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PODCAST

CONFLICTED

An ex-Al Qaeda jihadi turned MI6 spy and a former monk turned filmmaker, have been embedded at the heart of conflicts in the Middle East. Together Aimen Dean and Thomas Small unpack the realities of war, fundamentalism and their global implications through first-hand experience.

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All Episodes

57:23

The Firebrand from Damascus (Part 2)

CONFLICTED ·

2023/08/02

The later part of Ibn Taymiyyah’s life saw continued invasions from Mongol Hordes from the outside, and a battle against Sufi mystics in his own society. And for the man himself, it was defined by a continuation of one thing more than any other: a zeal against irreligion. While confronting the Mamluk Sultan and preaching anti-Mongol fatwas, he cemented himself as the great mediaeval scholar and warrior he is now remembered as. And he set an ideological precedent which modern Salafi jihadists

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52:46

The Firebrand from Damascus (Part 1)

CONFLICTED ·

2023/07/26

Ibn Taymiyyah is known as the “Sheikh of Islam” to his admirers, and to his detractors, one of the most significant antecedents of modern Salafi Jihadism. Simultaneously a genius scholar, brutal warrior and unflinching polemicist, he is one of the most important pioneers of a militant form of Sunni Islam, and is now quoted more than any other scholar by Islamist terrorists today. Continuing our series exploring the historical forebears of modern Salafi Jihadism, this week sees us begin two episodes

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60:39

The First Fundamentalist (Part 2)

CONFLICTED ·

2023/07/19

This week’s Conflicted sees the second episode of our deep dive into the thrilling life of 7/8th century Muslim scholar, Ahmad bin Hanbal, founder of the Hanbali school of jurisprudence. Continuing our series looking at the historic Islamic thinkers who have inspired modern Salafi Jihadists today, we look at the fascinating and drama-filled second half of the life of the first fundamentalist. Expect more battles with Abbasid Caliphs, more stubborn refusals to renounce his teachings, floggings,

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47:30

The First Fundamentalist (Part 1)

CONFLICTED ·

2023/07/12

On this week’s episode of Conflicted, we begin a multi episode exploration into the historical figures who function as antecedents to the modern jihadi movement, beginning with two episodes on one of its earliest examples: Ahmad Bin Hanbal. When Islamic fundamentalists today look back in history, one of the earliest figures they will mention for inspiration is the 7th/8th century scholar, Ahmad Bin Hanbal. His writings, hadith collecting and ascetic life are used as an example for many in the modern

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44:31

The Mind of a Fundamentalist

CONFLICTED ·

2023/07/05

Islamic radicals have been a scourge on countries across the Middle East for decades, but what drives the person who commits terrorist acts? What causes some Muslims to adopt a fundamentalist ideology? And what do these terms even mean in practice? On this week’s episode of Conflicted, we explore the socio-political and psychological causes of Islamic radicalism. We’ll discover why certain countries end up fostering these ideologies, while also exploring the lives and psyches of Thomas and Aimen to

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47:50

Where Have All The Terrorists Gone?

CONFLICTED ·

2023/06/28

In the first episode of season 4 of Conflicted, hosts Thomas Small and Aimen Dean attempt to get to the bottom of the current state of play with Islamic terrorism, asking: where have all the terrorists gone? In 2023, it feels like there has been a kind of stasis in terms of Islamic terrorism, with other geopolitical issues taking their place on the global stage. But is this a sign that it’s gone for good? Or is the cycle of terror forged by our old friends Isis and Al-Qaeda about to come back

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1:13

Conflicted Season 4 Announcement

CONFLICTED ·

2023/06/14

Join Islamic scholar Thomas Small and ex-jihadi turned spy Aimen Dean as they explore the fascinating chains of events that have created the patchwork of the Muslim world today, and how the region’s history has impacted the story of the entire world. Expect answers to questions like: What do Turkey’s 2023 election results mean for the future stability of the region? What role will the Middle East play in the new multipolar world? And is Islamist Terrorism still a thing in 2023? We’ll be coming to

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63:37

Conflicted LIVE Q&A

CONFLICTED ·

2022/12/07

In a special LIVE end of season event (recorded on the 30th November) Thomas and Aimen sat down to answer your questions about the latest headlines from the Middle East. No stone is left unturned as the two discussed a potential invasion of Northern Syria, increasing tensions in Iran and the possible rehabilitation of Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud. Get more from Conflicted Listen to exclusive bonus content and get all episodes ad-free by subscribing to Conflicted Extra on Apple

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0:59

Announcement: Conflicted LIVE

CONFLICTED ·

2022/11/10

A special announcement from Thomas. Find tickets to the Live Q&A on Eventbrite. Or join our FB Discussion group Or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to have your say on what topics you'd like Thomas & Aimen to discuss. Join the Conflicted Community hub on Discord to discuss all things Conflicted with fellow dear listeners, get exclusive content, bonus episodes and ad-free listening. Register your interest through the link: http://www.levellr.com/conflicted Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

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67:41

The West vs. the Rest?

CONFLICTED ·

2022/10/12

In the final episode of this season, Thomas & Aimen come full circle again, back to the latest chapter in Aimen’s extraordinary life—a new, sad chapter that has forced a difficult and fateful decision upon him. The two friends also roll up their sleeves and resume their age-old ongoing argument: is the clash between Western modernity and Islamic civilization bound to end in bloody conflict, or can the Islamic world make the adjustments required to reap the benefits of modernity—without losing its

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87:18

Algerian Civil War

CONFLICTED ·

2022/09/28

As Conflicted approaches the end of season 3, Aimen & Thomas turn their attention to a country which hasn’t featured much on the podcast so far: Algeria. Often overlooked due to the Algerian regime’s isolationist policy, for those with eyes to see Algeria has been at the vanguard of Middle Eastern developments for over two hundred years. For this reason, it’s the perfect prism through which to revisit all the historical themes from this season: traditional Islamic civilization, the challenge of

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98:10

Anti-Soviet Jihad

CONFLICTED ·

2022/09/14

With the assassination of Al Qaeda leader Aymen al-Zawahiri ringing in their ears, Aimen & Thomas turn their attention once again to Afghanistan, focusing this time on the Soviet invasion in 1979 and the rise of global jihadism that followed. What led the Soviets to invade? What was Kabul’s Cold War relationship with Moscow like in the run-up to the invasion? What was the U.S.’s true role in the anti-Soviet jihad? And most importantly: why did thousands of young men from the Arab role sign up to

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83:10

Saddam vs. Ayatollah

CONFLICTED ·

2022/08/31

In our previous episode on the Iranian revolution, we left the Ayatollah Khomeini sitting high and mighty in Tehran. Little did he know, next door in Baghdad, an Arab strongman nursed revolutionary, expansionary ambitions of his own: Saddam Hussein, the Lion of the Arabs and Defender of the Eastern Gate, the ultimate symbol of corrupt and tyrannical dictatorship. Taking up where we left off back in episode 9, with Iraq reeling from the bloody 1958 coup that replaced the Hashemite monarchy with a

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80:36

Ayatollah vs. Shah

CONFLICTED ·

2022/08/17

We’ve reached the Iranian Revolution of 1979! The great showdown! The watershed moment when the tensions which we’ve been tracing—between reform and reaction, modernism and tradition—erupted into sweeping rejection of the Western model of modernity and its replacement with something apocalyptic, something both ancient and strikingly new: a Shi’a Islamic Republic. It was out with the Shah, in with the Ayatollah; and the consequences have been without parallel—for the Middle East, and the

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75:40

Petrostates of the World, Unite!

CONFLICTED ·

2022/08/03

In this episode, Aimen and Thomas talk about one of the many governing institutions which arose out of the wreckage of the old imperial and colonial world, and which still underpins the way the world functions today: OPEC. The only great governing institution founded and run by statesmen outside the Western corridors of power, since its founding in 1960, OPEC has played a big role in every major geopolitical event since its founding in 1960. War, terrorism, kidnappings, assassinations, and an

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71:00

Lebanon: Failed Narco-Terrorist State?

CONFLICTED ·

2022/07/20

Circling back to the Arab world after a brief excursus further afield, this episode of Conflicted takes up the themes of sectarian strife and political radicalism and applies them to the country that has perhaps been most affected by the Clash of Civilizations: Lebanon. What is Lebanon? Who are the Lebanese? Why did the country crack up in 1975? Answering these questions and more, the episode climaxes with what must be the fastest, most breathless description of the Lebanese Civil War ever

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59:33

Turkquake!

CONFLICTED ·

2022/07/06

Having flitted around the edges of the Ottoman Empire for most of this season, now we’re going straight to the jugular: the heart of that empire, the city of Istanbul (or Constantinople, if you prefer). In this episode of Conflicted, we tell the thrilling story of the epic historic conflict between two peoples, Turks and Greeks, practising two faiths, Islam and Orthodox Christianity, a conflict still manifest today, most painfully on the divided island of Cyprus. The invasion of Cyprus by Turkish

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78:32

Subcontinental Rift

CONFLICTED ·

2022/06/22

From the Arab world, we now journey eastward to the Indian Subcontinent. Ancient, vast, and spiritually rich, the lands that comprise the nation-states of Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh underwent one of the great traumas of the 20th century: the end of British rule and the Partition of the Raj. In this episode, we’ll tell this story, which includes a panoply of immense political personalities—Gandhi, Nehru, Jinnah—and which reverberates down to the present day in the ongoing crisis over the

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90:21

Gaddafi: The Arab Madman Cometh

CONFLICTED ·

2022/06/08

Now that we’ve told the story of the rise and fall of Nasserism, we turn to Libya and its handsome and charismatic dictator, Col. Muammar Gaddafi. Believing himself to have inherited Nasser’s mantle of Arab leadership, Gaddafi’s brazen narcissistic insanity is the stuff of legend, and Aimen’s got a caravan-load of funny anecdotes to illustrate just how nuts he was. But more seriously, Gaddafi symbolizes the tragic turn toward unhinged dictatorship which much of the Arab world underwent in the second

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66:52

Arab-Israeli Blitzkrieg

CONFLICTED ·

2022/05/25

We’ve finally reached the climax of the Cold War in the Middle East: the 6-Day War of 1967 and its dramatic sequel, the Yom Kippur War of 1973. The outcomes of both wars are well known; less so the political machinations leading up to them. We’ll do our best to take you behind the scenes of the corridors of power and into the minds of Arab and Israeli leaders. No one wanted war, yet war arrived. Why? These two wars were transformative: Nasserism was out and radicalism was in, and in the ongoing

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