Leila Fadel

Credit NPR

Leila Fadel is the Cairo Bureau Chief for NPR.

Before joining NPR, she covered the Middle East for The Washington Post. In her role as Cairo Bureau Chief she reported on a wave of revolts and their aftermaths in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, and Syria.

Prior to her position as Cairo Bureau Chief for the Post, she covered the Iraq war for nearly five years with Knight Ridder, McClatchy Newspapers and later the Washington Post. Her foreign coverage of the devastating human toll of the Iraq war earned her the George. R. Polk award in 2007.

Leila Fadel is a Lebanese-American journalist who speaks conversational Arabic and was raised in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon.

Protests Erupt In Egypt After President Expands Powers

By Leila Fadel

Originally published on Fri November 23, 2012 6:34 pm

Thousands of protesters flooded into the streets of Egypt on Friday — some in support of President Mohammed Morsi, others condemning what they called a vast power grab by the president that puts Egypt on the path to one-man rule.

Middle East

3:45 am

Thu November 22, 2012

Egypt's President Plays Big Role In Gaza Ceasefire

Credit AP

In this image provided by Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi (right), Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal meets with Morsi at the Presidential Palace in Cairo on Sunday. Morsi has won praise for brokering the cease-fire agreement between Hamas and Israel.

By Leila Fadel

Originally published on Sun November 25, 2012 9:02 am

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The cease-fire between Hamas and Israel has been a political boost for Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi. The Islamist leader spent hours in meetings and on the phone with world leaders, including President Obama, and got results: a cessation of violence that puts Egypt back on the international map. But Morsi faces a test Thursday night, when negotiations on the details begin.

3:38 pm

Thu November 1, 2012

Vigilantes Spray Paint Sexual Harassers In Cairo

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Credit Ahmed Abdelatif / AP

A young Egyptian man grabs a woman crossing the street with her friends in Cairo. Vigilante groups are now taking to the streets and spray-painting the clothes of the harassers.

Credit Samuel Mohsen / AP

Young men harass women in Cairo. Such episodes surged during the Muslim holiday last month.

By Leila Fadel

Originally published on Thu November 1, 2012 8:15 pm

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Over the recent four-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, more than 1,000 sexual harassment complaints were filed in Egypt.

President Mohammed Morsi has ordered an investigation, but some are not prepared to wait for the government and the police to act.

12:33 pm

Mon October 22, 2012

Will The '24-Hour City' Of Cairo Call It A Night?

Credit Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images

Nighttime shoppers pause to look at a display at Cairo's Ataba market in May 2011. The government says shops must close earlier in order to save scarce electricity, but many Cairo residents are complaining.

By Leila Fadel

Originally published on Tue October 23, 2012 5:54 pm

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When the sun goes down, Cairo bursts to life. Men play backgammon and smoke water pipes. Young fashionistas meet friends for midnight coffees. Families go shopping with small kids in tow.

Life in the Egyptian capital is lived at night. Last year, one study rated Cairo the "most 24-hour city" in the world. New York City trailed far behind at No. 32.

4:00 pm

Fri October 12, 2012

Cemetery For Hezbollah Martyrs Continues To Grow

By Leila Fadel

Originally published on Sun October 14, 2012 7:29 am

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Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

And I'm Audie Cornish. In a cemetery in Beirut, Lebanon, new graves are appearing more frequently than usual. This isn't just any cemetery. It's where the martyrs of Hezbollah are buried. The Shiite militant group is backed by the governments of Iran and Syria. While it's not clear where these latest martyrs were killed, members of Syria's opposition accuse the group of sending fighters into their country to help its embattled government.

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