Welcome to a new deep dive, our podcast service, powered by the Google's Gemini AI technology, from The Levant Files!

Today, we're dissecting one of the most influential, enduring, and controversial socio-political movements in the modern Middle East: The Muslim Brotherhood. For nearly a century, its evolution has shaped events, challenged states, and sparked intense debate both within and outside its ranks.

Listen to "Unpacking the Muslim Brotherhood – A Century of Evolution and Ordeal" now on Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts!

We'll explore:

The foundational ideas of Hassan al-Banna.

The intricate internal structures and norms that build identity and ensure cohesion – concepts like Tarbiyya, the Usra system, Thiqah (trust), and Ta'a (obedience).

The movement's dialectical relationship with state power, oscillating between opposition, cautious participation, and outright persecution.

The critical ideological debates that have shaped its trajectory, particularly the tension between gradualism and more radical interpretations, exemplified by figures like Sayyid Qutb and Hassan al-Hudaybi.

Key historical moments, including its interactions with Nasser, its electoral successes in the 1980s, the dramatic rise after the 2011 Arab Spring, Morsi's brief presidency, and the devastating aftermath of the 2013 coup in Egypt.

The distinct yet interconnected story of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood and its own struggles.

How the Brotherhood has navigated immense external pressures while grappling with internal demands for reform and accountability.

This isn't just a historical overview; it's an exploration of how an organization builds and maintains identity, adapts (or fails to adapt) to shifting political landscapes, and the profound impact of its core tenets on its survival and evolution.

Sources Used for This Episode:

Pargeter, A. The Muslim Brotherhood: From Opposition to Power. Saqi Books, 2013.

Wickham, C.R. The Muslim Brotherhood: Evolution of an Islamist Movement - Updated Edition. Princeton University Press, 2015.

Willi, V.J. The Fourth Ordeal: A History of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, 1968–2018. Cambridge University Press, 2021.

Zollner, B. The Muslim Brotherhood: Hasan Al-Hudaybi and Ideology. Taylor & Francis, 2009.

Díaz, N.R. The Muslim Brotherhood in Syria: The Democratic Option of Islamism. Taylor & Francis, 2017.

Mellor, N. Voice of the Muslim Brotherhood: Da'wa, Discourse, and Political Communication. Taylor & Francis, 2017.

Photo: The banner of the Muslim Brotherhood, Wikimedia Commons

You might have seen the recent, quite surprising news: the PKK's 12th Congress and its decision to consider... dissolving. This headline makes you stop and think: How does an organization with such a long and impactful history reach this point?

In our latest episode of Deep Dive of The Levant Files, titled "PKK at a Crossroads: From Armed Struggle to Potential Dissolution," created with the help of the revolutionary Gemini AI's technology, we're diving deep into this momentous development. We're not just looking at today's headlines but unpacking the PKK's entire journey.

Join us as we:

• Trace the PKK's origins in the late 1970s, its initial Marxist-Socialist ideology, and its goal of national liberation for Kurds within Turkey.
• Explore its shift to armed struggle in the 1980s, the intense conflict that ensued, and the Turkish state's multifaceted response, including the controversial village guard system.
• Witness the ideological evolutions, particularly after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the pivotal capture of Abdullah Öcalan in 1999. Discover how this led to the formulation of "Democratic Confederalism" and the establishment of the broader KCK umbrella organization.
• Understand the PKK's role within this transnational network, including its affiliates in Syria (PYD/YPG) and Iran (PJAK), and how this complex history leads us to the current, stunning consideration of dissolution.

We'll examine the key developments, ideological underpinnings, strategic shifts, and the profound questions this potential dissolution raises for the Kurdish movement and the wider region. What does self-determination mean in the 21st century, and what might this signal for the future path of Kurdish political aspirations?

Please tune in to The Levant Files for a comprehensive look at one of the Middle East's most enduring and controversial organizations, now potentially facing its most significant transformation.

🎙️ Listen now on Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts!

Academic and other sources used for the creation of the podcast:

White, Paul J. The Pkk : Coming down from the Mountains. Rebels. London: Zed Books Ltd, 2015. Table of contents http://digitale-objekte.hbz-nrw.de/storage2/2015/10/19/file_12/6472917.pdf.

Özcan, Ali Kemal. Turkey's Kurds : A Theoretical Analysis of the Pkk and Abdullah ÖCalan. Routledge Advances in Middle East and Islamic Studies. London ; New York: RoutledgeCurzon, 2006. Table of contents only http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip054/2004028869.html

Publisher description http://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0653/2004028869-d.html.

Marcus, Aliza. Blood and Belief : The Pkk and the Kurdish Fight for Independence. New York: New York University Press, 2007. Table of contents only http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0712/2007007891.html

Publisher description http://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0730/2007007891-d.html

Contributor biographical information http://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0733/2007007891-b.html.

Černy, Hannes. Iraqi Kurdistan, the Pkk and International Relations : Theory and Ethnic Conflict. Exeter Studies in Ethno Politics. London ; New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 2018.

Saeed, Seevan. Kurdish Politics in Turkey : From the Pkk to the Kck. Routledge Studies in Middle Eastern Politics. London ; New York: Routledge, 2017.

Balci, Ali. The Pkk-Kurdistan Workers' Party's Regional Politics : During and after the Cold War. 1st ed. Cham: Springer International Publishing : Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan,, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42219-0.

The Levant Files Unpacks Tumultuous Kingdom of Egypt (1922-1953) in New Podcast Episode

The popular history podcast The Levant Files, Deep Dive, has released a compelling new episode, "Kingdom of Egypt (1922-1953). " This episode offers listeners an in-depth exploration of a transformative period in modern Egyptian history. The episode charts the Kingdom's formal establishment in 1922, its complex internal and external challenges, and its dramatic overthrow by the 1952/53 Revolution.

The podcast emphasizes that understanding the Kingdom requires a look back to its 19th-century roots, particularly the foundational efforts of Muhammad Ali (Wali from 1805-1848). Ali, though appointed by the Ottoman Sultan, secured hereditary rule and initiated sweeping modernizations, including creating a European-style army by conscripting peasant farmers and a controversial consolidation of power by eliminating the Mamluk elite. His expansionist ambitions, however, brought him into conflict with European powers and the Ottoman Sultan, foreshadowing future foreign entanglements.

Following Ali, Khedive Ismail (1863-1879) accelerated modernization to make Egypt "part of Europe." His reign saw the completion of the iconic Suez Canal and significant educational investments, fostering a new European-style elite. The British occupation, triggered by the Urabi Revolt and rising Egyptian nationalism, became a focal point of Egyptian political life. "The Levant Files" explores how this foreign domination fueled nationalist movements, culminating in the 1919 Revolution led by Saad Zaghloul and the Wafd Party.

After the 1920s Britain retained control over crucial areas known as the "Four Reserved Points," including the Suez Canal's security, Egypt's defense, foreign interests, and Sudan. This set the stage for a persistent tripartite power struggle within the Kingdom between the monarchy (King Fuad and later King Farouk), the popular Wafd party, and the ever-present British influence.

Throughout the Kingdom years, Egypt navigated attempts to establish a stable constitutional framework, negotiate treaties like the 1936 Anglo-Egyptian Treaty, and endure the pressures of World War II,.

"The Levant Files" also charts the rise of new ideological forces challenging the existing order during this period. The Muslim Brotherhood grew into a powerful entity advocating for an Islamic state, while the Egyptian Communist movement organized workers and intellectuals. The Egyptian army's humiliating defeat in the 1948 Palestine War further eroded the legitimacy of King Farouk, whose reign became increasingly associated with corruption and ineffectiveness.

This confluence of factors—discredited monarchy, unresolved national issues, social inequality, and the army's discontent—created a fertile ground for revolution. The podcast details how the Free Officers Movement, a secret group of nationalist military figures with Gamal Abdel Nasser as a key driving force, seized power in July 1952. Muhammad Naguib initially served as the public face of the revolution.

For Further Reading (as cited by The Levant Files):

The Cambridge History of Egypt: Volume 2, Modern Egypt, from 1517 to the End of the Twentieth Century. Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο: Cambridge University Press, 2008.

McGregor, Andrew. A Military History of Modern Egypt: From the Ottoman Conquest to the Ramadan War. Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο: Bloomsbury Academic, 2006.

Shamir, Shimon. Egypt From Monarchy To Republic: A Reassessment Of Revolution And Change. Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο: Taylor & Francis, 2021.

Vatikiotis, P.J., The Modern History of Egypt. New York & Washington: Frederick A. Praeger, 1969.

Whidden, James. Monarchy and Modernity in Egypt: Politics, Islam and Neo-Colonialism Between the Wars. Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο: I.B.Tauris, 2013.