Aslan Media: INTERSECTION

Happy Valentine's Day!This week host Michael Brooks sits down with broadcast, academic, and author ofSex and the Citadel,Shereen El Feki.They discuss her work on sexuality in the Arab world, delving into how empowerment in the bedroom is connected to empowerment in the public sphere, and ruminating on the cultural context of sex in the region.*Just a note that there's some adult language in this episodeDina Yazdani of the Aslan Media News Team also brings you this week's News Brief.You can follow Shereen on Twitter at@shereenelfekiLearn more about the book here:http://sexandthecitadel.com/And, you can watch more from Shereen at her TEDglobal talk:http://on.ted.com/ShereenElFeki

On this week's podcast, host Michael Brooks speaks with James M. Dorsey, Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the creator of the blog The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, on the political roots of soccer clubs in the MENA region, what we can learn about political tensions through MENA soccer, and how Qatar is stumbling in its quest for a soft diplomacy victory by hosting the 2022 World Cup. Michael gives his view on how diplomatic progress with Iran can lead to a realistic and progressive engagement on human abuses in Iran. And, team member Dina Yazdani gives us this week's News Brief. Don't forget you can subscribe to this podcast on iTunes. Please leave your reviews, we'd love to hear from you!

On this week's podcast, Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies,Steven Cookchats with host Michael Brooks about the political and economic instability gripping Turkey, who the national competitors to Prime Minister Erdogan and his AKP party are, the battle within political Islam in Turkey, and why Erdogan may not be going anywhere.Michael also gives his take on the good new from Tunisia this week, and Dina Yazadani gives us this week's News Brief from the Mideast.

On this week's show, host Michael Brooks speaks withDaniel Levy, the Director of the Middle East program at theEuropean Council on Foreign Relations,and a former Israeli peace negotiator on the real legacy of Ariel Sharon, the politics of nationalism, the future of progressive politics in Israel. They also chatted about the Syria negotiations in Geneva, and why Iranian participation is essential for moving towards solutions for Syria.Michael also offers up his personal commentary on the recent wave of terrorist attacks in Cairo and why the West needs to stop believing military regimes provide real stability.And Dina Yazdani of the Aslan Media News Team gives us the week's News Brief from the region.

On this weeks INTERSECTION podcast, host Michael Brooks speaks with professor Sunaina Maira author of Jil Oslo: Palestinian Hip Hop, Youth Culture, and the Youth Movement on the political roots of the post Oslo generation in Palestine, the role of Hip Hop in youth politics, what the new Palestinian activism looks like as MENA charts new political identities. Michael also delivers a commentary on the real legacy of former Israeli leader Ariel Sharon and Dina Yazdani gives us a news brief for the week. Follow Aslan Media on Twitter @AslanMedia for daily updates on news about and from MENA and MENASA. And, follow Michael on Twitter as well @_MichaelBrooksIf you are listening on iTunes, please do leave a Review & Rating on our podcast page!

Happy 2014 everyone! On this first podcast of the year (and our 20th episode!), host Michael Brooks speaks with Cairo based analystHolly Dagreson how the Egyptian coup and counter revolution turned back progress in the MENA region in 2013, why the Egyptian economy remains stagnant and the popularity of the new military regime. Also, they chat about why the suspicion persists between Iran and the United States.In Michael's commentary this week he tackles why the failures of Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also reflect the global failure of neo-liberal policies.And, Dina Yazadani of the Aslan Media news team offers up this week's News Brief on the important stories from the MENA region. Lastly, we're proud to announce support for this podcast from The Monterey Institute of International Studies, a Middlebury College graduate school nestled in the heart of California's central coast. Learn more about their offerings athttp://bit.ly/1ald1KV

On this final podcast of 2013, host Michael Brooks chats with Jim Lobe on stateside Congressional efforts against Iran, and also dives into the inner workings of how America's foreign policy is influenced in Washington. We've also got the weekly News Brief for you from Zane Rassaq of the Aslan Media News Team. You can tweet to Michael on Twitter @_MichaelBrooksor email him at intersection@aslanmedia.comRead more from Jim Lobe at Lobelog.comHappy 2014 everyone

On this weeks podcast, host Michael Brooks speaks with Najib Sharifi the director of the Afghanistan New Generation Organization, on why he thinks NATO troops need to remain in Afghanistan, the internal politics facing Pres Karzai, the ongoing danger of the Taliban and how to truly uproot extremism. In his weekly commentary, Michael looks at the forces working to make diplomacy fail with Iran. And, we also have our News Rundown from Joel Gillin of the Aslan Media News Team

On this weeks INTERSECTION host Michael Brooks speaks with Attorney and political analyst Suchitra Vijayan, about changes in Pakistan's military leadership, what fuels the conflict in Afghanistan, and how we should judge the interim agreement between the international community and Iran. Michael also reflects on Nelson Mandela's life and genuinely radical legacy, and Zane Razzaq of the Aslan Media News Team provides this week's News Rundown.

In this week's episode, host Michael Brooks speaks to Saudi journalistEbithal Mubarak on practicing journalism as a woman in Saudi Arabia. She shares not only her journey to her profession, but how she found her way to America, and chats with us about the isolation of Saudi culture, the political alliance between the royal family and the clergy, social norms versus government laws, and just how far she managed to "push the envelope" during her work there.We also offer up this week's news roundup with our teaem member, Dina Yazdani.Ebithal Mubarak on Twitter@EbtihalMubarakFollow her blog:http://www.jeddahbrooklyn.com/

On this weeks podcast, host Michael Brooks speaks with authorMichael Muhammad Knighton his journey to Islam. How did the the 5 Percent Nation, Hip Hop music, and Malcolm X influence one man's spiritual journey- and feed the organic American Islamic experience? Knight also shares what he learned from Ayahuasca and what letting go of demons feels like. We've also got a roundup of news from the MENA region from Joel Gillin of the Aslan Media News Team.

Dive deep into the greater Middle East (MENASA) with our weekly INTERSECTION podcast, hosted by Michael Brooks. We explore the social, political, and cultural issues related to the Middle East with interviewees that range from authors and activists, to journalist and . We discuss current international affairs news items as well as social, political, and religious issues. .

On this week's podcast, Michael Brooks speaks withReza Marashi, Research Director at the National Iranian American Council, on the anniversary of the Iran hostage crisis. They chatted about how Iranian hardliners observed the anniversary, why President Rouhani did not participate in any celebration, and why some in Congress pushing for new sanctions.We've also got a rundown of some of the week's major Middle East news stories with our News Team member, Joel Gillin. And, Michael offers some closing commentary on the state of affairs in Egypt.

On this week's episode, host Michael Brooks speaks with independent journalistNida Khanabout new revelations that the Pakistani government collaborated with the CIA on drone strikes, why the Obama Administration drone program has been short sighted, why we can't get accurate numbers on civilian casualties. They also explore why new revelations of mass NSA surveillance could help the fight against Islamophobia.Dina Yazdani of the Aslan Media News Team rounds up important news from the Middle East you may have missed this past week, and Michael explains why the State Department shamed itself by not providing a travel Visa for a Pakistani human rights lawyer.Nida Khan on Twitter:@NidaKhanNY

On this week's show, host Michael Brooks speaks with comedians Dean Obeidallah and Negin Farsad about their new documentary (comedy) film,"The Muslims Are Coming"about how comedy can help protect Muslims civil rights, how Islamophobia isn't confined to right wing media and what Dean and Negin learned from performing on their tour. The show's producer and Aslan Media Executive Director Roshi Pejhan gives a rundown of some of the most important news from the past week in the MENA region and Michael gives his view of the breakdown in relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia.LINKS:Dean Obeidallah on Twitter:@DeanofcomedyNegin Farsad on Twitter:@NeginFarsadFilm's website:http://themuslimsarecoming.com/