A Letter From the Editor of Middle East Uncovered
I’m not from the region—but I care deeply about the people who are and the stories they entrust us with. This is not just a publication. It’s a commitment to complexity, to honesty, and to you.
Dear Readers,
When we first began building what would become Middle East Uncovered, we weren’t chasing headlines—we were responding to a quieter, deeper need: to tell the stories that weren’t being told. Stories often buried under layers of conflict, ideology, and assumption. Stories from voices who’ve lived through what most of us only read about.
Since then, the world has grown more polarized. And reporting from this region—especially now—can feel fraught, even dangerous. We’re not blind to the risks or the emotional weight that comes with covering this part of the world. But we also believe something simple: you, our readers, can be trusted with the truth, in all its complexity. And we’ll keep doing everything we can to offer it to you—clearly, honestly, and without an agenda.
As the editor of this platform, I sit in a very different place from many of the people we cover. I’m an American woman living in the U.S., far from the daily realities of Baghdad, Kabul, Gaza City, or Damascus. I don't claim to speak for those places. What I can do, and what I take seriously, is the responsibility of being a conduit. A careful listener. A translator of experience. My job is to help make sure these stories are heard by those who might otherwise never encounter them.
None of this would be possible without the people on the ground who do the real work. The journalists, researchers, sources, translators, artists, and eyewitnesses who bring Middle East Uncovered to life are the reason this publication exists. Many live in the places they report on. Some write under pseudonyms for their safety. Others share their names, knowing full well the risk. All of them are relentless in their pursuit of clarity, accuracy, and dignity in storytelling.
In the past few months alone, they’ve brought us:
A report from secret classrooms for girls in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, where education survives behind locked doors.
A profile of a Syrian translator who refused to inform on his colleagues, even under surveillance and pressure.
A deep dive into Masih Alinejad’s recently translated book, reflecting on what it means for Arabic-speaking women to read her words in their own language.
A revealing historical reflection on the final days of Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser, offering a glimpse behind the curtain of power and the effects on those who shoulder it.
An editorial from our founder, Faisal Saeed Al Mutar, on how Mohammed bin Salman is reshaping Middle East diplomacy by withholding normalization with Israel to maximize Saudi Arabia’s regional leverage.
A report from Afghanistan on the U.S. decision to end protections for Afghan allies, exposing the life-threatening consequences for the very soldiers who once fought beside American troops.
Some of these stories are quiet and intimate. Others are bold and unapologetic. But all are grounded in rigorous work and a belief that truth matters—not in the abstract, but in the everyday lives of people navigating censorship, repression, and change.
We’re not here to flatten this region into a headline or a trope. We’re here to complicate the story. To elevate the details, the contradictions, the human stakes. To cover the positive change and unfolding solutions that happen every day, yet are overlooked and obscured by mainstream media. To handle the difficult stories with the care and compassion they require and deserve.
And we’re here because we trust you, the reader, to sit with those complexities. To be challenged by them and draw your own conclusions.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for making space for this kind of work.
If you have a story to tell—or one you think we should hear—reach out. And if what we’re building here resonates with you, I hope you’ll stay with us, subscribe, and share.
With deep gratitude,
Reid Newton
Lead Editor, Middle East Uncovered
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