Azad Essa

About

I am a South African journalist based in New York covering US foreign policy, Islamophobia and race in the US for Middle East Eye.Prior to joining MEE, I worked for Al Jazeera English (between 2010-2018), where I was part of a team that won numerous awards for our breaking news and in depth coverage of the Arab Spring. I have reported from across the African continent, as well as South Asia, covering politics, development and poverty for Al Jazeera English.My four-part investigation into the predatory behavior of peacekeepers in war zones, titled: Why do some peacekeepers rape? won the 2017 UN Correspondents Association International Prize (Silver) for coverage on UN activities.I am the author of Zuma’s Bastard (Two Dogs Books) which was republished as The Moslems are Coming (Harper Collins India); the e-single No country for the poor (Harper Collins India) and Out of the Shadows: Exposing the killings and attacks of persons with albinism in Malawi (with Sorin Furcoi; Amnesty International, 2019).My new book “Hostile Homelands: The New Alliance Between India and Israel”, was published by Pluto in February 2023.I have also written for The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, The Guardian, among others. I was also the lead foreign affairs columnist for the Independent Media group in South Africa between 2016-2018. My weekly column was terminated in September 2018 after I wrote a column about China’s persecution of the Uighurs.Over and above my writing, I also produce short documentaries. My short doc Out of sight in Kashmir (co-directed with Horia El Hadad) about the personal journey of 18-year-old Farzan Sheikh, who was blinded by pellets fired by police in Indian occupied Kashmir, won Gold at the Telly Awards in 2020.For more: www.azadessa.com