Life as a human rights attorney in Egypt. Tahrir Square in 2011. How protests transforms into revolutions. It's all in this episode of the afikra podcast with professor Atif Said from the University of Illinois Chicago. He talks about rule of Law, liberalism, and what revolutions really mean in the Arab world, challenging its common definitions in reference to (de)coloniality, and offering an understanding that sees "revolution" as a coming together of dreams and reality. Atif also speaks about the symbolism that Tahrir Square gained as a site of revolution, life, death and spectacle versus the realities on the ground. Finally, he touches on the role that digital technologies have in shaping society, advocacy and repression and what the future of revolution might look like.
Atef Said is an associate professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, and a sociologist who's passionate about politics, revolutions and social change. His scholarship engages with the fields of sociological theory, political sociology, historical sociology, sociology of the Middle East, and global sociology. His book "Revolution Squared: Tahrir, Political Possibilities & Counterrevolution in Egypt" examines the 2011 Egyptian Revolution to trace the expansive range of liberatory possibilities and containment at the heart of every revolution.
Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani
Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna
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About afikra | عفكرة: We are a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. ⚡ Become a member today.
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