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Every Week since 2002 |
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Note to Radio Stations that
Syndicate Arab Voices
A modified weekly version of Arab
Voices (58 minutes) is available on AudioPort
(ready for airing on other radio stations - free of KPFT
fund drives).
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Program
Syndication
Arab Voices is a
syndicated program that airs on other radio stations in different cities
in the U.S.A., and Europe. Following is a partial list of radio stations
that air/syndicate Arab Voices.
Please note that radio stations change programming schedules as they see
fit, and the list below may not be up to date.
- KPFT 90.1 FM & HD-1
Houston, Texas
- KEPJ 96.5 FM San
Antonio, Texas
- K208DG 89.5 FM
Galveston, Texas
- K212FV 90.3 FM Goodrich,
Texas
- K220KC 91.9 FM
Huntsville, Texas
- WBAI 99.5 FM New York
City, New York
- WBDY 99.5 FM Binghamton,
New York
- WOOC 105.3 FM Troy &
most of Albany, New York
- KODX 96.9 FM Seattle,
Washington
- KCPK 106.9 FM Pine
Mountain Club, California
- KCSB 91.9 FM Santa
Barbara, California
- KPDO 89.3 FM Pescadero,
California
- KACR 96.1 FM Alameda,
California
- WNUZ 92.9 FM Gap &
LanChester, Pennsylvania
- KCEI 90.1 FM Taos, New
Mexico
- WHYR 96.9 FM Baton
Rouge, Louisiana
- KIEZ 106.7 FM Monroe,
Louisiana
- KWRK 90.9 FM Fairbanks,
Alaska
- WBCR 97.7 FM Great
Barrington, Massachusetts
- KBOO 90.7 FM Portland,
Oregon
- K282BH 104.3 FM
Corvallis, Oregon
- K220HR 91.9 FM Hood
River, Oregon
- WADR 103.5 FM
Janesville, Wisconsin
- Nashville Revolution
Radio, Nashville, Tennessee
- The Window Internet
Radio
- GCR1 Global Community
Radio
- Beware the Radio, London,
United Kingdom (Europe)
- Radio LoRa 97.5 MHz,
Zürich, Switzerland (Europe)
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How
to Listen
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FM & HD Channels:
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The program airs on KPFT
Houston 90.1 FM & FM HD-1 on Thursdays, then syndication begins
on other radio stations. Each station
airs Arab Voices on different dates/times throughout the week.
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Mobile
Devices: |
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Pacifica
Radio App (iOS Android) TuneIn Radio App (iOS Android)
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Online
Streaming (worldwide):
www.ArabVoices.net or
www.KPFT.org
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Permanent
Archives: www.ArabVoices.net
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Next Show:
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Date: |
Thursday,
September 28,
2023 |
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Time: |
8
p.m. - 9 p.m. central time |
Did you miss the last show, or the previous shows?
(click on a date
below to listen to a specific show) |
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Note to Radio Stations that
Syndicate Arab Voices:
A modified weekly version of Arab
Voices (58 minutes) is available on AudioPort
(ready for airing on other radio stations - free of KPFT
fund drives).
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Date: |
September 21, 2023
(Episode # 1,079) |
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Topics: |
1st Segment:
Interview with Rania
Succar, Outstanding Arab American Philanthropist of the Year
The
Center for Arab American Philanthropy has chosen Rania
Succar to be the recipient of the 2023 Outstanding Arab
American Philanthropist of the Year Award.
Rania Succar is a Syrian-American life-long social
entrepreneur and an accomplished business leader. She is the
CEO of Intuit Mailchimp. Before that, she was Google's
Director of Brand Solutions for North America and worked for
McKinsey in the US and Dubai before joining Google. Rania
co-founded the Harvard Arab Alumni Association in 2001 and
was president until 2008. She has a Harvard MBA, a Harvard
MPA in International Development, and a Harvard BA in
economics. Rania is passionate about closing the opportunity
gap that exists for children and youth in the Arab world. In
2011 she Co-Founded
Jusoor,
an Arabic word meaning Bridges, a global non-profit that has
provided education opportunities to over 10,000 Syrian
children and youth and has impacted the lives of thousands
more.
We will speak with Rania Succar about the prestigious award
she is receiving, her organization Jusoor, and her work with
Syrian youth and refugees.
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2nd Segment:
Professor Edward Said's
Speech on Dignity and Solidarity
This
week marks the 20th anniversary of the passing of Professor
Edward Said, and in memory and honor of Dr. Said, we are
going to air a portion of a speech he delivered on Dignity
and Solidarity at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee’s annual convention held in Washington, D.C. in
June 2003 (three months before he died).
Professor Edward Said was born in Jerusalem in 1935 to a
Christian Arab family. His father immigrated to the United
States at the turn of the century. Said was raised in
Jerusalem and Cairo. In 1951, he went to the United States
to attend Princeton and Harvard universities. He specialized
in English literature, comparative literature and
musicology. He was appointed professor at Columbia
University in New York City, where he stayed for the rest of
his life. He died on September 25, 2003, in New York. For
more than a decade, Said battled leukemia, but never stopped
writing a great deal on the Palestinian Israeli subject -
choosing to participate in conferences and speak out with
the vehemence that characterized him. Professor Said is an
internationally renowned writer, author, and scholar. His
writings about the Middle East and its relationship with the
West have gone far to open new roads in academia and to
influence public opinion. During the course of his life,
Professor Said articulated a vision of Palestine and the
Arab world that not only recalled the significant
contributions of the region’s people, but also offered hope
for the future. |
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Date: |
September 14, 2023
(Episode # 1,078) |
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Topics: |
1st Segment:
Catastrophic Earthquake in Morocco & Deadly Flooding in
Libya, and how you can help
During
the first segment, we will talk about the catastrophic
earthquake in Morocco and the unprecedented deadly flooding
in Libya, two Arab countries in northern Africa, and
how you
can help.
On September 8, 2023, a major earthquake that registered a
magnitude of 6.8 hit Morocco, the deadliest
earthquake in over 60 years. According to the
Moroccan Ministry of Interior, nearly 3,000 people were
killed and nearly 6,000 were injured. The numbers are
expected to go higher. Several villages were wiped off the
map by this catastrophic earthquake, and rescue teams are
facing challenges reaching many areas as the search for the
thousands of missing people and survivors trapped in the
rubble of flattened villages continues. It has been a
challenge for rescuers to reach remote mountain villages
where victims are still being trapped.
On September 10, storm Daniel hit several Libyan cities very
hard with massive rain that caused catastrophic flooding,
especially after two dams collapsed. The flooding was
unprecedented and destroyed cities and villages. More than
6,000 people were killed and the number is expected to be
much higher as recovery efforts are still underway with more
than 10,000 still missing or unaccounted for. More than
30,000 people were displaced. Storm Daniel hit the cities of
Bayda, Benghazi, al-Marj, Susa, and the port city of Derna,
which suffered the most after two dams collapsed, causing
catastrophic flooding in the city. Thousands of families are
left homeless without shelter, food, and access to clean
water.
Our hearts go out to the people of Morocco and the people of
Libya!
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2nd Segment:
Grand
Opening of the Senan Shaibani
Marsh Arabs Project & The Mudhif
Iraq,
the cradle of civilization, with a very rich culture,
heritage, great contributions to the world, and a rich
ancient civilization, is also home to the Marsh Arabs,
mainly in Southern Iraq, near where the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers join.
A Mudhif, an Arabic word for a guest house, a 5000-year-old
structure, a traditional reed house, used to be one of the
popular and unique builds of the Marsh Arabs in the swamps
of southern Iraq. It serves as a cultural center, court,
site for religious ceremonies, and place for welcoming
visitors.
A huge project named the Senan Shaibani Marsh Arabs Project,
which included the building of a Mudhif structure on the
lawn of Rice University in Houston, Texas,
was launched in Houston, Texas, about two years ago.
The Project is a collaboration between
Archeology Now and
the Arab-American Educational Foundation, and it provides
one of the first opportunities for Americans to see and
experience an authentic representation of an ancient culture
with immense historical significance.
One of the Senan Shaibani Marsh Arabs Project milestones was
revealed at the grand opening ceremony held on September
9, 2023, at Rice University, and that is the Mudhif,
created as a place to celebrate the story of the Iraqi Marsh
Dwellers and to preserve 5,000 years of history. It is the
first of its kind ever built outside of Iraq from materials
shipped from Iraq. It was
constructed in June and July 2023 by over 100 volunteers from across
Houston, including many members of the multi-cultural and
multi-faith Iraqi community, who found purpose in the
project.
During the second segment, we will air remarks from some of the
organizers, volunteers, and attendees at the grand opening
ceremony, including the remarks of Dr. Aziz Shaibani,
President of the Arab-American Educational Foundation (AAEF),
Azzam Alwash, Founder
and CEO of Nature Iraq,
Ali Daher,
President of the Arab-American Cultural & Community Center,
Dr.
Hussain Alobaidi, Iraqi American Doctor,
Dr.
Sinan Antoon, Iraqi Poet, Writer & Academic,
Amer Al-Nahhas, with the
AAEF, Becky Lao,
Executive Director of Archeology Now,
Dr.
Omar Aldabagh, President & Founder of the Iraqi
American Community and Board Member with Archeology Now,
Dr.
Ghaidaa Makki, Iraqi American Doctor and Board
Member with the Arab-American Cultural & Community Center,
Ali, an Iraqi youth,
Sarah Izzat,
Ruth Ann Skaff, Board
Member with the AAEF, Dalia Khalil,
Iraqi American, and Noor,
Iraqi Artist with Afaf Arts. |
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Date: |
September 7, 2023
(Episode # 1,077) |
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Topics: |
1st Segment:
Grand
Opening of the Senan Shaibani
Marsh Arabs Project
We
will talk about the grand opening of the Senan Shaibani Marsh Arabs Project,
scheduled for Saturday, September 9, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 1
p.m. at Rice University. In addition to a tour of the Mudhif,
a replica of a 5000-year-old structure built of reed from the Iraqi
Marshes and shipped to Houston, there are several activities
planned including family fun and entertainment, music,
traditional Iraqi food, and dance. We will also share a
brief message from Dr. Aziz Shaibani, President of the Arab-American Educational
Foundation, about the historic Mudhif
structure and the grand opening event.
The project is a collaboration between
Archeology Now and
the Arab-American Educational Foundation, and provides
one of the first opportunities for Americans to see and
experience an authentic representation of an ancient culture
with immense historical significance.
In addition to the grand opening on September 9, there are
other activities planned including talks on Iraqi marsh
culture and ecology, a documentary screening on life in the
Iraqi marshes, and more. A list of those events is posted in
our Community
Calendar section.
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2nd Segment:
"Islamophobia and Imperialism:
20 years after the invasion of Iraq"
During
the second segment, we will air a program from
CovertAction Bulletin,
the official podcast of CovertAction Magazine,
titled
"Islamophobia and Imperialism:
20 years after the invasion of Iraq". It is an
interview with
Dr. Nazia Kazi,
author of
Islamophobia, Race and Global Politics,
and Associate Professor of Anthropology at Stockton
University in New Jersey.
In
the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Islamophobia became a sort of
unofficial religion in the United States. Vigilante street
attacks on Muslim people became common. The government
surveilled mosques and community centers. Over two decades
later, the situation doesn't seem much different. Resistance
to bringing refugees from Syria into the US based entirely
in racism and Islamophobia. As we mark the 20th anniversary
of the war in Iraq in March 2023, the New York Times major
retrospective piece barely mentions the hundreds of
thousands of Iraqi civilians who died, and says nothing
about its own role in the war or the toll on Muslim people
in the US.
But Islamophobia as a weapon of imperialism goes deeper: The
US has a long history of funding right-wing political
Islamist forces from Afghanistan to Syria and Indonesia. In
this episode, we investigate the role that Islamophobia
plays in US foreign and domestic policy. It's a tool used by
those in power to justify its wars and surveillance
operations in its quest for continued global hegemony.
We're joined by
Dr. Nazia Kazi,
author of
Islamophobia, Race and Global Politics,
and Associate Professor of Anthropology at Stockton
University in New Jersey. |
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Date: |
August 24, 2023
(Episode # 1,076) |
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Topics: |
Edward Said Library in
Gaza & Poetry Reading by Mosab Abu Toha from "Things
You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza", winner of
the 2023 American Book
Award
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,076), we will air some of
the remarks delivered at an event held in Houston, Texas on
March 14, 2023, about the
Edward Said Library that serves thousands of Palestinian
children, youth, and families in the occupied Gaza Strip. We
will air the remarks of Mosab Abu Toha, Founder of
the Edward Said Library, Zeiad Abbas Shamrouch,
Middle East Children’s Alliance Executive Director, and
Joe Shahda, one of the event organizers.
We
will also air Mosab Abu Toha's reading of selected poems
from his newest book Things
You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza,
a
winner of the Palestine Book Award, winner of the 2023
American Book Award, and a finalist for the National Book
Critics Circle Award for Poetry.
In this poetry debut, Mosab Abu Toha writes about his life
under siege in Gaza, first as a child, and then as a young
father. A survivor of four brutal Israeli military attacks,
he bears witness to a grinding cycle of destruction and
assault, and yet, his poetry is inspired by a profound
humanity.
Mosab Abu Toha is
a Palestinian poet, scholar, and librarian who was born in
Gaza and has spent his life there. A graduate in English
language teaching and literature, he taught English at the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) schools in
Gaza from 2016 until 2019, and is the founder of the Edward
Said Library, Gaza’s first English-language library. Abu
Toha is a columnist for Arrowsmith Press, and his writings
from Gaza have appeared in The
Nation, Arrowsmith Press, and Literary
Hub.
His poems have been published on the Poetry Foundation’s
website, in Poetry
Magazine, Banipal, Solstice, The Markaz Review, The New
Arab, Peripheries, and
other journals. His newest book Things
You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza is
winner of the Palestine Book Award, winner of the 2023
American Book Award, and National Book Critics Circle Award
for Poetry
Finalist. |
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Date: |
August 24, 2023
(Episode # 1,075) |
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Topic: |
"Progress
in the Shadow of Prejudice" Civil Rights Report &
Update on the Federal Watchlist Program
The
Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest
Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, held a
community briefing on April 11, 2023, on CAIR's new civil
rights report titled "Progress
in the Shadow of Prejudice", and an update on the
federal watchlist program.
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1075), we will air the
remarks delivered at that briefing by
Corey Saylor, Research and Advocacy Director
at the Council on American-Islamic Relations,
Ammar Ansari, CAIR
Research and Advocacy Coordinator, and
Zanah Ghalawanji, Legal Director at CAIR. Two
expert guests also participated at the briefing,
Dr. Hatem Bazian,
Chair and Founder of Islamophobia
Research and Documentation Project at the Center for Race &
Gender at the University of California Berkeley, and
Dalia Mogahed, Director
of Research at the Institute for Social Policy and
Understanding in Washington, D.C. We will also air their
remarks regarding CAIR's new civil rights report "Progress
in the Shadow of Prejudice".
CAIR's report reveals that in 2022, it received a total of
5,156 complaints nationwide (a 23 percent decrease from
2021), complaints about law enforcement and government
overreach dropped by 38 percent, while at the same time,
complaints about school incidents increased by 63 percent.
In the report, CAIR states: "Regardless of the total number
of complaints, the human experience of being subjected to
hate remains chilling. The case studies section of this
report provides examples of the effects of Islamophobia on
the lived experiences of American Muslims and efforts to
secure justice for them." |
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Date: |
August 17, 2023
(Episode # 1,074) |
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Guests/
Topic: |
"Christian Theology in the
Palestinian Context" by Varsen Aghabekian, Munther Isaac,
Mitri Raheb, and Jack Sara
In
this episode of Arab Voices (# 1074), we will air the
remarks of four esteemed Palestinian Christian leaders from
Bethlehem, Palestine, who spoke in Houston, Texas at an
event organized by Churches for Middle East Peace and Fuller
Seminary Houston. We will air the remarks of Dr. Varsen
Aghabekian, the Reverend Dr. Mitri Raheb, the Reverend Dr. Munther Isaac, and Dr. Jack Sara. Their talk explores how
Palestinian Christian theology engages with biblical notions
of the Land and its inhabitants. In their remarks, they talk
about their perspectives and their take on what’s happening
in Palestine, the Christian Palestinian population, the
plight of Palestinian Christians and their experience living
under occupation, oppression, discrimination, injustice, and
dehumanization, Palestinian Christian Theology, “Christ at
the checkpoint”, the new Israeli government, the rise of
Israeli incitements and incidents against Palestinian
Christians, their call for American Christians,
evangelicals, activists, leaders, pastors and theologians,
and much more.
We will also listen to brief remarks from the organizers of
the event, Alexis Busetti with Fuller Seminary
Houston, Wayne Park, chancellor of Fuller Texas, and
Lauren Draper, Middle East Fellow at Churches for
Middle East Peace.
Varsen Aghabekian
(Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, USA) is a management and
policy consultant. She has directed several national studies
and authored numerous manuals, articles and national reports
on Jerusalem, education, youth, and women. Recent
publications include Palestinian women in politics and
Christian migration from the Holy Land. A founding member of
several non-governmental organizations and forums. Dr.
Aghabekian is an active member in university boards and
human rights organizations, including Dar al-Kalima
University in Bethlehem. She served as the Commissioner
General of the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human
Rights as well as a member of the Presidential Committee for
the Restoration of the Church of the Nativity.
Munther Isaac (Ph.D.,
Oxford Centre for Mission Studies) is the academic dean of
Bethlehem Bible College in Palestine and director of the
Christ at the Checkpoint conference. He is also pastor of
Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem. He is
the author of The Other Side of the Wall: A Palestinian
Christian Narrative of Lament and Hope and From Land to
Lands, from Eden to the Renewed Earth: A Christ-Centered
Biblical Theology of the Promised Land."
Mitri Raheb (Ph.D.,
Philipps University at Marburg, Germany) is the founder and
president of Dar al-Kalima University in Bethlehem and the
co-founder of Bright Stars of Bethlehem, a not for profit
501c3 in the USA. The most widely published Palestinian
theologian to date, Dr. Raheb is the author and editor of 40
books including: The Cross in Contexts: Suffering and
Redemption in Palestine; Faith in the Face of Empire: The
Bible through Palestinian Eyes; I am a Palestinian
Christian; Bethlehem Besieged.
Jack Sara (Ph.D., Gordon
Conwell Theological Seminary) is the President of Bethlehem
Bible College and an ordained minister in the Evangelical
Alliance Church in the Holy Land, where he maintains a role
overseeing church leadership. Jack has worked extensively in
the area of peace and reconciliation and has played a
pioneering role in several ministries in the Bethlehem area
and internationally. |
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Date: |
August 10, 2023
(Episode # 1,073) |
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Guests/
Topics: |
1st Segment:
Interview with Lein Soltan
We will speak with Lein Soltan, Advocacy and Operations
Manager at
UNRWA
USA about
UNRWA
(United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East) and the crucial services it has
been providing to millions of Palestinian refugees, Advocacy
work at UNRWA USA, and the
Blocking of $75 Million US Food Aid to UNRWA by Rep. McCaul
(R-TX) & Sen. Risch (R-ID).
Lein
Soltan is a Palestinian American born and raised
in North Carolina to Palestinian refugee parents fleeing the
Gulf War in Kuwait. She holds a Masters in Public Health
with a Global Health concentration and a Bachelors in
Biology with a Marine Science concentration from the
University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill.
Lein spent the first seven years of her career as a marine
biologist, managing a sea turtle research lab at UNC after
working as an ocean outdoor educator in San Diego.
Lein’s transition to global health was inspired by her
experience growing up as a first-generation American in a
Palestinian refugee family, ingraining a sense of global
connectivity and a responsibility to advocate for her
people. Lein is passionate about the connections between the
environment, animals, and health and hopes to bring an
environmental justice lens to her advocacy work at UNRWA
USA.
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2nd Segment:
Interview with Mustafaa Carroll
and Hadi Jawad
We will speak with two Texas activists Mustafaa Carroll and
Hadi Jawad about Representative Michael McCaul of Texas and
Senator James Risch of Idaho Blocking of $75 Million Food
Aid to Palestinian Refugees through UNRWA, and the
URGENT Call for Action.
Mustafaa
Carroll
is a lifelong community activist, and lecturer, who
currently serves as the Convenor for the North Texas Chapter
of the Muslim Alliance for Black Lives, and also serves on
the board of United Colors Education Center.
Carroll has served on several boards including the Shura of
the North Texas Islamic Council, the Make-A-Wish Foundation
board of North Texas, the advisory committee of the Greater
Dallas Chamber of Commerce, the board of the Coalition Of
Community Organizations in Houston’s 5th Ward, and also
served as Executive Director for the Council on American
Islamic Relations in Houston and Dallas.
Hadi
Jawad
is a Dallas based peace and justice activist, advocate and
organizer who devotes much of his time to human rights and
social justice issues in the DFW metroplex area.
Working with the Dallas Peace Center in the 1990’s, Jawad
led efforts in North Texas to oppose sanctions on Iraq, the
subsequent US invasion of Iraq in 2003, and organized the
largest antiwar protest in Dallas’ history. He is a
co-founder of the Crawford Peace House in Crawford, Texas,
that in 2005 drew national and international attention to
the failing US/ NATO occupation of Iraq. In 2007, Jawad
launched the short-lived “American Muslim Voices” in N.
Texas, one of the earliest Muslim radio shows in the
country. |
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Date: |
August 3, 2023
(Episode # 1,072) |
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Topic: |
"Navigating Anti-Imperialism
and Anti-Authoritarianism: The Syrian Uprising and the
Question of Palestine" by
Bassam Haddad
Part 2 of 2 / Q&A Session
During
the previous episode of Arab Voices (# 1,071), already
archived on our website ArabVoices.net, we aired a lecture
by Professor Bassam Haddad titled "Navigating
Anti-Imperialism and Anti-Authoritarianism: The Syrian
Uprising and the Question of Palestine," that shed light on
crucial aspects of the Syrian civil war. During this episode
of Arab Voices (# 1,072), we will air the question and
answer session that followed his lecture.
Dr. Bassam Haddad, Associate Professor at the Schar School
of Policy and Government at George Mason University,
delivered that lecture on May 24, 2023, at the annual Hisham
Sharabi Memorial Lecture, organized by the
Palestine Center in Washington, D.C. The annual lecture
is dedicated to Professor Hisham Sharabi, the founder of The
Jerusalem Fund and Palestine Center.
Professor Haddad delved into the complexities of the Syrian
civil war, which initially began as a popular uprising
fueled by widespread discontent due to neoliberal policies
implemented since the 1990s. However, it eventually
escalated into a multifaceted regional and international
proxy conflict. He discussed how interventions by regional
actors, ostensibly supporting the uprising, had a
detrimental effect on its original inclusive nature. These
interventions led to the sectarianization, weaponization,
and internationalization of the uprising.
Professor Haddad addressed the significant implications of
the devastating Syrian war on Syrians, Palestinians, and the
region. He addressed the interplay between the Syrian
situation and its influence on the Palestine question,
particularly within the dynamic landscape of shifting
alliances in the region. Professor Haddad's lecture
emphasized the need for a nuanced understanding of the
intricacies surrounding the Syrian case, highlighting its
far-reaching repercussions within Syria and the broader
Middle East.
Bassam Haddad is Founding Director of the Middle East and
Islamic Studies Program and Associate Professor at the Schar
School of Policy and Government at George Mason University.
He is the author of Business Networks in Syria: The
Political Economy of Authoritarian Resilience (Stanford
University Press, 2011) and co-editor of A Critical
Political Economy of the Middle East (Stanford University
Press, 2021). Bassam is Co-Founder/Editor of Jadaliyya Ezine
and Executive Director of the Arab Studies Institute. He
serves as Founding Editor of the Arab Studies Journal and
the Knowledge Production Project. He is co-producer/director
of the award-winning documentary film, About Baghdad, and
director of the acclaimed three-part documentary series
Arabs and Terrorism. Bassam served on the Board of the Arab
Council for the Social Sciences and is Executive Producer of
Status Audio-Visual Podcast. He is also the Executive Editor
of the Knowledge Production Project and Director of the
Middle East Studies Pedagogy Initiative (MESPI). He received
MESA’s Jere L. Bacharach Service Award in 2017 for his
service to the profession. Currently, Bassam is working on
his second Syria book titled Understanding The Syrian
Tragedy: Regime, Opposition, Outsiders (forthcoming,
Stanford University Press). |
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Date: |
July 27, 2023
(Episode # 1,071) |
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Topic: |
"Navigating Anti-Imperialism
and Anti-Authoritarianism: The Syrian Uprising and the
Question of Palestine" by
Bassam Haddad
Part 1 of 2 / Lecture
The
Palestine Center in Washington, D.C. held its annual
Hisham Sharabi Memorial Lecture on May 24, 2023, dedicated
to Professor Hisham Sharabi, the founder of The Jerusalem
Fund and Palestine Center. The guest speaker was Professor
Bassam Haddad, Associate Professor at the Schar School of
Policy and Government, George Mason University, and a former
student of Sharabi. His lecture, titled "Navigating
Anti-Imperialism and Anti-Authoritarianism: The Syrian
Uprising and the Question of Palestine," shed light on
crucial aspects of the Syrian civil war.
Professor Haddad delved into the complexities of the Syrian
civil war, which initially began as a popular uprising
fueled by widespread discontent due to neoliberal policies
implemented since the 1990s. However, it eventually
escalated into a multifaceted regional and international
proxy conflict. He discussed how interventions by regional
actors, ostensibly supporting the uprising, had a
detrimental effect on its original inclusive nature. These
interventions led to the sectarianization, weaponization,
and internationalization of the uprising.
Professor Haddad addressed the significant implications of
the devastating Syrian war on Syrians, Palestinians, and the
region. He addressed the interplay between the Syrian
situation and its influence on the Palestine question,
particularly within the dynamic landscape of shifting
alliances in the region. Professor Haddad's lecture
emphasized the need for a nuanced understanding of the
intricacies surrounding the Syrian case, highlighting its
far-reaching repercussions within Syria and the broader
Middle East.
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,071), we will air that
lecture in its entirety, and some of the questions and
answers that followed, and we plan to air the rest of the
questions and answers during the next episode of Arab
Voices.
Bassam Haddad is Founding Director of the Middle East and
Islamic Studies Program and Associate Professor at the Schar
School of Policy and Government at George Mason University.
He is the author of Business Networks in Syria: The
Political Economy of Authoritarian Resilience (Stanford
University Press, 2011) and co-editor of A Critical
Political Economy of the Middle East (Stanford University
Press, 2021). Bassam is Co-Founder/Editor of Jadaliyya Ezine
and Executive Director of the Arab Studies Institute. He
serves as Founding Editor of the Arab Studies Journal and
the Knowledge Production Project. He is co-producer/director
of the award-winning documentary film, About Baghdad, and
director of the acclaimed three-part documentary series
Arabs and Terrorism. Bassam served on the Board of the Arab
Council for the Social Sciences and is Executive Producer of
Status Audio-Visual Podcast. He is also the Executive Editor
of the Knowledge Production Project and Director of the
Middle East Studies Pedagogy Initiative (MESPI). He received
MESA’s Jere L. Bacharach Service Award in 2017 for his
service to the profession. Currently, Bassam is working on
his second Syria book titled Understanding The Syrian
Tragedy: Regime, Opposition, Outsiders (forthcoming,
Stanford University Press). |
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Date: |
July 20, 2023
(Episode # 1,070) |
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Topic: |
“Actualizing a One-State
Solution”
by
Jeff Halper
Jeff
Halper, an Israeli-American activist, organizer, Nobel Peace
Prize nominee, Director of
The Israeli
Committee Against House Demolitions, and co-founder of
The One Democratic State Campaign, spoke in Houston,
Texas on the topic "Actualizing a One-State Solution",
opposing US government support of Israeli apartheid and
advocating for the One Democratic State Campaign - a genuine
call for political action, and the establishment of a single
democratic state including everyone living between the River
and the Sea, including Palestinian refugees who choose to
return to their homeland.
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,070), we will air Jeff Halper's remarks.
Halper delivered that talk at the University of Houston on
October 22, 2022, at an event organized by Students for
Justice in Palestine at the University of Houston.
While in Houston, Jeff Halper also spoke at a different
event on “Israeli House Demolitions”, and that talk was
aired on Arab Voices previously and is archived on our
website at
https://www.arabvoices.net/archives/ArabVoices102722.mp3. |
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Date: |
July 13, 2023
(Episode # 1,069) |
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Topic: |
“From Adam to Murad: Universal
History Through Ottoman Eyes”, by Dr. Emine Fetvacı
In
this episode of Arab Voices (# 1069), we will air the 2023
Annual Lecture in Ottoman History held on March 1, 2023, at
the University of Houston, organized by the
Arab-American
Educational Foundation Center for Arab Studies at the
University of Houston. The lecture is titled “From Adam to Murad: Universal History Through Ottoman Eyes”, presented by
Dr. Emine Fetvacı, and introduced by Dr. Emire Cihan Yüksel,
Associate Professor at the University of Houston, who is
serving as the 2022-23 Acting Director of the Arab-American
Educational Foundation Center for Arab Studies.
In the sixteenth century, artists and historians working for
the Ottoman court in Istanbul produced multiple works of
Ottoman history that eulogized the ruling elite. The books
varied in content: some described the reign of a particular
sultan, others focused on the military campaigns of a
courtier, yet others were universal histories that fit the
Ottoman dynasty into a long line of rulers including Old
Testament prophets and pre-Islamic Persian heroes from the
Shahnama (Book of Kings). This talk will examine Zubdat al
Tawarikh, an illustrated universal history that was made for
the ruler Murad III (r. 1574-1595) and its models. Through
the paintings of this and other Ottoman histories, we will
trace changes in the Ottoman concept of the ideal ruler
during the sixteenth century.
Dr. Emine Fetvacı is the Norma Jean Calderwood University
Professor in Islamic & Asian Art, Boston College. She
specializes in the arts of the book in the early-modern
Islamic world. Her first book, Picturing History at the
Ottoman Court (Indiana University Press, 2013), was awarded
the 2014 M. Fuat Köprülü Book Prize by the Ottoman and
Turkish Studies Association. Her latest monograph, The Album
of the World Emperor: Cross-Cultural Collecting and Album
Making at the Ottoman Court (Princeton University Press,
2019), which has been nominated for the 2021 Charles Rufus
Morey Award of the College Art Association, focuses on an
imperial album created for the Ottoman sultan Ahmed I (r.
1603-1617), and examines the art and architecture produced
during the sultan’s reign. Her most recent project examines
artistic connections between the Ottoman and Mughal Empires. |
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Date: |
July 6, 2023
(Episode # 1,068) |
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Topics: |
1st Segment:
Israel's Deadly Attack & War
Crimes in Jenin
In
this episode of Arab Voices (# 1068), we will talk about the
latest Israeli attack, aggression, and war crimes committed
in Jenin in the occupied West Bank, where on July
3, 2023, the Israeli occupation forces launched another
deadly and destructive attack on the city of Jenin and its
refugee camp, murdering 12 Palestinians, injuring 120, and
causing massive destruction to the city and its refugee
camp. It even used aerial missile strikes against the
Palestinian population, and forced thousands of Palestinians
out of their homes.
2nd Segment:
How Israel tests weapons on
Palestinians, a podcast from the Electronic Intifada
During
this episode of Arab Voices, we will also air a podcast from
the
Electronic Intifada on how Israel tests weapons on
Palestinians. In this podcast, Nora Barrows-Friedman
interviews journalist, filmmaker, and best-selling author
Antony Loewenstein to talk about his latest book,
The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports The Technology
Of Occupation Around The World. Loewenstein’s book is a
meticulously researched exposé on how Israel tests weaponry
and surveillance technology on Palestinians, perfecting what
he calls the architecture of control. He talks about
Israel’s occupation and the requisite dehumanization of
Palestinians as a marketing tool, and its weapons and
spyware – including NSO Group’s signature Pegasus software –
as Israel’s export assets. This technology is being sold to
global markets as “field-tested.” |
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Date: |
June 29, 2023
(Episode # 1,067) |
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Guest/
Topic: |
“The Black Study of an Old
Matter: The Poetic Socialities of Africanité and Arabité" by
Professor R.A. Judy
In
this episode of Arab Voices (# 1067), we will air a lecture
delivered at the University of Houston held on February 9,
2023, titled “The Black Study of an Old Matter: The Poetic
Socialities of Africanité and Arabité by R.A. Judy,
Professor of Literature at the University of Pittsburgh. The
lecture was organized by The Arab-American Educational
Foundation Dr. Burhan and Mrs. Misako Ajouz Professor of
Arab Studies at the University of Houston, co-sponsored by
the Arab-American Educational Foundation Center for Arab
Studies, the Department of English, and the Department of
African American Studies at the University of Houston.
In his lecture, Professor R.A. Judy considers the way in
which the confluence of conceptual performative poetic
practices of living with nothingness challenge the political
foundations of the neoliberal world order. Two illustrations
of this are “sṭambālī” and “diwān.”
Professor R.A. Judy is introduced by Dr.
Hosam Aboul-Ela, Professor of English and the Arab-American
Educational Foundation Dr. Burhan and Mrs. Misako Ajouz
Professor of Arab Studies at the University of Houston. |
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Date: |
June 22, 2023
(Episode # 1,066) |
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Guest/
Topic: |
Interview with Salim Tamari
(in Ramallah) - "Virtual Return to
Jaffa"
Nakba 75 Special
In
this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,066), we will air an
interview Hanan Awad conducted
with Salim Tamari (in Ramallah)
on the topic "Virtual Return to Jaffa".
Salim Tamari is a Palestinian sociologist, and historian,
who serves as a Research Associate for the Institute for
Palestine Studies, and is the editor of the Jerusalem
Quarterly.
This interview
is part of Arab Voices Nakba 75 Special Episodes we are
airing during the months of May and June 2023, as we
commemorate the 75th anniversary of the ongoing Palestinian
Nakba or Catastrophe.
All Arab Voices episodes, including the special Nakba 75
episodes are archived on our website
www.ArabVoices.net
for on-demand listening. |
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Date: |
June 15, 2023
(Episode # 1,065) |
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Guest/
Topic: |
Interview with Marwah Tibi
(in Taybe) on Film & Identity in
Palestine
Nakba 75 Special
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,065),
we will air an interview Hanan Awad conducted with
Marwah Tibi (in Taybe) about
”Film & Identity in Palestine”. Marwah Tibi is an
independent filmmaker who produces and directs documentaries
in Palestine.
This interview
is part of Arab Voices Nakba
75 Special
Episodes we are airing during the months of May and June
2023, as we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the ongoing
Palestinian Nakba or Catastrophe.
During the next episode of Arab Voices, we will air
an additional interview hosted by
Hanan Awad with
another distinguished guest, Salim Tamari
(in Ramallah) with a
”Virtual Return to Jaffa”. |
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Date: |
June 8, 2023
(Episode # 1,064) |
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Guest/
Topic: |
Interview with Dr. Yasser Abu
Jamie
(in Gaza) on Mental Health Under
Occupation (Part 2 of 2)
Nakba 75 Special
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,064),
we will air part 2 of the interview Hanan Awad conducted with
Dr. Yasser Abu Jamie (in Gaza)
on "Mental Health Under Occupation". Dr. Abu Jamie is the
General Director of the Gaza Mental Health Program, and a
leading Palestinian Psychiatrist. During the previous
episode of Arab Voices, we aired part 1 of that interview
(archived on our website www.ArabVoices.net).
This interview
is part of Arab Voices Nakba
75 Special
Episodes we are airing during the months of May and June
2023, as we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the ongoing
Palestinian Nakba or Catastrophe.
Over the next few weeks, we will air additional interviews hosted by
Hanan Awad with
other distinguished guests, including Marwah Tibi in
Taiybe on
”Film & Identity in Palestine”, and Salim Tamari
in Ramallah with a
”Virtual Return to Jaffa”.
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Clare Daly's Response to
Ursula von der Leyen
In
this episode, we will also air the response of Clare Daly,
Member of the European Parliament, to the message issued by
the President of the European Commission Ursula von der
Leyen, about "a celebration of 75 years of Israel's
independence and friendship with Europe", which included
many lies! |
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Date: |
June 1, 2023
(Episode # 1,063) |
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Guest/
Topic: |
Interview with Dr. Yasser Abu
Jamie
(in Gaza) on Mental Health Under
Occupation (Part 1 of 2)
Nakba 75 Special
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,063),
we will air part 1 of an interview Hanan Awad conducted with
Dr. Yasser Abu Jamie (in Gaza)
on "Mental Health Under Occupation". Dr. Abu Jamie is the
General Director of the Gaza Mental Health Program, and a
leading Palestinian Psychiatrist.
This interview
is part of Arab Voices Nakba
75 Special
Episodes we are airing during the months of May and June
2023, as we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the ongoing
Palestinian Nakba or Catastrophe.
We will air part 2 of Hanan's interview with Dr. Abu Jamie
during the next episode of Arab Voices, and over the next few weeks, we will air
additional interviews hosted by
Hanan Awad with
other distinguished guests, including Marwah Tibi in
Taiybe on
”Film & Identity in Palestine”, and Salim Tamari
in Ramallah with a
”Virtual Return to Jaffa”. |
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Date: |
May 25, 2023
(Episode # 1,062) |
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Guests/
Topics: |
1st Segment:
Interview with Batoul Abuharb about the Houston Palestine
Film Festival
Interview
with Batoul Abuharb with the
Houston
Palestine Film Festival about the upcoming 16th annual
festival that features the latest films in Palestinian
Cinema. The festival is scheduled to take place over two
weekends: June 2nd & 3rd (at the
Museum of Fine Arts Houston) and June 9th & 10th (at
Rice University Cinema). Three major films will be
screened at the festival:
A Gaza Weekend
Friday, June 2 & 9, 2023 at 7 p.m.
A British journalist tries to escape Israel after the UN
imposes an embargo from land, air, and sea due to the
spreading of a virus.
Mediterranean Fever
Saturday, June 3 & 10, 2023 at 3 p.m.
Waleed is an aspiring writer suffering from chronic
depression who cultivates a relationship with a petty
criminal neighbor.
Alam
Saturday, June 3 & 10, 2023 at 7 p.m.
A Palestinian-Israeli high schooler undergoes a political
awakening when he falls for the outspoken new girl in his
class.
The festival will also screen several short films:
Palestine 87 directed by Bilal Alkhatib, Angel of
Gaza directed by Ahmed Mansour, and the short
documentary Last May in Palestine directed by Rabeea
Eid.
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2nd Segment:
Interview with Saleh Diab
(in Sheikh Jarrah)
Nakba 75 Special
Interview
with Saleh Diab, a Palestinian activist, and one of the
leaders of the struggle against expulsions of Palestinians
from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in occupied East
Jerusalem. Diab was jailed 20 times by the Israeli
Occupation Forces but continues to resist, and his story
speaks volume of the resilience and steadfastness of the
Palestinians against the ongoing Israeli aggressions and
attempts to force him and other Palestinians out of their
homes from Sheikh Jarrah in occupied Jerusalem. Saleh Diab’s
family was forced out of their home in Jaffa in 1948, so for
him and many other Palestinians, the Palestinian Nakba is
ongoing!
This interview with Saleh Diab
is part of Arab Voices Nakba
75 Special
Episodes we are airing during the months of May and June
2023, as we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the ongoing
Palestinian Nakba or Catastrophe.
Over the next few weeks, we will air interviews hosted by
Hanan Awad with
other distinguished guests, including Yasser Abu Jamie
in Gaza on
“Mental Health Under Occupation”, Marwah Tibi in
Taiybe on
”Film & Identity in Palestine”, and Salim Tamari
in Ramallah with a
”Virtual Return to Jaffa”. |
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Date: |
May 18, 2023
(Episode # 1,061) |
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1. |
Apartheid Israel's deadly attack on the Gaza
Strip (May 8-13, 2023) that killed 33 Palestinians including
6 children and 3 women, injured 190 others including 64
children and 38 women, and resulted in the complete
destruction of 103 housing units, severely damaged 140 units
(considered unlivable), and damaged another 2,700 units,
displacing 1,244 Palestinians, an ongoing Nakba.
Furthermore, the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip damaged 26
schools, 2 hospitals, and 2 primary health care clinics.
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2. Guest/
Topic: |
Interview with Rana Barakat
(in Birzeit) about Lifta Village
Nakba 75 Special Episode
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,061)
we will air an interview Hanan Awad conducted with Rana
Barakat, Associate Professor of History and Contemporary
Arab Studies at Birzeit University in occupied Palestine.
Barakat's research interests include the history and
historiography of colonialism, nationalism, and cultures of
resistance. She is currently working on a book monograph
titled "Lifta and Resisting the Museumification of
Palestine: Indigenous History of the Nakba". Barakat’s work
explores the struggles of Lifta's people and their efforts
to preserve their village as a symbol, not just for the
importance of cultural heritage, but also as a symbol of the
hope to return to their homes in Palestine.
This interview is part of Arab Voices Nakba 75 Special Episodes
we are airing during the months of May and June 2023, as we
commemorate the 75th anniversary of the ongoing Palestinian
Nakba or Catastrophe. These episodes are hosted by
Hanan Awad,
and include interviews with several distinguished guests, including
Salman Abu Sitta on the “The Right of Return”, Rana
Barakat on “Lifta Village”, Yasser Abu Jamie on
“Mental Health Under Occupation”, Marwah Tibi on
”Film & Identity in Palestine”, Saleh Diab and his
”Eyewitness Account”, and Salim Tamari with a
”Virtual Return to Jaffa”. |
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Date: |
May 11, 2023
(Episode # 1,060) |
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1. |
Commentary on the one-year anniversary of
Shireen Abu Akleh's assassination by Apartheid Israel |
2. |
The Deadly Israeli Attack on the Gaza Strip |
3.
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Interview with Dr. Salman Abu Sitta (part 2
of 2)
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Guest/
Topic: |
Interview with Dr. Salman Abu Sitta (in London) on "The
Right of Return"
(Part 2 of 2) - Nakba 75 Special Episode
The
month of May 2023, marks the 75th anniversary of the
ongoing Palestinian Nakba. Nakba is an Arabic word for
Catastrophe. 75 years ago, in May 1948, right before the
British Mandate was to expire in Palestine, Israel declared
its independence on 78% of historic Palestine after wiping
out more than 530 Palestinian villages and towns, killing
thousands of Palestinians and forcing nearly 850,000
Palestinians out of their homes. The Palestinians call that
Al-Nakba (The Catastrophe).
In commemoration of the ongoing Palestinian Nakba, Arab Voices will
air
special episodes hosted by
Hanan Awad during
May & June 2023. Hanan will
interview several distinguished guests, including Salman
Abu Sitta on “The Right of Return”, Rana Barakat
on “Lifta Village”, Yasser Abu Jamie on “Mental
Health Under Occupation”, Marwah Tibi on ”Film &
Identity in Palestine”, Saleh Diab and his
”Eyewitness Account”, and Salim Tamari with a
”Virtual Return to Jaffa”.
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,060), we will air part 2 of the interview
Hanan Awad conducted with Dr. Salman Abu Sitta
(in London). During the last episode of Arab Voices, we
aired part 1 of that interview (archived on our website).
Abu Sitta is a Palestinian researcher, former
member of the Palestinian National Council, Founder of
Palestine Land Society, general coordinator of the Right of
Return Congress, and author of several books. |
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Date: |
May 4, 2023
(Episode # 1,059) |
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Guest/
Topic: |
Interview with Dr. Salman Abu Sitta (in London) on "The
Right of Return"
(Part 1 of 2) - Nakba 75 Special Episode
The
month of May 2023, marks the 75th anniversary of the
ongoing Palestinian Nakba. Nakba is an Arabic word for
Catastrophe. 75 years ago, in May 1948, right before the
British Mandate was to expire in Palestine, Israel declared
its independence on 78% of historic Palestine after wiping
out more than 530 Palestinian villages and towns, killing
thousands of Palestinians and forcing nearly 850,000
Palestinians out of their homes. The Palestinians call that
Al-Nakba (The Catastrophe).
In commemoration of the ongoing Palestinian Nakba, Arab Voices will
air
special episodes hosted by
Hanan Awad during
May & June 2023. Hanan will
interview several distinguished guests, including Salman
Abu Sitta on “The Right of Return”, Rana Barakat
on “Lifta Village”, Yasser Abu Jamie on “Mental
Health Under Occupation”, Marwah Tibi on ”Film &
Identity in Palestine”, Saleh Diab and his
”Eyewitness Account”, and Salim Tamari with a
”Virtual Return to Jaffa”.
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,059), we will talk about
Al-Nakba, and air part 1 of the interview with
Dr. Salman Abu Sitta
(in London). Abu Sitta is a Palestinian researcher, former
member of the Palestinian National Council, Founder of
Palestine Land Society, general coordinator of the Right of
Return Congress, and author of several books. |
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Date: |
April 27, 2023
(Episode # 1,058) |
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Guests/
Topics: |
1st Segment:
Interview with Becky Lao about
the Marsh Arabs Project
During the
first segment, we will interview Becky Lao, Executive
Director of Archeology Now, and one of the Marsh Arabs
Project leaders.
The Marsh Arabs Project is a collaboration between
Archeology Now and the
Arab-American Educational Foundation. The project will
include the construction of an Iraqi mudhif (المضيف) on the
Rice University campus in Houston, Texas, and will be made
up of reeds from Iraq (15 feet tall, 15 feet wide, and 27
feet long). The project will also include talks/lectures,
cultural activities, a film screening on the Marsh Arabs of
Iraq, and will also host classes. The project will provide
one of the first opportunities for Americans to see and
experience an authentic representation of an ancient culture
with immense historical significance.
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2nd Segment:
Interview with Dr. Khaled
Mustafa Medani about the Crisis in Sudan
We
will interview Professor Khalid Mustafa Medani about the
crisis in Sudan that reached the Sudanese Capitol Khartoum,
for the first time in Sudan's history. We will talk about
the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid
Support Forces that has killed hundreds of Sudanese and
injured thousands. Tens of thousands have fled their homes,
and a humanitarian crisis is unfolding as a result of the
fighting. We will discuss all of that and more.
Dr. Khalid Mustafa Medani is an Associate Professor of
Political Science and Islamic Studies who is also Chair of
the African Studies Program at McGill University in Canada.
His research focuses on globalization, and the political
economy of Islamist and Ethnic Politics in Africa and the
Middle East, with a special focus on Sudan, Egypt, and
Somalia. Dr. Medani is a Sudanese Scholar. He is the author
of
Black Markets and Militants: Informal Networks in the Middle
East and Africa,
which received an award from the American Political Science
Association for the Best Book in the Field of Middle East
and North Africa Politics by a Senior Scholar in 2022. |
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Date: |
April 20, 2023
(Episode # 1,057) |
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Topic: |
International Day of Al-Quds
Houston Remarks
In
this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,057), we will air some of
the remarks delivered at the International Day of Al-Quds
rally held in front of the Consulate General of Israel in
Houston, Texas, on April 14, 2023. Al-Quds is Jerusalem in
Arabic, and the International Day of Al-Quds is usually held
every year on the last Friday of Ramadan in numerous cities
in the U.S. and other countries.
During this episode, we will air the remarks of
Syed Farhat Abbas,
a Muslim Scholar with the Islamic Education Center in Houston,
David Smith, an
organizer with the Houston Socialist Movement,
Kamal Khalil with the
Palestinian American Council,
Pervez Agwan, running for Congress in the newly
drawn District 7 in Texas, Derrick
Broze, activist, author, journalist, documentary
filmmaker, and Houston Mayoral Candidate,
Zaara Shafi with
Students for Justice in Palestine at Rice University,
Anna Rajagopal with
Students for Justice in Palestine at Rice University,
Alizay Azeem with
Students for Justice in Palestine at Rice University,
Dr. Qamber Jafri,
Alex Kerry with the
Palestinian Youth Movement, Yasmeen
with Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of
Houston, Alex McDonald,
founder of Texas Coalition for Human Rights,
Mohammed Nabulsi with
the Palestinian American Cultural Center and the Palestinian
Youth Movement, and Mohammed Rashid
with the Palestinian Youth Movement. |
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Date: |
April 13, 2023
(Episode # 1,056) |
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Guest/
Topics: |
Zakaria Odeh
(in occupied Jerusalem)
Our
guest for this episode of Arab
Voices (# 1,056) will be Zakaria Odeh, a human rights
activist, and Executive Director for the Civil Coalition
for Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem.
We will speak with Zakaria Odeh
(in occupied Jerusalem) about the occupied city of
Jerusalem, the significance of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa mosque,
banning Palestinian Christians & Muslims from the West Bank
and Gaza Strip to visit Jerusalem, denying access to Al-Aqsa
mosque to Muslims, denying permits for medical treatments to
Palestinians, the ongoing and escalated Israeli brutal
attacks on Palestinian worshippers in Jerusalem, the
discrimination and measures imposed by Apartheid Israel on
Palestinians in Jerusalem and at Al-Aqsa mosque, the
revocation of residency from Palestinians living in occupied
Jerusalem, absentee law, forced expulsion of Palestinians
from their homes, home demolitions, military checkpoints and
roadblocks, Israeli colonies and colonizers horrific acts
against Palestinians, targeting, prosecuting and jailing
Palestinian children, imposing Israeli education system &
curriculum on Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem, forbidding
teachers from talking about the Palestinian Nakba or Israeli
Occupation in schools, the ongoing ethnic cleansing of
Palestine, and more.
NOTE: The
International
Day of Al-Quds-Houston event will be held on Friday,
April 14, from 3:30 pm to 7:00 pm. in front of the Consulate
General of Israel, 24 Greenway Plaza, Houston, TX 77046. |
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Date: |
April 6, 2023
(Episode # 1,055) |
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Topic: |
National Arab American Heritage
Month, and National Arab American Medical Association
Houston Chapter biennial Ben Qurrah Award Gala Honorees
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,055), we will talk about
the National Arab American Heritage Month (April 2023),
which is a celebration and recognition of Arab Americans,
their rich culture, heritage, and contributions, and
President Joe Biden's historic
proclamation.
And
in celebration of Arab Americans and their contributions, we
will air some of the remarks delivered at the
National
Arab American Medical Association Houston Chapter 12th
biennial Ben Qurrah Medical Award Gala, held in Houston,
Texas, on February 4, 2023. Named for the 8th Century Arab
Physician Thābit Ben Qurrah, renowned for his work to
modernize mathematics and medicine, the biennial Ben Qurrah
Award Gala celebrates the achievements of prominent
scientists of Arab origin who have made major contributions
to science, medicine and health care, and honors those who
have made remarkable contributions in the field of medicine
and who have succeeded in the worldwide advancement of
science.
This year's honorees were:
Dr. Hana El Sahly, Professor of Molecular Virology
and Microbiology and Medicine, Division of Infectious
Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine as the Houston honoree.
Dr. Elias Jabbour, Professor of Medicine, Department
of Leukemia, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of
Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center as the
National/International honoree.
Dr. Zaina Al-Mohtaseb, Cataract, Refractive, & Cornea
Surgeon, Director of Research, Whitsett Vision Group,
Clinical Associate Professor, Baylor College of Medicine as
the Rising Star Award honoree.
And from the 2020 pandemic selection:
Dr. Nizar Tannir, Endowed Ransom Horne, Jr.
Professorship for Cancer Research at The University of Texas
(UT), MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC). He served as Deputy
Chair (April 2012-February 2019) then as Chair ad interim
(March 2019-August 2020) of the Department of Genitourinary
Medical Oncology.
During this episode of Arab Voices, we will air the remarks
of some of the honorees delivered at that gala, including
the remarks of Dr. Nizar Tannir,
Dr. Zaina Al-Mohtaseb,
and Dr. Hana El Sahly.
Because of the time limit, we will not air the remarks of
Dr. Elias Jabbour, but you can listen to his remarks
here. |
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Date: |
March 30, 2023
(Episode # 1,054) |
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Guest: |
Richard Silverstein
Richard Silverstein
is a
freelance journalist. He writes the
Tikun Olam blog, devoted to exposing the excesses of the
Israeli national security state. His work has appeared in
Haaretz, the Middle East Eye, The Nation, the New Arab, the
Guardian, the Los Angeles Times, the Forward, and the
Seattle Times.
Silverstein contributed to the essay collection devoted to
the 2006 Lebanon war, A Time to Speak Out, and has
another essay in the collection, Israel and Palestine:
Alternate Perspectives on Statehood.
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Topics: |
In this episode of Arab
Voices (# 1,054), we will discuss with Richard Silverstein
the strikes, and mass protests in Apartheid Israel,
the new extremist far-right wing fascist Israeli government, the
proposed "judicial changes", reactions to what is happening
from the U.S. administration and amongst the Jewish
communities and organizations, the new letter sent by
several U.S. representatives led by Jamaal Bowman and Sen.
Bernie Sanders and endorsed by 70 Jewish organizations
demanding President Biden to probe Israel's use of U.S.
arms, media coverage of how Israeli forces are handling
Israeli demonstrators vs. Palestinian demonstrators, the
impact the new government has on the Palestinians, the
ongoing genocide against the Palestinians by Israel and its
colonizers, and more. |
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Date: |
March 23, 2023
(Episode # 1,053) |
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Topics: |
1st Segment:
Ramadan, Remembering Rachel
Corrie, Home Demolitions, Smotrich's Remarks & Use of Map
During the 1st segment, we will talk about the Muslim holy
month of Ramadan, The 20th anniversary of Apartheid Israel’s
murder of U.S. Citizen and peace activist Rachel Corrie,
Israeli home demolitions, and the Israeli Finance Minister’s
remarks about the Palestinians and his use of a map showing
Jordan as part of Israel.
March
16, 2023, marked the 20th anniversary of the murder of
Rachel Corrie, a U.S. peace activist from Olympia,
Washington. She was killed by Israel in the occupied Gaza
Strip in Palestine. On that day, Rachel Corrie was
protesting the demolition of a Palestinian home in the
occupied Gaza Strip by the Israeli Occupation Military, when
an Israeli bulldozer crushed her to death.
On this 20th anniversary of the murder of Rachel Corrie, we
will air a prose written by Amber
Poole titled "Rachel Corrie: Slated For
Demolition". Amber read that prose live on Arab Voices
during an interview we conducted with Cindy and Craig Corrie,
the parents of Rachel Corrie back in 2003.
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2nd Segment:
Iraq 20 Years Later
Twenty
years ago, on March 20, 2003, the United States, under
President George W. Bush, launched a massive attack on Iraq
and occupied it. The U.S. waged that war based on lies
accusing Iraq of possessing weapons of mass destruction,
which was not the case. The war was catastrophic to Iraq and
its people. It devastated the country, destroyed its
infrastructure, killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis,
displaced millions of Iraqis, destroyed the health and
educational systems, Iraq’s economy, and its oil (Iraq has
the second largest oil reserve in the world, and many
believe Iraq’s oil is one of the main reasons the US
occupied Iraq to steal its oil). That war wreaked havoc on
Iraq on many levels. The US also used Depleted Uranium on
the Iraqi people, and its effect are lived to this day in
Iraq because depleted uranium is a chemically toxic and
radioactive heavy material that can pose extremely harmful
environmental and health risks for communities that live
close to war zones.
During this episode of Arab Voices, we will air previous
interviews we conducted with Dr.
Imad Khadduri, former Iraqi Nuclear Scientist,
who worked with the Iraqi Atomic Energy Commission for 30
years (we talked about Iraq's nuclear weapons program), and
an interview with Scott Ritter,
former Chief U.N. Weapons Inspector in Iraq (we talked about
weapons of mass destruction and his inspection in Iraq). In
addition, we will air portions of a recent interview
Democracy Now! conducted with two Iraqis looking back at how
the unprovoked U.S. invasion devastated Iraq and helped
destabilize much of the Middle East. They interviewed
Feurat
Alani, a French Iraqi writer and documentarian
who was based in Baghdad, Iraq from 2003 to 2008. His recent
piece for The Washington Post is headlined “The
Iraq War helped destroy what it meant to be an Iraqi.”,
and Sinan Antoon, an
Iraqi born and raised in Baghdad. He is a writer, poet,
translator, and associate professor at New York University.
His latest piece appeared in The Guardian, headlined “A
million lives later, I cannot forgive what American
terrorism did to my country, Iraq.” |
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Date: |
March 16, 2023
(Episode # 1,052) |
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Topic: |
“Sisters in the Mirror: A
History of Muslim Women and the Global Politics of Feminism”
by Dr. Elora Shehabuddin
In
this episode of Arab Voices (# 1052), we will air some of
the remarks delivered at an event organized and hosted by
the
Arab-American Educational Foundation Center for Arab Studies
at the University of Houston on February 2, 2023. It was
a book launch discussion of “Sisters
in the Mirror: A History of Muslim Women and the Global
Politics of Feminism” by Dr. Elora Shehabuddin.
Dr. Shehabuddin is Professor of Gender & Women's Studies and
Global Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.
She was Professor of Transnational Asian Studies and Core
Faculty in the Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and
Sexuality at Rice University prior to moving to Berkeley in
2022.
The book launch discussion featured a talk by Dr. Elora
Shehabuddin about her new book “Sisters in the Mirror: A
History of Muslim Women and the Global Politics of
Feminism”, and contributions from Dr. Elora Halim
Chowdhury, Professor of Women's, Gender and Sexuality
Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston, Dr.
Kamran Asdar Ali, Professor of Anthropology, Middle East
Studies and Asian Studies at The University of Texas at
Austin, and Dr. Susan Ferguson, Associate Professor
Emerita, Digital Media and Journalism at Wilfrid Laurier
University.
We will air in this episode the remarks of Dr.
Elora Shehabuddin,
Dr. Elora Chowdhury, and
Dr. Susan Ferguson.
We will skip the remarks of Dr. Kamran Asdar Ali because of
the time, but we will post a link to the entire event on our
website
www.ArabVoices.net once it is published by the
Arab-American Educational Foundation Center for Arab Studies
at the University of Houston. |
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Date: |
March 9, 2023
(Episode # 1,051) |
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Topics: |
1st Segment:
Interview with Michael Ibrahim
We
will speak with
Michael Ibrahim,
National Arab Orchestra Founder and Music Director. We
will talk about the
National Arab Orchestra, and the
upcoming Houston event
Treasures of the East: Timeless Classics of the Arab World,
which will highlight some of the Arab world’s most treasured
pieces of music with a performance that will showcase the
rich beauty and diverse heritage of the Arab world with
special guest artists, Ranine Chaar and Mohamed Mohsen.
Treasures of the East builds bridges between communities by
providing a forum for people to connect through the joy of
Arab music and the atmosphere of such performances the
National Arab Orchestra is famed for.
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2nd Segment:
In Memoriam: Arab Voices
Interview with Senator James Abourezk
We
will air an interview we conducted previously with U.S.
Senator James Abourezk who passed away on February 24, 2023,
at the age of 92.
Senator James Abourezk was the son of Lebanese Arab
immigrants. Between 1948 and 1952, James served in the
United States Navy during the Korean War and was elected as
a United States Representative from South Dakota in 1970. He
served in that role for one term before being elected as a
United States Senator for South Dakota in 1972, where he
served until 1979. James made history as the nation’s first
Arab American Senator. James Abourezk was the founder of the
American Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee
(ADC).
During that interview, we talked about several issues
including the U.S.-led War on Iraq, the rhetoric of attacks
on Iran, the Lebanese-Syrian relations, Nuclear weapons in
the Middle East and Israel's Nuclear Arsenal, the Israel
Lobby and its effect on U.S. Policy, Israel's attack on the
USS Liberty and the U.S. cover-up, and the U.S. Patriot Act
and status of Arab Americans. |
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Date: |
March 2, 2023
(Episode # 1,050) |
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Topics: |
1st Segment:
Ongoing Palestinian Genocide
We
will talk about the escalation of Apartheid Israel's ongoing
plans of ethnic cleansing in Palestine, war crimes,
atrocities, aggression, slaughter, genocide, terrorism, land
theft, discrimination, Apartheid, home demolitions, and a
whole lot more.
On February 22, Israeli occupation forces murdered 11
Palestinians and injured more than 100 in Nablus City in the
occupied West Bank. On February 26, hundreds of Israeli
colonizers, gangs, and terrorists, escorted and protected by
the Israeli occupation soldiers stormed the town of Huwara,
south of Nablus City in the occupied West Bank, burned down
35 Palestinian houses and partially damaged 40 others, and
torched or destroyed more than 100 cars belonging to
Palestinians. One Palestinian was killed and 400 were
wounded in the Israeli rampage on the Huwara town, and on
March 1, large Israeli occupation forces stormed Aqabet
Jaber refugee camp near Jericho in the occupied West Bank,
killing one Palestinian, injured several others, and
kidnapped a number of Palestinians. During its attack on the
village, Israeli occupation soldiers placed a Palestinian
man and his very young son as human shields, a common
practice of the Israeli occupation soldiers, which is
prohibited by International law.
What we are witnessing in occupied Palestine is genocide and
terrorism at its highest forms, while Israel continues to
enjoy full impunity for its terrorism, war crimes, and
genocide against the Palestinian people.
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2nd Segment:
The Belmarsh Tribunal D.C. — The Case of Julian Assange
(Part 3 of 3)
During
the previous two episode of Arab Voices, we aired some of the
remarks delivered at
The Belmarsh Tribunal D.C. — The Case
of Julian Assange, held in Washington D.C. on January 20,
2023, organized by Progressive International and the Wau
Holland Foundation.
During this episode of Arab Voices (#1,050), we will air
more remarks delivered at that tribunal, including the
remarks of Kevin
Gosztola, managing editor of Shadowproof,
John
Shipton, father of Julian Assange,
Betty Medsger,
investigative reporter, Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon
Papers whistleblower, Suchitra Vijayan, writer,
photographer and activist, and Professor
Noam Chomsky, linguist
and activist.
Julian Assange is WikiLeaks Founder who exposed war crimes
committed by U.S. forces in Iraq. He is being held in a
British jail, was charged by the United States government
with the publication of classified documents and exposing
war crimes committed by U.S. forces, in Iraq. Assange faces
up to 175 years in prison if convicted of violations of the
Espionage Act. In June 2022, the British government approved
the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States to
face espionage charges.
In 2010, WikiLeaks released government materials related to
American military operations in the Middle East, including a
video showing American pilots in Iraq making jokes as they
opened fire on a group of non-combatants that included
civilians and journalists, as well as on Iraqis who came to
their aid, killing numerous civilians and seriously wounding
two children.
Nearly 20 experts spoke at the Belmarsh Tribunal D.C. — The
Case of Julian Assange, including Ben Wizner, lead
attorney at ACLU of Edward Snowden, Jeffrey Sterling,
lawyer and former CIA employee, Katrina vanden Heuvel,
editorial director and publisher at the The Nation,
Margaret Kunstler, civil rights attorney, Stefania
Maurizi, investigative journalist, Il Fatto Quotidiano,
Jeremy Corbyn, member of the U.K. Parliament and
founder of the Peace and Justice Project, Steven Donziger,
human rights attorney, Kristinn Hrafnsson,
editor-in-chief at WikiLeaks, Jesselyn Radack,
national security and human rights attorney, Chip Gibbons,
policy director of Defending Rights & Dissent, Kevin
Gosztola, managing editor of Shadowproof, John
Shipton, father of Julian Assange, Betty Medsger,
investigative reporter, Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon
Papers whistleblower, Suchitra Vijayan, writer,
photographer & activist, and Professor Noam Chomsky, linguist
and activist. Amy Goodman, Host of Democracy Now! and
Sreshko Horvat, co-founder of DiEM25, co-chaired the
tribunal. |
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Date: |
February 23, 2023
(Episode # 1,049) |
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Topic: |
The Belmarsh Tribunal D.C. — The Case of Julian Assange
(Part 2 of 3)
During
the previous episode of Arab Voices, we aired some of the
remarks delivered at
The Belmarsh Tribunal D.C. — The Case
of Julian Assange, held in Washington D.C. on January 20,
2023, organized by Progressive International and the Wau
Holland Foundation.
During this episode of Arab Voices (#1,049), we will air
more remarks delivered at that tribunal, including the
remarks of
Jeremy Corbyn, member of the U.K. Parliament and
founder of the Peace and Justice Project,
Steven Donziger,
human rights attorney, Kristinn Hrafnsson,
editor-in-chief at WikiLeaks, Jesselyn Radack,
national security and human rights attorney, and
Chip Gibbons, policy
director of Defending Rights & Dissent.
Julian Assange is WikiLeaks Founder who exposed war crimes
committed by U.S. forces in Iraq. He is being held in a
British jail, was charged by the United States government
with the publication of classified documents and exposing
war crimes committed by U.S. forces, in Iraq. Assange faces
up to 175 years in prison if convicted of violations of the
Espionage Act. In June 2022, the British government approved
the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States to
face espionage charges.
In 2010, WikiLeaks released government materials related to
American military operations in the Middle East, including a
video showing American pilots in Iraq making jokes as they
opened fire on a group of non-combatants that included
civilians and journalists, as well as on Iraqis who came to
their aid, killing numerous civilians and seriously wounding
two children.
Nearly 20 experts spoke at the Belmarsh Tribunal D.C. — The
Case of Julian Assange, including Ben Wizner, lead
attorney at ACLU of Edward Snowden, Jeffrey Sterling,
lawyer and former CIA employee, Katrina vanden Heuvel,
editorial director and publisher at the The Nation,
Margaret Kunstler, civil rights attorney, Stefania
Maurizi, investigative journalist, Il Fatto Quotidiano,
Jeremy Corbyn, member of the U.K. Parliament and
founder of the Peace and Justice Project, Steven Donziger,
human rights attorney, Kristinn Hrafnsson,
editor-in-chief at WikiLeaks, Jesselyn Radack,
national security and human rights attorney, Chip Gibbons,
policy director of Defending Rights & Dissent, Kevin
Gosztola, managing editor of Shadowproof, John
Shipton, father of Julian Assange, Betty Medsger,
investigative reporter, Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon
Papers whistleblower, Suchitra Vijayan, writer,
photographer & activist, and Professor Noam Chomsky, linguist
and activist. Amy Goodman, Host of Democracy Now! and
Sreshko Horvat, co-founder of DiEM25, co-chaired the
tribunal. |
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Date: |
February 16, 2023
(Episode # 1,048) |
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Topic: |
The Belmarsh Tribunal D.C. — The Case of Julian Assange
(Part 1 of 3)
In
this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,048), we will air some of
the remarks delivered at The Belmarsh Tribunal D.C. — The
Case of Julian Assange, held in Washington D.C. on January
20, 2023, organized by Progressive International and
the Wau Holland Foundation.
Julian Assange is WikiLeaks Founder who exposed war crimes
committed by U.S. forces in Iraq. He is being held in a
British jail, was charged by the United States government
with the publication of classified documents and exposing
war crimes committed by U.S. forces, in Iraq. Assange faces
up to 175 years in prison if convicted of violations of the
Espionage Act. In June 2022, the British government approved
the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States to
face espionage charges.
In 2010, WikiLeaks released government materials related to
American military operations in the Middle East, including a
video showing American pilots in Iraq making jokes as they
opened fire on a group of non-combatants that included
civilians and journalists, as well as on Iraqis who came to
their aid, killing numerous civilians and seriously wounding
two children.
Nearly 20 experts spoke at the Belmarsh Tribunal D.C. — The
Case of Julian Assange, including Ben Wizner, lead
attorney at ACLU of Edward Snowden, Jeffrey Sterling,
lawyer and former CIA employee, Katrina vanden Heuvel,
editorial director and publisher at the The Nation,
Margaret Kunstler, civil rights attorney, Stefania
Maurizi, investigative journalist, Il Fatto Quotidiano,
Jeremy Corbyn, member of the U.K. Parliament and
founder of the Peace and Justice Project, Steven Donziger,
human rights attorney, Kristinn Hrafnsson,
editor-in-chief at WikiLeaks, Jesselyn Radack,
national security and human rights attorney, Chip Gibbons,
policy director of Defending Rights & Dissent, Kevin
Gosztola, managing editor of Shadowproof, John
Shipton, father of Julian Assange, Betty Medsger,
investigative reporter, Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon
Papers whistleblower, Suchitra Vijayan, writer,
photographer & activist, and Professor Noam Chomsky, linguist
and activist. Amy Goodman, Host of Democracy Now! and
Srecko Horvat, co-founder of DiEM25, co-chaired the
tribunal.
During this episode of Arab Voices, we will air the remarks
delivered at that Tribunal by Ben
Wizner, Jeffrey Sterling,
Margaret Kunstler,
Stefania Maurizi, as
well as the opening remarks by Amy
Goodman and Srecko
Horvat.
Arab Voices will air more remarks delivered at that Tribunal
during the next episode of Arab Voices. |
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Date: |
February 9, 2023
(Episode # 1,047) |
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Topics: |
1st Segment:
Devastating Earthquake in Turkey & Syria and How to Help
In
this episode of Arab Voices, we will talk about the deadly
earthquake that hit Turkey & Syria and ways you can help.
The massive 7.8 earthquake caused major damage in Turkey &
Syria, and according to officials, the death toll has
surpassed 20,000 in both countries with tens of thousands
more injured, and the recovery efforts are still underway
with many people still buried under the rubble. Thousands of
buildings were destroyed, and tens of thousands of people
can no longer go back to their damaged homes.
Arab Voices extends its deepest condolences and sympathy to
the families of the victims of this devastating earthquake.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Turkey &
Syria.
Organizations Accepting Donations for Earthquake Relief
Efforts:
www.syrianamericanclub.com
www.hhrd.org
www.centeraap.org
www.isgh.org
www.masnational.org/TE
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2nd Segment:
Removal of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar from the
House Foreign Affairs
Committee
Congresswoman
Ilhan Omar, a Democratic Representative from Minnesota, who
is an Arab-American, Muslim-American, African-American, and
critical of Israeli atrocities against the Palestinian
people, was ousted on February 2, 2023, from the House
Foreign Affairs Committee by House Republicans, who accused
her of being anti-Semite. Many argue that her removal has
nothing to do with anti-Semitism, but because she is
outspoken, standing for what’s right and what’s wrong, and
because she is critical of the Israeli atrocities against
the Palestinian people.
In this episode of Arab Voices,
we will talk about that, and we
will air the remarks delivered on the House floor by some of
the lawmakers that debated the resolution on her removal. We
will air the remarks of Representatives
Gregory Meeks (New
York), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
(New York), Cori Bush
(Missouri), Pramila Jayapal
(Washington), Mark Pocan
(Wisconsin), Ayanna Pressley
(Massachusetts), Betty McCollum
(Minnesota), Janice Schakowsky
(Illinois), Rashida Tlaib
(Michigan), and we
will also air Congresswoman
Ilhan Omar’s response.
We will also air the remarks delivered at a press conference
held in front of the U.S. Congress, by a coalition of
American Muslim, Arab-American, Jewish, and Iranian-American
groups responding to the ouster of Representative Omar from
her position on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. We will
air the remarks of Robert McCaw,
Government Affairs Director at the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR),
Jasmine Hawamdeh, Communications Manager for the
Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC),
Edward Ahmed Mitchell,
National Deputy Executive Director of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, Iman
Awad, Deputy Director of Emgage Action,
Mohammad Ali, Director
of Policy and Government Relations at the Muslim Public
Affairs Council, Donna Farvard,
National Organizing Director at the National Iranian
American Council Action, Emily
Kaplan, Senior Legislative and Electoral
Grassroots Organizer at Jewish Voice for Peace Action, and
Mongi Dhaouadi,
President of the Tunisian United Network and Executive
Director of the Libyan American Alliance. |
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Date: |
February 2, 2023
(Episode # 1,046) |
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Guest: |
Dr. Ramzy Baroud
A
US-Palestinian journalist, media consultant, author,
internationally-syndicated columnist, Editor of
Palestine Chronicle, and a Senior Research Fellow at the
Center for Islam and Global Affairs. He is the author of
several books and a contributor to many others. The books he
authored include Searching Jenin: Eyewitness Accounts of the
Israeli Invasion, The Second Palestinian Intifada: A
Chronicle of a People’s Struggle, My Father Was a Freedom
Fighter: Gaza’s Untold Story, The Last Earth, a Palestinian
Story, These Chains Will Be Broken, and his latest volume,
co-edited with Ilan Pappe, is titled
Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and
Intellectuals Speak Out.
Dr. Ramzy Baroud’s work has been published in hundreds of
newspapers and journals worldwide, has contributed to and
was referenced in hundreds of books and academic journals,
and has been a guest speaker at many universities around the
world. He is also a regular guest on many television and
radio programs nationally and internationally.
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Topics: |
We will speak with Dr. Baroud
about many issues and points, including why Israel is
escalating its attacks on the Palestinians throughout the
West Bank, and particularly in Jenin, the reasons for the
increased armed resistance to the Israeli occupation in the
West Bank, Israeli theft of Palestinian artifacts and
destruction of their archaeological sites, Israel’s “soft”
annexation of the West Bank, the Israeli ”great Jerusalem
plan”, home demolitions, the ongoing destructions in Sheikh Jarrah, Silwan, Khan Al-Ahmar, Masafer Yatta, and other
places, Israeli control of Palestinian water resources,
Israeli colonies and the criminal acts of the Israeli
colonizers, Palestine 48, the new Israeli government and its
new measures and policies imposed on the Palestinians, the
impunity Israel has, the support of the US to Israel’s
crimes and its refusal to recognize Palestinians in the West
Bank as occupied, Palestinian resistance and steadfastness,
possible solutions to the crisis, and more. |
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Date: |
January 26, 2023
(Episode # 1,045) |
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Topics: |
1st Segment:
Another Israeli Massacre
In
this episode of Arab Voices, we will talk about the latest
Israeli massacre committed against the Palestinians, where
on January 26, 2023, Israeli occupation forces stormed the
Palestinian city of Jenin and its refugee camp in the
occupied West Bank, shot and killed at least 9 Palestinians,
including a 60-year-old Palestinian woman, and wounded at
least 20 others (some are in critical condition). Israeli
occupation forces prevented ambulances and paramedics from
reaching the wounded or transporting them to hospitals,
fired at an ambulance, and even fired gas bombs at the
pediatric section of Jenin Government Hospital, causing
suffocation cases from gas inhalation among Palestinians,
including mothers and children.
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2nd Segment:
Oppositions to Texas Senate Bill 147
We
will talk about the proposed new legislation in the State of
Texas (Senate Bill 147) that will ban governments,
businesses, and individual citizens of China, Iran, North
Korea, and Russia from buying real estate in Texas. Many are
warning that such legislation could easily be expanded to
include citizens of other countries, and there are talks
about similar legislation that might be introduced to the US
Congress.
In today’s episode of Arab Voices, we will air the reactions
and some of the remarks about Senate Bill 147 delivered on
January 23, 2023, by several elected officials,
organizations, and community members at a press conference
held in Houston, Texas, the 4th largest and most diverse
city in the United States, and largest city in Texas. We
will air the remarks of State Representative
Gene Wu, Houston Mayor
Sylvester Turner,
Congressman Al Green,
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee,
Texas Representative Dr. Suleman
Lalani (among first Muslims elected to Texas
Legislature), William
White, Director of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Houston),
Lesley Briones, Harris
County Commissioner Pct. 4 and former judge,
Phillip Andrews with
Fort Bend County Republican Party,
Alice Chen, City of Stafford Council Member,
Niloufar Hafizi, Iranian-American and Civic Engagement Director at Emgage Texas,
Ling Luo, Chair of the
Asian Americans Leadership Council, and
Zafar Tahir, Pakistani-American Businessman. |
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Date: |
January 19, 2023
(Episode # 1,044) |
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Topics: |
1st Segment:
“Women in Coalitions: Challenges and Successes"
(part 2 of 2)
During
last week’s episode
of Arab Voices (#1,043), we aired the remarks delivered at a panel
discussion titled “Women
in Coalitions: Challenges and Successes”. That panel
was part of the
American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee
(ADC) 2022 Alex Odeh Memorial Conference and Gala held in
October 2022 in California, where they explored the issues
that impact the community, while honoring Alex Odeh and
celebrating Arab American excellence and achievement.
The panel was moderated by
Cheryl Faris, and it
explored how organizational and individual bonds overlap to
effect and influence redistricting designations for voting
rights, monitoring the police, and pressuring elected
officials toward legislation that ensures effective changes
for justice. The speakers on this panel were
Buki
Domingos, co-founder of San Diego’s Racial Justice
Coalition, Jeanine Erikat, Palestinian-Muslim
American serving as the Policy Lead at the Partnership for
the Advancement of New Americans (PANA), and
Tazheen
Nizam, Executive Director of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, CAIR-San Diego.
During this episode of Arab Voices (#1,044), we will air the
remaining questions and answers that followed the remarks we aired
last week at the panel “Women in Coalitions: Challenges and
Successes”. The questions addressed voting, empowering
communities, engaging elected officials, political
education, elevating young women leaders, advice to young
women starting in the political world, and the rise in
anti-Muslim hate in India.
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2nd Segment:
Ajit Sahi on Hindutva
One
of the questions and answers addressed in the
“Women
in Coalitions: Challenges and Successes”
panel (previous segment) was on the rise of anti-Muslim hate
in India, where nearly 200 million Muslims are facing
persecution, illegal arrests, and unlawful demolition of
Muslim houses. Many are calling what is happening in India a
genocide against Muslims.
During this episode of Arab Voices, we will air a speech
about Hindutva, an ideology that advocates for Hindu
supremacy. That talk was delivered at the ICNA-MAS
Convention held in Baltimore, Maryland in May 2022, by
Ajit Sahi, Advocacy
Director at the
Indian American Muslim Council.
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3rd Segment:
Directory of American Muslim Elected Officials
The
Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim
civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States,
and
Jetpac, held a news conference on October 25, 2022, in
Washington, D.C., to announce the release of the first
national
directory of local, state and federal elected Muslim
officials and judges in the United States. CAIR and Jetpac’s
directory documented 189 elected officials holding local and
state office across 30 states. These officials include
members of Congress, state legislators, mayors, councilors,
school board officials, judiciary members, and law
enforcement.
During this episode of Arab Voices, we will air the remarks
delivered at that press conference announcing the release of
the first national directory of local, state and federal
elected Muslim officials and judges in the United States.
An updated/final list of 82 local, state legislative,
statewide, judicial, and federal American Muslim electoral
victories counted in 2022 midterm election, was
released by CAIR and Jetpac, and that list is posted
here. |
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Date: |
January 12, 2023
(Episode # 1,043) |
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Topics: |
“Women in Coalitions: Challenges and Successes"
(part 1 of 2)
The
American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), the largest Arab
American grassroots civil rights organization in the United
States committed to defending the rights of people of Arab
descent and promoting their rich cultural heritage, held its
2022 Alex Odeh Memorial Conference and Gala on October 7th
and 8th 2022 in California, where they explored the issues
that impact the community, while honoring Alex Odeh and
celebrating Arab American excellence and achievement.
There were great speakers and excellent topics discussed at
that conference, and in this episode of Arab Voices (#
1,043), we will air the remarks delivered at the panel
titled “Women in Coalitions: Challenges and Successes”.
The panel was moderated by Cheryl
Faris, and it explored how organizational and
individual bonds overlap to effect and influence
redistricting designations for voting rights, monitoring the
police, pressuring elected officials toward legislation that
ensures effective changes for justice, and more. The
speakers on this panel were
Buki Domingos, co-founder
of San Diego’s Racial Justice Coalition,
Jeanine Erikat, Palestinian-Muslim American
serving as the Policy Lead at the Partnership for the
Advancement of New Americans (PANA), and
Tazheen Nizam, Executive
Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR-San
Diego.
About the moderator and panelists:
Cheryl Faris was raised
in a Lebanese community in Fall River, MA. After earning a
BA degree from Bridgewater State University and a Master’s
from NYU, she moved to Los Angeles and obtained a JD degree
from Loyola Law School. She practiced law for 25 years at an
international telecommunications company, then switched
careers to teach Law and Psychology at a college prep high
school in West Los Angeles. While there, she founded and ran
an award-winning Mock Trial program. Cheryl served on the
board of the Southern Christian Leadership Council, and for
many years sat on the National Board of ADC, working closely
with Alex Odeh and Jim Abourezk. She was the first woman
president of the Arab-American Lawyers’ Association of
Southern California, and is currently the chair of the board
of Impro Theatre. She performs in long-form improvised plays
in the styles of Dickens and Shakespeare, and can fluently
speak in iambic pentameter.
Jeanine Erikat is a
Palestinian-Muslim American serving as the Policy Lead at
the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA).
In that role, Jeanine leads PANA's community listening
sessions, advocacy campaigns, redistricting efforts, and
engages the community in PANA’s policy priorities to fight
for the economic, social, and civic inclusion of refugee and
immigrant communities. An alumnus of the Women Foundation of
California's Solis Policy Institute, Jeanine holds a B.S. in
Public Health Sciences as well as a B.A. in History from the
University of California, Irvine. A passionate advocate for
health education, she devotes her free time volunteering at
multiple organizations dedicated to uplifting both the Arab
and Muslim communities
Nigerian-born Buki Domingos
is the co-founder of San Diego’s Racial Justice Coalition.
Fluent in five languages, she draws upon her personal
experiences to build resources for victims of domestic
violence and human trafficking. As a member of San Diego
County's Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board, Buki
assists coalitions in vetting candidates and shaping
legislation on policing and discrimination. In 2017 she
attended the National Feminist Organizing School in
Philadelphia sponsored by Grassroots Global Justice, and in
2019 was selected as one of the official representatives for
San Diego at the National Women’s March in Washington, D.C.
Buki began her career as a singer/songwriter who worked with
artists such as Elton John and Whitney Houston. She now
works full time as a healthcare professional while also
volunteering with the Indigenous Health Care Support group.
In addition to all that she does, Buki created, and
continues to run, the KNSJ Radio show “Alafia: Voices of the
African Diaspora” which focuses on the struggles that
communities of color are immersed in and the organizations
and individuals that support those communities
Tazheen Nizam is the
Executive Director of CAIR - San Diego. Tazheen has deep
roots in the San Diego Muslim American Muslim community and
has worked extensively with the interfaith community, and
has been an active voice in San Diego politics. She is the
Founder & Co-Chair of the North County Immigration Task
Force, where she has advocated for immigrants’ rights. She
serves as Community Development Block Grant Commissioner for
the City of Vista. She also serves on multiple non-profit
boards, including the San Dieguito Interfaith Ministerial
Association, South Vista Communities, the Tri-City Islamic
Center, and others. Prior to joining CAIR-SD , Tazheen
worked as a finance consultant and accounting professional
for over 20 years. Tazheen is an alumnus of the Boards and
Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) and the Rockwood
Fellowship Institute. Tazheen holds a B.S. in Business
Administration with an emphasis in Accounting and an M.B.A.
with an emphasis in Organization Management & Finance. She
also holds certifications in Non-Profit Management,
Paralegal Studies, and Mediation. |
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Date: |
January 5, 2023
(Episode # 1,042) |
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Topics: |
1st Segment:
A Horrific, Deadly & Devastating 2022 for the Palestinians
In
this episode of Arab Voices, we will talk about
the horrific and bloody 2022 year for Palestinians in
occupied Palestine, where Apartheid Israel continued to
escalate its war crimes against the Palestinians, as part of
its Zionist settler-colonial and ethnic cleansing project.
At least 240 Palestinians were killed by Apartheid Israel
including 47 children in 2022, approximately 10,000
Palestinians were injured by Apartheid Israel, 6,500
Palestinians were kidnapped from the occupied Palestinian
areas by Apartheid Israel, more than 832 buildings and
infrastructures belonging to Palestinians were demolished by
Apartheid Israel, and at least 13,000 olive trees were
uprooted.
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2nd Segment:
Israeli Apartheid: Tool of
Zionist Settler Colonialism
On
November 29, 2022,
Al-Haq,
an independent Palestinian non-governmental human rights
organization based in Ramallah, occupied Palestine, released
a landmark coalition report titled “Israeli
Apartheid: Tool of Zionist Settler Colonialism”. The
report explores Israel’s settler colonial and apartheid
regime imposed on the Palestinian people.
During this episode of Arab Voices, we will air some of the
remarks delivered at a special event held in occupied
Ramallah in the West Bank to talk about that report,
including the remarks of
Francesca Albanese,
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human
rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967,
Rania Muhareb,
one of the authors of the new report who is an Al-Shabaka
policy member and a former legal researcher and advocacy
officer at Al-Haq organization,
Tamam Mohsen,
advocacy officer at Al Mezan Center for Human Rights in the
besieged Gaza Strip, and
Omar Barghouti,
a founding committee member of the Palestinian Campaign for
the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, and a
co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)
movement. We will also air a
new documentary
produced by Al-Haq titled "Israel’s Settler Colonial
Apartheid Regime: Segregating The Palestinian People".
Prominent Reports about Israeli Apartheid:
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