In 2017, the BBC identified his as one of its New Generation Thinkers, one of ten academics whose research was to be made into radio and television programmes.

[4] In 2012, according to The Observer, Issa disclosed that two Egyptian soccer stars believed that the Port Said Stadium riot had been planned.

[5] In 2016, Issa published research into the First World War which stated that “at least 885,000 Muslims were recruited by the Allies”,[6] with the Discovery Channel noting that “Issa more than doubled the previously estimated figure of 400,000 soldiers after trawling through thousands of personal letters, historic archives, regimental diaries and census reports”.

[10] He featured in Art That Made Us on BBC Two and Jada Pinkett Smith's Cleopatra on Netflix, for which the New York Post named him the "star" of the show.

[13] Outside the UK, Issa has appeared on television and radio in Algeria, Australia, Canada, Egypt, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey and the USA.