CONFLICTED

This week on Conflicted we are drawing our narrative arc on Syria to a close with our second episode with filmmaker and political activist, Matar Ismaeel. Last time Matar told us about his experiences filming protests in 2011 as the Syrian revolution began, being tortured in Assad’s prisons, and witnessing firsthand the brutal siege of Southern Damascus. This episode Matar finishes his remarkable story with us - from recounting how Friends of his were radicalised by a ISIS to the battles he witnessed between opposition forces, Assad’s forces and Islamist forces—especially ISIS.  Finally, Matar recounts the decision to evacuate Southern Damascus and gives his reflections on the future of Syria now the Assad regime has been toppled. He even invites Conflicted to join them in their celebrations - well deserved after all this time. New Conflicted Season 5 episodes will be coming every two weeks, but if you want to have your Conflicted fix every single week, then you’ll have to join our Conflicted Community. Subscribers will get bonus episodes every other week, and can also join our Conflicted Community chatroom, where you can interact with fellow dearest listeners, discuss episodes past and future, get exclusive messages from Thomas and Aimen, ask future Q&A questions and so much more. All the information you need to sign up to the Conflicted Community is on this link: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/  Conflicted is proudly made by Message Heard, a full-stack podcast production agency which uses its extensive expertise to make its own shows such as Conflicted, shows for commissioners such as the BBC, Spotify and Al Jazeera, and powerfully effective podcasts for other companies too. If you’d like to find out how we can help get your organisation’s message heard, visit messageheard.com or drop an email to hello@messageheard.com! Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MHconflicted [https://twitter.com/MHconflicted]  And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted [https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [http://megaphone.fm/adchoices] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

The Conflicted Community is back to talk about the headlines we can’t seem to escape -  Donald Trump and his tearing up of the economic world order.  This episode, Thomas sits down with Giri Rajendran, the holder of no fewer than 3 degrees in economics and finance from the London School of Economics. Giri has worked as an economist in transatlantic defence before moving to work in finance, first in private wealth management and then on to asset management, most recently at BlackRock, the largest asset manager in the world. In part one of this two-part interview, Thomas and Giri discuss Trump’s Grand Strategy - a potentially oxymoronic term, but bear with us here. Listen as the two discuss the long term goals of Trump’s economic strategy, America’s place in the new world order he is establishing, and, most importantly, whether it can really be successful. To listen to the full episode, you’ll need to subscribe to the Conflicted Community. Don’t forget, subscribers can also join our Conflicted Community chatroom, where you can interact with the fellow dearest listenters, discuss episodes past and future, get exclusive messages from Thomas and Aimen, ask future Q&A questions and so much more.  All information you need to sign up is on the link: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/ [https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/] Conflicted is proudly made by Message Heard, a full-stack podcast production agency which uses its extensive expertise to make its own shows such as Conflicted, shows for commissioners such as the BBC, Spotify and Al Jazeera, and powerfully effective podcasts for other companies too. If you’d like to find out how we can help get your organisation’s message heard, visit messageheard.com or drop an email to hello@messageheard.com! Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MHconflicted [https://twitter.com/MHconflicted]  And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted [https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted]  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [http://megaphone.fm/adchoices] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

The Conflicted Community returns with another episode on the complex and multifaceted Israel-Palestinian conflict, focusing on the ideological dimensions that shape perceptions and identities.  This time, Thomas invites on Tom Khaled Würdemann, a PhD candidate at the Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Heidelberg in Germany on the perspective of Palestinian intellectuals towards Israel between 1960 and 2000. He teaches there and at a German police college, and the central focus of his research is Jewish-Arab relations and Zionism in the Arab world. In this episode they explore the historical roots of Palestinian antisemitism, the impact of European ideologies on it, and the intersection of leftist and right-wing antisemitism. Through this they delve into the complex relationship between leftist ideologies and anti-Semitism, exploring how these themes intersect and influence contemporary political discourse, highlighting the nuances of Zionism, Palestinian nationalism, and the broader implications of these ideologies as they manifest in global symbols and conflicts. Conflicted is proudly made by Message Heard, a full-stack podcast production agency which uses its extensive expertise to make its own shows such as Conflicted, shows for commissioners such as the BBC, Spotify and Al Jazeera, and powerfully effective podcasts for other companies too. If you’d like to find out how we can help get your organisation’s message heard, visit messageheard.com [https://messageheard.com/work-with-us] or drop an email to hello@messageheard.com [hello@messageheard.com]! Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MHconflicted [https://twitter.com/MHconflicted] And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted [https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [http://megaphone.fm/adchoices] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Conflicted returns with another episode in our series on the Syrian Civil War, this time with a new contributor, who begins today a two episode arc where we’ll be looking at the Siege of Southern Damascus… Thomas Small has invited on Matar Ismaeel, a documentary filmmaker and political activist from Masyaf, Syria. Now back in his homeland after years of exile, Matar speaks to us from Masyaf itself, relaying an extraordinary story of resilience and courage in the Syrian capital. Matar tells us about his family's political background, and his early involvement in documenting protests on his digital camera in 2011. He recounts the dangers he faced as a media activist, including arrests and torture in Syrian prisons. Matar's commitment to the revolution led him to southern Damascus, where he witnessed the brutal siege by the Assad regime and the rise of jihadist groups, including ISIS. The conversation highlights the complexities of the conflict, the humanitarian crisis, and the personal toll of war. New Conflicted Season 5 episodes will be coming every two weeks, but if you want to have your Conflicted fix every single week, then you’ll have to join our Conflicted Community. Subscribers will get bonus episodes every other week, and can also join our Conflicted Community chatroom, where you can interact with fellow dearest listeners, discuss episodes past and future, get exclusive messages from Thomas and Aimen, ask future Q&A questions and so much more. All the information you need to sign up to the Conflicted Community is on this link: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/ [https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/]  Conflicted is proudly made by Message Heard, a full-stack podcast production agency which uses its extensive expertise to make its own shows such as Conflicted, shows for commissioners such as the BBC, Spotify and Al Jazeera, and powerfully effective podcasts for other companies too. If you’d like to find out how we can help get your organisation’s message heard, visit messageheard.com [https://messageheard.com/work-with-us] or drop an email to hello@messageheard.com [hello@messageheard.com]! Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MHconflicted And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [http://megaphone.fm/adchoices] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

This week, Thomas speaks with Hamza Howidy, a Palestinian activist originally from Gaza now living in exile in Germany. Hamza shares his extraordinary story of growing up under Hamas rule and the constant threat of Israeli military action on the one hand, and the brutality of Hamas on the other.   Hamza was forced to leave Gaza due to his involvement in protests against Hamas in 2019 and 2023, taking the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean from Turkey to Europe to do so. Hamza offers a vital and nuanced perspective on life in Gaza, the internal political dynamics between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, and his vision for a future free from Hamas's governance. He candidly discusses the brutal realities faced by those who dissent against Hamas and his own experiences of protest and imprisonment. To listen to the full episode, you’ll need to subscribe to the Conflicted Community. And don’t forget, subscribers can also join our Conflicted Community chatroom, where you can interact with fellow dearest listeners, discuss episodes past and future, get exclusive messages from Thomas and Aimen, ask future Q&A questions and so much more. All the information you need to sign up is on this link: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/ [https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/]  Conflicted is proudly made by Message Heard, a full-stack podcast production agency which uses its extensive expertise to make its own shows such as Conflicted, shows for commissioners such as the BBC, Spotify and Al Jazeera, and powerfully effective podcasts for other companies too. If you’d like to find out how we can help get your organisation’s message heard, visit messageheard.com [https://messageheard.com/work-with-us] or drop an email to hello@messageheard.com [hello@messageheard.com]! Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MHconflicted And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [http://megaphone.fm/adchoices] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]