What happens when someone who once absorbed Islamophobic narratives is forced to confront history honestly?

In this episode of the Youth Show, Pablo opens up about his journey from accepting media-driven stereotypes about Islam to critically questioning them. Through a raw and thoughtful conversation, we unpack why Islamic history is often dismissed as “boring,” how it’s been taught without context or excitement, and why reclaiming history is not about nostalgia, but about extracting lessons that shape how we live today.

From popular historical dramas like Ertugrul and Osman to the responsibility of Muslim historians to remain truthful, this episode challenges myths head-on. We explore overlooked realities such as Muslims, Christians, and Jews living side by side under Islamic rule, Jewish communities welcoming the Ottomans as liberators, and non-Muslims choosing Sharia courts due to fairness and justice.

The conversation spans the Ottoman world, Aurangzeb Alamgir, Sicily as a centre of learning, and the forgotten fact that European students once travelled to Muslim lands to study in madrasas. It also confronts how nationalism and modern propaganda reshaped historical memory.

This is not about “we were once great.” It’s about understanding what actually happened, why it mattered beyond the Ummah, and how truth challenges the narratives we’ve been taught.

Make sure to subscribe to Pablo’s YouTube channel, PabloTalks, for more thoughtful conversations on history, faith, and really cool historical videos: https://www.youtube.com/@PabloTalks_/featured

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