On this episode of SEPADPod Simon speaks with Ajay Gudavarthy, a political theorist, analyst and columnist in India. Ajay is associate professor in political science at Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He is the editor of India after Modi: Populism and the Right (Bloomsbury, Delhi, 2018)and Secular Sectarianism: Limits of Subaltern Politics (Sage, 2019)and author of countless articles and opinion pieces on Indian politics, secularism, populism and sectarianism. On this special episode, Simon and Ajay talk about sectarianism in India in the form of a 'secular sectarianism'. They do this by reflecting on Ajay's twin roles as a public intellectual and academic, looking at the complex interplay between identity politics, resistance and authoritarianism. This is a must listen for anyone looking at sectarianism in a comparative context.

On this episode of SEPADPod Simon speaks with Lea Bou Khater, Lecturer in Development Studies at the American University Beirut. Lea holds a PhD from SOAS and is the author of the wonderful book 'The Labour Movement in Lebanon'. She is on twitter @leaboukhater. On this episode, Simon and Lea talk about labour movements and the state in Lebanon, tracing the history of labour movements across the civil war, reconstruction and recent periods. Lea and Simon talk about the labour movement's relationship with the state, the troika and sectarian identities. At the heart of the discussion is a reflection on Lea's wonderful new book, published by Manchester University Press.

On this episode Simon speaks with Dr Mohammad Kalantari, Research Fellow in International Relations and Co-Director of Centre for Islamic & West Asian Studies at Department of Politics and International Relations. Mohammad’s research lies in the International Relations of the Middle East with a particular focus on the interaction of regional doctrines, elite ideologies, and political Islam. He is the author of The Clergy and the Modern Middle East: Shi’i Political Activism in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon. You can find him on twitter at: https://twitter.com/mrkalantari On this episode, Simon and Mohammad talk about The Clergy and the Modern Middle East, positionality and much more. It's not to be missed!

On this episode of SEPADPod Simon speaks with Juan Cole, Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan. Juan is the author of myriad books, articles and chapters on Islam, the Middle East, and Muslim South Asia, including Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires ( Bold Type Books, 2018) The New Arabs: How the Millennial Generation is Changing the Middle East ( Simon & Schuster, 2014).Sacred Space and Holy War: The Politics, Culture and History of Shi`ite Islam. (I.B. Tauris, 2002). Shi`ism and Social Protest. [Edited, with Nikki Keddie]. (Yale University Press, 1986) and more recently Peace Movements in Islam: History, Religion and Politics (Bloomsbury, 2021). He tweets @jricole and can be found at his blog Informed Comment. On this episode, Simon and Juan talk about studying Islam at the time of The Beatles, developments in the study of Islam, working with Nikki Keddie, peace studies and Islam, and Juan’s wonderful new edited collection. Please do like, share and subscribe in all the usual ways. We even have a jingle now (thanks Eddie) so we’re contractually obliged to ask you to do this.

On this episode of SEPADPod Simon speaks with Anicee Van England, Associate Professor of International Security & Law at the Cranfield Forensic Institute. Anicee holds a PhD in Islamic Studies, Politics and Law from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris (2006). She graduated in law from Paris II Assas and furthered her studies with three masters: a masters in law from Harvard Law School (2004), a masters in international relations from Paris II Assas (2002) and a masters in Iranian studies from Paris III Sorbonne. She is on twitter @AniceeVE. On this episode, Simon and Anicee talk about Iran and Belgium, studying with Olivier Roy, Islamic Law and all its nuances, and the nuclear negotiations. Lots to reflect on! Please do like, share and subscribe in all the usual ways. We even have a jingle now (thanks Eddie) so we’re contractually obliged to ask you to do this.

On this episode of SEPADPod Simon speaks with Andrew Delatolla, Lecturer in Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Leeds, a Visiting Research Fellow at the Middle East Centre at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He was the former Chair of the LGBTQA+ Caucus of the International Studies Association 2020/2021. You can find him on twitter @a_delatolla. Andrew is the author of the wonderful Civilization and the Making of the State in Lebanon and Syria. 1Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan (2021) along with articles in ISQ, TWQ, BJMES and ISR. On this episode, Simon and Andrew talk about Lebanon, Lebanese culture, the state, the concepts of civilisation and sexuality and much more. Please do like, share and subscribe in all the usual ways. We even have a jingle now (thanks Eddie) so we’re contractually obliged to ask you to do this.

On this episode of SEPADPod Simon speaks with Ruba Ali Al Hassani, post doctoral research fellow at Lancaster University. Ruba is the author of a number of articles, chapters and opinion pieces including the wonderful 'Storytelling: Restorative Approaches to Post-2003 Iraq Peacebuilding' in the Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding. Ruba was also a fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy where she authored a number of pieces including the battle for state sovereignty. timep.org/commentary/analysis/…r-state-sovereignty/. She tweets @RubaAlHassani. On this episode, Simon and Ruba speak about engaging in political questions from different disciplinary backgrounds, the importance of story telling, protests and much more. Here's a reference to the chapter discussed in the podcast. Ruba Ali Al-Hassani (forthcoming 2021) "Iraq's October Revolution: Between Structures of Patriarchy and Emotion",  Palgrave Handbook on Communication and Gender in MENA. Please do like, share and subscribe in all the usual ways. We even have a jingle now (thanks Eddie) so we’re contractually obliged to ask you to do this.

On this episode of SEPADPod Simon speaks with Shamiran Mako, assistant professor of international relations at the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University. Her research and teaching interests lie at the intersection of international relations and comparative politics of the Middle East with a substantive emphasis on foreign intervention, ethnic conflict, political violence in divided societies, and institutions and statebuilding. Shamiran is on twitter @shamiranmako She is the author of After the Uprisings: Progress and Stagnation in the Middle East and North Africa, with Valentine Moghadam. Shamiran is the editor of ‘Building Sustainable Peace in Iraq’, a special issue of the Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding available here: https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/risb20/15/4 On this episode, Simon and Shamiran talk about Shamiran’s work on Iraq, the special issue and her wonderful new book. Please do like, share and subscribe in all the usual ways. We even have a jingle now (thanks Eddie) so we’re contractually obliged to ask you to do this.

On this episode of SEPADPod Simon speaks with Katherine 'Kitty' Harvey, n Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University. She is also on the Board of Advisors at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and holds a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies from King's College London. Kitty is the author of the wonderful A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: The Saudi Struggle for Iraq. You can find her on twitter at @kittysharvey. On this episode, Simon and Kitty talk about A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, reflecting on the complexities of Saudi Arabia's engagement with post 2003 Iraq and the impact of this in regional politics. Please do like, share and subscribe in all the usual ways. We even have a jingle now (thanks Eddie) so we’re contractually obliged to ask you to do this.

On this episode of SEPADPod Simon speaks with Mark Thompson, a Senior Research Fellow at the KFCRIS. He was appointed Head of the Socioeconomics Unit in April 2020. Mark is the author of Being Young Male and Saudi (Cambridge, 2019) along with a range of other articles, reports and books on the Kingdom. He tweets at @ThompsonMarkC On this episode of SEPADPod Simon and Mark talk about the journey to Saudi Arabia. Life in the Kingdom 20 years ago, the impact of the 2014 oil crisis, Vision2030 and the dramatic changes experienced by the Kingdom in recent years. Please do like, share and subscribe in all the usual ways. We even have a jingle now (thanks Eddie) so we’re contractually obliged to ask you to do this. Until next time!