significance of Studying the Mediterranean

08:18 Narrative Ethnography and Lived Experiences in Zarzis

11:14 Legal Frameworks and the Responsibility of North African States

14:44 The Visceral Reality of Death and Identification

25:21 Distinguishing Between Hard Law and Soft Law

29:32 Grassroots Efforts and the Struggle for Dignity

36:53 Confronting Colonial Tropes in Modern Discourse

45:54 Regional Agency and the Path to Accountability

53:32 Climate Change and Hidden Environmental Consequences

Dr. Ahlam Chemlali researches migration and borders, with a particular focus on European externalization policies and their political, social and human consequences. Her work examines how Europe governs migration both within and beyond its territorial boundaries, including through partnerships with third countries, the outsourcing of asylum procedures, and external border control mechanisms. Her research is situated at the intersection of migration, smuggling, gender, violence, and border governance, and places particular emphasis on the lived experiences and everyday realities of people on the move. Chemlali’s work is grounded in extensive field research in North Africa, particularly in the Maghreb. She has strong regional expertise in the MENA region and the Mediterranean, with a focus on migration routes, state practices, and power dynamics shaping border regimes.

Connect with Ahlam Chemlali  👉 https://dk.linkedin.com/in/ahlamchemlali

Dr. Younous Arbaoui is an Assistant Professor of Migration Law at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where he leads the Global Migration Law Hub and the Global Rights-Making Network. His academic research centers on global migration governance, with a specific focus on the legal frameworks connecting the European Union and North Africa. Beyond his academic role, Dr. Arbaoui is a dedicated practitioner and advocate in the region; he is the founder and chair of the Clinique Juridique Hijra in Morocco, which provides legal aid to asylum seekers, and serves as the editor-in-chief of Revue Hijra, an interdisciplinary journal dedicated to migration law and policy.

Connect with Younous Arbaoui 👉 https://nl.linkedin.com/in/younous-arbaoui-607b3316

Hosted by Amine Bit 👉 https://instagram.com/amine.bit

Amine Bit is a Columbia University graduate of Comparative Literature and Society, who served as the Events Editor of The Columbia Review and currently works with Souffles Monde.

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We delve into the complex intersection of revolt and nostalgia in postcolonial Moroccan literature with author and scholar Khaled Lyamlahy who offers specific, evidence-based insights into the diverse trajectories of three influential writers, Abdellatif Laâbi, Abdelkebir Khatibi, and Mohammed Khaïr-Eddine, and discusses how their unique experiences with activism, imprisonment, and exile shaped their work. An assistant professor at the University of Chicago, Dr. Lyamlahy helps us explore his latest book, Nostalgic Rebels, which complicates traditional narratives of Moroccan postcoloniality. He emphasizes that nostalgia is not merely a backward-looking emotion but a transformative force capable of reinventing the future. He confronts the notion that these literary movements are static, asserting that writing has a deep responsibility to provoke thought and ask difficult questions. The conversation also delves into the unique challenges of translation and the poetic power of fragments, highlighting the need for deeper literary dialogue between North and Sub-Saharan Africa.

0:00 Introduction

1:38 Origins and Evolution of "Nostalgic Rebels"

4:56 Defining Revolt Beyond Politics

10:21 Complicating Nostalgia in Postcolonial Studies

13:58 Mapping Authors as Trajectories

19:36 Prison, Travel, and Wandering, the Three Experiences of Exile

23:33 Translation as a Mode of Thinking

35:14 The Power of Fragments and Silences

41:19 The Intersection of Poetics and Politics in Writing

46:32 Future Projects

Khalid Lyamlahy is assistant professor of French and Francophone Studies at the University of Chicago where he teaches francophone North African literature. He is the author of Nostalgic Rebels: Politics, Aesthetics, and Selfhood in Postcolonial Morocco (Liverpool University Press, 2025).

Connect with Khalid Lyamlahy 👉 https://instagram.com/khalid_lyamlahy

Hosted by Amine Bit 👉 https://instagram.com/amine.bit

Amine Bit is a Columbia University graduate of Comparative Literature and Society, who served as the Events Editor of The Columbia Review and currently works with Souffles Monde.

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Kawkaw est un projet initié par Younes Baba-Ali, sur invitation du centre culturel LE 18 à Marrakech en 2016. Pensé comme une résidence ayant donné lieu à une exposition collective et à une série de rencontres, il a réuni cinq artistes du Grand Maghreb et ouvert un espace de dialogue et de recherche par la pratique artistique, dont ce podcast prolonge aujourd’hui les réflexions. Face à une scène artistique nord-africaine en pleine mutation, Kawkaw illustre la volonté de créer de nouvelles perspectives et d'explorer les opportunités et le potentiel inexploité de cette région. Kawkaw, qui signifie cacahuète en darija, est synonyme d'un aliment populaire, partagé avec plaisir, riche en saveurs et commun à tous les pays du Maghreb. Le programme incarne ce processus de décloisonnement et de partage dans le domaine artistique. Le podcast prolonge ce geste de décorticage en explorant les couches d’histoires, de langues et de circulations reliant Afrique du Nord et Afrique de l’Ouest, malgré les séparations coloniales et les héritages de l’esclavage et du racisme. Des chercheurs en musique, cinéastes, écrivains, historiens, architectes et artistes invité·es (Mohamed Arejdal, Taoufik Ben Amor, Mamadou Diouf, Ali Essafi, Hadia Gana, Carlos Perez Marin, Katy Léna Ndiaye & Oumar Sall) retracent les significations du mot “Kawkaw”, les routes caravanières, la transe et les musiques de guérison, et les trajectoires artistiques comme outils pour réinventer une géographie culturelle commune.

00:00 Naissance de Kawkaw

01:19 Décortiquer les histoires

02:20 Voyage d’un mot

03:11 Cacahuete en Tunisie

04:54 Kawkaw au Maroc

05:46 Kawkaw au Sénégal

07:22 Colonialisme et arachide

11:34 Piste égyptienne

14:18 Géographies du Maghreb

16:17 Trajectoires de l’artiste

22:43 Parasol et mémoire

27:35 Walata carrefour sahélien

31:30 Caravanes et connexions

36:23 Libye: se découvrir africaine

44:16 Musique transe et métissage

47:32 Panafricanismes d’après-guerre

55:15 Routes anciennes et conclusion

Mohamed Arejdal a développé une œuvre aux multiples facettes, explorant les territoires de son Maroc méridional natal, où il enseigne aujourd'hui.

Connectez-vous avec Mohamed Arejdal 👉 https://instagram.com/arejdalmohamed

Né au Maroc, Ali Essafi s'est tourné vers le cinéma documentaire après des études de psychologie en France. Parmi ses œuvres, on compte « General, Here We Are », « The Silence of the Beet Fields », « Ouarzazate Movie » et « Shikhat’s Blues ».

Connectez-vous avec Carlos Perez Marin 👉 https://instagram.com/carlosperezmarin

Hadia Gana est née à Tripoli, en Libye. Elle vit et travaille à Paris et a bénéficié de résidences à la Fondation Thami Mnyele (Amsterdam), à Ashkal Alwan (Beyrouth), au 18 (Marrakech) et à Sacatar (Brésil). Son travail est exposé dans le monde entier.

Connectez-vous avec Hadia Gana  👉 https://instagram.com/hadiagana

Katy Lena Ndiaye enrichit son expérience au cinéma et à la télévision depuis près de vingt ans. Elle dirige aujourd'hui, au Sénégal, la société de production IndigoMood Films.

Connectez-vous avec Katy Léna Ndiaye  👉 https://instagram.com/indigomoodfilms

Mamadou Diouf est professeur titulaire de la chaire Leitner d'études africaines et directeur de l'Institut d'études africaines de l'Université Columbia.

Oumar Sall est un auteur et critique installé à Dakar, où il travaille également comme médiateur éducatif et soutient des initiatives entrepreneuriales dans les industries culturelles et créatives. Sa pratique artistique explore l'évolution des expressions artistiques dans des contextes de mobilité.

Connectez-vous avec Oumar Sall 👉 https://sn.linkedin.com/in/oumar-sall-652077204

Le professeur Ben Amor est spécialiste de langue et de linguistique arabes, de langue et d'identité, de musique arabe et de musique soufie.

Hébergé par

Aude Tournaye 👉 https://instagram.com/aude.tournaye

Younes Baba-Ali 👉 https://instagram.com/younes.babaali 

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THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

Explore all episodes in this series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl6WCw08uLTDai3ePhVUQvvz

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  يتحدث معنا الباحث الأكاديمي محمد أوبنعل عن الهوية الثقافية الغنية للشعب الأمازيغي في المغرب، وروابطه التاريخية والمعاصرة مع القضية الفلسطينية. ويناقش أيضاً تأثير الإستعمار على الهوية الأمازيغية، وأساليب التضامن مع الهوية الفلسطينية. كما تُسلط الضوء على شخصيات مؤثرة في حركات المقاومة وأهمية التعاون الثقافي والأكاديمي للأجيال القادمة، مع التركيز على الروابط العميقة بين الثقافة، التاريخ والهوية

00:00 مقدمة عن اللغة والثقافة الأمازيغية

2:35 القضية الفلسطينية في الوعي الثقافي الأمازيغي

5:56 تأثير القضية الفلسطينية على البحث الأكاديمي

13:31 رموز أمازيغية ودورهم في مقاومة الصهيونية

19:02 مسؤولية الجيل الجديد تجاه فلسطين

محمد أوبنعل باحث في علم الاجتماع الاقتصادي وسوسيولوجيا الثقافة

يشتغل أساسا على تحولات المجتمع الأمازيغي والنخب الاقتصادية

Connect with Mohamed Oubenal 👉 https://instagram.com/moub.oum

Hosted by Soraya El Kahlaoui👉 https://instagram.com/souriyya

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THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

Explore all episodes in this series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl6WCw08uLTDai3ePhVUQvvz

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We spoke with Harlem legend and national treasure, Herb Boyd—a journalist, jazz historian, activist, and organizer who has been writing and publishing for nearly 70 years. He discusses his expansive life's work, his political evolution, and his early encounters with Malcolm X. Boyd first met Malcolm X in Detroit in 1958 and later followed him to Morocco in 1964. His life journey has followed in Malcolm X's political footsteps, spanning from Harlem to East Africa, West Africa, and the Middle East. Boyd shares that Africa marked the beginning of his journey and was critical in developing his international perspective. He delves into the research for his recent book "Malcolm X, The CIA, and Other Blacks" which considers Malcolm X's suspicions of being under surveillance by the CIA. This investigation led him to focus on a mysterious figure named Leo Miles, who pops up 10 times with Malcolm X during his travels, particularly in Cairo, Kenya, and Tanzania. Boyd discusses Leo Miles' suspicious association with the MPLA (People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola) and why he was eventually suspected of being an agent by foreign forces, possibly the Portuguese or the CIA. The conversation broadens to encompass the surveillance of other Black activists by the CIA, including Maya Angelou, Robert Williams, the Black Panthers, and Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael). Boyd connects these movements to the struggles against American imperialism and discusses his own travels to Palestine, including trips with Stokely Carmichael to Beirut and with Reverend Al Sharpton. He also highlights his contribution to the volume "For Gaza's Children". Boyd reflects on Malcolm X's perpetual importance as an internationalist, whose ideas remain relevant to contemporary global issues like the current UN situation, Ukraine, Haiti, and Gaza. Even at the age of 87, he is finishing a biography of Max Roach, a history of Harlem titled "Epic Harlem", and a novel about the Black Studies Movement.

00:00 Introducing Herb Boyd: Harlem Legend and Activist

01:54 Following Malcolm X’s Footsteps

03:00 Morocco, Dar Es Salaam and the International Perspective

04:47 The Significance of Early African Travels

06:19 Malcolm X, Leo Miles and the CIA Connection

09:33 The CIA's Surveillance of Black Activists

11:32 The Caribbean Connection: Walter Rodney and C.L.R. James

12:53 Maya Angelou: Cultural Ambassador in West Africa and Egypt

15:51 Traveling to Egypt and Malcolm X’s Impact on the International Community

19:05 Interviewing Maya Angelou and Her Claim of James Baldwin as her Little Brother

20:41 The African-American Beachhead in Ghana

21:37 Travels to Palestine

22:52 Contributing to Gaza’s Children

24:47 The Torturous Roads of Activism: From Detroit to Guatemala

28:37 Connecting American Imperialism to Global Struggle

37:22 Why Malcolm X’s Internationalism Is Perennially Important

43:17 Herb Boyd’s Ongoing Projects: Max Roach, Epic Harlem and a Novel on Black Studies

Herb Boyd is a journalist, activist, teacher, and has authored or edited 23 books, including his most recent one, The Diary of Malcolm X co-edited with Ilyasah Shabazz. His book Baldwin's Harlem, a biography of James Baldwin, was a finalist for a 2009 NAACP Image Award. In 1995, with Robert Allen, he was a recipient of an American Book Award for Brotherman--The Odyssey of Black Men in America, an anthology.  Other biographies include Pound for Pound—The Life and Times of Sugar Ray Robinson and a young adult book on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He is an adjunct professor at City College of New York.

Hosted by Hisham Aidi 👉 

https://instagram.com/uptown_berber

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» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1079305298

THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

Explore all episodes in this series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl6WCw08uLTDai3ePhVUQvvz

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We spoke with Harlem legend and national treasure, Herb Boyd—a journalist, jazz historian, activist, and organizer who has been writing and publishing for nearly 70 years. He discusses his expansive life's work, his political evolution, and his early encounters with Malcolm X. Boyd first met Malcolm X in Detroit in 1958 and later followed him to Morocco in 1964. His life journey has followed in Malcolm X's political footsteps, spanning from Harlem to East Africa, West Africa, and the Middle East. Boyd shares that Africa marked the beginning of his journey and was critical in developing his international perspective. He delves into the research for his recent book "Malcolm X, The CIA, and Other Blacks" which considers Malcolm X's suspicions of being under surveillance by the CIA. This investigation led him to focus on a mysterious figure named Leo Miles, who pops up 10 times with Malcolm X during his travels, particularly in Cairo, Kenya, and Tanzania. Boyd discusses Leo Miles' suspicious association with the MPLA (People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola) and why he was eventually suspected of being an agent by foreign forces, possibly the Portuguese or the CIA. The conversation broadens to encompass the surveillance of other Black activists by the CIA, including Maya Angelou, Robert Williams, the Black Panthers, and Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael). Boyd connects these movements to the struggles against American imperialism and discusses his own travels to Palestine, including trips with Stokely Carmichael to Beirut and with Reverend Al Sharpton. He also highlights his contribution to the volume "For Gaza's Children". Boyd reflects on Malcolm X's perpetual importance as an internationalist, whose ideas remain relevant to contemporary global issues like the current UN situation, Ukraine, Haiti, and Gaza. Even at the age of 87, he is finishing a biography of Max Roach, a history of Harlem titled "Epic Harlem", and a novel about the Black Studies Movement.

00:00 Introducing Herb Boyd: Harlem Legend and Activist

01:54 Following Malcolm X’s Footsteps

03:00 Morocco, Dar Es Salaam and the International Perspective

04:47 The Significance of Early African Travels

06:19 Malcolm X, Leo Miles and the CIA Connection

09:33 The CIA's Surveillance of Black Activists

11:32 The Caribbean Connection: Walter Rodney and C.L.R. James

12:53 Maya Angelou: Cultural Ambassador in West Africa and Egypt

15:51 Traveling to Egypt and Malcolm X’s Impact on the International Community

19:05 Interviewing Maya Angelou and Her Claim of James Baldwin as her Little Brother

20:41 The African-American Beachhead in Ghana

21:37 Travels to Palestine

22:52 Contributing to Gaza’s Children

24:47 The Torturous Roads of Activism: From Detroit to Guatemala

28:37 Connecting American Imperialism to Global Struggle

37:22 Why Malcolm X’s Internationalism Is Perennially Important

43:17 Herb Boyd’s Ongoing Projects: Max Roach, Epic Harlem and a Novel on Black Studies

Herb Boyd is a journalist, activist, teacher, and has authored or edited 23 books, including his most recent one, The Diary of Malcolm X co-edited with Ilyasah Shabazz. His book Baldwin's Harlem, a biography of James Baldwin, was a finalist for a 2009 NAACP Image Award. In 1995, with Robert Allen, he was a recipient of an American Book Award for Brotherman--The Odyssey of Black Men in America, an anthology.  Other biographies include Pound for Pound—The Life and Times of Sugar Ray Robinson and a young adult book on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He is an adjunct professor at City College of New York.

Hosted by Hisham Aidi 👉 

https://instagram.com/uptown_berber

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» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1079305298

THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

Explore all episodes in this series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl6WCw08uLTDai3ePhVUQvvz

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We explore the recent African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament and its impact on the Moroccan diaspora, particularly in Brussels, which hosts one of Europe's largest Moroccan-origin communities. A youth worker, educator, and football fan, Youssef Faraj joins the discussion to dissect how the tournament was experienced, its effect on community relations, Pan-Africanism, colonial memory, and integration into Belgian society. Faraj highlights the strong feeling of being "robbed" among the Moroccan diaspora following the controversial penalty decision on Brahim Díaz, which has since led to a noticeable shift in inter-diaspora relations. We also delve into the complex history and relationship between the Moroccan and Congolese communities in Brussels. The conversation covers the distinct migration streams and urban geography of both groups in the city, touching on issues like ethnic-based districts, economic disparities in shop ownership, and the concept of a pan-African district. A central theme is the contrasting football allegiances: while Moroccans overwhelmingly root for Morocco, the rationale for Congolese supporting the Belgian national team is explored as a nuanced form of "decoloniality" and a path to empowerment through sport, given the lack of infrastructure in Congo. This leads to a discussion of why Moroccan players born in Belgium, such as Saibari, Adnan, and Talbi, often choose Morocco over Belgium, which has sparked accusations of being "traitors to the nation" in Belgium. The episode closes by examining the identity crisis Morocco faces in Africa, where it is often perceived as not African enough.

00:00 Introduction

02:30 The Mood in Brussels After the AFCON Final 

04:28 Moroccan and Congolese Communities: A History of Relations in Brussels

06:33 Urban Geography and Segregation

10:36 The Respect and Trigger Points Between Moroccans and Congolese Communities in Brussels

12:50 Why Congolese Choose Belgium, and Moroccans Choose Morocco

15:20 Colonial Memory and Sport

16:05 The Moroccan Connection to Home and the "Traitors to the Nation" Debate

18:24 AFCON's Impact on Brussels' Public Space and Police Response

24:15 Allegiances in Brussels: Moroccan, Congolese, and Pan-Africanist Support

31:43 Street Football Culture and Its Role in Moroccan Youth Life

36:40 The Stereotype: Moroccan Talent vs. Institutional Acceptance

42:54 Xenophobia and the Far Right

48:10 AFCON's Soundtrack: Music, Language, and Brussels Creole

50:30 Moroccan Identity and the Need for African Introspection

53:05 The Arab-Slavery Narrative and Chemism as a Challenge to Moroccan Africanity

57:21 The Final Aftermath: Segregated Celebrations and the Politics of Space

Youssef Faraj is a consultant and project manager who is immersed in football and sports culture in Belgium. His interests range from education and youth to organizational culture change and learning design, particularly non-formal education. 

Connect with Youssef Faraj 👉 https://x.com/yofaraj

Hosted by Hanane Harrath & Hisham Aidi

Hanane Harrath specializes in contemporary politics and history of the Arab world, as well as contemporary Islam, she began her career in print media (Le Monde des religions, Le Nouvel Observateur, Le Courrier de l'Atlas) before moving into broadcasting. 

Connect with Hanane Harrath 👉 https://instagram.com/hananeharrath

Hisham Aidi is a Moroccan-American political scientist, author, music critic, filmmaker, and senior lecturer in international relations at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. His research interests include comparative race politics, art and social movements, and the political economy of development. 

Connect with Hisham Aidi 👉 

https://instagram.com/uptown_berber

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THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

Explore all episodes in this series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl6WCw08uLTDai3ePhVUQvvz

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Professor Aomar Boum talks about his latest book, The Last Rekkas, which offers an indigenous, counter-visual approach to the work of colonial artist-ethnographers. A collaboration with his daughter, Majdouline Boum Mendoza, that combines her visual work with the life stories of his father Faraji that's thought to be Morocco’s last known rekkas, a mail courier who walked thousands of miles delivering letters under colonial rule. The Last Rekkas is a decolonial project, which began with ethnographic studies in the 1990s in a village in Southern Morocco that uses art and text to center the stories of marginalized "ordinary people". A sociocultural anthropologist who holds the Maurice Amado Endowed Chair in Sephardic Studies at the University of California, professor Boum discusses his work on religious and ethnic minorities in the Middle East and North Africa. The conversation explores the book’s multimodal approach, contrasting it with Boum’s previous work "Undesirables" and reflecting on the tradition of Moroccan historian Mokhtar Soussi. We also delve into the necessity of engaging with colonial ethnography to create alternative narratives, using figures like Jean Besancenot to frame the story of his father, a mail carrier (rekkas) whose history was centralized but his voice erased. The episode concludes with a discussion of the book's audience—the coming generations of Moroccans—and how materiality and space, like cemeteries and everyday objects, can serve as archives to uncover untold histories in North Africa.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:59 Centering Marginalized Histories Through Visuality

00:01:58 The Impetus Behind "The Last Rekkas"

00:03:30 Conversations with Faraji, the Author's Father

00:06:57 Majdouline Boum Mendoza's Archival Art Centered Around Her Grandfather 

00:11:19 Multimodal Dimensions of Ethnography: From Undesirables to The Last Rekkas

00:16:38 The Book's Genre: An Illustrated Story

00:18:57 A Dialogue with Colonial Ethnography and Mokhtar Soussi

00:23:36 Engaging with the Colonial Archive to Create Counter-Visuality

00:34:15 Faraji, The Rekkas, and The Work of Jean Besancenot

00:40:29 A Foundationally Decolonial Project

00:44:14 The Audience: The Coming Generations of Moroccans

00:48:50 Space and Materiality as Archives

00:57:59 Current and Future Projects: Inside the Margins

Aomar Boum is a Moroccan-born cultural anthropologist and historian at UCLA, holding the Maurice Amado Chair in Sephardic Studies, known for his research on religious and ethnic minorities (Jews, Baha'is, Shia, Christians) in North Africa and the Middle East, Jewish-Muslim relations, and Holocaust history, authoring books like Memories of Absence and The Holocaust and North Africa, and co-founding initiatives like the Moroccan Jewish Studies Initiative. A sociocultural anthropologist who holds the Maurice Amado Endowed Chair in Sephardic Studies at the University of California, Boum has written many books including "Memories of Absence: How Muslims Remember Jews in Morocco" (2013); "Historical Dictionary of the Arab Uprisings" (2020); "Undesirables: A Holocaust Journey to North Africa" (2023); and "The Last Rekkas: Chronicles of a Pedestrian Messenger in Southern Morocco" (2024).

Connect with Aomar Boum 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/aomar-boum-916b74a

Hosted by Amine Bit 👉 https://instagram.com/amine.bit

Amine Bit is a Columbia University graduate of Comparative Literature and Society, who served as the Events Editor of The Columbia Review and currently works with Souffles Monde.

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Dans cet épisode, nous avons l'honneur d'accueillir Jocelyne Laabi, née à Lyon en 1943 et fascinée par le Maroc depuis son enfance. Elle nous partage son parcours depuis son arrivée à Meknès à l'âge de sept ans, sa prise de conscience du racisme et du colonialisme, et son implication dans la revue 'Souffles'. Nous explorons également son appréhension de la langue arabe, la scène théâtrale universitaire, son mariage avec l'activiste et poète Abdellatif Laabi, et ses années de résilience pendant l'emprisonnement de son mari. Jocelyne Laabi dépeint son amour pour le Maroc et les combats sociaux et politiques qui ont marqué sa vie. Elle aborde également ses contributions littéraires, notamment ses contes pour enfants et sa propre autobiographie, 'La Liqueur d'Aloès'. 

00:00 Introduction et jeunesse

05:15 Enfance à Lyon et arrivée au Maroc

15:30 Découverte de la Littérature et du Théâtre

24:20 Rôle dans la Revue Souffles

30:45 L'arrestation et la Résilience face à l'Adversité 

45:00 Enseigner au Maroc et en France 

55:30 Écrire des Contes et des Ouvrages Historiques 

01:06:00 Réflexions sur la Justice et l'Intégrité 

Jocelyne Laâbi est une auteure et militante née en 1943 à Lyon. Elle a déménagé au Maroc à un jeune âge et a été témoin de la lutte nationaliste pour l'indépendance. Épouse du poète et activiste Abdellatif Laby, elle a contribué à la revue 'Souffles' et a publié plusieurs œuvres, dont son autobiographie 'La Liqueur d'Aloès'. Aujourd'hui, elle est reconnue pour sa résilience et son engagement envers la justice sociale

Présenté par Hanane Harrath & Hisham Aidi

Hanane Harrath est diplômée en histoire, ancienne élève de Sciences Po et titulaire d'un Master en Études Arabes de l'école doctorale de Sciences Po Paris, elle a d'abord travaillé dans la recherche académique et les relations internationales avant de devenir journaliste en 2007. Spécialisée en politique contemporaine, en histoire du monde arabe et en islam contemporain, elle a débuté sa carrière dans la presse écrite (Le Monde des religions, Le Nouvel Observateur, Le Courrier de l'Atlas) avant de s'orienter vers l'audiovisuel. Après des passages à TV5 Monde (Paris) et Medi1 TV (Rabat), elle est actuellement rédactrice en chef et animatrice d'une émission pour la chaîne 2M. Dans ce cadre, elle rencontre pendant une heure une figure de proue (artistes, intellectuels, militants, leaders politiques, etc.), au Maroc ou à l'étranger, afin de les découvrir sous un jour nouveau et de partager leurs réflexions sur les défis de nos sociétés.

Suivez Hanane Harrath 👉 https://instagram.com/hananeharrath

Hisham Aidi est un politologue, auteur, critique musical et cinéaste maroco-américain. Il est maître de conférences en relations internationales à la School of International and Public Affairs de l'Université de Columbia. Ses recherches portent sur la politique comparée des races, l'art et les mouvements sociaux, ainsi que l'économie politique du développement. Son livre Rebel Music: Race, Empire, and the New Muslim Youth Culture, consacré au hip-hop mondial, a été lauréat de l'American Book Award en 2015.

Suivez Hisham Aidi 👉 https://instagram.com/uptown_berber

FOLLOW & RATE THE RADIO IFRIQIYA:

» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/radio-ifriqiya-powered-by-afikra/id1858526703

» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1VynJbFfAioUDyM6nmiqa3

» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1079305298

THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

Explore all episodes in this series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl6WCw08uLTDai3ePhVUQvvz

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Welcome to the very first edition of Radio Ifriqia, a new podcast powered by afikra. In the first episode, we delve into the history and relaunch of the influential Moroccan magazine, Souffles (Anfās in Arabic, meaning "breath" or "spirit"), with founding editors Hisham Aidi (Columbia) and Zakia Salime (Rutgers). Souffles was originally launched in 1966 by a group of Moroccan writers and artists who came of age writing in Paris and were steeped in Pan-Africanism, decolonial movements, and anti-liberation movements of the era. They are credited with coining the phrase "cultural decolonization", challenging the dominance of colonial paradigms in newly independent Morocco and examining what it meant to decolonize knowledge and culture. It was the first truly transatlantic, transcontinental magazine, connecting North Africa to the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. The original magazine lasted from 1966 to 1972 but the editors have resurrected it, relaunching the magazine in 2022 on the 50th anniversary of its closure as "Souffles Monde". The relaunch is driven by a commitment to bring academic research to a lay audience and reignite the tradition of decolonizing knowledge and challenging structures of power—the very spirit of Souffles. This discussion explores the magazine's initial intellectual pillars, the importance of historical reference points from the region, the continued relevance of debates on language and identity, and the new team's commitment to creating a dialogue among scholars across generations and geographic boundaries in the spirit of Pan-Maghrebism and South-South conversations.

0:00 Welcome to Radio Ifriqia

1:50 The Historical Context of Souffles in Morocco

3:30 The Founding Members of Souffles

4:28 Coining "Cultural Decolonization"

5:40 Souffles Monde: Relaunching a Vintage Magazine of the North African Left

7:41 The Magazine's Closure and Relaunch

8:24 The Meaning of the Title "Souffles"

10:16 Bridging the Generational Gap in Scholarship

11:55 Centrality of the Palestinian Struggle

14:47 Intellectual Pillars of the Original Magazine

16:16 Where the Maghreb Fits on the African-Arab Spectrum

16:31 Challenging Intellectual Domination by External Actors

17:59 The Intentionality of a Magazine, Not a Journal

18:46 Translation and Highlighting Scholarship from the Global South

21:07 A Transformational Experience for the Editors

23:32 Bringing Academic Research to a Lay Audience

24:32 Inserting the Maghreb into South-South Conversations

25:11 Progressive Movements in North Africa

27:46 Hopes for the Podcast and Distribution

29:19 Conveying the History of Progressivism to the Younger Generation

30:20 Balancing Crude Culturalism with Political Economy

32:01 Forging Global South Connections and Dialogues

33:32 Why This is a Critical and Plastic Moment

34:19 Depolarizing Intellectual Discourse

35:18 Renewing Interest in Questions of Justice

37:06 The Importance of the Podcast as an Entry Point

38:03 Decolonization is a Marathon and a Relay Race

Hisham Aidi is a Moroccan-American political scientist, author, music critic, filmmaker, and senior lecturer in international relations at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. His research interests include comparative race politics, art and social movements, and the political economy of development. His book Rebel Music: Race, Empire, and the New Muslim Youth Culture on global hip hop was a 2015 winner of the American Book Award.

Connect with Hisham Aidi 👉 https://instagram.com/uptown_berber

Zakia Salime is Assistant Professor in Sociology and Women's and Gender Studies at Rutgers University, where she teaches courses in comparative feminism(s), gender, globalization, social movements, international inequalities, and postcoloniality. Her research interests include, race, empire, the political economy of the "war on terror," development policies, Islamic societies and movements, and Middle East and US relations. 

Connect with Zakia Salime 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/zakia-salime-58760a53

Hosted by Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://instagram.com/mikey_mu

FOLLOW & RATE THE RADIO IFRIQIYA:

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» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1VynJbFfAioUDyM6nmiqa3

» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1079305298

THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

Explore all episodes in this series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl6WCw08uLTDai3ePhVUQvvz

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.