Minority Views Podcast

Minority Views Podcast

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Irreverent and honest conversations about culture, ideas, politics, books, and everything else. Hosted by Omer Aziz, Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard University and author of "Brown Boy: A Memoir."

Omer Aziz


    • Jun 25, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 52m AVG DURATION
    • 16 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Minority Views Podcast

    Episode 16: Pakistan on the Precipice

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2024 17:52


    In the summer of 2023, Omer sat down with Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, who was then on house arrest, having been ousted from power by the military. Khan was the most popular leader Pakistan had ever produced. In August 2023, he was thrown into jail—where he has since remained. This is their full conversation, covering Khan's ouster from power, his message to President Biden, and what could happen next in Pakistan. Twitter: @omeraziz12 and @MinorityViews_Instagram: @o.maz12 and @minorityviewspodcast

    Episode 15: U.S. Weapons and the Crisis in Gaza

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2024 49:09


    Omer sits down with Josh Paul, former Director in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs at the U.S. State Department, who was responsible for U.S. weapons transfers to other countries. Paul resigned in late October 2023, after working for the U.S. government for 11 years. They discuss U.S. arms transfers, the process of sending weapons to Israel, how Joe Biden sees Palestinians, Israeli-Saudi backroom diplomacy,  prospects for a ceasefire, the day after the war ends, and other topics. Books mentioned in this episode:The Atlas of the Conflict: Israel-Palestine, by Malkit Shoshan Image and Reality of the Israel Palestine Conflict, by Norman Finkelstein Victory for Us is to See You Suffer, by Philip C. WinslowMore about Omer's Book, Brown Boy: A Memoir, here. Subscribe to Omer's newsletter, Notes From The Margins, here.Twitter: @omeraziz12 and @MinorityViews_Instagram: @o.maz12 and @minorityviewspodcast

    Episode 14: The Question of Palestine

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2024 62:49


    Omer talks with Rashid Khalidi, the Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University, about the war in Gaza, the history of Palestine and Israel, Zionism, the notion of Western guilt, Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump, the disconnect between political elites and the public, and what ordinary people can do to make their voices heard. Books mentioned in this episode:The Hundred Years' War on Palestine, by Rashid KhalidiPoems, by Mahmoud DarwishPlays and Novels, by Ghassan KanafaniJustice For Some: Law and the Question of Palestine, by Noura ErakatHamas Contained: The Rise and Pacification of Palestinian Resistance, by Tareq BaconiMore about Omer's Book, Brown Boy: A Memoir, here. Subscribe to Omer's newsletter, Notes From The Margins, here. More Conversations in Color coming your way. Twitter: @omeraziz12 and @MinorityViews_Instagram: @o.maz12 and @minorityviewspodcast

    Episode 13: Brown Boy — The Conversation

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2023 98:47


    On the eve of the launch of his debut book, Brown Boy: A Memoir, Omer sat down with award-winning journalist Lee Hawkins for a candid conversation on writing the memoir, growing up Muslim, race and American history, Canada and colonialism, the Brown and Black experiences in North America, the notion of 'privilege,' how life can change in an instant, living in Paris, the differences between Harvard and Yale, intergenerational stories, and other topics. At the end of this episode, Omer reads from his bestselling-memoir, Brown Boy.You can order Omer's book here. Books mentioned in this episode: Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison Black Boy by Richard Wright Native Son by Richard Wright The History of White People by Nell Irvin Painter The Qur'an Subscribe to Omer's newsletter, Notes From The Margins, here. More Conversations in Color coming your way. Twitter: @omeraziz12 and @MinorityViews_Instagram: @o.maz12 and @minorityviewspodcast

    Episode 12: Free Speech in Crisis with Jameel Jaffer

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2023 54:10


    Omer sits down with Jameel Jaffer, Executive Director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. They discuss free speech on campus, when free speech turns to hate speech, the First Amendment, 'cancel culture' and conservatives, social media companies, censorship, the Israel-Gaza war, and other topics. Jameel's book recommendations: State of Silence by Sam Lebovic Guantánamo Diary by Mohamedou Ould Slahi Learn more about Omer's book hereSubscribe to Omer's newsletter hereTwitter: @omeraziz12 and @MinorityViews_Instagram: @o.maz12 and @minorityviewspodcast

    Episode 11: Economics 101 with Jason Furman

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2023 43:01


    Omer sat down with Jason Furman, formerly President Obama's top economic advisor and currently a professor at Harvard. Jason served as Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers in the White House from 2013 to 2017. In this conversation, Omer and Jason talked about economic inequality, inflation, Silicon Valley Bank, working in the White House, the best advice he ever gave President Obama, and being roommates with Matt Damon. More about Omer's book.  Jason's book recommendations:The Myth of the Rational Voter by Bryan CaplanThe WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous by Joseph HeinrichThinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel KahnemanTwitter: @omeraziz12 and @MinorityViews_Instagram: @o.maz12 and @minorityviewspodcastTwitter: @omeraziz12 and @MinorityViews_Instagram: @o.maz12 and @minorityviewspodcast

    Episode 10: "Enemies of the People" — A Special Conversation with Bob Woodward

    Play Episode Play 60 sec Highlight Listen Later Mar 31, 2023 71:02


    Omer Aziz sits down with legendary Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward to talk about Donald Trump, the presidency, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, the craft of journalism, and other topics. More about Brown Boy: A Memoir. More about Omer's work at Harvard. Twitter: @omeraziz12 and @MinorityViews_Instagram: @o.maz12 and @minorityviewspodcast

    Episode 9: Innovation or Extinction with Vijay Vaitheeswaran

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2023 52:59


    Omer sits down with Vijay Vaitheeswaran of The Economist magazine. They discuss climate change, innovation, the Inflation Reduction Act, clean energy, China, the future of journalism, and other topics.  More about Omer's book, BROWN BOY: A MEMOIR. More about Vijay's book, POWER TO THE PEOPLE.  More about Vijay's work at The Economist.  More about Omer's research at Harvard. Twitter: @omeraziz12 and @MinorityViews_Instagram: @o.maz12 and @minorityviewspodcast

    Episode 8: The Business of Love with Shahzad Younas

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2023 42:24


    Omer speaks with with Shahzad Younas, Founder and CEO of MUZZ, the world's largest Muslim dating app.  They talk about leadership, management, starting a company, the story of MUZZ, Islam and love, investment banking, and  more. More about Omer's book.  More about Omer's research at Harvard. Twitter: @omeraziz12 and @MinorityViews_Instagram: @o.maz12 and @minorityviewspodcast

    Episode 7: The Art of Local Government with Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2023 31:13


    Omer Aziz talks to Sumbul Siddiqui, Mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts, about city government, her political journey, the tension between progressive cities and high rents, mental health initiatives, and how local government can support working-class families.  More about BROWN BOY: A Memoir can be found here. More about Omer's research at Harvard can be found here. Twitter: @omeraziz12Instagram: @o.maz12 Twitter: @omeraziz12 and @MinorityViews_Instagram: @o.maz12 and @minorityviewspodcast

    Episode 6: On Propaganda and War with Noam Chomsky

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2023 56:43


    Omer talks with Noam Chomsky about free speech, American history, fascism, Donald Trump, China, Israel, George Orwell, and other topics. Minority Views is the podcast from Omer Aziz, Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard University and author of "Brown Boy: A Memoir."More about Omer's book. Twitter: @omeraziz12 and @MinorityViews_Instagram: @o.maz12 and @minorityviewspodcast

    Episode 5: The Fate Of Women in Afghanistan with Dr. Homeira Qaderi

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2023 64:37


    Omer Aziz sits down with Dr. Homeira Qaderi, author, activist, Harvard Radcliffe Fellow, and refugee from Afghanistan who was on the last U.S. military plane out of Kabul in August of 2021. They discuss her personal story, the re-emergence of the Taliban, and the fate of Afghan women after twenty years of war. Twitter: @omeraziz12 and @MinorityViews_Instagram: @o.maz12 and @minorityviewspodcast

    Episode 4: Antisemitism, the Constitution, and the Power of Education with Noah Feldman

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2022 38:01


    Omer Aziz sits down with Noah Feldman, a constitutional law professor at Harvard Law School, columnist for Bloomberg, author of 10 books, and the host of the Deep Background Podcast.  They spoke about rising antisemitism, social media, Ye and Trump, threats to the Constitution, the study of different languages, and other topics. Feldman can be found on Twitter @NoahRFeldman. More information about Professor Feldman can be found on his website noah-feldman.com. Twitter: @omeraziz12 and @MinorityViews_Instagram: @o.maz12 and @minorityviewspodcast

    Episode 3: The World Cup and the New Global Order with Murtaza Hussain

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2022 40:02


    Omer Aziz talks with Murtaza Hussain, national security reporter for The Intercept, about the World Cup, human rights, the Middle East, China, and the new era of global competition. The New York Times piece referenced in the episode can be found here: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/06/opinion/qatars-showcase-of-shame.html Twitter: @omeraziz12 and @MinorityViews_Instagram: @o.maz12 and @minorityviewspodcast

    Episode 2: America, Elitism, and How to Get Into Harvard

    Play Episode Play 57 sec Highlight Listen Later Nov 23, 2022 58:42


    Omer Aziz talks to first-year Harvard student Thomas Tait (Class of 2026), also a producer of the Minority Views Podcast, about meritocracy, class, college admissions, cancel culture, and how to get into Harvard. Twitter: @omeraziz12 and @MinorityViews_Instagram: @o.maz12 and @minorityviewspodcast

    Episode 1: The Future of Democracy with Anand Giridharadas

    Play Episode Play 15 sec Highlight Listen Later Oct 28, 2022 59:23


    Omer sits down with Anand Giridharadas, acclaimed journalist and author of The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy, to discuss the Democratic Party, narrative-building, patriotism, AOC, and the future of democracy. Check us out on Instagram: @MinorityViewsPodcast and Twitter: @MinorityViews_Twitter: @omeraziz12 and @MinorityViews_Instagram: @o.maz12 and @minorityviewspodcast

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