Human Rights Watch said Rohingya Muslims are still awaiting justice and protection of their rights five years after the Myanmar military began a sweeping campaign of massacres, rape, and arson in 2017. The anniversary comes after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled that The Gambia's legal case to hold Myanmar accountable over allegations of genocide against the Rohingya can go ahead at The Hague in the Netherlands. Rohingya activists say this is the first step in the fight for jus...
Aug 25, 2022•24 min
What comes to mind when you think of Libya? Maybe the late Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, the 2011 revolution, or perhaps the western military intervention that toppled the longtime leader. But how about a failed state? It is split between two governments, plenty of armed militias, and thousands of foreign fighters. On top of that, the UN is warning that mercenaries and foreign fighters pose a threat to the country. In this episode: Sasha Toperich ( @SashaToperich ), Executive Vice President of Transa...
Aug 18, 2022•25 min
At least 45 people, including 16 children, were killed after Israel launched air strikes on the Gaza Strip in the occupied territories. The health ministry in Gaza said 360 people were injured in the attacks. Now a truce is in effect after regional mediation efforts led by Egypt paid off. Israel and the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine agreed to cease attacks and ease humanitarian conditions on the Gaza Strip. But with an air, land and sea blockade by Israel, life in Gaza is difficult, and th...
Aug 11, 2022•22 min
Political deadlock to a power struggle. Leaks, protests, and sit-ins at parliament. One would have thought Iraq had seen it all. There is a crisis brewing in the country, with fears of serious bloodshed yet to come. In this episode: Rasha Al-Aqeedi ( @RashaAlAqeedi ), Middle East deputy editor at New Lines Magazine ( @newlinesmag ) Episode credits: This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan, and host Sami Zeidan. George Alwer is the sound designer. Aya Elmileik is the lead engagement producer an...
Aug 04, 2022•27 min
Cryptocurrencies have defied a lot of norms around the world. Its value climbed last year to more than 2.3 trillion dollars. But in the Middle East, cryptocurrency trading is not as popular. In this episode: Glen Goodman ( @glengoodman ), Crypto expert and author of The Crytpo Trader Credits: This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan, Hayat Mongodin, and host Sami Zeidan. George Alwer is our sound designer. Aya Elmileik is our lead engagement producer and Munera AlDosari is our assistant engage...
Jul 28, 2022•21 min
The leaders of the two most powerful countries, the US and Russia, were in the Middle East. Of course, each of them is trying to pursue their interests. President Joe Biden and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin didn’t meet with each other, but why were these two leaders there? And how will the outcome of their visits impact the region? In this episode: Mahjoob Zweiri ( @Profmzweiri ), Director of the Gulf Studies Centre at Qatar University Credits: This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan, Ha...
Jul 21, 2022•21 min
Russia and Ukraine account for about 29% of global wheat exports, almost a third of the world supply. The main customers are from the Middle East and North Africa. In fact, some countries like Egypt receive a quarter of their wheat from Ukraine, Libya almost half, and Lebanon more than 60%. What could this massive disruption in the supply chain entail for many countries in the region? In this episode: Patrick Mardini, CEO of Lebanese Institute for Market Studies (LIMS) Credits: This episode was ...
Jul 14, 2022•22 min
There’s a humanitarian crisis happening in China. Over a million Uighur and other Muslim minorities are forcibly held in mass detention camps in the Xinjiang province where they face countless human rights abuses from forced labor, coerced sterilization, and destruction of their culture and religious identity. Recently, unknown hackers broke into Xinjiang police servers leaking thousands of photographs and documents that provide solid evidence of Chinese government policy targeting the Uighur po...
Jul 07, 2022•24 min
Just two years ago, the idea of having Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Emir of Qatar visiting Turkey and Egypt, would have been a crazy fantasy. Now, it became a reality. In this episode: Jamal Elshayyal ( @JamalsNews ), Senior Correspondent, Al Jazeera English Credits: This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan, Hayat Mongodin, and host Sami Zeidan. George Alwer is our sound designer. Aya Elmileik is our lead engagement producer and Munera AlDosari is our assistant engagement pro...
Jun 29, 2022•21 min
The UAE, Bahrain and Morocco are shaping up a new alliance with Israel. The Palestinian Authority rejected the move and described it as a free gift to Israel which continues to occupy Palestinian land. In this episode: Joost Hilterman ( @JoostHiltermann ), the Director of MENA program at the International Crisis Group Credits: This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan, Hayat Mongodin, and host Sami Zeidan. George Alwer is our sound designer. Aya Elmileik is our lead engagement producer and Mune...
Jun 23, 2022•19 min
Finland and Sweden want to join NATO after Russia invaded Ukraine. But Turkey was quick to object and even threatened to block their bid. So why is Turkey rejecting this and what could happen? In this episode: Galip Dalay ( @GalipDalay ), Researcher and Turkey Analyst Credits: This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan, Hayat Mongodin, and host Sami Zeidan. George Alwer is our sound designer. Aya Elmileik is our lead engagement producer and Munera AlDosari is our assistant engagement produ...
Jun 16, 2022•24 min
International backlash has been growing against India’s governing Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), after the party’s national spokeswoman Nupur Sharma and Delhi media operation head Naveen Kumar Jindal made disparaging remarks about Prophet Muhammad. Meanwhile, Muslims in India have been going through uneasy times - from violence, persecution, to repeated calls to literally wipe them out. So why is this happening in the world’s biggest democracy and who is behind it? In this episod...
Jun 09, 2022•24 min
Tunisia is the birthplace of the Arab Spring. The country inspired a wave of protests in the region that toppled at least four Arab presidents. But now the country has a serious constitutional crisis, some are even calling it a coup. In this episode: William Lawrence ( @WillLawrence111 ), Professor at the American University. Credits: This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan, Hayat Mongodin, and host Sami Zeidan. George Alwer is our sound designer. Aya Elmileik is our lead engagement producer ...
Jun 02, 2022•24 min
Russia’s war on Ukraine is forcing the European Union to look for alternatives to Russian gas imports which amount to about 40 percent of consumption every year. Qatar and other Middle Eastern countries can play a crucial role. In this episode: Henning Gloystein ( @hgloystein ), the director of energy at Eurasia group in London. Credits: This episode was produced by Hayat Mongodin, Khaled Soltan, and host Sami Zeidan. George Alwer is our sound designer. Aya Elmileik is our lead engagement ...
May 26, 2022•21 min
The killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh has brought mainstream media outlets under the spotlight. We look at why mainstream media have been accused of dropping their objectivity, impartiality, and accuracy when they cover stories related to Palestine and Palestinian lives and deaths. In this episode: Ali Abunimah ( @AliAbunimah ), Executive Director of the Electronic Intifada This episode was produced by Hayat Mongodin, Khaled Soltan, and host Sami Zeidan. George Alwer is our soun...
May 19, 2022•28 min
Defense for Children International Palestine says 500 to 700 Palestinian children are arrested and prosecuted in the military courts each year. In this episode, we take a closer look at their detention in Israeli prisons. In this episode: Brad Parker ( @baparkr ), Senior Adviser, Policy and Advocacy at @DCIPalestine , based in New York. This episode was produced by Hayat Mongodin, with Khaled Soltan, and host Sami Zeidan. George Alwer is our sound designer. Aya Elmileik and Munera AlDosari...
May 12, 2022•24 min
This is the premiere episode of the Essential Middle East podcast. The war in Russia-Ukraine has attracted thousands of foreign fighters fighting on both sides from around the world including the Middle East. Some call them mercenaries while others call them volunteers. So why are they joining the fight? In this episode: Wael Al Zayat, CEO of Emgage, a national Muslim American civic organization and Middle East policy expert based in DC Connect with us at @AJEPodcasts on Twitter , In...
May 05, 2022•19 min
Dissecting the news and current affairs in one of the world’s most misunderstood and complicated regions. Join host Sami Zeidan, every Thursday.
Apr 19, 2022•30 sec
