
Maya & Nancy Yamout: The Cycle of Violence and Extremism
From If You Were In Charge by Sanam Naraghi Anderlini
March 9, 2026 · 59 min · Season 3 · Episode 2
About this episode
The episode discusses the ongoing war in Iran and features an interview with Maya and Nancy Yamout on countering extremism in Lebanon.
On the leadership podcast If You Were In Charge, we begin with Sanam and Kavita discussing the war in Iran. A leadership podcast about people, power and possibilities. Sanam shares what she is hearing from inside Iran as US and Israeli forces continue to strike across the country. Reflecting on the school strike, the sinking of a naval vessel by a US submarine, and the election of a new Supreme Leader. She considers where this chaos and violence may ultimately lead. Sanam and Kavita then sit down with Maya and Nancy Yamout, two extraordinary sisters from Lebanon who understand better than most the long-term consequences of war, extremism, and violence. Maya and Nancy Yamout are forensic social workers renowned for their deradicalisation work targeting Islamist extremists within Lebanon's prison system. Following the death of a mutual friend who had joined an extremist group, they co-founded the non-governmental organisation Rescue Me in 2011, focusing on rehabilitating at-risk youth and inmates. This conversation explores the complex world of countering extremism through personal testimony, rehabilitation, and community rebuilding in Lebanon. Maya and Nancy share their…
People in this episode
Hosts: Sanam Naraghi Anderlini, Kavita
Guests: Maya Yamout, Nancy Yamout
Topics covered
- Iran war
- extremism
- violence
- rehabilitation
- countering extremism
- community rebuilding
- personal testimony
Keywords
- Iran
- extremism
- violence
- rehabilitation
- counter-terrorism
- Lebanon
- NGO
- prison system
- community rebuilding
Sponsors
ICAN
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Rescue Me, Little Monster Media, ADA Production
Places: Iran, Lebanon
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