Today’s podcast guest is Michael Wuthrich, Associate Professor of Political Science and the Associate Director for Global & International Studies at the University of Kansas. He is co-author of the book, Beyond Piety and Politics: Religion, Social Relations, and Public Preferences in the Middle East and North Africa.
In this episode, we discuss the intersection of religion and politics, particularly in the non-Arab Muslim countries of Turkey and Iran, what has been behind the growth of Islam globally, changes in secularism in Turkey under Erdogan, and the impact of the Islamic Republic on religiosity for everyday people in Iran.
Listen now; link in bio.
Full bio
Mike Wuthrich is an Associate Professor of Political Science and the Associate Director for Global & International Studies at the University of Kansas. He received his PhD in Political Science from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey in 2011. His interests are Middle East politics, particularly Turkish, Kurdish, and Iranian politics, parties and party systems, electoral behavior, religion and politics, women and politics in Turkey, and nationalism. His publications have appeared in Journal of Democracy, Political Research Quarterly, Parliamentary Affairs, the International Journal of Middle East Studies, the Middle East Journal, and Turkish Studies among others. He is co-author of the book, Beyond Piety and Politics: Religion, Social Relations, and Public Preferences in the Middle East and North Africa, with Indiana University Press in 2022. His book, National Elections in Turkey: People, Politics, and the Party System was published in 2015 with Syracuse University Press.
The forces that define America—its creativity, capacity for reinvention, scientific genius, and moral imagination—are stronger than any one man’s madness. They cannot be extinguished; they can only be surrendered.
The next episode of my podcast "On the Issues" is this upcoming Tuesday, October 6, at 10:00am EDT with Michael Wuthrich, Associate Professor of Political Science and the Associate Director for Global & International Studies at the University of Kansas. He received his PhD in Political Science from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey in 2011. His research focuses on Middle East politics, particularly Turkish, Kurdish, and Iranian politics, electoral behavior, religion and politics, and nationalism. He is co-author of the 2022 book, Beyond Piety and Politics: Religion, Social Relations, and Public Preferences in the Middle East and North Africa.
Listeners can register for the live podcast recording on Zoom at the link in my bio
Archived episodes will be released the following day, on Wednesdays at noon. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app, including Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Spotify, to be sure to always get the latest episodes.
Today’s podcast guest is Tony Klug, a Middle East analyst who has been a senior advisor on the Middle East to the Oxford Research Group and a consultant to the Palestine Strategy Group and the Israeli Strategic Forum.
In this episode, we discuss the plausibility of a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the feasibility of such a resolution, the past negotiations between Israel, the Palestinians, and involved Arab states, and what can be done based on the current facts on the ground.
Listen now; link in bio.
Dr. Tony Klug has been a senior advisor on the Middle East to the Oxford Research Group and a consultant to the Palestine Strategy Group and the Israeli Strategic Forum. He has written extensively about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the early 1970s and was one of the first advocates of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel in the wake of the 1967 war. His PhD thesis (1979) was on the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. For many years, he worked at Amnesty International, where he headed the international development program.
THIS IS WHAT KEEPS ME AWAKE ALL NIGHT
A senior UN official, experienced in war zones from Darfur and Ukraine to Syria, Afghanistan, and Myanmar, said nothing had prepared him for Gaza. He described “the smell and sound of death,” profound silence, desolate communities, and trauma so pervasive that even humanitarian staff are deeply affected. He recalled meeting people who had lost entire families, including a grandmother who watched her child bleed to death after a sniper attack while nurses were reportedly shot trying to help. The experience led him to seek therapy. He said UN staff feel a special obligation to tell Gaza’s story because international media have largely been denied entry and Palestinian journalists have been killed in large numbers.
24 CommentsComment on Facebook
I'm glad to see it.
Me too
Very nice good morning 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
WHAT LURKS UNDER THE RUBBLE⁉️ISLAMIC TERRORISTS HELLBENT ON KILLING JEWS‼️🚫🇵🇸🚫
Well, seems like going genocidal agains the Jews may not have been the greatest idea out there, huh
Israel is being too humane.
In 2005, Israel removed all 21 of its settlements and all of its troops from Gaza. To celebrate Hamas destroyed all the homes in the settlements, all the factories and all the green houses. All could have been used by Palestinians living in Gaza. In 2006, Hamas won the Gazan parliamentary elections. In 2007, Hamas violently overthrew the Palestinian Authority government in Gaza. There has not been an election in Gaza since. In the ten year period, leading up to 2023, Hamas was given over a billion dollars in cash, in suitcases from Qatar, delivered by Israel. Instead of building homes, schools, hospitals, and factories for their own people, Hamas spent the money building tunnels and missiles so they could invade Israel on October 7, 2023. Their goal was to destroy Israel – they even had plans on how Israel was to be divided in Islamic administrative areas and named who was going to be in charge of each. During their invasion of Israel, Hamas killed approximately 1200 Israelis, including 800 civilians (350 of whom were attending a music festival). Approximately 250 Israelis were kidnapped and taken to Gaza as hostages. In the war that followed, Hamas was all but destroyed. As a crucial Hamas military tactic was to embed their military operatives within civilian infrastructure, much of Gaza has been destroyed in the war which Hamas started. While Hamas, at this point, has no hope of winning militarily, they continue to fight, rather than give up control of Gaza and turn governmental operations to non-affiliated technocrats whose goal would be to rebuild Gaza. Why? Because Hamas doesn’t give a damn about the Palestinians living in Gaza. Never has, never will. So, yes, Free Palestine. Free it from the Hamas criminals who have been running Gaza since 2007 so that Gaza can become a decent place for the people who live there. Hamas has lost the war they started, but rather than admit it and leave Gaza, they use their citizens as props for their political campaign. If you don’t believe me, ask their leaders who are currently living in 5 Star hotels in the Gulf. Khaled Meshaal is their leader. Check out his photo. Nice paunch – he obviously is eating well while Palestinians in Gaza are going hungry because the food being sent into Gaza is stolen by Hamas to feed their own families and sell on the black market to get money to buy more weapons. Good going Khaled. Hamas started a war on October 7, 2023 and now they are whining about the destruction caused by the war they started. No wonder all the Arab nations hate them. (Iran is not an Arab nation and Iran is paying Hezbollah, a Lebanese Arab militia, to fight Israel and destroy Lebanon.) Stop being their Useful Idiot and whining on their behalf. It is PATHETIC. And UIs like you are preventing the establishment of a Palestinian State on the West Bank and Gaza. So stop posting your BS.
Israel/OPT: Israeli soldiers describe 'free-for-all violence' in Gaza - Business and Human Rights Centre share.google/6jnxX6DBxMWczwsw0
A photo op keeps you up at night
On Oct 6th it was all good. They did it to themselves. Your tears are valid. It's the cause you're all wrong about.
The justifications for this in comments confirms my thought. Humans are garbage. They kill the children and delight in it
Humanity is a failure
Maybe, just maybe if Islam would stop attacking Israel, all of your BS would be a non-issue.
I'm ashamed of my people, sickened...🤮🤮🤮 🇮🇱🤮🤮🤮
Really? Because the slaughter was much greater.in most of those places. I mean 600,000 in Darfur, Myanmar 150000, Syria over 650,000 etc. Those were real genocides too, not 1/3 to 1/2 of deaths being combatants which is quite low in war terms.
Maybe if hamas stop shooting?
Was he there October 7th when Gazan women and children cheered dead Israelis dragged around Gaza?
War is inhuman and those who perpetuate it are disgusting killers
THE NARCISSIST IN CHIEF
Donald Trump’s public conduct reflects a destructive pattern of narcissism: relentless self-aggrandizement; an insatiable need for praise; contempt for criticism; habitual dishonesty; refusal to accept responsibility; vindictiveness toward perceived rivals; exploitation of allies; disregard for truth; indifference to the suffering his actions cause; entitlement; impulsiveness; intimidation; divisiveness; and the conviction that institutions exist to serve him. These are not qualities of democratic leadership, but warnings of authoritarian self-absorption. He has been a menace to the United States, placing personal power and grievance above constitutional duty, public trust, and national unity. Every Republican who still enables him must confront this grim reality: America cannot be secured by a man who puts himself first and tears its democratic foundations down, brick by brick.
25 CommentsComment on Facebook
Best president ever!!!
Got ya some of the TDS huh?
Self-loathing liberal Jew. Pathetic.
Living large and in charge
Wrong one.
Better than Dementia Joe
Please tell us the president that wasn't a narcissist?
I guess you dont know what a narcissist is.
Bipolar blabbermouth with Tourettes
Imagine giving Billions to people who chant "Death to America" just to watch them give it to Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houtihs. Do you think that it is treason or was he just caught completely by surprise?
Seeing your posts shows me that you're a close second.
Groovy, another FB expert psychologist heard from ... are all impressed? That's right. I'm mocking you
Americans know the Truth.. The rest is Democrat and Foreign Propaganda.. PLEASE Vote!!!
You're such a moron with your 15 followers
False TDS nonsense
I bet you could count your IQ on one hand.
Idiot!
Are you not a Narcissist Alon?
narcissist was obama and biden
Keep it up Trump , the world is and will forever be a greater place with the liberal Democrats out of office.
Ah another butt hurt liberal ass. Trump won both the popular vote and electoral vote you are in the ignorant minority a member of the party of baby killers the party of ignorance and hysterics sexual perversion and mental illness abortion looting and burning, BLM pedophiles and child groomers child sex changes transgender things men in women bathrooms and sports assassination and hatred attacks police and ICE against voter ID.. ignorant f
THE GREATER DANGER IS THE RISE OF OLIGARCHY
The rise of the far right is not the only danger. The deeper threat is democracy's conversion into oligarchy, where immense private wealth translates into overwhelming political power. Removing right-wing parties alone will not restore democratic health. In centralized societies, oligarchic power expands whenever governments fail to meet people’s economic needs and allow wealthy interests to shape public policy. Changing course requires a democratic movement that directly confronts concentrated wealth: curb money's influence in politics, enforce antitrust laws, tax extreme wealth fairly, strengthen labor rights, and invest in affordable housing, health care, education, and secure jobs. Centrist leaders cannot successfully serve both oligarchs and the public. Democracy can endure only when governments choose the people—and mobilize them to defend political and economic equality.
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DEMOCRATS, ARE YOU PREPARED NOT MERELY TO WIN,
BUT TO DEFEND THE ELECTION?
Trump has pushed Texas redistricting for five additional Republican seats, demanded citizenship documentation, and sought restrictions on mail voting. Now he calls elections “rigged,” urges Republicans to “take over the voting,” and says that if elections are not “honest,” “something else has to happen. This rhetoric lays the groundwork for branding defeat as fraud.
WHAT IS YOUR PLAN IF FEDERAL AGENTS INTIMIDATE VOTERS, OFFICIALS SEIZE VOTING MACHINES, OR TRUMP INVOKES EMERGENCY POWER TO INTERFERE? These are contingencies, not established plans. Nevertheless, are your lawyers, governors, and election officials ready to act?
Do not mistake legal prohibitions for guarantees of restraint. Trump cares less about constitutional boundaries. Outrage afterward is no strategy. Preparation now is your obligation.
113 CommentsComment on Facebook
We saw what they did on J6.
Just a thought. If all those people who will vote blue at the polls dress in Maga outfits. Ice will probably leave you alone. Trump will be happy to brag about all his loyal supporters. Once at the station vote Blue
Hell yes
Damn straight. Whatever it takes.
VOTE RED‼️
❤️❤️❤️ . no tax on tips, . no tax on overtime, . no tax on social security, . no Iranian nukes, . no men in women's sports, bathrooms, locker rooms, prisons, . no unvetted illegal alien invaders. Or • eliminate the U.S. Senate; • replace the presidency and the U.S. Supreme Court with an executive and judiciary handpicked and overseen by Congress; • abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement; • abolish U.S. borders and grant amnesty to all illegal aliens presently residing in the country; • defund the Department of War; • abolish prisons; and • seize public control of most large corporations. Megan Romer, DSA co-chair
Democrats are you still rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic ??🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
You people are unhinged
Vote blue
Revolutionary war is going to be fast and glorious! MAGA STRONG!💯💯
Vote in person so ICE can do their job.
EVERY AMERICAN CITIZEN MUST VOTE REPUBLICAN NOW AND ALWAYS!
Should we show up armed at polling places?
