Date:

September 1, 2010   

Denis Halliday
Former United Nations Assistant Secretary General, and former UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq (1997-1998). He resigned after a 34 year career with the UN to free himself of the constraints imposed on him and thereby speak out publicly on the terrible impact of UN economic sanctions on the people of Iraq.

The U.S. withdrawal of some of its troops from occupied Iraq; the current situation in occupied Iraq; and what happens next with the remaining tens of thousands of U.S. troops and Military contractors.

Date:

August 25, 2010   

Dr. Ussama Makdisi
Professor of History and the first holder of the Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair of Arab Studies at Rice University. In 2009, the Carnegie Corporation named him a 2009 Carnegie Scholar. He is an award-winning historian and author of several publications. His previous book, Artillery of Heaven, won the 2009 John Hope Franklin Prize. His new book is titled Faith Misplaced: the Broken Promise of U.S.-Arab Relations, 1820-2001.

A discussion with professor Makdisi about his new book "Faith Misplaced: the Broken Promise of U.S.-Arab Relations, 1820-2001" (Public Affairs, 2010), in which he presents a provocative and dramatic portrait of America's interaction with the Arab world-and the defining choice that squandered years of carefully built good relations. In this book, professor Makdisi explores why Arabs once had a favorable view of America and why they no longer do.

Date:

August 18, 2010   

President Obama's Remarks at the White House Ramadan Iftar Dinner on August 13, 2010, and his views on the proposed building of an Islamic Center in New York City.

Is Israel on the verge of attacking Iran?
Ray McGovern, former CIA Analyst for 27 years told Arab Voices three weeks ago that he thinks Israel will attack Iran in August 2010... An Open Letter sent to President Obama two weeks ago by Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity warned him that Israel may bomb Iran this month...  Investigative journalist, author and historian Gareth Porter and former FBI Special Agent Coleen Rowley, amongst others, also think Israel may attack Iran.
 
We will listen to a special program produced by Talk Nation Radio "Israel May Attack Iran" with guests investigative journalist, author and historian Gareth Porter and former FBI Special Agent Coleen Rowley, who appeared before live on Arab Voices.

Date:

August 11, 2010   

Portion of remarks recorded by Arab Voices for Ilan Pappe when he was in Houston talking about ethnic cleansing of Palestine (we are offering his book "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine" as a premium/gift).
We will also hear few of the remarks made by Norman Finkelstein to Arab Voices about the Israeli attack on Gaza (we are also offering Finkelstein's NEW book "This Time We Went Too Far: Truth and Consequences of the Gaza Invasion”.
   

Membership Drive

Date:

August 4, 2010   

Mustafaa Carroll
Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Houston), America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization, who also served as Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Dallas/Ft. Worth CAIR office before moving recently to Houston.

A Florida church is calling for September 11 to be a national day to burn the Quran... Oppositions across the nation over the proposed Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero in New York... a Houston radio talk show host calls for the bombing of the mosque if it is built in NY... Several Mosques across the nation including Texas are attacked, vandalized and set on fire... These are just a few of the increased incidents against Islam in the U.S. recently. We will talk about these issues, Islamophobia and fear-mongering while Muslims prepare for the holy month of Ramadan, and also talk about how CAIR locally and nationally is dealing with these issues.

Date:

July 28, 2010   

Ray McGovern
Former CIA Analyst for 27 years serving under nine CIA directors and seven presidents presenting the morning intelligence briefings at the White House for many of them, who also served as an Army infantry/intelligence officer in the early Sixties. He now serves on the Steering Group of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, and also works with Tell the Word, the publishing arm of the ecumenical Church of the Saviour.

The significance (if any) of the recently leaked 90,000+ internal records of the U.S. military actions in Afghanistan over the past six years on Wikileaks; the funding of the ongoing U.S. wars; the foreign policy of the current U.S. administration towards the Middle East; and much more.

Date:

July 21, 2010   

Dr. Joy Gordon
Professor of Philosophy at Fairfield University and is currently a senior fellow in the Global Justice Program at the MacMillan Center at Yale University. Her work focuses on human and economic rights, particularly economic sanctions. She is author of the new book "Invisible War: The United States and the Iraq Sanctions", and has just published "Lessons we should have learned from the Iraqi sanctions".

We will talk with Dr. Gordon about the history of the Iraq sanctions as the U.S. looks at increasingly stringent sanctions on Iran, and as we see the impact of Israel's blockade and embargo on the Gaza Strip. We will talk about the human damage and violation of basic human rights committed in the name of "security concerns".  We will also talk about her new book "Invisible War: The U.S. and Iraq Sanctions".

Date:

July 14, 2010   

Tom Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice; Charlie Swift, a premier trial attorney who has worked in the Judge Advocate General's Corps while serving in the Navy. He was involved in litigation in some of the highest profile cases in the U.S. military, including his quest for justice at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, concluding with the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld; Margo Schlanger, Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at the Department of Homeland Security; Linda Moreno, Attorney who has had cases involving all aspects of criminal practice in federal and state courts, including the case of Dr. Sami al-Arian, in what the government described as the seminal test of the Patriot Act in United States vs. Sami Amin al-Arian, et al.

"Civil Rights: Unfinished Business?": A civil rights panel held during the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee's 30th Anniversary Convention held in June 2010. The Convention theme was "30 Years of Advocacy and Achievement: Strengthening the Voice for Equality and Justice". The Panelist highlighted the need to protect national security without forfeiting civil rights and alienating key stakeholders and communities.

Date:

July 7, 2010   

Ali Abunimah
Co-founder of The Electronic Intifada, the leading Palestinian portal for information about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its depiction in the media. Abunimah is an expert on Palestine and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and author of One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse.

The newly released report by B'Tselem (The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories) in which it revealed that 42% of the West Bank is now controlled by illegal Israeli settlements; the new article published in the New York Times revealing that tax-exempt funds from non-profit U.S. organizations are aiding illegal Israeli settlements; the "unbreakable" U.S.-Israeli relations and special bond as announced by President Obama; the blockade on Gaza; and much more.

Date:

June 30, 2010   

Ralph Nader
Prominent Lebanese-American, political activist, three-time presidential candidate, consumer advocate, crusading attorney, one of the most unique, important, and controversial political figures of the past half century, author of countless books and publications, who was honored by Time and Life magazines as One of the 100 Most Influential Americans of the Twentieth Century, and named by The Atlantic as one of the hundred most influential figures in American history.

A discussion with Mr. Nader about the latest developments in the Middle East including Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Palestine, Israel,  and President Obama's handling of the US foreign policy. We will also talk about Helen Thomas' resignation, Mr. Nader's latest book "Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us!", and much more.

Date:

June 23, 2010   

Dr. Marc Ellis
Professor of History and Jewish Studies; Director of the Center for Jewish Studies at Baylor University; Board Member with the Society of Jewish Ethics; and author of numerous articles and books including "Beyond Innocence and Redemption: Confronting the Holocaust and Israeli Power", "Out of the Ashes: The Search for Jewish Identity in the Twenty-first Century", and "Judaism Does Not Equal Israel".

The various Jewish views especially in the US and Israel towards the Palestinian-Israeli problem; the reaction of Jews to the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestine and its recent attack on Freedom Flotilla; the US support to Israel; the best solution to the problem from a Jewish perspective including one-state vs. two-state solution; the status of Jerusalem; and much more.

Date:

June 16, 2010   

George Galloway's Speech
A speech made by Mr. Galloway in Houston, Texas on May 30, 2010 at an event sponsored by the Muslim Legal Fund of America with promotional support by Al-Awda Houston. Mr. Galloway is a former member of the British Parliament, promoter of Freedom Flotilla, founder of the worldwide Vivia Palestina movement who has lead three land convoys that broke the siege on Gaza.

HCJPP Demonstration
Remarks by several Houstonians who participated in the demonstration held on May 31, 2010 in Houston (organized by Houston Coalition for Justice & Peace in Palestine) to protest the attack on Freedom Flotilla.

Date:

June 9, 2010   

Freedom Flotilla Eyewitnesses
International peace activists/eyewitnesses who were on board Freedom Flotilla when it was attacked by Israel.

 
Dr. George Bisharat
Prominent Palestinian-American, Professor of Law at the University of California's Hastings College of the Law, a frequent writer and commentator on events, law and politics in the Middle East, especially the Israeli-Palestinian problem, and author of the book "Palestinian Lawyers and Israeli Rule: Law and Disorder in the West Bank".
 

A continuation of Arab Voices' special coverage of the brutal Israeli attack on Freedom Flotilla that has killed and injured dozens of international peace activists. We will listen to eyewitness accounts from international peace activists who were on board Freedom Flotilla; and also talk LIVE with Dr. Bisharat about the Israeli attack, international law, the occupation and siege of Gaza, and the real cause of the problem as this week marks the 43rd anniversary of the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip, West Bank and Jerusalem as well as the 43rd anniversary of the brutal and deliberate Israeli attack on the US Navy intelligence ship USS Liberty that killed 34 Americans and wounded 174.

Date:

June 2, 2010   

Huwaida Arraf
Arraf was on board Freedom Flotilla. She was beaten, her head was smashed against the ground and stepped on, then later cuffed and a bag was placed over her head before being kidnapped by the Israeli forces. She is chair of the Free Gaza Movement and delegation co-coordinator on Freedom Flotilla. Arraf will be joining us LIVE from Ramallah, Palestine.
 

Ambassador Edward Peck
Peck was on board Freedom Flotilla and was kidnapped by the Israeli forces. He is former U.S. Chief of Mission in Iraq and former U.S. Ambassador to Mauritania, who also served as Deputy Director of the White House Task Force on Terrorism and as a Foreign Service Officer in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt.
 

The brutal Israeli attack on Freedom Flotilla in international waters that has killed and injured dozens of peace activists that were on board Freedom Flotilla on their way to deliver humanitarian aid including medicine and building supplies to the besieged Gaza Strip. The Flotilla had over 700 people from over 40 countries.

Date:

May 26, 2010   

Robert Dreyfuss
Investigative journalist specializing in politics and national security; contributing editor to The Nation magazine; author of "Devil's Game: How the United States Helped Unleash Fundamentalist Islam"; and a frequent contributor to Rolling Stone, The American Prospect, and Mother Jones.

A discussion about the information published on Monday by the New York Times in which it reveals that a secret military directive signed last September by General David Petraeus, the Centcom commander, authorizes a vast expansion of secret U.S. military special ops from the Horn of Africa to the Middle East to Central Asia and 'appears to authorize specific operations in Iran'. Commenting on this, Mr. Dreyfuss says "If Obama knew about Petraeus order to expand Special Ops in the Middle East and Asia last September, then he is a dangerous militarist. If he didn't know, he's a feckless incompetent."
   

Membership Drive

Date:

May 19, 2010   

Date:

May 12, 2010   

 
Nuri Nuri
Member of the Board of Directors, and Former President of the Arab-American Educational Foundation (AAEF).

Date:

May 5, 2010   

Dr. Mustafa Barghouti's Speech
Co-founder and Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative, a physician and a social, political and human rights activist, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council who served as "Minister of Information", a former candidate for the presidency of the Palestinian National Authority, advocate for peace in the Middle East, and a 2010 Peace Prize nominee.

Dr. Barghouti's speech at the “Peace in Palestine will come about only when the Nakba (62 year old catastrophe) is acknowledged” event held in Houston, Texas on May 2, 2010, organized by Al-Awda Houston.

Date:

April 28, 2010   

John Steinbach
Long time peace and justice activist, educator and author who has written extensively on environmental, economics, energy, social justice and nuclear energy issues. His publications include Israel's Nuclear Arsenal: Implications for the Middle East and the World, and The Israeli Nuclear Weapons Program published by the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research.

The international nuclear summit held in Washington earlier this month and attended by 47 countries (Israeli prime minister Netanyahu with over 400 nuclear weapons cancelled his plan to attend at the last minute); the threat and effects of nuclear weapons on the world including the Middle East; the non-proliferation treaty; and much more.

Date:

April 21, 2010   

Josh Stieber
Former Specialist with the U.S. Army who served in Iraq and was a member of the company documented in the video recently released by Wikileaks (Bravo Company 2-16), which shows U.S. soldiers killing civilians in Iraq including a Reuters photographer and then shooting at people in a van attempting to rescue the wounded. Stieber left the military and is now a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War.

The U.S.-lead occupation of Iraq; the killing of civilians by the U.S. military as documented in the Wikileaks video; the decision by Josh Stieber to leave the military and join Iraq Veterans Against the War; and the Open Letter of Reconciliation and Responsibility to the Iraqi People: From Current and Former Members of the US Military he just released.

Date:

April 14, 2010   

Dr. Hussein Ibish
Senior Fellow at the American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) and Executive Director of the Hala Salaam Maksoud Foundation for Arab-American Leadership. Dr. Ibish has served as Communications Director for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and was Vice-President of the National Coalition to Protect Political Freedom. Dr. Hussein Ibish is author of numerous books and publications.

The new Israeli orders that could lead to the expulsion of tens of thousands of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank in Palestine, and its implication on the prospects for peace; Israel's ongoing measures to remove Palestinians from occupied Jerusalem; the ongoing Israeli siege on Gaza; and much more.

Date:

April 7, 2010   

Ziad Abbas on the Growing Water Crisis in Gaza and West Bank
Special program by Raising Sand Radio

Ziad Abbas, a Palestinian refugee from Dheisheh Refugee camp in the West Bank and current associate director of Middle East Children's Alliance discusses the growing water crisis in Palestine that affects agriculture, industry, and the health of virtually every adult and child.

There is a growing water crisis in Palestine that affects agriculture, industry, and the health of virtually every adult and child.

The sole source of fresh water for the Gaza Strip is the Coastal Aquifer, a water source shared with Israel. This aquifer has been contaminated for years and it is deteriorating even further. Poor sanitation and over-extraction have polluted this limited water supply.

Today we take a look at the water crisis in the region with Ziad Abbas, a Palestinian refugee from Dheisheh Refugee camp in the West Bank and current associate director of Middle East Children's Alliance.

Date:

March 31, 2010   

Lawfare Project and Debbie Almontaser's Case
Special program by Law and Disorder Radio that covers two separate topics:

1 - Inside the Lawfare Project: Netanyahu’s Attack on Human Rights NGO’s Hits the States with guest Max Blumenthal, award-winning journalist and best selling author.
 
2 - Khalil Gibran International Academy Principal (Debbie Almontaser) Discriminated Against. Almontaser was forced to resign after she was quoted explaining in the New York Post that the word “intifada” literally means “shaking off” in Arabic. Earlier this month, the EEOC found that the Department of Education discriminated against Almontaser. The guests are attorney Alan Levine and Mona Eldahry, co-founder of Arab Women Active In the Arts.

Date:

March 24, 2010   

Dr. Dahlia Wasfi
Internationally known speaker and activist; born to an American Jewish mother and an Iraqi Muslim father, and lived in Iraq as a child. Dr. Wasfi is speaking out in support of immediate, unconditional withdrawal of American forces from Iraq and Afghanistan and the need to end the occupation “from the Nile to the Euphrates.”

Iraq on the 7th anniversary of the occupation, and Dr. Wasfi's eyewitness account of life under occupation.

Date:

March 17, 2010   

Gabriel Sanchez
Director of the U.S. Census Bureau and highest ranking Department of Commerce official of the Dallas Region (encompassing Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi); recipient of the Department of Commerce Equal Employment Opportunity Award in 2004 for his work in motivating, recruiting and promoting minorities into federal government careers.

Helen Hatab Samhan
Executive Director of the Arab American Institute Foundation in Washington D.C. (designated as the only Census Information Center dedicated to analyzing data on Arab Americans). Ms. Samhan lectures and publishes on Arab American affairs, particularly the immigrant experience of Arabs in the U.S., their identity and demographics, the history of anti-Arab racism, political involvement and Arab American women.

The 2010 U.S. Census: why it's important; facts about the census; who should fill the form; what's in it for Arab Americans; what Arab Americans need to know; what category should an Arab American fill on the form; privacy and confidentiality of your information; and much more.

Date:

March 10, 2010   

Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh
Professor at Bethlehem and Birzeit Universities in occupied Palestine; chair of the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement between People; and author of several books, including "Sharing the Land of Canaan: Human Rights and the Israeli-Palestinian Struggle" and the forthcoming "Hope and Empowerment: A history of Popular Resistance In Palestine".
Dr. Qumsiyeh will be joining us via phone while on his way from the US to occupied Palestine. Last week, Israel raided his house in Palestine and there is fear that he might be kidnapped by Israel upon his return to Palestine.

Dana El Kurd
Sophomore student at the University of Houston. She is double-majoring in Political Science and Economics, and hopes to pursue a career in International Law. She is a member of Students for a Democratic Society at UH, which is organizing the Israeli Apartheid Week at UH. She is also active on the anti-war/anti-occupation campaign.
 
Rob Block
Senior Student at UH. He is majoring in History and Mexican American Studies. He helped found the Houston Students for a Democratic Society chapter at UH in December of 2008 and has been active in the Immigrant Rights and anti-war/anti-occupation campaigns of SDS.

Dr. Qumsiyeh's first-hand experience living in occupied Palestine; the ongoing Israeli confiscation of Palestinian land and expansion of settlements in Israeli colonies; and his views on strategies for a peaceful resolution. We will also talk about his participation in the US in the 6th International Israeli Apartheid Week (March 8-12). We will also talk with both Dana El Kurd and Rob Block about their efforts in Houston and the activities held this week at the University of Houston during the International Israeli Apartheid Week.

Date:

March 3, 2010   

Dr. Louise Cainkar
Sociologist and assistant professor in the Department of Social and Cultural Sciences at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and author of the new book "Homeland Insecurity: The Arab American and Muslim American Experience after 9/11". Her areas of expertise include Arab American studies; Muslims in the United States and immigration integration.

Date:

February 24, 2010   

Dahr Jamail
Award-winning independent journalist, world renowned for documenting the human cost of the Iraq war, and author who has reported from the Middle East for seven years. He writes frequently to various media outlets and also reports on radio for Democracy Now!, and appears frequently on numerous TV and radio stations around the globe.

The new announcement this week by the top U.S. general in occupied Iraq that he could slow the exit of U.S. combat forces from Iraq; the current situation in occupied Iraq; and the upcoming elections there. We will also talk about Afghanistan as violence and US troop commitment there surges.
 

Membership Drive

Date:

February 17, 2010   

Greta Berlin
A U.S. human rights activist, an advocate for justice for the Palestinians since the early 60s, co-founder of Free Gaza Movement, who was on board the first ship to break the Israeli siege on the occupied Gaza Strip and deliver medicine. Greta is planning to go back soon to deliver more supplies. In one of her previous visits to occupied Palestine, Greta was shot by the Israeli occupation forces.
 

Membership Drive

Date:

February 10, 2010   

Noam Chomsky's Speech
Professor of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, political activist and writer, who has written and lectured widely on linguistics, philosophy, intellectual history, contemporary issues, international affairs and U.S. foreign policy. Chomsky is author numerous books and articles covering a wide range of topics.

“The Unipolar Moment and the Culture of Imperialism”: A speech made by Professor Noam Chomsky on December 3, 2009 at the 5th Annual Edward Said Memorial Lecture at Columbia University School for International Affairs.

Date:

February 3, 2010   

Dr. Zahi Damuni
One of the founders of Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition; who currently serves on its national coordinating committee (representing San Diego) and its executive committee as national treasurer.

 
Mark Shabib
A friend of Al-Awda (Houston Chapter), who works closely with the Palestinian refugees in Houston.

Dr. Ammar Altahhan
Iraqi refugee who currently lives in Houston, Texas. Dr. Altahhan was a medical doctor, business administrator and a computer expert in Iraq.

Farqad Al Ameri
Board Member at the Iraqi American Community Center in Houston, who works closely with the Iraqi refugees in Houston.

We will be talking with our guests about the Iraqi and Palestinian refugees who are arriving from Iraq to the U.S. (including Houston), and the efforts and programs made by Al-Awda (National & Houston) and the Iraqi American Community Center in Houston to support the refugees.

Date:

January 27, 2010   

Chris Hedges
A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of many publications including "War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning", "Collateral Damage: America's War Against Iraqi Civilians" and the best-selling “American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America". Hedges served for eight years as the Middle East bureau chief of The New York Times, and has written extensively on U.S. policy in the Middle East and other critical foreign policy issues.

Date:

January 20, 2010   

Professor Walid Khalidi's Speech at the UN
World-renowned Palestinian Historian and Scholar (born in Jerusalem); General Secretary and co-founder of the Institute for Palestine Studies; and author of numerous books and articles.
 
We will listen to professor Khalidi's keynote presentation about Jerusalem delivered at the UN Headquarters during a special meeting in observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

Date:

January 13, 2010   

Sheila Carapico
Professor of political science and international studies at the University of Richmond and the American University in Cairo. A contributing editor to Middle East Report, Carapico is also the author of Civil Society in Yemen: The Political Economy of Activism in Modern Arabia, and numerous articles and book chapters on Yemeni politics and society.

The fighting in Yemen between the Yemeni government and the Houthi & Al-Qaeda fighters and the U.S. involvement; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iraq, and the U.S. Foreign Policy towards the Middle East.

Date:

January 6, 2010   

Ambassador Maen Areikat
PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) Representative to the United States, who served for 11 years at the Negotiations Affairs Department of the PLO, and took part in Palestinian-Israeli negotiations and was an official member of the Palestinian delegation at the Wye River negotiations in 1998.

Continuation of Arab Voices special coverage on the first anniversary of Israel's massacre & war crimes committed in Gaza. We will discuss various topics with Ambassador Areikat, who will be coming to Houston next week.