The second episode for our Conflicted Community is here! This bonus episode is the final one going out to all of our dear listeners on this feed, so to keep listening, you’ll need to subscribe. Subscribers can also join our Conflicted Community chatroom on Discord, which is already brimming with conversation and analysis. All the information you need to sign up is on this link: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/ For our second episode, Thomas and Aimen are returning to their bread and butter:...
May 01, 2024•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to the first episode for our Conflicted Community! We’ll be coming to you every two weeks with interactive episodes for our subscribers. We’re giving the first couple of episodes out for all of our dear listeners, but to keep listening, you’ll need to subscribe. And don’t forget, subscribers can also join our Conflicted Community chatroom on Discord, to discuss everything you hear, and so much more. All the information you need to sign up is on this link: https://conflicted.supportingcas...
Apr 17, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Conflicted Community is now live! Want to hear bonus episodes of Conflicted and chat with fellow Dear Listeners? Now you can! We’re going to be putting out new interactive episodes every two weeks for subscribers, as well as giving access to our Conflicted Community chatroom on Discord, where you can engage in riveting post-episode debates. All the information you need to sign up is on this link: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/ This is a paid for community and these new episodes and ac...
Apr 10, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast On Friday, January 12th, the Houthis added their muscle to the spreading conflict in the Middle East. By attacking commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea, they have brought reprisal strikes from a US and UK led coalition which could bring the west into the war and even reignite the Yemeni civil war which has engulfed the country since 2014. We covered Yemen extensively over 5 episodes at the end of Conflicted season 4, so it was only right that Thomas and Aimen come back together to answer our...
Jan 18, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast The state of Yemen in 2023 is precarious. After the Arab Spring revolution descended into civil war, the Houthis have cemented their power over large swathes of Northern Yemen, while the traditional ruling parties have fractured and, in many cases, disintegrated. In this final episode of our mammoth exploration of the history of Yemen - and indeed season 4 of Conflicted - we bring things up to the modern day, stepping back from historical narrative to try and make sense of what has happened and ...
Nov 29, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast The Arab Spring of 2011 may have brought with it hope for a new dawn in Yemen, one of democracy and liberal reforms outside the rule of strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh. But the years that followed saw this quickly undone. The GCC Initiative brokered by Gulf States quickly broke down due to an intense culture of mistrust between all the parties within it. And with the insurgent Houthis growing ever more confident in the north, their malign influence ensured that this move for democracy was doomed to...
Nov 22, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast 2011 was a pivotal year for Yemen, and indeed the entire Middle East. After years of wars against the insurgent Houthis in the North, and with years of protests against President Ali Abdullah Selah’s attempts at radical constitutional changes, the Arab Spring which engulfed so many Muslim countries came to Yemen, too. It saw a bottom up revolution take hold in Sanaa, quickly filtering out across the country. It was a cry for democracy from a people fed up with their strongman ruler’s increasingl...
Nov 15, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast Ali Abdullah Saleh, the president of Yemen from 1990 - 2012, described the process of governing Yemen as akin to “Dancing on the heads of snakes”. Such were the profound splits in Yemeni society, and with other strongmen, tribes and insurgent groups vying for their own power, Saleh knew that to keep his newly unified country together from the 1990s onwards would take a dance of real precision. In this second episode of our five part series on the history of Yemen, we find out if Saleh was nimble...
Nov 08, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast Ask anyone from the Middle East about Yemen, that country on the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula, and they’ll tell you tales about the Queen of Sheba, Frankincense and Myrrh. It’s a place steeped in ancient history and paints a vivid picture in the imagination. But it’s also a place currently riven by conflict, engulfed in a civil war which has now been raging since 2014. But how did it get there? And what can the country’s history tell us about the bleak current state of affairs? For the ...
Nov 01, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep 19•Transcript available on Metacast In the last episode of Conflicted, we saw Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia terror group, grow in power in the midst of the brutal Lebanese civil war of the 1980s. But after a precarious peace came to the country, an Israeli occupation of the south remained throughout the 1990s. This allowed Hezbollah to remain an active and armed militia, a fact which would come to haunt the country over the following decades until today. In this second part of our two episode exploration of Hezbollah, we look at th...
Oct 25, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast Some four decades ago, out of the chaos of the Lebanese civil war, a Shia militant group was born who would grow into one of the most dominant and malign forces in Lebanese politics. A proxy for Iran, staunchly opposed to Israel and aggressive in their aims, they have now effectively established themselves as a state within a state within Lebanon. Who are they? Hezbollah. Over the next couple of episodes, Conflicted takes on this fascinating and sinister terror group, charting their rise amidst ...
Oct 18, 2023•56 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast Emergency Episode: On Saturday October 7th 2023, Hamas terrorists broke through the border of the Gaza Strip and carried out a brutal assault on Southern Israel. As of publication, the death toll stands at some 1,200 Israelis, 900 citizens in Gaza, and some 1,500 Hamas fighters have been found dead inside Israel. It is the most deadly attack on Jewish civilians since the holocaust. As the world reels from these horrific events, we recorded an emergency episode to explain how this happened, the m...
Oct 11, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast It’s always difficult to know exactly what is going on in Iran - that isolated, Shia theocracy that dominates so much of the Middle Eastern land mass. It's a diverse and divisive state, ruled with an iron fist by Ayatollah Khamenei, whose supreme power means he can dictate what the country does and how it is run, at home and abroad. But in recent years, protests against the regime have been growing, leading to many people hoping that an end to the Islamic Republic and its Islamic Revolution coul...
Oct 04, 2023•59 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast President Erdogan’s time in power has been a fascinating period for Turkey - at once nodding to the liberal West, while simultaneously winking at the more Conservative East. It’s his country in a nutshell, and his policies in economics, social welfare, secularisation and his relationship with the EU all prove it. But one thing has always haunted him: the army, and their historical proclivity towards coups. In this second episode on the life and times of Erdogan, we analyse his time at the top of...
Sep 27, 2023•59 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast Over the past couple of episodes we explained the inner workings of the Muslim Brotherhood - that mysterious organisation based in Cairo who have their sights set on a new Caliphate for the Muslim world. But who are their allies across the region? Is there a figure who is simultaneously working to further their aims? Well, many people point to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the president of Turkey, as just that figure. In this first of our two episode exploration of Erdoğan life we focus on his rise to p...
Sep 20, 2023•54 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast In last week’s discussion of the Muslim Brotherhood, we told you how this clandestine group are structured - headed in Egypt, but with chapters across the globe. But we tip-toed around their ideology, and we didn’t discover what the Muslim Brotherhood actually want. On the one hand, people claim they are an organisation promising peace and charity across the Muslim World. On the other, they are seen as the sinister puppet masters of various Islamic governments. So what are they trying to achieve...
Sep 13, 2023•44 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast After finishing our extensive exploration into some of the most colourful and fascinating characters in Islamic History - figures who influenced modern Salafi jihadism as we know it today - Conflicted aims its sights on a modern group with an equally significant position in the Muslim world. This is a group whose nebulous, clandestine structure makes them tricky to unravel. A group based in Egypt but with tentacles across the Middle East and beyond. A group who once boasted our previous subject,...
Sep 06, 2023•56 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast If the start of Sayyid Qutb’s life was defined by the evolution of his thought, the second part was defined by a calcification of his beliefs. With revolution brewing in Egypt following the Second World War, Qutb turned from analysing the aesthetics of the Quran to Islamism, explicitly calling for a new socio-political and economic order based on the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet. Following a trip to America, where he saw decadent Western society in stark relief, he returned to preach it ...
Aug 30, 2023•59 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast When it comes to the modern era, no Islamic intellectual has influenced modern Salafi Jihadism more than Sayyid Qutb. This unlikely Egyptian, steeped in Western literature and poetry, would come to define the ideological basis for modern Islamism. He was a poet, a writer and an aesthete who was a classic product of the tumult of the early twentieth century. How he became the most significant Islamist thinker today is quite the story… In this first of two episodes on this radical romantic, we tak...
Aug 23, 2023•55 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast When Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab gained the patronage of Muhammad Ibn Saud, it was a fusing of ideology with power on the Arabian peninsula. This was the time when Wahhabism really took shape, and the militancy of Ibn Abdul Wahhab’s mission became clear. As the Emirate of Diriyah expanded, war and conquest against the Ottomans came with it, as they sought to dominate Arabia with their new radical doctrine. Join us as we explore the second half of Ibn Abdul Wahhab’s life, to discover how these thri...
Aug 16, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast While many trace the roots of Saudi Arabia to Muhammad Ibn Saud, its ideological roots can be traced to his contemporary - the radical, militant and hugely controversial, Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab. This was a man who provided the doctrinal backbone to the burgeoning state, and created the ideology which bears his name: Wahhabism. While many now see it as a derogatory term, Wahhabism has been hugely influential in salafi jihadist circles. Wahhabi texts are frequently quoted by jihadi scholars and...
Aug 09, 2023•52 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast The later part of Ibn Taymiyyah’s life saw continued invasions from Mongol Hordes from the outside, and a battle against Sufi mystics in his own society. And for the man himself, it was defined by a continuation of one thing more than any other: a zeal against irreligion. While confronting the Mamluk Sultan and preaching anti-Mongol fatwas, he cemented himself as the great mediaeval scholar and warrior he is now remembered as. And he set an ideological precedent which modern Salafi jihadists con...
Aug 02, 2023•57 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Ibn Taymiyyah is known as the “Sheikh of Islam” to his admirers, and to his detractors, one of the most significant antecedents of modern Salafi Jihadism. Simultaneously a genius scholar, brutal warrior and unflinching polemicist, he is one of the most important pioneers of a militant form of Sunni Islam, and is now quoted more than any other scholar by Islamist terrorists today. Continuing our series exploring the historical forebears of modern Salafi Jihadism, this week sees us begin two episo...
Jul 26, 2023•53 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast This week’s Conflicted sees the second episode of our deep dive into the thrilling life of 7/8th century Muslim scholar, Ahmad bin Hanbal, founder of the Hanbali school of jurisprudence. Continuing our series looking at the historic Islamic thinkers who have inspired modern Salafi Jihadists today, we look at the fascinating and drama-filled second half of the life of the first fundamentalist. Expect more battles with Abbasid Caliphs, more stubborn refusals to renounce his teachings, floggings, d...
Jul 19, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast On this week’s episode of Conflicted, we begin a multi episode exploration into the historical figures who function as antecedents to the modern jihadi movement, beginning with two episodes on one of its earliest examples: Ahmad Bin Hanbal. When Islamic fundamentalists today look back in history, one of the earliest figures they will mention for inspiration is the 7th/8th century scholar, Ahmad Bin Hanbal. His writings, hadith collecting and ascetic life are used as an example for many in the mo...
Jul 12, 2023•48 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Islamic radicals have been a scourge on countries across the Middle East for decades, but what drives the person who commits terrorist acts? What causes some Muslims to adopt a fundamentalist ideology? And what do these terms even mean in practice? On this week’s episode of Conflicted, we explore the socio-political and psychological causes of Islamic radicalism. We’ll discover why certain countries end up fostering these ideologies, while also exploring the lives and psyches of Thomas and Aimen...
Jul 05, 2023•45 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast In the first episode of season 4 of Conflicted, hosts Thomas Small and Aimen Dean attempt to get to the bottom of the current state of play with Islamic terrorism, asking: where have all the terrorists gone? In 2023, it feels like there has been a kind of stasis in terms of Islamic terrorism, with other geopolitical issues taking their place on the global stage. But is this a sign that it’s gone for good? Or is the cycle of terror forged by our old friends Isis and Al-Qaeda about to come back ar...
Jun 28, 2023•48 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Join Islamic scholar Thomas Small and ex-jihadi turned spy Aimen Dean as they explore the fascinating chains of events that have created the patchwork of the Muslim world today, and how the region’s history has impacted the story of the entire world. Expect answers to questions like: What do Turkey’s 2023 election results mean for the future stability of the region? What role will the Middle East play in the new multipolar world? And is Islamist Terrorism still a thing in 2023? We’ll be coming t...
Jun 14, 2023•1 min•Transcript available on Metacast In a special LIVE end of season event (recorded on the 30th November) Thomas and Aimen sat down to answer your questions about the latest headlines from the Middle East. No stone is left unturned as the two discussed a potential invasion of Northern Syria, increasing tensions in Iran and the possible rehabilitation of Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud. Get more from Conflicted Listen to exclusive bonus content and get all episodes ad-free by subscribing to Conflicted Extra on Apple...
Dec 07, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast A special announcement from Thomas. Find tickets to the Live Q&A on Eventbrite. Or join our FB Discussion group Or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to have your say on what topics you'd like Thomas & Aimen to discuss. Join the Conflicted Community hub on Discord to discuss all things Conflicted with fellow dear listeners, get exclusive content, bonus episodes and ad-free listening. Register your interest through the link: http://www.levellr.com/conflicted Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ...
Nov 10, 2022•59 sec•Transcript available on Metacast 
