Trailer: Essential Middle East

Slavery was prevalent in many parts of the world and it left scars to this very day. The Middle East had its own share of enslavement that was fueled by superiority, greed and power. In this episode: Eve Trout Powell, Professor of History and Africana Studies at the University of ... Show More

The World Health Organization is warning that obesity is on the rise, not just in the Middle East but around the world. The WHO says obesity in children and adults is a public health concern in almost all regions of the world. An estimated 38.9 million children under five years o ... Show More

With hundreds dead after days of fighting between armed supporters of former leader Bashar al-Assad and government forces, the worst violence since al-Assad's fall, Syrians are grappling with how to move forward. Days ahead of the 14th anniversary of Syria's uprising, the country ... Show More

Over the past week, Syrian opposition fighters have seized control of Aleppo and advanced further south towards Hama. This unexpected move has reignited what was largely a frozen conflict. In response, the Syrian Army, with support from Russia and reportedly, Iraqi militias, has ... Show More

As the year wraps up, we're looking back at ten of the episodes that defined 2024 at The Take. This originally aired on March 15. None of the dates, titles, or other references have been changed. Thirteen years ago, Syrians took to the streets to stand up against the government o ... Show More

The New Arab Voice is back!This week we look at the recent sectarian violence that engulfed the Syrian coast and targeted the country's Alawite community and the violence that hit in the south, which targeted the country's Druze community. We examine the causes of the violence, t ... Show More

In an 11-day offensive, Syrian opposition fighters have ended more than 50 years of Assad family rule. President Bashar al-Assad has fled to Moscow. As the Syrian people celebrate the fall of the regime, where will their country go from here? In this episode: Arwa Damon (@IamArwa ... Show More

The assassination of the chief political leader of Hamas in Tehran follows an escalation of violence across the Middle East, including incidents in Israel, Lebanon, and Iraq. Who was Ismail Haniyeh and what will his killing mean for the region? In this episode:  Imran Khan (@ajim ... Show More

Lebanon is reeling after two days of coordinated attacks attributed to Israel that detonated thousands of pagers and devices used by Hezbollah members. The simultaneous explosions – in indiscriminate locations across the country – left deaths and thousands of injuries in their wa ... Show More

The push to lift sanctions on Syria is gaining momentum. The new administration is engaged in a major diplomatic outreach... And top European and Arab diplomats have discussed the issue in Riyadh. So will the West be prepared to lift the restrictions, and help rebuild Syria? In t ... Show More

We are coming to you on Sundays with weekly roundups as Israel's war in Gaza and Lebanon continues. Syrian opposition fighters have declared victory over the government of Bashar Assad. Israel continues to attack medical infrastructure in Gaza. It is day 429 of the war in Gaza, w ... Show More

Its funding pulled, and its staff sent home. The world's largest international humanitarian donor, USAID, is under assault. If the Trump administration doesn't restore the flow of aid who will fill the void? And what does it mean for global US influence? In this Episode:   Hardin ... Show More