#42: Islamic Empires: The Cities That Shaped Civilization: From Mecca To Dubai: Interview with Justin Marozzi

On Episode #42 of the Book Talk Today podcast we are joined by Justin Marozzi Tom is the Founding Partner at Global Optimism, and co-author The Future We Choose. He is a political strategist focussed on a better future. Justin is a travel writer, historian, journalist and communications expert. Justin is a regular contributor to a wide range of national and international publications where he writes on international affairs, the Muslim world, defence and security issues. We discussed: 📚 The growth of Islamic Empires across over time. 📚 Recent events in Kabul and how it relates to history. 📚 Hypocrisy within Islamic History. Justin’s book is 'Islamic Empires: That Cities That Shaped Civilisation From Mecca to Dubai.' Timestamps [0:00] - Intro [1:40] - Justin experiences visiting these countries [4:35] - The aftermath of the Arab Spring [6:26] - Recent events in Kabul [15:28] - The impact of different sects in Islam [20:47] - 14th Century Samarkand [22:49] - What role did the 'Silk Road' play? [24:22] - Islamic cities being way ahead of their Western Counterparts [27:23] - How was Cordoba able to transform into a Muslim city? [33:22] - Women's rights in the new Afghanistan [35:39] - Markets being a centre of Islamic Culture [37:39] - Hypocrisy in Islamic history [42:10] - Sectarian Clashes in Beirut [44:46] - The dividing nature of Dubai [50:37] - The meeting of new and old in the Arab world [52:12] - What might a 22nd Century Islamic City look like? [1:01:14] - Modern infrastructure development in Mecca [1:05:01] - The ruling family and clerics in Saudi Arabia [1:06:48] - Individuals using religion for personal gain [1:08:13] - Outro