Babel: Translating the Middle East

In the olive tree-rich region of Afrin in northwestern Syria, a different type of oil fuels the wartime economy—olive oil. A new Mezze from the Middle East Program.This episode was adapted from our monthly Mezze series, shining a spotlight on under-discussed trends and debates shaping the Middle East. You can read past examples of our Mezzes on the CSIS website.

This week on Babel, Jon speaks with Bassem Youssef. He's an Egyptian satirist who parlayed his low-budget Youtube program into Al-Bernameg, the most popular show of the Arab Spring. At its height, he had a weekly audience of more than 30 million viewers. They talk about how he got his start on television, the role of satire in political conflict, and why he fled Egypt months after the military returned to power. Then, Jon, Natasha Hall, and Danny Sharp continue the conversation about the limits of satire and dissent across the Arab world.  Bassem Youssef, Revolution for Dummies: Laughing Through the Arab Spring, (New York, NY: Dey Street Books, 2017). Bassem Youssef, "The Joke is Mightier than the Sword," Nieman Reports, March 24, 2015. Transcript, "Satire and Dissent," CSIS, January 18, 2022.

As Covid-19 restrictions reduced hajj numbers in 2021, Saudi Arabia had a prime opportunity to beta-test new crowd-control technology. A New Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.Stay tuned until the end for a special note from Jon about this new season of Babel. If you'd like to help us shape this upcoming season of Babel and the chance to win a free Babel mug, please fill out a short 8 question survey here: https://bit.ly/csisbabel.

This week on Babel, Jon talks with his longtime friend Dr. Kristin Diwan, a scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. Kristin analyzes how young Gulf Arabs' eagerness for change finds public expression, how Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman has sought to shape young peoples' attitudes for reform in Saudi Arabia, and how young people are engaging in their own regional dialogues about change. Then, Jon, Natasha Hall, and Caleb Harper continue the conversation about youth and social change across the region.  Kristin Diwan, “All the Kings’ Sons,” Arab Gulf State Institute in Washington (AGSIW), April 9, 2021.   Kristin Diwan, “Why the Saudis Ended the Dispute with Qatar,” AGSIW, February 8, 2021.  Jon Alterman, "The End of History in the Middle East," CSIS, November 22, 2021. Jon Alterman, "Ties that Bind," CSIS, December 2, 2019. Transcript, "Gulf Youth and the Urge for Change," CSIS, December 21, 2021.

The Middle East has plenty of water problems without warfare. As warfare becomes more common, water is becoming an increasingly common weapon. A New Mezze from the Middle East Program.

This week on Babel, Jon talks with Ghassan Salamé, a Paris-based academic and former UN mediator with over three decades of experience moving between academia and public policy. They talk about how he started his UN career, the role and limitations of the United Nations as a conflict mediator, and how his experiences as a practitioner inform the way that he teaches international affairs. Then, Jon, Will Todman, Danny Sharp talk about how their own academic backgrounds prepared them for careers in foreign policy. Stephanie Williams and Ghassan Salamé “Why There’s Hope for Libya,” Newlines Magazine, April 22, 2021.   "An Interview with Dr. Jon B. Alterman," New Perspectives in Foreign Policy, 2015. Transcript, "In and Out of the Ivory Tower" CSIS, December 7, 2021.

In Damascus, even death is getting more expensive. With limited space and the demand for cemetery plots rising, armed thugs have established an illegal grave trade in Syria. A new Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.

As Saudi officials crackdown on corruption, they are increasingly zeroing in on a new target: suspiciously full camel lips. A new Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.

This week on Babel, Jon talks with Robert Worth, a contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine who interviewed Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of Libya's long-standing dictator, in May. They discuss Saif Gaddafi's political ambitions in the upcoming elections, unique aspects of Libya's society and revolution, and the memory of the Gaddafi regime in Libya. Then, Jon, Natasha Hall, and Danny Sharp discuss nostalgia for authoritarianism across the Middle East. Robert Worth, "Qaddafi's Son Is Alive. And He Wants to Take Libya Back," New York Times Magazine, July 30, 2021. Robert Worth, A Rage for Order: The Middle East in Turmoil, from Tahrir Square to ISIS (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016). Transcript, "Authoritarian Nostalgia in Libya," CSIS, November 16, 2021.

Some in Israel hope electronic “e-bikes” can be a life-saving solution to long ambulance wait times on the country’s jam-packed roads. A new Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.