Imran Ahmed, CEO and founder of the Center for Countering Digital Hate talks to Rabbi Dovid Lewis and Imam Nasser Kurdy about why social media algorithms are helping to drive us further apart by feeding our urge to click and share only the most biased and distressing news.

Imran is the go-to expert for governments and policy makers around the world who want to understand the way social media firms capture our attention by keeping us in a constant state of anxiety and anger, and often spread misinformation and disinformation.

He recently gave expert evidence before a parliamentary inquiry into the social media's role in the 2024 UK summer riots.

He's guested on the BBC and NBC, and is regularly quoted in the New York Times, the Sunday Times, the Guardian, the Independent, just to name a few.

Although Imran is currently living in the United States he is a native of Manchester and this podcast draws on his deep connection to the city, with the many personal relationships he developed in his formative years with members of the Jewish and Muslim communities there.

The wide-ranging conversation addresses the complexities of establishing truth during events like the Gaza war, and the challenges Jews and Muslims face when trying to connect in digital spaces. But it's not all doom and gloom as he suggests ways in which the two faiths can still build real understanding across community lines.

This is a Mark Schweiger and Larchmont Productions co-production, supported by the Cardinal Partnership Foundation.

If you have any comments or suggestions about the podcast please email: mark@schweigers.uk or philip@larchmontfilms.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dovid and Nasser discuss the difficulties of showing empathy between Muslims and Jews, especially during times of conflict. They share their own experiences and explain how personal pain can make it hard to recognise the suffering of others. Drawing on lessons from their faiths, they highlight the value of compassion and respect for others, and offer advice on how listeners can develop empathy towards people from different backgrounds.

This is a Mark Schweiger and Larchmont Productions co-production, supported by the Cardinal Partnership Foundation.

If you have any comments or suggestions about the podcast please email: mark@schweigers.uk or philip@larchmontfilms.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zionism is a deeply complex and contested word, which acts as idea, a movement and a label.

For many Jews Zionism represents the fulfilment of a centuries-old longing for self-determination, safety, and a homeland in Israel.

It has served as a unifying force, giving a sense of purpose, identity, and collective belonging. For these people, Zionism is a source of pride and connection—spiritually, culturally, and historically.

At the same time, Zionism is a source of profound division—between Jews and non-Jews, Israelis and Palestinians, and even within Jewish and broader communities.

Its association with nationalism, the founding of the State of Israel, and the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict makes it a flashpoint for political, religious, and ethical debates.

For Palestinians and many others, Zionism is linked to displacement, loss, and ongoing struggle, while for some Jews it has come to mean different things depending on their relationship to Israel and diaspora life.

In this episode The Rabbi and The Imam discuss the origin of the word Zionism, how its meaning has evolved through the centuries - from its ancient religious roots to modern political manifestations - and what it means to both of them today.

On this journey Nasser explains why his upbringing initially made him an anti-Zionist, Dovid tries to distinguish between religious and political zionists, and both discuss how the idea of Zionism has been weaponised by all sides in this conflict.

Links to topics mentioned in the show

Roots

This is a Mark Schweiger and Larchmont Productions co-production, supported by the Cardinal Partnership Foundation.

If you have any comments or suggestions about the podcast please email: mark@schweigers.uk or philip@larchmontfilms.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.