POINT COUNTERPOINT - Episode 3
An exchange on political affairs impacting Lebanon and the Middle East, with a unique vantage point from Beirut.
Co-hosted by Michael Young (senior editor at Carnegie’s Middle East Center and editor of Diwan) and Bashshar Haydar (professor of philosophy at AUB) - both Beirut-based analysts sharing their nuanced perspectives ... Show More
Nov 2024
177/ Mutual Aid in Lebanon Today w/ Serge and Abir
<p>For episode 177, Leila is joined by Serge from Buzuruna Juzuruna, an agro-ecological farm and heirloom seed producer in the Bekka Valley working on food autonomy, and Abir from Hostel Beirut, a worker owned cooperative in the heart of the Lebanese capital committed to social a ... Show More
45m 46s
Jul 2025
Ihsan Abdel Quddous's Enduring 20th-Century Legacy | Jonathan Smolin
Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Dartmouth College, Jonathan Smolin, discusses his book "The Politics of Melodrama: The Cultural and Political Lives of Ihsan Abdel Kouddous and Gamal Abdel Nasser," which examines the life and work of Ihsan Abdel Quddous who played an immens ... Show More
56m 27s
Oct 6
Return to Makdisi Street w/ Samir Makdisi
The brothers welcome their father, Samir Makdisi, Professor Emeritus at the American University of Beirut, to the show. They discuss the significance of Makdisi Street—the street itself!— in Beirut's cultural history, the social and political location of Ras Beirut in the larger ... Show More
1h 14m
Feb 2025
Lebanon Finally Decides: Joseph Aoun named as new president
Lebanon finally has a new president. After an over two year wait, Joseph Aoun was chosen to be the new President of Lebanon, with a healthy majority of the votes in parliament .Aoun, who is also the commander-in-chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces comes into office with a bulging ... Show More
27m 51s
Sep 30
Hezbollah's Existential Crisis: Lebanon's effort to disarm the resistance and the future of the Party of God
It has been annus horribilis for Hezbollah.They were struck by a deadly pager attack, Israel launched a devastating air and ground campaign against the group, and their long-time leader was killed in an Israeli airstrike. The war left Hezbollah battered and broken, and now, the L ... Show More
29m 46s
Dec 2024
Episode Seven - Scripted: What's the Point? (When the World Is Dark)
Amid personal and global turmoil, in this special episode of Scripted/Unscripted, Nadia confronts the question, "What's the point?". She reflects on how writing serves as a tool for emotional expression, resistance, and connection, highlighting its power to humanize the dehumaniz ... Show More
23m 57s
May 2025
Mohanad Hage Ali: Hezbollah and the Captagon Trade
This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Mohanad Hage Ali, deputy director for research at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. Mohanad's latest paper for Carnegie investigates the rise of a new form of drug smuggling in Lebanon. Together, they discuss Hezbollah’s i ... Show More
50m 16s
Oct 19
The Untold Story of the Gaza Ceasefire - Thomas Small
Thomas Small is a historian and filmmaker best known as co-host of the Conflicted podcast, where he explores Middle Eastern history, geopolitics, and religious thought alongside ex-jihadi Aimen Dean. He also writes on ancient Christian spirituality and global conflict dynamics. T ... Show More
1h 22m
Dec 2024
Episode Eight - Unscripted: Navigating a Dark World As an Artist
In this unscripted episode, Nadia has a heartfelt conversation with Hayat Abu Samra, a Palestinian Jordanian Actor, screenwriter and filmmaker who’s been using her voice to spread awareness to her audience on Palestine. They share their thoughts on direct and indirect resistance ... Show More
32m 11s