Popular Sufism, Ottomans, and Safavids

http://media.blubrry.com/currentlynerdy/p/www.currentlynerdy.com/Podcasts/HeadOnHistoryEpisode09.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSSIn this episode we explore how Muslims experience the fall of the Caliphate and how in turn Islam is shaped by the historical circumstances. Building upon the scholarly Islam developed by the Seljuks, we talk about the fusion of internal spirituality in the…

Comic Con, Game of Thrones, HBO’s Confederate

http://media.blubrry.com/currentlynerdy/p/www.currentlynerdy.com/Podcasts/CurrentlyNerdyEpisode221.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSSWe start the podcast with a quick recap of the recent political developments from the tension between Donald Trump and Jeff Session to the resignation of Sean Spicer. We discuss Vy’s weekend at San Diego Comic Con and all the cool trailers that…

Crusades, Jihad, & End of the Caliphate

http://media.blubrry.com/currentlynerdy/p/www.currentlynerdy.com/Podcasts/HeadOnHistoryEpisode08.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSSThis episode focuses on the way Islam was shaped by the experience of the crusades. We talk about the historical development of the concept of “jihad” and how it was defined over time. Providing a brief overview of the major events of the…

Game of Thrones, D23, & Movies: Fact vs Fiction

http://media.blubrry.com/currentlynerdy/p/www.currentlynerdy.com/Podcasts/CurrentlyNerdyEpisode220.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSSIn this week’s podcast we begin with some nerd news from D23. We talk about the upcoming movies like Wrinkle in Time, Marry Poppins, Aladdin, Lion King and all the latest developments from Disney. We discuss the start of the new season of…

Shariah, Orthodoxy, & Cultural Islam

http://media.blubrry.com/currentlynerdy/p/www.currentlynerdy.com/Podcasts/HeadOnHistoryEpisode07.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSSLike all religions, Islam took several hundred years to develop its orthodoxy. This episode is dedicated to the history behind how sharia and orthodoxy developed in Islam. We discuss the historical circumstances from the political aspiration of the Abbasids to redefine the caliphate…

Cheating, Hollywood vs Bollywood, SpiderMan, & Casting

http://media.blubrry.com/currentlynerdy/p/www.currentlynerdy.com/Podcasts/CurrentlyNerdyEpisode219.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSSIn a heavy movie oriented episode we start with a discussion on romantic comedies and the difference between Hollywood and Bollywood when it comes to depictions of love. We talk about how they capture and shape different notions of love; where Hollywood focuses…

Abbasid Caliphate & Persian Islam

http://media.blubrry.com/currentlynerdy/p/www.currentlynerdy.com/Podcasts/HeadOnHistoryEpisode06.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSSIn this episode we talk about the end of the Umayyads with the Abbasid revolt, focusing not only on the major battles, but why the Abbasids were successful in overthrowing the Umayyad Caliphate. We discuss how the caliphate changes over time and how…

Remakes, Fandoms, and Furries

http://media.blubrry.com/currentlynerdy/p/www.currentlynerdy.com/Podcasts/CurrentlyNerdyEpisode218.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSSThe episode starts with a crazy story from Diz about his strange late night encounters. Our nerd news of the week discusses Ron Howard joining the Han Solo movie and the Jumanji remake. This leads us to talking about remakes and Hollywood before…

Sunnism, Shi’ism & the Umayyads

http://media.blubrry.com/currentlynerdy/p/www.currentlynerdy.com/Podcasts/HeadOnHistoryEpisode05.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSSThis episode covers the schism betweeen Sunnism and Shi’ism, detailing how historical circumstances and experiences are overlaid with theological significance. Focusing on the experience of the Muslim community during the early fitnas we discuss how political movements about legitimacy and authority shape what…

Social Media, Vidcon, Sargon of Akkad, and Anita Sarkeesian

http://media.blubrry.com/currentlynerdy/p/www.currentlynerdy.com/Podcasts/CurrentlyNerdyEpisode217.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSSIn the weird world of social media, what hope does society have? That’s the question we grapple with today. We talk about vidcon and the controversies of internet celebrities from Logan Paul to Christian Burns. We discuss the role of social media and…

Civil War and Beginnings of Sunni & Shia

http://media.blubrry.com/currentlynerdy/p/www.currentlynerdy.com/Podcasts/HeadOnHistoryEpisode04.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSSPicking up from the death Umar, this podcast explores the evolution of the divisive caliphate of Uthman and the rise of a more dynastic imperial structure. We discuss beginnings of sectarianism in Islam and how it is shaped by geo-political divisions that continue…

Otherkin, Han Solo, Philando Castille & Nabra

http://media.blubrry.com/currentlynerdy/p/www.currentlynerdy.com/Podcasts/CurrentlyNerdyEpisode216.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSSWe start our podcast off with a new segment called Tumblr Ethnographies. Vy decided to go down the rabbit hole that is tumblr and explore the world of “otherkin.” We discuss the different ideas behind otherkin, the origins, its history, and how the…

The First Muslims & First Caliphs

http://media.blubrry.com/currentlynerdy/p/www.currentlynerdy.com/Podcasts/HeadOnHistoryEpisode03.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSSWith the death of Muhammad the nascent religious community faces its first major upheaval. In this podcast we explore how the community of believers fractured and how the question of leadership was dealt with. We take an in depth look at the Ridda…

Adam West, Superhero Role Models, & Black Panther

http://media.blubrry.com/currentlynerdy/p/www.currentlynerdy.com/Podcasts/CurrentlyNerdyEpisdoe215.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSSIn honor of one of our favorite Batmen, we talk about the passing of Adam West and the impact he had on the series. We discuss the evolution of the Batman series and his influence in the nerd community. This leads us to…

Muhammad and the Believers

http://media.blubrry.com/currentlynerdy/p/www.currentlynerdy.com/Podcasts/HeadOnHistoryEpisode02.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSSUnlike other religious figures of the ancient world, Muhammad is born in the full light of history. While there is little doubt he existed, what is known about his life is shrouded by time. This episode we focus on the birth, life, and…

Guardians of the Galaxy, Wonder Woman, and Feminist Icon

http://media.blubrry.com/currentlynerdy/p/www.currentlynerdy.com/Podcasts/CurrentlyNerdyEpisode214.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSSAfter being behind for a while, we finally catch up on our favorite nerd movies. Vy gives us a review of Guardians of the Galaxy and we discuss the success of the series in comparison to other Marvel movies. We talk about the…

Red Sea Wars & Pre-Islamic Arabia

http://media.blubrry.com/currentlynerdy/p/www.currentlynerdy.com/Podcasts/HeadOnHistoryEpisode01.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSSTo understand the rise of Islam, you have to first understand its historical context. In the first official episode of Head On History, Ali talks about the international wars on the eve of Islam known as the Red Sea wars and their connection to…

Exiting news! New Podcast: Head On History

http://media.blubrry.com/currentlynerdy/p/www.currentlynerdy.com/Podcasts/CurrentlyNerdyEpisode213.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSSExciting news from the Currently Nerdy team! We’ve launched a new podcast, Head On History hosted by Ali A. Olomi. For all the history nerds out there, this podcast is a must. Subscribe to learn more about the history of the Middle East,…

Intro: Head On History

http://media.blubrry.com/currentlynerdy/p/www.currentlynerdy.com/Podcasts/HeadOnHistoryEpisode0.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSSWelcome to a new podcast presented by Currently Nerdy and hosted by Ali A. Olomi. Head On History will consist of multiple seasons with ten episodes each covering a wide range of historical topics. As your host, I bring my background as a…

The New Racists

http://media.blubrry.com/currentlynerdy/p/www.currentlynerdy.com/Podcasts/CurrentlyNerdyEpisode212.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSSA rash of new cellphone videos have emerged revealing racist in their natural habitats. From a man berating someone for speaking Spanish, to a woman in cellphone store using racial epithets against a friendly customer, to an older woman openly using the n-word,…

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