Sep 30

Big Tech and the Automation of Genocide in Gaza

This seminar was delivered at the Middle East Centre on 30 May 2025 by Dr Samer Abdelnour, University of Edinburgh Business School, and Chaired by St Antony’s George Antonius Birzeit Visiting Fellow, Dr Amal Nazzal. This seminar was delivered at the Middle East Centre on 30 May 2 ... Show More

1h 2m

May 2025

The Devaki Jain Lecture - Empowered voices: Jordanian women shaping their future

The Middle East Centre was honoured to host the 2025 Devaki Jain Lecture. This year’s lecture was delivered by Rana Husseini, Jordanian activist, journalist and author. The Middle East Centre was honoured to host the 2025 Devaki Jain Lecture. This year’s lecture was delivered by ... Show More

1h 5m

May 2025

Liberation Theology in Palestine

A paper delivered by Rev. Dr Mitri Alraheb at the Palestine Research Centre symposium held at the MEC on Friday 9 May 2025. This paper was part of a panel chaired by Professor Eugene Rogan. A paper delivered by Rev. Dr Mitri Alraheb at the Palestine Research Centre symposium held ... Show More

17m 21s

Feb 2022

Alaa Al Aswany: The Republic of False Truths

Alaa Al Aswany is one of Egypt’s most important authors. While his work is banned in his country, including his latest novel about a fictionalized account of the failed Egyptian revolution of 2011, the writer believes it’s only a matter of time before the revolution prevails.

54m 7s

Sep 2013

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood: Why Did They Fail?

Barely a year after Egypt's post-revolution elections were held, millions of protestors took to the streets to demand the resignation of President Mohammed Morsi. After a short stand-off with army leaders, he was removed from power in what many describe as a coup d'etat. The subs ... Show More

28m 18s

Apr 2023

Tunisia’s democracy on the brink

Tunisia in North Africa was the birthplace of the Arab Spring, a wave of popular uprisings that shook or toppled authoritarian regimes in the region. But, after a decade of fragile democracy, in 2019 a new strongman, President Kais Saied, swept to power. He directed his campaign ... Show More

49m 5s

Feb 2024

Egypt Under El-Sisi (S. 13, Ep. 16)

On this week's episode of the podcast, Maged Mandour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, Egypt under El-Sisi: A Nation on the Edge. His book follows President Sisi's regime in the aftermath of the coup that brought him to po ... Show More

50m 9s

May 2023

Killian Clarke: Egypt's Counterrevolution and the Return to Tyranny

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Prof. Killian Clarke of Georgetown's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service about his forthcoming book tentatively entitled The Return of Tyranny: How Counterrevolutions Emerge and Succeed. They talk about the counterrevolution in E ... Show More

33m 57s

Jan 2024

Is the world losing faith in democracy?

2024 will be the world’s biggest election year ever. From the United States to the UK, Taiwan to India, South Africa to Mexico, it’s estimated countries representing nearly half the world’s population will head to the polls in some form of election this year. But how much faith d ... Show More

48m 57s

Oct 2023

Shadi Hamid on Democracy, Liberalism, and the Middle East

Autocracy as we understand it today is a modern creation. I think there we see very few successful examples of modern autocracies that are able to sustain themselves.Shadi Hamid Access Bonus Episodes on Patreon Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. A full transcript is a ... Show More

51m 5s

Jun 2019

Ece Temelkuran on How to Save Democracy

Just a decade ago, Ece Temelkuran was recognized as the most-read political columnist in Turkey, then a thriving secular democracy. Today, she no longer lives in Turkey and her homeland is on the knife’s edge of dictatorship under the rule of President Erdogan. Temelkuran, author ... Show More

33m 14s

The Dictatorship Syndrome