If you have been enjoying this podcast, we want to hear from you! ⁠⁠Understanding who you, our dear listeners, are helps us make decisions as we continue to grow at the Kerning Cultures Network. Help us understand you better by filling this short survey linked below, it won’t take more than 5 minutes. We promise you a cookie next we see you. Thank you! https://2ecvc26t60m.typeform.com/to/BW4yRgUt Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re thrilled to share another podcast from Kerning Cultures Network with you: al empire. al empire returns for Season 3 with more stories of exceptional Arabs from around the world and their journey to the top, from comedians and entrepreneurs to musicians and media mavericks. This season of al empire, we’re also releasing the full uncut video episodes online. In this episode, we sit down with Palestinian-American stand-up comedian and actor Mo Amer. Mo always knew he wanted to be a comedian, and he has turned that life-long passion into an incredible career in stand-up, TV, film, and many other mediums. The star of Mo, Ramy, DC’s Black Adam, and many Netflix specials like The Vagabond sits down with Dana Ballout to kick off Season 3 of al empire. They discuss his early years as a Palestinian refugee in Houston, TX, touring comedy clubs in post-9/11 America, and how he hopes to “influence the culture” with his art. This episode is hosted by Dana Ballout. Produced by Finbar Anderson and Alex Atack with additional support from Ahmed Ashour. Edited by Alex Atack and Ahmed Ashour. Research and fact checking by Deena Sabry. Sound design by Monzer El-Hachem.  Special thanks to Majd Bani Odeh, and Quincy at Sacred Stone Media in Houston, Texas.

Two stories about two streets, and the justices and injustices hidden in their names. Follow us to Tehran and Khartoum as we uncover two histories brought together by one common denominator.  This episode originally aired in February 2021, and was produced by Zeina Dowidar with editing by Dana Ballout. Additional support from Nadeen Shaker, Alex Atack, Shraddha Joshi, and Abde Amr. Fact checking by Shraddha Joshi, sound design by Zeina Dowidar and Alex Atack, with mixing by Mohamed Khreizat.

'Yasir?' That's too difficult. I'll just call you Tony. This episode originally aired in October 2017. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $2 a month.

Nagi Daifallah was a young farm worker from Yemen who moved to California in the early 1970s, when he was just 20 years old. He went on to become one of the organisers of the influential 1973 grape strikes in California, led by Cesar Chavez. But one night, after a day of striking, he was beaten to death by a local county sheriff outside a restaurant in Lamont, California. Although the sheriff who killed him never faced justice, Nagi’s story - and the movement he helped organise - went on to make real change to farm workers’ rights in America, and continues to inspire Yemeni American activists today. This episode originally aired in April 2021. This episode was produced by Suzanne Gaber and Will Thomson, and edited by Dana Ballout. Additional support on this episode from Alex Atack, Nadeen Shaker, Zeina Dowidar, Shraddha Joshi and Abde Amr. Sound design by Alex Atack and Mohamad Khreizat. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

In the 1960s, a college professor and his group of students were determined to build and launch rockets into space. And so, they did. This week, on Kerning Cultures, a story about the first-ever rocket launched from the Arab world into space. This episode first aired in 2020 and was produced by Tamara Rasamny with editorial support from Dana Ballout, Zeina Dowidar, Alex Atack, Nadeen Shaker, and Hebah Fisher. Sound design by Mohamad Khreizat, and fact-checking by Zeina Dowidar. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

In the 1930s, the architect Nasri Khattar had an idea to singlehandedly overhaul the Arabic script. For the next 47 years, he worked day and night to get the world to adopt his writing system, Unified Arabic. Ultimately, he failed. This is his story.  This episode was produced by Jahd Khalil and edited by Dana Ballout with Alex Atack and Hebah Fisher. Sound design and mixing was by Alex Atack and Mohamad Khreizat. You can find Yara Khoury's book - Nasri Khattar, a Modernist Typotect - here. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $2 a month. Find a transcript for this episode at our website.

In 1917, a musical prodigy called Zabelle Panosian recorded a song that captured the heartbreak of a generation of Armenian Americans in the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide. She toured the world, selling thousands of records. And then, she was almost completely forgotten.  This episode originally aired in July 2020. This episode was produced by Alex Atack with editorial support from Dana Ballout, Tamara Rasamny, Nadeen Shaker, Zeina Dowidar and Hebah Fisher. Sound design by Alex Atack and Mohamed Khreizat, and fact-checking by Zeina Dowidar. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Ian’s new book about Zabelle Panosian can be found here.  Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $2 a month. Find a transcript for this episode at our website.

We’re holding off on releasing this week’s Kerning Cultures episode. Instead, we’re sharing resources on how to help the crisis in Ukraine. You can read the full list here.We’ll be back next week.

How do you preserve a language when your government is actively trying to erase it? Abduweli Ayup is a Uyghur linguist who was trying to stop the Chinese government from replacing Uyghur with Mandarin. He had been studying the language’s history, teaching Uyghur to younger students and writing books in Uyghur. But when the Chinese government began forcibly detaining Uyghurs in Xinjiang, his work got much riskier. Then, they came for Abduweli himself. This week on Kerning Cultures, Abduweli’s fight to preserve his mother tongue. This episode originally aired in August 2019. Special thanks to Abduweli Ayup and his family for sharing their story, and to Arienne Dwyer and Timothy Grose. You can find a transcript for this episode here. This episode was produced by Durrie Bouscaren and Alex Atack, with editorial support from Dana Ballout and Hebah Fisher. Sound design by Mohamed Khreizat. Fact-checking by Zeina Dowidar. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production.

Kerning Cultures season 3 launches next week, January 27th. Make sure to subscribe wherever you get podcasts so you don't miss an episode. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $2 a month.

Ahead of the latest season (which launches at the end of this month!), our team gets together to talk about what they’re excited for, and what they’ve learned from producing the upcoming season of Kerning Cultures. Kerning Cultures’ season three launches on January 27th. Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you get podcasts so you don’t miss an episode. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $2 a month.

Lynn left behind her hometown village in the Philippines for a housekeeping job in Lebanon at the age of 23. It was only meant to be temporary… until she met Butros, her employer’s nephew, and they fell in love. But for Lynn, marrying Butros has meant choosing to settle down in a country where she’s treated as an outsider. This episode originally aired in June 2019 and was produced by Dana Ballout, Nathalie Rosa Bucher and Alex Atack. Editorial support from Hebah Fisher. Sound design by Mohamad Khreizat. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production.  Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

His whole life, Walid Waked had been told that his great grandfather invented the Arabic typewriter. And then, one day, he learned that another family – the Haddads – believed they invented it. This week on Kerning Cultures, the contested history of the Arabic typewriter. This episode originally aired in September 2019. Thank you to everybody we spoke to for this story: Ahmed Ellaithy – for taking us down the rabbit hole with you – Walid Waked, Anis Waked, Alexandre Cordahi, Nagla Badran, Pascal Zoghbi and Titus Nemeth. This episode was produced by Ahmed Ellaithy, Hebah Fisher, Nadeen Shaker, and Alex Atack, with editorial support from Dana Ballout, Tamara Rasamny, and Zeina Dowidar. Sound design by Mohamad Khreizat. Fact-checking by Zeina Dowidar. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. This episode is brought to you by GoSell by Tap Payments: https://www.tap.company/sa/ar/sell Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

Faysal Bibi and his team of palaeontologists have been captivated by this one particular moment that took place in the Abu Dhabi desert seven million years ago. This week, a journey back to a time before the desert was the desert… when elephants, crocodiles and monkeys reigned supreme in the UAE. This episode was produced by Alex Atack, with editorial support from Dana Ballout, Nadeen Shaker, Tamara Rasamny and Zeina Dowidar. Fact-checking by Zeina Dowidar and Dina Salem. Sound design by Alex Atack and mixing by Mohamed Khreizat. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. This episode originally aired in September 2020. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

Ronnie Chatah started giving his walking tours of Beirut in 2008, during a period of stability for the city. He would guide tourists through the city, telling stories of Phoenician ruins, French architecture and Ottoman houses. He’d also talk about Lebanon’s civil war, and the problems that came to follow it. These were always stories about other people, other eras and other lives, until December of 2013, when Ronnie’s own life was sucked into the political unrest that he'd spent years talking about on his tour. This episode originally aired in August 2018. This episode is brought to you by GoSell by Tap Payments: https://www.tap.company/sa/ar/sell Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

In 1968, a trio of Palestinian filmmakers began making films about life under Israeli occupation. Almost 15 years and over 90 films later, their film unit became a dominant force in the Arab film industry. But in 1982, their film reels disappeared. Overnight, decades of footage and thousands of hours of archives were gone. Today on Kerning Cultures, the search for the Palestinian Film Unit’s lost archives. This episode originally aired in August 2020 and was produced by Zeina Dowidar, with editorial support from Alex Atack, Nadeen Shaker, Tamara Rasamny, Dana Ballout, and Hebah Fisher. Fact-checking by Zeina Dowidar. Sound design and mixing by Mohamad Khreizat. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. For the list of films and other resources mentioned in this episode, visit our blog: https://kerningcultures.com/kerned-and-cultured/palestinian-film-unit Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

Because of what's happening in Palestine this week, we're holding off airing our usual programming. Instead we're going to re-air one of our favourite episodes from last season: Jerusalem Calling. With this episode, we hope to remember the rich history of Palestine, and that the occupation and Israel's apartheid policies go back decades. If you'd like to learn more about ways you can help Palestinians, we've put together a list of resources on our website, and will be sharing them on our Instagram this week: @kerningcultures. The Palestine Broadcasting Service started airing in 1936, from a brand new transmitter tower in Ramallah. It was a British station in three languages, aimed at promoting the message of the mandate government throughout the region. But over the following decades, as Palestine saw political upheavals, bloody conflicts and power shifts, the radio station found itself in the middle of it all... and became a unique capsule of the events that lead up to the Nakba. This episode was produced by Shahd Bani-Odeh, Alex Atack and Darah Ghanem, with editorial support from Dana Ballout, Nadeen Shaker, Tamara Rasamny, Zeina Dowidar and Dina Salem. Fact-checking by Zeina Dowidar and Dina Salem. Sound design by Alex Atack and mixing by Mohamed Khreizat. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

In 1942, Lebanon’s National Museum opened in Beirut, celebrating the country’s golden age, and inside, it housed some of the region’s most important artifacts. So when the Lebanese war started in 1975, the museum staff came up with an elaborate scheme to save everything inside the museum. This week on Kerning Cultures, the story of how a small team of museum employees protect thousands of years’ worth of history. This episode originally aired in December 2019, and was produced by Alex Atack and edited by Dana Ballout, with additional support from Tamara Rasamny and Hebah Fisher. Fact-checking by Zeina Dowidar and sound design by Mohamad Khreizat. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

What happens when somebody dies in a country that’s not their home? In the UAE, the answer to that is complicated. This week on Kerning Cultures, stories about the families who've had to go through the experience, and the group of volunteers who help repatriate the bodies of foreigners after they’ve died in the UAE. This episode originally aired in September 2019. Special thanks to Zaki, Max, Ashraf Thamaraserry, Vidhyadharan, Amal Mathew, Ambika and Renji. The people at the Indian Association; CM Bashir, Sajad Saheer, Mohamed Mohideen and Baiju G. Sunil at the Hindu Crematorium and Mr. Johnson at Holy Trinity Church. This episode was produced by Noha Fayed and Alex Atack, with editorial support from Dana Ballout, Hebah Fisher, Shahd Bani Odeh and Tamara Rasamny. Translation by Ashfana Hameed. Sound design by Mohamed Khreizat. Fact checking by Zeina Dowidar. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

While we’re gearing up for our next season, we wanted to share a behind the scenes look at what goes into making our episodes. Hear Trancing with the Zars here, and Zabelle here. This behind the scenes episode was produced by Alex Atack with Zeina Dowidar and Nadeen Shaker. Editing by Dana Ballout, and mixing by Mohamad Khreizat. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

For his entire life, Maysam has lived in Dubai. His parents are from Syria, a place he hasn’t visited since he was a young child. If you ask him, the UAE is his home. But on paper it isn’t, and likely never will be. So what do you do when your home can’t be your home forever? This episode was originally broadcast in March 2018, and last week we called Maysam up to hear what’s changed for him since the story aired. This episode was produced by Hebah Fisher and Alex Atack, with editorial support by Dana Ballout, Percia Verlin, Laura Saab, Razan Alzayani, and Jackie Sofia. Sound design by Alex Atack and Fady Garas. Mixing by Mohamad Khreizat. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

We're back! We'll be here with a new episode of Kerning Cultures every Friday this summer. Here's a quick taste of what's to come. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

All of our lives have changed. In this unprecedented time, we wanted to make something to reflect this moment. So today, our Kerning Cultures quarantine special: stories of staying at home, lockdowns from history, creative ways of escaping boredom... and for everybody’s sanity, a few things that have nothing to do with the coronavirus. You can hear Majd's radio show, Radio Al Hay, at yamakan.place/beirut. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.  

While we’re working on our summer season, we’re going to be dropping some bonus episodes into your feed over the next few months. Starting with this one: a special conversation featuring producer Alex Atack, who you’ve heard telling you all these stories, but you probably don’t know much about him. So this his backstory, and a sneak peek into what's coming up in Kerning Cultures' summer season. It comes to us from our friends at the Da Miri Podcast, which is a show hosted by Tariq Elmeri where he has these deep, honest conversations with what he calls “unique individuals."

This year, we’ll be switching to a seasonal release schedule, rather than one episode every two weeks. Hebah explains why. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

Today, an update on a story from the Kerning Cultures vault. The little-known, intertwining of history between Yemen and Vietnam, told through the lens of a single family. Then, a story of modern Arab migration. This story originally aired in December 2018. Thank you to Faraj and his family for being so open and warm with us despite us poking around in their family history. To Adam Sjoberg who directed the film Shake The Dust that features Faraj and other amazing breakdancers from around the world. And to all the Yemeni scholars and researchers who helped us unpack some of the complex history, especially Najwa Adra, Hasan Al Ansi, and Jon Swanson.  Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

In 1942, Lebanon’s National Museum opened in Beirut, celebrating the country’s golden age and inside, it housed some of the region’s most important artifacts. So when the Lebanese war started in 1975, the museum staff came up with a risky and elaborate scheme to save everything inside the museum. This week on Kerning Cultures, the story of how a small team of museum employees protected thousands of years’ worth of history. Thank you to Suzy Hakimian, Anne-Marie Afeiche and Dr. Reinhard G. Lehmann for speaking to us for this episode. This episode was produced by Alex Atack, with editorial support from Dana Ballout, Tamara Rasamny, and Hebah Fisher, with fact-checking by Zeina Dowidar. Sound design by Mohamed Khreizat. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

Today, an update on a story from the Kerning Cultures vault. Elie was a journalist looking for her next story when she met Ziad at a party in Istanbul. Ziad was a Syrian refugee hoping to travel to Europe and apply for asylum. Elie asked Ziad if she could follow him to Norway, his final destination, and document the journey. He said yes. So commences their odyssey together... and the beginning of a journey neither could have anticipated. This story originally aired in May 2017. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

Asmaa al-Ghoul was an ambitious young journalist when she started reporting on Gaza – her hometown – for the newspaper she’d dreamed of working for in high school. But through the trauma of uprisings, wars, and a failed marriage, she began to question how much journalism really matters. This week on Kerning Cultures, a special collaboration with Zahra Hankir as she reads Asmaa’s essay from her book Our Women on the Ground.  You can buy Our Women on the Ground on Amazon here. This episode was produced by Alex Atack, with editorial support by Dana Ballout, Tamara Rasamny and Hebah Fisher. Sound design by Mohamad Khreizat, and fact-checking by Zeina Dowidar. Thank you to Zahra Hankir for reading this essay, to Asmaa al-Ghoul, who wrote it, and to Mariam Antar, who translated it from Arabic. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

On October 17, people in Lebanon hit the streets to call for a new government. The revolution’s slogan, “all of them means all of them”, spares no political party that has been a part of the sectarian-based government. This week on Kerning Cultures: how the revolution is changing people's relationship with their country. This episode was produced by Tamara Rasamny and Alex Atack, with editorial support by Dana Ballout, Hannah Myrick and Hebah Fisher. Sound design by Mohamad Khreizat, and fact-checking by Zeina Dowidar. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

His whole life, Walid Waked had been told that his great grandfather invented the Arabic typewriter. And then, one day, he learned that another family - the Haddads - believed they invented it. This week on Kerning Cultures: the contested history of the Arabic typewriter. Thank you to everybody we spoke to for this story: Ahmed Ellaithy - for everything, and taking us down the rabbit hole with you - Walid Waked, Anis Waked,  Alexandre Cordahi, Nagla Badran, Pascal Zoghbi and Titus Nemeth. This episode was produced by Ahmed Ellaithy, Hebah Fisher, Nadeen Shaker, and Alex Atack, with editorial support from Dana Ballout, Tamara Rasamny, and Zeina Dowidar. Sound design by Mohamed Khreizat. Fact-checking by Zeina Dowidar. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

What happens when somebody dies in a country that’s not their home? This week on Kerning Cultures, stories about the group of volunteers who help repatriate the bodies of foreigners after they’ve died in the UAE. Special thanks to Zaki, Max, Ashraf Thamaraserry, Vidhyadharan, Amal Mathew, Ambika and Renji. The people at the Indian Association; CM Bashir, Sajad Saheer, Mohamed Mohideen and Baiju G. Sunil at the Hindu Crematorium and Mr. Johnson at Holy Trinity Church. This episode was produced by Noha Fayed and Alex Atack, with editorial support from Dana Ballout, Hebah Fisher, Shahd Bani Odeh and Tamara Rasamny. Translation by Ashfana Hameed. Sound design by Mohamed Khreizat. Fact checking by Zeina Dowidar. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

Stories from the Middle East, North Africa, and the spaces in between.  Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

How do you preserve a language when your government is actively trying to erase it? Abduweli Ayup is a Uyghur linguist who was trying to stop the Chinese government from replacing Uyghur with Mandarin. He had been studying the language’s history, teaching Uyghur to younger students and writing books in Uyghur. But recently, when the Chinese government began forcibly detaining Uyghurs in Xinjiang, his work got much riskier. Then, they came for Abduweli himself. This week on Kerning Cultures, Abduweli’s fight to preserve his mother tongue. Special thanks to Abduweli Ayup and his family for sharing their story, and to Arienne Dwyer and Timothy Grose. This episode was produced by Durrie Bouscaren and Alex Atack, with editorial support from Dana Ballout and Hebah Fisher. Sound design by Mohamed Khreizat. Fact-checking by Zeina Dowidar. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

Ramchandra Tendel arrived to Abu Dhabi from India in 1989, when he was 20. Since, he's been captain of a fishing boat. Last May, the nets he uses to fish were banned in the UAE; they were causing too much harm to fish stocks. But the ban also means Ramchandra and his crew can't fish anymore. This week on Kerning Cultures, Ramchandra and his crew’s last week in the UAE. Special thanks to Vipruta Vagadiya, Ramchandra Tendel and his crew, and Fatma Al Sayegh. This episode was produced by Noon Salih, with editorial support from Alex Atack, Dana Ballout, and Hebah Fisher. Sound design by Mohamed Khreizat. Fact checking by Zeina Dowidar. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production.  Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

 ٣ شخصيات تروي كيف تأثرت من انفصال جنوب السودان عن الشمال، وتحدثنا عن المعاناة التي خلقت تساؤلات عن معنى الوطن والانتماء. Three characters share the struggles of living in post-secession Sudan, and how the 2011 split influenced their understandings of identity, nationality, and home. Thanks to Salah Eldeen ElNour, Ahmed Mahjoub Hassan, Alaa Bint Hashim, Moez, Abdel azim, Noon Salih, Mohammad ElMeshad, Husam Abu Hilal, Mohammad Anas, Mrs Norma Maolouf, Mr Goerge, Sarah El Hasan, Ghaith Khouri, Alaa Shamaa, Lumumba Di-Aping, Zeina Dowidar, and Larissa Nour for making this episode possible. This episode was produced by Shahd Bani Odeh and Darah Ghanem, with editorial support from Dana Ballout. Music by Sammany Hajo and Musab MR. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

Lynn left behind her hometown village in the Philippines for a housekeeping job in Lebanon at the age of 23. It was only meant to be temporary… until she met Butros, her employer’s nephew, and they fell in love. But for Lynn, marrying Butros has meant choosing to settle down in a country where she’s treated as an outsider. This episode was produced by Dana Ballout, with Nathalie Rosa Bucher and Alex Atack. Editorial support from Hebah Fisher. Sound design by Mohamad Khreizat. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production.  Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

Kerning Cultures is now the first venture-funded podcast company in the Middle East. Which means we’ve got more shows coming, in both English and Arabic. Here, Hebah explains some of our future plans, plus a sneak peek of our next podcast show, al empire, which will be out this summer.Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

نور، ترى العالم بصوتها Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

Two bite-sized stories from the Kerning Cultures vault. First, is there really Halal Cart drama in New York? And, we explore an ancient farming practice, modernised in Cairo. This episode was produced by Alex Atack, with reporting for the Halal Food Cart story by Jahd Khalil and production support from Nadine Tadros and Claire Tighe. Editorial by Dana Ballout, Bella Ibrahim, and Hebah Fisher. The aquaponics story was produced by Alex Atack and Hebah Fisher, with editorial support from Bella Ibrahim, Dana Ballout, and Zeina Dowidar. Overall sound design by Alex Atack. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

We asked women to tell us about their first periods and how it set a tone for how they view their bodies today. A tribute to International Women’s Day. Produced by Shahd Bani Odeh and Darah Ghanem. With editorial support by Dana Ballout, Hebah Fisher, Bella Ibrahim, and Alex Atack. Sound design by Alex Atack. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

In the 1930s, the architect Nasri Khattar tried to completely overhaul the Arabic script – singlehandedly. For the next 47 years, he worked day and night to implement his writing system, Unified Arabic. Ultimately, he failed. This is his story. Special Thanks to Camille Khattar, Yara Khoury, Kristyan Sarkis, and Samar Mikati at the AUB archives. Produced by Jahd Khalil. With editorial support by Alex Atack, Hebah Fisher, Dana Ballout, and Bella Ibrahim. Sound design by Alex Atack and Mohamad Khreizat. Fact-checking by Zeina Dowidar. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

In 2016, Fadi Boukaram planned to visit 47 American towns named Lebanon by road. Then, in Lebanon South Dakota, he discovered that all these other Lebanons have more in common with the country than anybody realised. This week on Kerning Cultures, a story about the surprising history that connects Lebanon, with a string of small towns in the USA. Special Thanks to Fadi Boukaram, Bass Samaan from Trees of Joy, Linda, and Hazel McRoberts from the Long Branch, and Robert Auld for reading Mayor Jared Carr’s proclamation. Produced by Alex Atack. With editorial support by Bella Ibrahim, Hebah Fisher, and Dana Ballout. Sound design by Alex Atack. Fact-checking by Zeina Dowidar. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on https://www.patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

لينا خطاب وعهد التميمي ٬أسيرتان  محررتان٬ ترويان لنا ظروف التحقيق والاعتقال القاسية٬ كما تحكيان لنا عن معاناة تجاوزت حدود السجن  Lina Khattab and Ahed Tamimi were arrested as teenagers. Their stories are years apart, but at the time of their imprisonment, people around the world stood either in support of their freedom, or in favor of their confinement. As teenagers, they rose to fame – at the expense of their childhood. Special Thanks to Ahed Tamimi and her family, Lina Khattab, Tala Halawa, Hassan Abdelhalim, Ramz Bsharat, Mahmoud Khawaja, Lema Nazeeh, and Tiba Hameed. Produced by Shahd Bani Odeh and Dana Ballout, with editorial support by Hebah Fisher. Sound design by Mohamad Khreizat. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production.  Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

In the heart of Lebanon’s capital city, Beirut, Hamra Street once stood as one of the preeminent cultural, economic, and intellectual center of Arab world. Hamra Street housed journalists, politicians, and leaders who were exiled from other nations, and was the site of inception for opposition movements. But after the Lebanese Civil War, the district never quite recovered. Yazan Halwani works to preserve the fading history of Hamra Street in his wall-sized street murals. His signature style combines Arabic calligraphy with portraits of Lebanese and other Arab figures – from world-famous recording artists to resident street urchins. While reflecting the storied histories of Beirut's streets onto themselves, Halwani hopes that he can bring back the spirit that once inhabited neighborhoods like Hamra Street. This episode was originally aired in 2015. Produced by Dana Ballout and Hebah Fisher, sound design by Ramzi Bashour. Special thanks to Yazan Halwani, Maria Abunasr, music by Khaled el Habr شارع الحمرا and Sabah جيب المجوز يا عبود. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

Often the hijab is perceived as this static, monolithic thing. But of course, it's not that simple – every Muslim woman who chooses to wear, or not to wear the hijab has a different understanding and experience of it, and in these stories we're going to dig into some of that grey area. In this episode, we hear two women from different parts of the world share their relationships with their hijab.  This story was originally broadcast in 2017. Special thanks to Dana Ballout and Hakaya Storytelling for the inspiration for this episode.  This episode was produced by Razan Alzayani, Lilly Crown, and Hebah Fisher. Sound design and original composition by Mohamed Khreizat. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

In part one, we told the story of Faraj Al Baadani’s family, which unveiled a little-known history between Yemen and Vietnam. Nearly 40 years later, Faraj continues his family’s migration, this time farther West as he moves from Yemen to the USA. In Part Two, a story of modern Arab migration that is different from our parents.  Thank you to Faraj and his family for being so open and warm with us despite us poking around in their family history. To Adam Sjoberg who directed the film Shake The Dust that features Faraj and other amazing breakdancers from around the world. And to all the Yemeni scholars and researchers who helped us unpack some of the complex history, especially Najwa Adra, Hasan Al Ansi, and Jon Swanson. This epiosde was produced by Dana Ballout and Alex Atack with editorial support from Hebah Fisher. With thanks to Faraj Al Baadani, Fatimah Ahmad Mohammed, Linh Smith, Frank Smith, Najwa Adra, Jon Swanson, Hasan al Ansi, and Adam Sjoberg. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

The little-known, intertwining of history between Yemen and Vietnam, told through the lens of a single family. Part one of a story told in two parts. Thank you to Faraj and his family for being so open and warm with us despite us poking around in their family history. To Adam Sjoberg who directed the film Shake The Dust that features Faraj and other amazing breakdancers from around the world. And to all the Yemeni scholars and researchers who helped us unpack some of the complex history, especially Najwa Adra, Hasan Al Ansi, and Jon Swanson. Part I was produced by Dana Ballout and Alex Atack, with editorial support from Hebah Fisher. Sound design by Alex Atack. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

Short stories about passports, visas, and making “home”. And, the KC team challenge themselves to find a place in the world where visas don’t matter. Thank you to Mohamed Somji, Liz Eschauzier, Anna Zacarias and Dylan Fitzgerald for sharing their short stories of living in the UAE. This episode was produced by Alex Atack with Dana Ballout and Hebah Fisher. Sound design by Alex Atack. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

When demolition began on the Plaza Cinema in 2015, something unusual happened; Dubai residents began visiting the site to collect mementos from the building’s rubble. The cinema was almost as old as the UAE itself – a place which many people held an emotional connection to. In this episode, a story about a cinema that was much more than just a cinema. Find out more about the Plaza Cinema here. Thank you to everybody who spoke to us for this story; Lachman Bhatia, Ausaf Ali Raja, Yasser Elsheshtawy, Butheina Kazim, Hind Mezaina, Ammar Al Attar and Hassan Kamal. Produced by Alex Atack and Vinita Bharadwaj, with editorial support from Dana Ballout and Hebah Fisher. Sound design by Alex Atack. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

In 1979, Iftah Ya Simsim - the Arabic version of Sesame Street - aired for the first time. Over the next ten years, the show was loved by children across the Arab world, until 1990, when the show was pulled off the air as a result of the Gulf War. But Ammar Al Sabban, a young boy growing up watching the show in Jeddah, never forgot the impact his favourite characters had on him. In this episode, a little boy’s dream to become his favourite Muppet, and the making of a show that revolutionised children’s television. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

“I still believe this is the scariest moment of my entire life. My face is white, I’m shaking and I'm terrified. I'm frozen––I can't do anything.” In July 2016, Toufic Abou Nader set off on a journey to the bottom of the Krubera cave––the deepest cave in the world. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

Ronnie Chatah started giving his walking tours of Beirut in 2008, during a period of stability for the city. He would guide tourists through the city, telling stories of Phoenician ruins, French architecture and Ottoman houses. He’d also talk about Lebanon’s civil war, and the political unrest that came to follow it. But these were stories about other people, other eras and other lives. Until December of 2013, when Ronnie’s personal life was sucked into the tapestry of Beirut’s history. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

It’s been two years since our story about Rami and Marinka, the Dutch-Lebanese couple who fell in love over MSN Messenger during the Lebanon-Israel war. Not once, but twice, chance brought them together online, sparking an epic modern love story. Since we last spoke, a lot has changed for them. In this episode, we check back in to see where their lives are now. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

Ghada and Ranyah don’t know each other, but their stories have a lot in common. When they each married their husbands, everybody around them assumed they’d live happily ever after. But it didn’t turn out that way, for either of them. They were both left to rebuild new identities as single women in the Middle East as they raised their families alone. In this episode, we hear their stories of divorce, and what came next. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

This year, the Egyptian national football team ended a 28-year streak of bad luck when they qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. But their road to the tournament wasn’t an easy one. It’s a story of heroism, revolution and disappointment. This week on Kerning Cultures, how the Pharaohs ended their curse. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

Every 10 years, the United States Census counts and categorises every person living in America. But for Middle Easterners in America, there has never been a category option. And now, for the first time, there might be. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.

Elie was a journalist looking for her next story when she met Ziad at a party in Istanbul. Ziad was a Syrian refugee hoping to travel to Europe and apply for asylum. Elie asked Ziad if she could follow him to Norway, his final destination, and document the journey. He said yes. So commences their odyssey together... and the beginning of a journey neither could have anticipated. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.  

From Iraq to Texas: a doctor’s chronicle of rebuilding life from the ground up as a refugee. (Original, Arabic).  Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

From Iraq to Texas: a doctor’s chronicle of rebuilding life from the ground up as a refugee. (English, dubbed version)  Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.    

(Censored) A story of where we're from - when it's not straightforward. For his entire life, Maysam has lived in Dubai. His parents are from Syria, a place he hasn’t visited since he was a young child. If you ask him, the UAE is his home. But on paper it isn’t, and likely never will be. So what happens when the only place you know as home in your heart can’t be your home forever? Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

A mashup from our listening community exploring the literal meanings and experiences of your Arabic, Farsi, and Hebrew names.  Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

"Without the female building block, there will be no security." Ch 2 in our mini-series on women and deradicalisation efforts, in partnership with Women’s Advancement Deeply. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

"How would you like to remember your son?" Ch 1 in a mini-series on women and deradicalisation.  Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

Ask a Palestinian, ask an Israeli.  Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

'Yasir?' That's too difficult. I'll just call you Tony.  Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

6 years after a revolution, what is it like starting a business in the new Tunisia?  Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

4,000 miles, a bike trip, an Armenian, a Turk, and a history that doesn't match up. ​​​​​​​ Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

4 women, and their hijabs. Chapter 2 of a 2-part series.  Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

4 women. And their hijabs. Chapter 1 in a 2-part series, Not Just My Hijab.  Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

Behind the scenes of our startup Kerning Cultures.  Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

One man's mission to revive Yemeni coffee for global markets.  Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

A look at (the first) Trump travel ban and its effects.  Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

When you're forced to leave your home, what traditions do you take with you? A journey with an Afghani kite fighting master.  Credit to The Kite Runner film, a 2007 production by Dreamworks Pictures and Paramount Classics, for some of the audio we used.  Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

The year is 1959, and 1 in every 2 babies are dying in childbirth in the United Arab Emirates. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

A US election special: meet the Americans of Middle Eastern descent supporting Trump.  Produced by Hebah Fisher, Razan Alzayani, Fact-checking by Lilly Crown, with sound design by Mohamed Khreizat. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

It's 2011, and Bahrain is a divided society. Can they reconcile?   Correction: The episode erroneously claims Yacoub is a current member of the Bahrain Foundation for Reconciliation and Civil Discourse; he is only a supporter of their efforts. Produced by Hebah Fisher, Razan Alzayani, and Lilly Crown, with sound design by Ramzi Bashour. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

How do you lose a family member in Europe's elusive borders? And as a refugee how do you navigate the world of smugglers when crossing the English Channel? At a time when nations are sealing off their borders, we explore the nuances of migration, border ambiguity and smuggling in this episode of Kerning Cultures. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

An epic modern love story. He was in Beirut during the Lebanon-Israel war; she was in a small village outside of Rotterdam. They met on MSN Messenger. Produced by Alex Atack, Razan Alzayani, and Hebah Fisher, with sound design by Ramzi Bashour. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

"No one believed I was moving back to Cairo; it's a jungle there."Chapter 2 finalises our exploration into Egyptian brain drain. Featuring guests Sylvia, Alaa Shaker, and Tarek Hosny. Produced by Razan Alzayani and Hebah Fisher, with editorial support and sound design by Ramzi Bashour. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

What do we owe the places that raised us? Egypt has the highest rate of voluntary emigration in MENA, and we wanted to know why. Chapter 1 in a two-part series on emigration from Egypt. Featuring guests Ahmed Yossef, Abdelrahman Erlebach, and Iman Dawood. Produced by Hebah Fisher, Razan Alzayani, and Lilly Crown, with editorial support and sound design by Ramzi Bashour. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

The creative process, deconstructed. This episode we take you behind the scenes to capture raw human talent: the intimate brainstorming, trials, and experimentation of 3 musicians and a poet preparing for a spoken word performance. What's more, is this is the first time the group has ever come together to play. Listen as they find their groove and harmonise in a beautiful ascension you never typically are privy to. Featuring Maruan Betawi, Farah Chamma, Ahmad Molham Makki, and Eleftheria Togia. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

Finding center: physical, spiritual, mentally.Story I: [0:00-6:57] Finding Yourself in the Reflection of a HorseStory II: [6:58-13:36] Finding Peace in a Hula HoopStory III: [13:37-26:37] Reconciling Islam and AstronomyFeaturing Kelly Eide, Teeba Alkhudairi, and Nidhal Guessum Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

Painting Beirut's diaries on its walls.  Featuring Yazan Halwani and Maria Abunnasr. Produced by Dana Ballout with editorial support by Hebah Fisher. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

Is Dubai the next Silicon Valley of the Middle East? Startup stories from the United Arab Emirates. Featuring Alborz Toofani of Snappcard, Elissa Freiha of WOMENA, and Baher Alhakim of Cloudappers. Produced by Hebah Fisher. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

Egyptian startups: a different kind of revolution. This episode features Mahmoud Abdelfattah, founder of bkam.com, Con O'Donnell, co-founder and BizDev Lead at Rise Up Summit, Gamal Sadek, co-founder of Bey2ollak, and Dina Sherif, co-founder of Ahead of the Curve. Produced by Hebah Fisher. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

Our first episode of Kerning Cultures! Water and electricity cut daily, and yet $400M for startups. Sstarting a company in Lebanon, through the lens of a startup that graduated from Lebanon's first accelerator and was the first to receive funding from the Central Bank Circular 331 funds.Featuring: Walid Singer, founder of Presella.com, Samer Karam, founder of Seeqnce and Startup Megaphone, and Marianne Hoayek, Executive Director of the Executive Office the Central Bank of Lebanon. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.