In this episode of The Al-Ma’idah Initiative Podcast, James sits down again with Emirati political commentator, author, and racer Rauda Altenaiji for a clear-eyed conversation about the dual threats facing free societies today.We discuss:
The IRGC’s use of missiles, drones, and proxies versus the quieter but deeper ideological work of Islamist movements in the West
How romanticized myths about “Andalusian tolerance” are used as political tools
What real tolerance actually looks like — lessons from the UAE’s multi-national, multi-faith society that still draws firm lines against extremism
Why Western institutions remain vulnerable to political Islam, and what genuine education and principle-based resistance require