Accessibility links
Leila Fadel Leila Fadel is a host of Morning Edition, as well as NPR's morning news podcast Up First.
Leila Fadel, photographed for NPR, 2 May 2022, in Washington DC. Photo by Mike Morgan for NPR.
Stories By

Leila Fadel

Thursday

Africa

Egyptian Women Speak Out Against Sexual Violence At Protests

In Egypt, sexual violence against women is on the rise. It has become a chronic problem in a state where security is breaking down and mass protests are not policed. And as the number of assaults increase, many women say they will no longer be silent.

Egyptian Women Speak Out Against Sexual Violence At Protests

Listen · 4:21
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/172559377/172566421" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Africa

Group Of Violent Anarchists Emerges Amid Egypt's Political Turmoil

A group of anarchic young men and women in Egypt roam through protests, faces covered, and refuse to speak to media. They bill themselves as armed resistance and have flooded YouTube with videos of themselves making Molotov cocktails and threatening Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood. The country's prosecutor general designated them a home-grown terrorist group on Tuesday. Seasoned activists who blame the government for the root of the violence over the past five days say the group is counter-productive and their methods hurt the cause.

Group Of Violent Anarchists Emerges Amid Egypt's Political Turmoil

Listen · 4:40
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/171933377/171933351" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

Middle East

Criticism Against Egypt's Opposition Coalition Grows

Critics say Egypt's umbrellas opposition group, the National Salvation Front, or NSF, is slowly becoming a national joke. Protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square say the opposition leadership is trying to manipulate popular anger in order to gain power.

Criticism Against Egypt's Opposition Coalition Grows

Listen · 4:27
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/171346496/171355824" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Tuesday

For The First Time In Decades, Iran's President Visits Egypt

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visits an Islamic shrine Tuesday in Cairo. He became the first Iranian leader to visit Egypt since the 1970s. Amr Nabil/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Amr Nabil/AP

Middle East

For The First Time In Decades, Iran's President Visits Egypt

The hostility between Iran and Egypt dates to the 1970s, and the Muslim nations remain wary of one another. However, tensions have thawed in recent months.

For The First Time In Decades, Iran's President Visits Egypt

Listen · 3:13
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/171185769/171191565" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

Review

Religion

Egyptian Cleric's Mission: Spread Salafi Doctrine

In the final part of Morning Edition's series on ultra-conservative Muslims known as Salafis, we meet an Egyptian cleric who has made it his mission to spread the Salafi doctrine throughout the country. Hesham al Ashry is a firm believer in the strictest interpretation of Islamic law.

Egyptian Cleric's Mission: Spread Salafi Doctrine

Listen · 4:08
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/170823722/170823902" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

Africa

Egyptians Grown Weary Of Ongoing Political Clashes

Thousands of people have flooded the streets to protest Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's government. But millions more are at home, trying to get through each day. Some blame protesters for stalling the transition, the nation and making Egypt an even less attractive place to invest.

Egyptians Grown Weary Of Ongoing Political Clashes

Listen · 3:28
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/170787373/170787358" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Africa

Former Salafi Sings About His Identity Crisis

Former Salafi, turned rapper, Omar Kamal left the Salafi fold during Egypt's revolution. He says that when Salafis came out of the dark they showed their hypocrisy. To the rhythm of beat boxing, he uses his lyrics to chronicle his own identity crisis — a crisis that reflects Egypt's struggle to find itself.

Former Salafi Sings About His Identity Crisis

Listen · 4:58
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/170727546/170727645" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Africa

Tunisia's Veil Ban: Frontline Of Identity War

At Manouba University on the outskirts of the Tunisian capital Tunis, the school's dean has vowed to uphold a rule that bars women from wearing a face veil in the classroom. Salafi students oppose the ban, and see this as a battle for freedom of religion. The issue is a microcosm of a much larger battle between the staunchly secular and the deeply pious in Tunisia.

Tunisia's Veil Ban: Frontline Of Identity War

Listen · 4:32
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/170629921/170629993" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Tuesday

Africa

Egypt's Military Chief Warns That Protests Could Lead To Collapse Of The State

Egypt's Defense Minister has warned that the country is on the brink of collapse amid continued rioting and clashes between police and protesters in several major cities. More than 50 people have died over the past four days, most of them in Port Said, at the northern end of the Suez Canal.

Egypt's Military Chief Warns That Protests Could Lead To Collapse Of The State

Listen · 3:38
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/170588493/170588470" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Tunisia's Salafis: 'A Danger' Or Preachers Of God's Law?

A demonstrator shouts anti-government slogans as he stands in front of the Justice Ministry in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, on Nov. 6, 2012, as part of a demonstration by radical Salafi Muslims protesting against the imprisonment of hundreds of Salafist militants. Amine Landoulsi/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Amine Landoulsi/AP

Africa

Tunisia's Salafis: 'A Danger' Or Preachers Of God's Law?

Critics call the country's Salafis a threat to the ideals of economic prosperity, civil liberties and gender equality. The Salafis insist that only their rigid interpretation of Islamic law can govern Muslims. Their stand puts Tunisia's moderate Islamist leaders in a difficult position.

Tunisia's Salafis: 'A Danger' Or Preachers Of God's Law?

Listen · 4:24
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/170493435/170530240" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Monday

Africa

At Least 40 People Dead In Egypt As Violent Protests Continue

Amid continuing turmoil and violence in Egypt, the main opposition alliance has rejected dialogue with the government of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. Over the weekend, Morsi announced a state of emergency in the three main cities along the Suez Canal. One of those, Port Said, was the scene of major violence and there was more on Monday with police battling protesters.

At Least 40 People Dead In Egypt As Violent Protests Continue

Listen · 3:52
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/170494492/170494471" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Africa

Egypt's Morsi Declares State Of Emergency

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has declared a state of emergency after a deadly bout of violence over the weekend left at least 50 dead in three cities the Suez Canal.

Egypt's Morsi Declares State Of Emergency

Listen · 3:29
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/170436059/170436175" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Egypt's Salafis Emerge As Powerful And Controversial Political Force

A protester holds a Quran at a Salafi rally for the enforcement of Islamic Shariah law last fall in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Repressed during the rule of President Hosni Mubarak, the country's ultra-conservative Salafis have seen a resurgence since the Arab Spring uprising. Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters/Landov hide caption

toggle caption
Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters/Landov

Africa

Egypt's Salafis Emerge As Powerful And Controversial Political Force

The ultra-conservative Muslims, whose influence has grown since the Arab Spring, aspire to a society ruled entirely by Islamic law. But to their critics, the Salafis are religious fanatics who are trying to drag the region back to 7th-century Arabia.

Egypt's Salafis Emerge As Powerful And Controversial Political Force

Listen · 5:10
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/169974295/170436176" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

Africa

Muslim Brotherhood Tries To Distract From Second Anniversary Of Egyptian Revolt

On the second anniversary of the Egyptian revolution on Friday, liberal and secular opposition groups held protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square. The Muslim Brotherhood did not hold counter-demonstrations this time. Instead, its members did charitable work in poor districts of Cairo and other cities.

Muslim Brotherhood Tries To Distract From Second Anniversary Of Egyptian Revolt

Listen · 3:33
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/170299262/170299237" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Sunday

Court Overturns Life Sentence Against Egypt's Mubarak; Orders Retrial

Egyptians supporters of ousted former President Hosni Mubarak celebrate an appeal granted by a court in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday. Amr Nabil/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Amr Nabil/AP

The Two-Way

Court Overturns Life Sentence Against Egypt's Mubarak; Orders Retrial

The decision to retry the strongman who was serving a life sentence for failing to stop the killing of protesters came as no surprise. Mubarak and his security chief will be tried again on criminal charges related to those deaths. The news was welcomed by both Mubarak loyalists and his most ardent opponents.