Polite Conversations - podcast cover

Polite Conversations

Eiynah Mohammed-Smithshows.acast.com

Growing up in Saudi Arabia as a Pakistani, who now resides in Canada, Eiynah brings a global perspective to discussions about religion, politics, culture & sexuality - through the lens of a progressive ex-muslim immigrant. This podcast often focuses on unpacking various forms of extremism, particularly types that are less overt and masquerading as ‘intellectual’. Eiynah has a specific interest in covering online scenes like New Atheism and the Intellectual Dark Web.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

Episode 38 - Fascist Fashion w/Contrapoints pt. 2

Join me and the lovely Contra as we discuss the weird world of fashy fashion. If you haven't heard part one yet, you can find that here: https://soundcloud.com/politeconversations/fascistfashionDo check out Contra's excellent 'Decrypting the Alt Right' video if you haven't seen it already: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx4BVGPkdzkAndrew Anglin of Stormfront giving his followers fashion advice: https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/599zmx/neo-nazi-to-troll-army-we-have-to-be-sexy-at-the-big-alt-ri...

Oct 12, 20172 hr 53 min

The Rightward shift of Islam Critics - A speech for BC Humanist Association.

If you're able to watch this on YouTube I'd recommend that, since with visual aids it's so much better : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej-biPgGMzEBut if not, the audio works too :) ***I did a speech via Skype over in BC a couple of weeks ago, a big thanks to them for having me. I am posting it on my podcast with their permission.This talk is based on a blog post I did recently: http://nicemangos.blogspot.ca/2017/09/forbidden-intersectionality-liberal-ex.html and an interview I did with Cracked...

Oct 12, 201743 min

Episode 37 - Antifa & The Far Right in Canada

I chat with Journalist Evan Balgord (@ebalgord) who covers the Canadian far-right and antifa. He’s been on the ground for a lot of the rallies and provides some very interesting insights. The rising far right in Canada is not covered enough in my opinion, especially as Canada seems to be discussed in this idealistic way in comparison to Trump Country. Of course, things are better in Canada and racial tensions are not as high as the US. But a lot of key far-right, alt-right, alt-lite figures are ...

Sep 18, 20172 hr 37 min

Episode 36 - Mike Stuchbery, Historical Smackdowns: PJW edition

This episode, historian @MikeStuchbery_ joins me to discuss his epic factual-Twitter-smackdown of Paul Joseph Watson. You know PJW right? The guy from Infowars who got upset over a BBC short that depicted a black guy in Roman Britain. We talk about how alt right/lite types twist history to suit their agendas, how they influence young minds, and what role historians can play to set the record straight. You can check out the backstory of the PJW-Stuchbery standoff on Twitter here:http://aplus.com/...

Sep 01, 201753 min

Episode 35 - The Devolving Youtube Skeptic Scene - w Vadim Newquist of the Creationist Cat channel

Join me and @vadimnewquist from the popular Creationist Cat channel as we discuss the ins and outs of the Youtube skeptic/atheist scene. He breaks down the shifts in the community and discusses strange bedfellows.This is a pretty YouTube specific episode, so my apologies if you are not familiar with the YouTube personalities discussed. The general trends we talk about are observable outside Youtube as well.You can check out the Creationist Cat channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/creationi...

Aug 22, 20171 hr 29 min

My thoughts on Charlottesville

My thoughts on Charlottesville by Eiynah Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 14, 201717 min

PC Panel Discussion 8: Linda Sarsour, Sharia & Feminism

Join me, Thomas Smith from the excellent Serious Inquiries Only Podcast (@seriouspod) , and @ShireenQudosi - Trump supporting, Sufi Reformist Muslim Director of Muslim Matters at America Matters - As we have a fiery discussion about Trump, Linda Sarsour, Sharia & Feminism. Links:Shireen's Article in The Federalist: http://thefederalist.com/2017/01/24/linda-sarsours-muslim-identity-politics-epitomize-feminisms-hypocrisy/Thomas' Episode on Sarsour: http://seriouspod.com/sio60-objective-look-linda-...

Aug 09, 20171 hr 16 min

Episode 33 - Masturbating while Muslim

This episode I chat with writer Hussein Kesvani (@HKesvani) - He gives us a rare look into Muslim 'NoFap' reddit culture, and Muslim MRAs, 'AlphaMuslims', etc. As a journalist interested in these subjects he's delved into these online subcultures quite a bit and provides fascinating insight. MRA: Men's Rights Activism- which has less to do with Men's issues/rights and more to do with hating on feminists. MRAs will disagree, obvs. NoFap : is an internet community forum or sort of support group fo...

Jul 06, 20171 hr 2 min

Episode 32 - Cathy Young: SJWs (Social Justice Warriors) vs. Anti-SJWs & Polarized Politics

This episode I speak with journalist Cathy Young, who sometimes refers to herself as a “dissident feminist” - She’s a former Milo ally, with some interesting insights into the anti social justice scene. We discuss the Social Justice Warrior (SJW) vs Anti Social Justice Warrior divide , the Alt Right, feminism, rape, and the general polarized political landscape.Pls note this was recorded over a month ago, so recent campus events were not discussed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more ...

Jun 16, 20172 hr 27 min

Episode 31 - Saqib Tanveer: "The Blasphemy Law Should be upheld in Pakistan"

This episode I’m joined by Pakistani Journalist Saqib Tanveer (@saqibtanveer), who recently wrote a controversial piece, about the lynching of a Pakistani student over allegations of blasphemy. His piece was removed by the publication that published it initially (The News).(Pls note this episode was recorded a couple of weeks ago, so the arrests made in Mashal Khan’s murder were not discussed.And pls excuse the buzzing sound on Saqib’s end…If I remember Pakistan, that’s gotta be a rusty fan or s...

May 18, 20172 hr 54 min

Episode 30 - Raza Rumi: Blasphemy Laws in Pakistan, Surviving an Islamist Attack

This episode, I’ve got prominent Pakistani journalist and TV anchor Raza Rumi (@RazaRumi). He was attacked by gunmen in 2014 for being an outspoken critic of the Taliban and just islamism in general.https://www.dawn.com/news/1096198Luckily he survived, and continues to speak out about the threat journalists face today. An incredibly brave man pushing for change in a society very resistant to it. He’s had to leave Pakistan for the time being, and currently lives in the US. I find it painful to th...

May 08, 20171 hr 14 min

Episode 29: Asifa Lahore - Muslim Drag Queen

This episode, hear me chat with the inspiring, gorgeous, eloquent Asifa Lahore. We talk about how she reconciles being gay and Muslim, doing drag while still adhering to religion. She's a fascinating person!Asifa is creating change & pushing boundaries everyday. She's carving out a path for many LGBT Muslims around the world. Her and I may not agree on religion, but she is exactly the kind of person I think needs to be propped up and supported. She's attacked and hated by both right wing Muslims...

Apr 26, 20171 hr

Ep 28 - Hina Husain: I Gave my Mom Shrooms so she would Open up About my Father's Death

Join me, as I talk to Pakistani-Canadian Hina Husain (@HinaTweetsNow) about her experience giving her mom psychedelics to cope with emotional baggage. As Muslim kids, many of us **joke** about 'spiking the Ramadan punch', or serving magic brownies, just to break up the monotony of growing up in a religiously orthodox culture. Hina...actually went and did it! *gasp* Here's a link to her Vice article: https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/i-gave-my-mom-shrooms-so-she-would-open-up-about-my-fathers-de...

Apr 11, 20171 hr 18 min

PC Panel Discussion 7: London Attack - Attitudes in the Aftermath

In the wake of the recent London attacks, my thoughts are with those who lost friends and loved ones, with the victims of this barbaric attack.I wish we could say that this type of thing could never happen again…but sadly we see many such attacks occurring year after year.It seems to be the same coping mechanisms, same sentiments that repeatedly come out after such an attack. But how much of the reaction we see out there...is actually productive or helpful in furthering this conversation about I...

Mar 28, 20172 hr 58 min

PC Panel Discussion 6: Free Speech - The Right vs. SJWs

Join Me and the legal podcast team from "Opening Arguments" (@Openargs) - which includes Harvard Lawyer Andrew Torrez and his Co-host Thomas Smith, as we discuss the "SJWs are the worst threat to freedom of speech even in the face of Trump" narrative. Here are some links relating to topics we covered:http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/michigan-republican-suggests-kent-state-protesters-article-1.2963902https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/25/shooting-milo-yiannopoulos-speech-seattle...

Mar 24, 20171 hr 26 min

Dan Savage on Milo

A few weeks ago, before Milo's Real Time Appearance, and before his pedophilia-defending stuff surface in the mainstream. I had a wonderful conversation with Dan Savage - one of the topics we touched upon was Milo Yiannopolous. Dan rightly describes him as the attention-seeking, identity politicking, disingenuous hack that he is. This is just a snippet of our conversation. You can hear the whole thing here: https://soundcloud.com/politeconversations/episode-24-dan-savageYou can support the show ...

Feb 20, 20179 min

Episode 26 - Life in Saudi w/Ali Rizvi "The Atheist Muslim"

Join me and my good friend Ali Rizvi for a conversation about Life in Saudi Arabia. Ali and I share a very similar geographical background. We both grew up as Pakistani expats in Saudi in fairly liberal Muslim families. It’s always fun to compare notes…We discuss his early years in school, how snowflakes are secret code for The Star of David :P , we talk about the differences between the Shia experience and the Sunni one & reminisce about Betamax, Ramadan TV shows like Full House, Small Wonder, ...

Feb 17, 20172 hr 31 min

Episode 25 - Life in Saudi Arabia: Burqas & Bras

Join me for the second interview in my 'life in Saudi Arabia' series. I chat with a Saudi feminist now based in the UK, about her life growing up, the first time she put an a'abaya (modesty cloak thing) on, the strange contradictions of living in a theocracy in the 21st century. We also discussed what Saudi feminism entails, and touched upon the subject of female migrant worker rights in Saudi. Moudhy expands her thoughts further in a blogpost: https://asaudiabroad.com/2017/02/05/toward-a-more-i...

Feb 06, 201742 min

Hijab Glorification: Thoughts on the Shepard Fairey Poster

Here are some thought's to accompany my latest series of illustrations on my blog: http://nicemangos.blogspot.ca/2017/01/hijab-glorification-thoughts-on-shepard.html?zx=7de05f8fb0b125d1They are meant as a response to the Shepard Fairey poster.Here is the article I mentioned: https://nowtoronto.com/news/think-free-blog/liberal-muslims-face-an-uphill-battle/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Jan 29, 20179 min

Episode 24 - Dan Savage

(This Episode was recorded before the inauguration) Join me and Dan Savage for an honest conversation about the Left's response to minorities within minorities like ex muslims, even muslims who are critical of things like homophobia, misogyny within their religion.It's a tough spot, but we've got to start discussing this fellow liberals! We also chat about the glorification of hijab, Milo, germophobia, golden showers & much more! Dan is a personal hero of mine. It was such an honour to speak wit...

Jan 24, 201744 min

Episode 23: Life in Saudi Arabia - #StopEnslavingSaudiWomen

Join me and Saudi Activist Moudhi (@Moudhi90) as we talk about life in Saudi Arabia. She studied Sharia Law, so she has some pretty shocking insights about the Saudi legal system. I mean, I knew it was bad, but its still shocking to hear it all the same. I grew up as an expat in a Western compound in Saudi.....always segregated from locals...so even though Ive had the occasional short conversation with Saudis, this was my first *ever* proper, in depth conversation. It's interesting to compare no...

Jan 19, 201750 min

Episode 22 - Irshad Manji

Join me and Irshad for a wonderful conversation, where we both nudge and challenge each other. Despite some pretty fundamental differences (belief vs. disbelief), Irshad has always been an inspiration to me. She is someone I admire a great deal, even if we don't always agree. In her compassion and open mindedness towards others with differing viewpoints she sets an excellent example on how we can build bridges. Her warmth towards and solidarity with Ex Muslims is something we desperately need mo...

Jan 04, 201757 min

12 Days of Haraam-mas

Written, sang, created, coordinated & produced by godless heathens. Tis the season, Sing along now:On the first day of Haraam-mas, Shaitaan gave to me…An apostate in a free country! On the 2nd day of Haraam-mas, Shaitaan gave to me…2 nice mangos and an apostate in a free country! On the 3rd day of Haraam-mas, Shaitaan gave to me…3 wine bottles2 nice mangosand an apostate in a free country! On the 4th day of Haraam-mas, Shaitaan gave to me…4 strips of bacon3 wine bottles2 nice mangosand an aposta...

Dec 23, 20164 min

Episode 20 - Nick Cohen : Crisis in Conservatism

Here's my chat with British Journalist and Author Nick Cohen.Nick is really such a gem of a person. Consistent and principled in calling out bad ideas on all sides...like almost no one else. A much needed sensible voice in today's political climate. Join us to discuss issues on the left and right, how politics has shifted, how there's a crisis coming in conservatism and much more...Do check out his books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Whats-Left-Liberals-Lost-Their-ebook/dp/B00ZODU16G/ref=tmm_kin_swa...

Dec 08, 20161 hr

Episode 19 - Robert Spencer

Dear listeners, My apologies for the delayed release. This past week I have lost a childhood friend as well as a close relative. So I've been traveling, and things have been up in the air for a while. Robert has tweeted about this as some sort of plot to edit him to look bad... I can assure you that the content is pretty much unedited. I usually obsessively remove umms and Ahs.. but i even let most of those be for this episode. I may have taken out some dead air or repeated words, but thats abou...

Nov 27, 20162 hr 59 min

Episode 17 - Sam Harris

DISCLAIMER: This is an old episode, my views on Sam Harris and his politics have changed quite a bit since this conversation...partially because of how telling this convo was. For more recent views on Sam check out my recent episodes on him, or my miniseries #WokingUp-----Last Friday, I had the pleasure of speaking with Sam Harris! We had an excellent, robust discussion on a variety of topics. We didn’t necessarily agree on everything, but even in disagreement Sam is an absolute pleasure to spea...

Nov 07, 20163 hr 58 min

Episode 16 - Halloween Special with Lucien Greaves of The Satanic Temple

For this episode, the co founder of The Satanic Temple returns to the show for a discussion about offensive halloween costumes, cultural appropriation, whether pumpkins have anything to do with white privilege...Satanic cultural identity, conspiracy theory culture in america vs. muslim world (even though, sadly, anti semitic conspiracy theories are common place among muslims i haven't come across an 'infowars' type conspiracy *culture*....)Anyhoo, 'tis my absolute favourite time of the year! Hop...

Oct 31, 20162 hr 34 min

Episode 15 - Michael Sherlock: opposing tribes & "befriending bigots"

[Sorry for all the sound effects. Michael's neighbours were drilling and hammering, I was recording in my basement for the first (and last) time..where it turns out the mic picks up the sound of water going through the pipes] ****Here's my chat with Michael Sherlock - activist, atheist, author. We delved into some pretty interesting conversations....about 'befriending' bigots...jihadists..islamists...kkk members...people on the far right. Where do we draw the line on who we can and can't conside...

Sep 23, 20161 hr 14 min

PC Panel Discssion 3 - The Burkini/hijab/niqab debate

What happens when four women of Muslim background with varied opinions discuss Islamic modesty clothing? Fireworks! Join Me, Sarah Haider (co-founder of Ex Muslims of North America), Hoda Katebi (Muslim Iranian fashion blogger), Hala Arafa (former newscaster/news editor at Voice of America, Arabic branch) for this wonderful, passionate and intellectually diverse discussion.Please note that there were a million points being thrown out per minute (slight exaggeration), so at times it was hard to g...

Sep 01, 20162 hr 52 min