The Lede

Not only is the Middle East one of the world’s most urbanized regions, but it’s also where the story of the city began. In this podcast, New Lines Magazine's Lydia Wilson is joined by Yasser Elsheshtawy, adjunct professor of architecture at Columbia University, and Mona Fawaz, professor of urban studies and planning at the American University of Beirut, to talk about cities in the modern Middle East — and explore what opportunities and challenges the next chapter in this 10,000-year story might hold for the millions of Middle Easterners who call cities their home. [Produced by Joshua Martin]

In her latest book, The Vanishing, celebrated war reporter Janine di Giovanni reports from some of the Middle East’s most ancient Christian communities — communities she argues may be at risk of disappearing. In this podcast, she joins New Lines Magazine's Lydia Wilson to talk about a career reporting conflict, what drew her to the subject of the book, the complex reasons why Christians are leaving the Middle East, and how the experiences of minorities in Iraq, Syria and Palestine differ. Produced by Joshua Martin

Veteran foreign correspondent Luke Harding has reported from all over the world, but there’s one subject he keeps returning to: Russia. His latest book, “Shadow State,” offers a glimpse into the country’s ruthless intelligence services. In this podcast, he speaks to New Lines Magazine's Faisal Al Yafai about how he uncovered their activities, from social media trolling campaigns to mercenary black ops in Syria and Sudan. They discuss the challenges of reporting on such a secretive world — and the heroism of the Russian citizens working to expose it. Produced by Joshua Martin.

Kamran Bokhari is a foreign policy specialist and director of analytical development at the New Lines Institute. In this episode, he joins host Rasha Elass to talk about his essay in New Lines Magazine on Deobandism, a major fundamentalist Islamic movement with influence across South Asia and beyond. They discuss how it emerged from one of the Sunni tradition’s most liberal schools of jurisprudence - and why so few in the West have heard of it.

REBROADCAST: In a special podcast on the fall of Kabul and its aftermath, New Lines Magazine's Faisal Al Yafai speaks to three reporters who were on the ground in Afghanistan before, during and after the takeover by the Taliban. Emran Feroz, Fazelminallah Qazizai and Shelly Kittleson discuss reporting from around the country, firsthand testimony of what it felt like to see the Taliban walk unopposed into a city they were exiled from 20 years ago — and what the Taliban might do in the next weeks and months. [This episode originally aired August 27 2021]

In this festive special, New Lines Magazine's Ola Salem is joined by colleagues Riada Asimovic Akyol and Kareem Shaheen for a wide-ranging conversation about all things Christmas. They discuss what the holiday means for Muslims, share Christmas traditions—and try their luck playing Ola’s Christmas quiz.

James Barnett is a Fulbright scholar and a researcher at the Center for Democracy and Development in Nigeria. In this podcast he joins New Lines Magazine's Rasha Elass to talk about how he became interested in the underreported crisis of Nigeria’s bandits, how he managed to convince the warlords to talk to him, and what it was like to sit down with such dangerous men.

Earlier this year, the Syrian journalist Asser Khattab stopped writing about Syria. A week ago, in a viral essay New Lines Magazine, he finally explained why - and sparked a much-needed conversation in the media about how international outlets treat the local reporters who make their coverage possible. In our latest podcast, Asser Khattab and New Lines Magazine’s Kareem Shaheen continue that vital conversation, talking about why his employers never let him be a full member of the team; how he realized he would never be given a Syria correspondent job despite his contacts, experience and expertise; and how being granted asylum in France forced him to make a choice between his job and his safety.

Rising authoritarianism, social atomization and looming climate change — the world feels like it is falling apart. In this wide-ranging podcast, the acclaimed Turkish novelist and journalist Ece Temelkuran speaks to New Lines Magazine’s Faisal Al Yafai about her book, “Together: 10 Choices for a Better Now,” and the urgent issues that compelled her to write it. They talk about what it felt like to watch democracy die in Turkey, why she refuses to play the exile — and why, no matter how bad it gets, we can’t afford to lose faith in each other.

Award-winning investigative journalist Tam Hussein’s latest article for New Lines explores the mythologization of Afghanistan by Islamists in Europe and America. In this episode, he talks to New Lines Magazine’s Lydia Wilson about how his experiences growing up in London informed his essay, how pro-jihadist propaganda spread before the internet, and why the far-right admire the Taliban.