Uploaded March 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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Casey and Elisha are joined by Karim Zidan, one of the world's foremost experts on how authoritarian regimes use the world of sports for their own ends. Karim discusses the history of the intersection of sports and politics, why the term "sportswashing" may already be outdated, and how depressing it is to be a Seattle Mariners fan.

Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Dissidents and Dictators Podcast
00:03:57 - The Power of Football as a Political Tool
00:11:37 - The Historical Link Between Sports and Politics
00:15:37 - The Evolution of Sports and Politics
00:19:25 - Saudi Arabia's Nation Branding through Sports
00:23:21 - Boxing and Nation Branding in Saudi Arabia
00:27:06 - Sportswashing and the Case of Bahrain
00:30:50 - The Scary Saudi Government
00:34:50 - Promoting and Protecting Human Rights Globally

Learn more about our blog series on sportswashing: hrf.org/category/history-of-sports-and-dictators

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