Eye on Arabia Eye on Arabia

A lecture by Joseph Braude at the Foreign Policy Research Institute's monthly foreign policy salon in Manhattan, on the war of ideas in the Middle East and North Africa -- and how the United States can support Arab proponents of tolerance, civil society, and reform.

From America Abroad Media's annual gala awards at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington on October 30, 2014, Joseph Braude introduces sacred music from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam -- performed by the Nobel Peace Prize-nominated Antakya Choir from Turkey.

Joseph Braude interviews Saudi media star Turki AlDakhil about women's advancement in the Gulf.

Hundreds of foreign broadcasters crowd Arab radio waves today -- some backed by nations like the US and Russia, others by transnational movements from the Muslim Brotherhood to the Catholic Church. One network, operating on a modest budget, stands out for punching way above its weight: the Korean Broadcasting System's Arabic service. In this short documentary, Joseph Braude tells the story of the Korean network, the people who run it, and the broadcast's implications for Middle East policy, with exclusive interviews from Seoul and Washington.

Moroccan King Mohammed VI visits the White House. A BBC interview with Joseph Braude, and the story of the only Jewish broadcast on Arab airwaves.

The saga of Islamic civilization is in many ways a universal story of good versus evil, the cycle of life, and the foibles of human nature. It isn’t too big a stretch to connect that saga to some of the great stories and classic movies Americans know and love. That’s the premise of this two-episode documentary, co-produced with Public Radio International’s Afropop Worldwide. With the help of Don Vito Corleone, R2D2, and Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, it tells the story of two slave rebellions that transformed the history of the Middle East and North Africa and crystallized the Sunni-Shi’ite divide in Islam. Along the way, there's a soundtrack of enchanting medieval Arabic music. Co-narrating the documentary with Joseph Braude is Georges Collinet, the legendary broadcaster from Cameroon whose voice is ubiquitous on the airwaves of Africa. Enjoy!