Middle East Studies Program

When dealing with an organization driven by religious ideology, is there a “mystical dimension” shaping how events are understood — or can such narratives also serve as propaganda to sustain morale in times of war?

Find out more in episode 5 of Middle East Talks with Gilbert Achcar.

Listen now on…

SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/m7Ts76Mx9Kubmt4q3L

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/38JAQ9Q963bcni3NLRXjiq?si=KuG_OSQBRv-v2eJZDI9VAA

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s1-e5-gaza-catastrophe-the-genocide-in-world/id1822931558?i=1000724968566

For Gilbert Achcar, the imbalance is impossible to ignore: Palestinians may match Israelis in number, but not in military power, weapons, or state backing — making armed struggle a losing strategy from the outset.

Find out more in this episode of Middle East Talks with Gilbert Achcar.

Listen now on…

SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/m7Ts76Mx9Kubmt4q3L

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/38JAQ9Q963bcni3NLRXjiq?si=KuG_OSQBRv-v2eJZDI9VAA

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s1-e5-gaza-catastrophe-the-genocide-in-world/id1822931558?i=1000724968566

What if the story changes depending on which texts you choose to highlight? When asked whether selecting different texts might have led her to a different interpretation, Dina Heshmat reflects on the choices behind her analysis.

Find out her answer & more in Episode 5 of Middle East Talks with Dina Heshmat.

Listen now on…

SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/dtfX6EM2vUZ9dTUL1f

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Wt4n7s6TdtHPzwqlhhcQR?si=rvEVZwMnQpa84ZH321AGuQ

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s1-e4-egypts-1919-revolution-in-literature-and-film/id1822931558?i=1000722909346

What happens when literature questions democracy?
Check out episode 4 of Middle East Talks where Dina Heshmat explores how Amin Sedky critiqued elections through satire-and what it reveals about 1919.

Listen now on…

SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/dtfX6EM2vUZ9dTUL1f

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Wt4n7s6TdtHPzwqlhhcQR?si=rvEVZwMnQpa84ZH321AGuQ

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s1-e4-egypts-1919-revolution-in-literature-and-film/id1822931558?i=1000722909346

For those seeking to escape the government’s grasp, Iraq’s marshes were not just remote—they were protection, shaped by water, distance, and resilience.

Find out more in Episode 3 of Middle East Talks with Steve Lonergan.

Steve Lonergan left the field, but not the questions—years later, they brought him back to the marshlands of Iraq, where unfinished research became a renewed pursuit of understanding.

Listen to more in Episode 3 of Middle East Talks with Steve Lonergan.

When housing policy changed course in the late 1970s, it reshaped more than just ownership—it reshaped access.
From state-provided rentals to homes for sale, the meaning of “social housing” began to shift.

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SoundCloud:
https://soundcloud.com/mesc-auc/s1-e2-egypts-housing-crisis-with-yehia-shawkat?in=mesc-auc/sets/middle-east-talks-podcast&si=50764b239bd344c98ed5837e27d15361&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5hFwDdc3AMHNO3Ecp7BywU?si=Dz-4f4beSiCL0EKwbp3_3g

Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s1-e2-egypts-housing-crisis-with-yehia-shawkat/id1822931558?i=1000719478126

Amid waves of political change, calls for justice filled the air—but what did that mean for housing?

While many spoke of political rights, far fewer asked what justice should look like when it comes to where and how people live.

Explore the bigger conversation in Middle East Talks episode 2 with Yehia Shawkat.

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SoundCloud:
https://soundcloud.com/mesc-auc/s1-e2-egypts-housing-crisis-with-yehia-shawkat?in=mesc-auc/sets/middle-east-talks-podcast&si=50764b239bd344c98ed5837e27d15361&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5hFwDdc3AMHNO3Ecp7BywU?si=Dz-4f4beSiCL0EKwbp3_3g

Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s1-e2-egypts-housing-crisis-with-yehia-shawkat/id1822931558?i=1000719478126