Chama Mechtaly is a Moroccan-American artist, activist, and policy advisor whose work sits at the intersection of cultural preservation, deradicalisation, and Middle Eastern diplomacy.

Born in Casablanca in 1992 to a Muslim mother and a Jewish father of Amazigh heritage, she draws on her complex identity to promote dialogue and coexistence between Muslim and Jewish communities throughout North Africa and the Gulf.

She recently organised the first-ever Abraham Accords Deradicalisation Summit, where she contributed to shaping cultural frameworks for regional integration in the wake of normalisation agreements.

In today’s conversation, we discuss her recent Quillette essay examining Qatar’s ideological reach into Western institutions, the suppression of critical voices, and the broader ambitions of Islamist movements on the global stage.

Drawing from her lived experience across Morocco, the Gulf, and the United States, Chama reflects on how Islamist actors have appropriated the language of democracy to undermine liberal values from within. What emerges is a sobering analysis of the soft power networks quietly reshaping our political and cultural institutions—and the steep cost of looking the other way.

We also explore how culture is weaponised, how the West has failed to confront these forces, and what a path toward genuine peace and pluralism in the Middle East might look like.

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Zoe Booth speaks with Robert King, a psychology lecturer and researcher at University College Cork, whose work explores human sexual behaviour through the lens of evolutionary psychology and behavioural ecology.

Their conversation centres on the evolution of female orgasm—its potential adaptive significance, its neglect within scientific literature, and the cultural forces that continue to shape women's sexual experiences. King discusses the use of animal models in studying human sexuality, the neurobiological mechanisms behind pleasure, and why evolutionary frameworks are still resisted in mainstream discourse.

The discussion ranges widely, touching on female–female competition, the contested status of female ejaculation in both science and society, and the moral panic that often greets biological explanations for sex differences. Throughout, King makes the case for a more honest, curiosity-driven approach to understanding female behaviour—one that neither denies biology nor reduces it to determinism.

His latest book Naturally Selective: Evolution, Orgasm, and Female Choice is available in paperback, hardcover or Kindle.

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Journalist and former New York Post editor David Kaufman joins Quillette’s Zoe Booth to discuss his viral essay, The Art of Middle Eastern Pillow Talk, in which he recounts an unexpected romantic encounter with a Palestinian man that leads to a frank, civil conversation about Zionism and “genocide” in the aftermath of October 7th.

They also explore the politics of civility and why New York politician Zohran Mamdani has become a symbol of post-October 7th populism. Along the way, Kaufman reflects on fatherhood, race, sexuality, and what it means to speak across ideological lines in an increasingly polarised age.

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In this episode of the Quillette Podcast, host Zoe Booth speaks with behavioural scientist Dr Dani Sulikowski about the sociocultural and evolutionary drivers behind collapsing fertility rates in Western societies. Drawing on emerging research and data from her own lab, Dr Sulikowski explores how intersexual competition among women, shifting gender norms, and declining testosterone levels in men may be contributing to a wider pattern of reproductive decline.

Their conversation covers the psychology of modern mating preferences, the unintended consequences of social narratives around motherhood and career, and the cultural implications of pronatalist and antenatalist ideologies. They also discuss contentious issues such as surrogacy, abortion, and assisted dying—all within the context of civilisational health and long-term population sustainability.

This episode offers a thought-provoking examination of the forces shaping human behaviour, fertility, and the future of Western societies.

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Sean Welsh is one of Quillette’s most wide-ranging contributors, having written on subjects as varied as artificial intelligence, Middle Eastern politics, and colonial history. Trained in philosophy and employed as a computer programmer, Welsh describes writing as a pursuit of curiosity rather than a career—a way to explore the questions that interest him.

In this conversation, he speaks with Zoe Booth about the breadth of his intellectual interests: from the ethics of robotics and the economic realities of AI, to the contrasting colonial experiences of Australia and New Zealand. Their discussion ranges across history—including the Napoleonic Wars and the rise of British naval power—and into contemporary debates about automation, political institutions, and the contested legacies of indigenous relations. Along the way, Welsh reflects on the dangers of certainty, the value of scepticism, and why he remains an optimist about technology’s role in shaping the future.

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In this episode of the Quillette Cetera podcast, host Zoe Booth is joined by Anthony Rispo—a writer, independent researcher, and co-host of The Discourse Lab podcast. Anthony holds a degree in psychology from Columbia University, where he specialised in social cognition and sociopolitical behaviour. His academic research has explored narrative, perspective-taking, and autism, and he founded Columbia’s Heterodox Academy Campus Community to promote open inquiry and viewpoint diversity.

Zoe first discovered Anthony on Instagram, where he shares nuanced, carefully reasoned commentary on culture and politics. His platform offers thoughtful, accessible videos on everything from identity and political behaviour to social psychology and group dynamics.

In this conversation, Zoe and Anthony reflect on their own journeys through highly ideological phases—Anthony as a gay man in activist circles, and Zoe as a self-described vegan Marxist feminist. They discuss how those beliefs affected their personal lives, particularly family relationships, and what it took to step back from those frameworks while still extending empathy to those who remain within them.

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In this episode of Quillette Cetera, Zoe Booth speaks with Harvard fellow and Cornell PhD Adam Szetela—author of new book That Book Is Dangerous: How Moral Panic, Social Media, and the Culture Wars Are Remaking Publishing (MIT Press, 2025).

A working-class kid turned literary insider, Szetela exposes what he calls “the sensitivity era”: a cultural climate in which books are cancelled before they’re published, authors are shamed into grovelling apologies, and sensitivity readers act as ideological enforcers—surveilling fiction for offence.

Drawing on eye-opening examples and experimental research conducted at Cornell’s Social Dynamics Lab, Szetela explains how peer pressure alone can turn readers against even canonical figures like Allen Ginsberg. He also reflects on the publishing industry’s class divide, the fragility of elite institutions, and why pro wrestling and bodybuilding may offer a better education than the Ivy League.

From J.K. Rowling and Goodreads mobs to the politics of soccer and masculinity—this is a frank and timely discussion about literary freedom in an age of moral panic.

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In this episode, Dr. Andre Oboler—CEO of the Online Hate Prevention Institute and a global expert on antisemitism, hate speech, and online extremism—joins Zoe Booth to unpack the surge in antisemitic hate speech since October 7, 2023,.

Dr. Oboler discusses recent antisemitic attacks on Australian synagogues, and his role as an expert witness in the landmark Wissam Haddad hate speech case, which tested the limits of Australia’s racial vilification laws. He critiques the failure of major social media platforms to moderate digital hate, and outlines the legal, educational, and community responses needed to address the rise in online antisemitism.

The conversation also tackles a difficult but essential question: How do we protect free speech while holding people accountable for inciting hatred and violence online?

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This episode explores how masculinity, identity, and marginalisation can drive young men toward political and religious extremism. Drawing on research with Australian Muslims and broader work on the “Manosphere,” the conversation covers honour cultures, online radicalisation, misogyny, and the emotional undercurrents linking movements from jihadism to the far right. Also discussed: the social impact of economic stagnation, and how healthier models of masculinity might offer a way forward.

Dr Joshua Roose is a political sociologist and Associate Professor at Deakin University, specialising in religion, political violence, and male identity. His work combines ethnographic research with policy insight to examine the forces shaping extremism in contemporary societies.

Note: Unfortunately the last few minutes of this recording were lost due to technical issues.

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As missiles fly between Tehran and Tel Aviv, I’m joined by Iranian dissident Danial Taghaddos to make sense of a rapidly escalating war—and what it means for the future of Iran, Israel, and the region. Danial moved to Australia in 2018 and became politically active during the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests. A royalist and advocate for a return to constitutional monarchy under the Pahlavi dynasty, he’s emerged as a compelling voice in the Iranian diaspora, challenging both the Islamic Republic and the Western narratives that often obscure the regime’s abuses.
In this episode, we talk about Iran’s nuclear ambitions, what the regime actually wants from this war, and how Zoroastrianism and Persian identity shape Iranian views on Israel. We also unpack how the Iranian diaspora organizes abroad, why many Iranians support Israel despite the regime’s propaganda, and how the West continues to misunderstand the Islamic Republic. From public executions to political repression—and threat of Islamism and regime spies operating in the West—this conversation is a sobering look at the human cost of Tehran’s ambitions, and a hopeful one about the people resisting from within and without.

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