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PODCAST

Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and Culture

Farshid Delshad

I am a linguist and scholar of Middle Eastern studies by profession, and in this podcast I offer a wide range of topics with a particular focus and historical linguistics, culture, religion and languages of the Middle East and the world of Islam. However, you might find here also philological subjects on Indo-European linguistics and Caucasian studies.

society & culture philosophy

All Episodes

00:02:05

Does Hamas have any Military Basis in Gaza? A Fair...

Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and... ·

2025/10/03

Does Hamas have any Military Basis in Gaza? A Fair Question!

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00:03:00

Does the Muslim World help Palestinians?

Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and... ·

2025/09/25

Does the Muslim World help Palestinians?

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00:19:16

Israel and the Colonial Question: Myths, History, and...

Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and... ·

2025/09/22

Israel and the Colonial Question: Myths, History, and Reality🔑 Hashtags / Keywords#IsraelHistory; #ZionismExplained; #NotColonial; #JewishIndigeneity; #MiddleEastHistory; #AntiSemitism; #WhiteSupremacyDebunked; #InternationalLaw; #LegalSystemIsrael; #PodcastAcademia; #Orientalistics; #JewishReturn; #ColonialismDebate; #CrusadesAndConquests; #OttomanEmpire; #MuslimConquests; #ChristianConquests; #IsraelPodcast; #AcademicPodcast; #MiddleEastPolitics💬 Summary In this episode, we take a deep dive into

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00:18:01

From Persia to Israel: A Conversation with a...

Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and... ·

2025/09/12

From Persia to Israel: A Conversation with a Pro-Palestinian گفتگو با یک طرفدار فلسطین، بخشی از این نامه نگاری به فارسی استSummaryThis episode of Orientalistics dives into a fiery exchange between two worlds: one voice speaking from lived experience as an Iranian-born Jew standing with Israel, and another, a Persian leftist intellectual deeply committed to the Palestinian cause. Sparked by a provocative video from a well-known Israeli critic, our debate unfolds across Persian and English, exposing

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00:07:12

IS ISRAEL A COLONIAL ENTITY?

Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and... ·

2025/09/12

IS ISRAEL A COLONIAL ENTITY? 1. Is Israel truly a colonial state?Many argue that Zionism is just another form of colonialism. But does Israel’s history actually fit the definition of colonialism?2. Are the Jewish people indigenous to the land of Israel, or not?The answer to this question lies at the heart of the debate over legitimacy.3. Does Zionism amount to settler colonialism?Or is it something fundamentally different — a movement of national liberation?This claim appears often in activist

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00:18:58

Judea, Samaria, West Bank: A Land of Many Names

Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and... ·

2025/08/30

Judea, Samaria, West Bank: A Land of Many NamesIn this episode of Orientalistics, we journey through the deep history of the land once called Judea and Samaria—today widely known as the West Bank. From Neanderthals and Canaanites to Israelites, Babylonians, Romans, Ottomans, and modern powers, this land has been a crossroads of civilizations. We explore how names like “Judea and Samaria” arose from ancient kingdoms, how the Romans renamed it “Syria Palaestina,” and how in the 20th century the

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00:23:22

Between Identity and Nationhood: Minorities in the...

Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and... ·

2025/08/10

Summary In this episode, we explore the complex political realities in Israel, touching on its democratic framework, historical background, and the tensions that shape its society. The discussion dives into the challenges, contradictions, and hopes for the nation’s political future, offering both historical context and thought-provoking analysis. Listeners are encouraged to share their perspectives, experiences, and questions to keep the conversation going. Keywords#MiddleEastPolitics; #Israel;

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00:20:53

Before the Borderlines: A Brief History of Israel and...

Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and... ·

2025/07/07

Before the Borderlines: A Brief History of Israel and PalestineSummary:In this episode, we take a step back from the headlines to offer a clear, accessible, and historically grounded overview of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Before engaging with contemporary debates—especially the complex claims surrounding Israel’s right to exist and the rhetoric of regimes like that of Iran—we explore the deep historical context that underpins the region's present-day tensions. This episode serves as a

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00:33:33

The Mullas and The Missiles (in Persian) ملایان و...

Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and... ·

2025/06/21

The Mullas and The Missiles (in Persian) ملایان و موشک هادر این پادکست من به آسیب شناسی حلمه ی اسرائیل به زیرساخت های جمهوری اسلامی پرداختم!مِهر کنید و پیام ها و نقدهای خودتان را با من به اشتراک بگذارید یا در بخش تفسیر (کامنت) و یا به ایمیل

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00:15:04

The Mullahs, the Missiles, and the People: On the...

Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and... ·

2025/06/17

The Mullahs, the Missiles, and the People: On the Israeli Airstrike Against the Islamic Republic of IranIn this urgent and unfiltered episode, Farshid Delshad stepsoutside his usual domains of language, religion, and culture to address the escalating confrontation between the State of Israel and the Islamic Republicof Iran. Speaking not only as a scholar of Middle Eastern studies but also as an Iranian of Jewish heritage with lived experience in both countries,Farshid reflects on the moral dilemmas,

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00:06:28

Fiction & the Politics of Memory; A very Personal...

Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and... ·

2025/06/04

Von Wahrheit & Fiktion. Truth, Fiction, and the Politics of Memory (in German) In this episode, we explore the complex tension between historical truth and fictional narrative, drawing inspiration from Yuval Noah Harari's reflections. We discuss how writing about real historical events—such as the Roman Empire—requires rigorous research, linguistic skills, and archaeological insight, whereas fictional storytelling allows for simplified, appealing narratives without factual accountability

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00:27:57

The Legacy of Zoroastrianism for Judaism,...

Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and... ·

2025/05/26

The Legacy of Zoroastrianism for Judaism, Christianity and Islam: Part IV: Synopsis🎧 Keywords#Zoroastrianism; #Judaism;#Christianity; #Islam; #PersianEmpire; #SecondTempleJudaism; #Resurrection;#Afterlife; #CyrusTheGreat; #ApocalypticThought; #Mithraism; #Avesta; #Haoma;#Soma; #AncientReligions; #Theology; #ReligiousInfluence; #Dualism; #MessianicHope;#OrientalisticsPodcast📝 Summary In this episode of Orientalistics, we explore thefar-reaching legacy of Zoroastrianism and its subtle but

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00:31:12

The Legacy of Zoroastrianism for Judaism,...

Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and... ·

2025/05/12

The Legacy of Zoroastrianism for Judaism, Christianity and Islam Part III: Zoroastrian Cosmology Keywords #Zoroastrianism; #Zarathustra; #AhuraMazda; #AngraMainyu; #GoodVsEvil; #AncientReligions;#IndoIranian; #DevaVsDaeva; #VedicHinduism; #ReligiousHistory; #Apocalypse; #Resurrection; #SecondTempleJudaism; #OriginsOfSatan; #HeavenAndHell; #Sheol; #AncientPhilosophy; #PersianEmpire; #ReligiousEvolutionSummary💬 In this episode, we journeyed into the origins of Zoroastrianism and the life of

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00:39:24

Zoroaster and Abrahamic Religions Part II: From...

Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and... ·

2025/04/28

Zoroaster and Abrahamic Religions Part II: From Zoroaster to MosesSummaryIn this episode, we explore how sacred histories are not always straightforward records of the past, but deeply layered narratives shaped by memory, theology, and retrospective meaning. From the retroactive storytellingstructures in Abrahamic texts to the haunting poetic legacy of the Gāthās in Zoroastrianism, we reflect on the challenges of tracing historical truth amidst mythic resonance. Why do prophets appear fully formed

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01:21:30

An Iranian-German under the Russian Fire in Ukraine

Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and... ·

2025/04/14

🎙️ EpisodeTitle: An Iranian-German Under the Russian Fire with Ario DehghaniSummaryIn this powerful episode, we sit down with Ario Dehghani—an Iranian-German lawyer and member of the Bahá'í faith—who left Germany to build a new life inUkraine. When the war erupted, Ario made a fateful decision: to stay, to serve, and to protect those around him.From his upbringing in Germany as the child of a Persian-German interfaith family to the moment he met his Ukrainian wife, Ario’s story is a rare window

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00:29:40

The Legacy of Zoroastrianism for Abrahamic Religions,...

Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and... ·

2025/04/04

The Legacy of Zoroastrianism for Judaism, Christianity and Islam, PART IPodcast Summary In this episode, we delve into the fascinating legacy of Zoroastrianism, exploring its influence on both ancient and modern religious thought. From its roots in the Persian Empire to its transformation through Roman Mithraism, weuncover how this ancient faith shaped key religious concepts like resurrection,duality of good vs. evil, and the afterlife. We also explore the impact of Constantine’s conversion to

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00:56:10

Philosophy Of Religion: Reading Erich Fromm

Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and... ·

2025/03/24

Podcast SummaryIn this episode, we take a deep dive into a thought-provoking lecture by Erich Fromm, delivered in 1971, exploring the history of religion and the decline of religious thought. Fromm, a renowned philosopher, psychoanalyst, and sociologist, examines how religious belief has evolved, why its traditional foundations have eroded, and what has risen to take its place.We discuss the idea that, even in a secular world, humanity still seeks meaning—whether through technology, ideology, or new

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01:01:33

Iranian Languages and Dialects, Part XV: Khuzestani...

Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and... ·

2025/03/08

Iranian Languages and Dialects, Part XV: Khuzestani Arabic Summary Khuzestani Arabic is a fascinating dialectthat bridges Southern Mesopotamian Arabic with Persian linguistic influences.While it retains many core features of Eastern Bedouin-type dialects, it alsodemonstrates phonological shifts, Persian lexical borrowing, and uniquesyntactic structures that distinguish it from other Arabic varieties.Understanding these linguistic dynamics is essential for appreciating thecomplex history and

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00:30:46

On Harari’s Nexus, Summary & Critique ‎

Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and... ·

2025/02/16

On Harari’s Nexus, Summary & Critique ‎In this episode, I delve into Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the ‎Stone Age to AI by Yuval Noah Harari. The book examines the intricate relationship ‎between information, power, and technology, revealing how these dynamics have ‎shaped human history and will continue to influence our future. Harari explores ‎how societies and political systems have leveraged information to achieve their goals ‎and how major information revolutions have

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00:32:11

On Harari’s Homo Deus: A Summary & Critique

Orientalistics: Podcast on Language, Religion and... ·

2025/02/09

‎"Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow" explores humanity's future, tackling ‎themes like artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and the quest for immortality, ‎while questioning ethics, free will, and the meaning of human existence. In this ‎episode, I summarize the book and offer my critique.‎

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143 results

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