Date:

December 30, 2009

Dr. Norman Finkelstein - PART 2
An independent scholar who for many years taught political theory and the Israel-Palestine conflict. Dr. Finkelstein is author of several books including "Beyond Chutzpah: On the misuse of anti-Semitism and the abuse of history", "The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the exploitation of Jewish suffering", and "Image and Reality of the Israel-Palestine Conflict".

Sami Abdel-Shafi - in Gaza
Palestinian (politically independent) who lives in Gaza City. He is co-founder and senior partner at Emerge Consulting Group; who serves on the board of directors of several non-governmental organizations, and writes and publishes economic and political analysis and provides commentary on Palestinian affairs in the international media.

HCJPP Demonstration
Remarks by several Houstonians who participated in the demonstration held on December 27 in Houston (organized by Houston Coalition for Justice & Peace in Palestine) to commemorate the 1^st anniversary of Israel's massacre & war crimes in Gaza.

Part 2 of the interview conducted with Dr. Finkelstein where he will talk about the Goldstone Report, the full support Israel gets from the U.S., the Palestinian Refugees issue, and the one-state vs. two-state question.
 
We will also interview Sami Abdel-Shafi (who lives in Gaza) about the current situation there one year after the Israeli assault.
 
We will also listen to remarks made by several Houstonians who participated in the demonstration held on December 27, 2009 in Houston (organized by Houston Coalition for Justice & Peace in Palestine) to commemorate the 1^st anniversary of Israel's massacre & war crimes in Gaza.

Date:

December 23, 2009

Dr. Norman Finkelstein - PART 1
An independent scholar who for many years taught political theory and the Israel-Palestine conflict. Dr. Finkelstein is author of several books including "Beyond Chutzpah: On the misuse of anti-Semitism and the abuse of history", "The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the exploitation of Jewish suffering", and "Image and Reality of the Israel-Palestine Conflict".

Hedy Epstein
85-year-old Holocaust Survivor (in which she lost both her parents). Hedy will be joining the more than 1,300 international delegates from 43 countries participating in a historic Gaza Freedom March, where the delegates will convene at the Gaza/Egypt border next week.

Christmas in the Palestinian City of Bethlehem, where Jesus Christ was born; Dr. Finkelstein's remarks about the Israel-Palestine conflict as we near the first anniversary of the Israeli massacre and war crimes in Gaza; and Hedy Epstein's participation in the Gaza Freedom March next week at the Egypt/Gaza border.

Date:

December 16, 2009

Micha Kurz
Former Israeli Soldier and Master Sergeant with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), who lives in Jerusalem and served as a combat soldier in the occupied Palestinian territories. He is co-founder of Breaking the Silence, an organization of former Israeli soldiers speaking out about their conduct in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. He is also founder and director of Grassroots Jerusalem, an organization mapping grassroots activities in and around Jerusalem.

Micha's own experience and his eyewitness account as an Israeli soldier while serving in the occupied Palestinian territories; the organization he co-founded, Breaking the Silence, and the testimonies it has been collecting and documenting of Israeli soldiers speaking about their actions and what they were told to do inside the occupied Palestinians areas; as well as the Grassroots Jerusalem organization.

Date:

December 9, 2009

Robert Naiman
Policy Director and National Coordinator at Just Foreign Policy who edits the Just Foreign Policy daily news summary and writes a blog on Huffington Post. Naiman has studied and worked in the Middle East, and also worked as a policy analyst and researcher at the Center for Economic and Policy Research and Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch.

A discussion with Mr. Naiman about President Obama's Foreign Policy after almost one year in office, especially towards the Middle East. We will talk about the President's promises and talks before his election and his actions after he was elected.

Date:

December 2, 2009

Reese Erlich
Freelance foreign correspondent who has covered the Middle East for 23 years (he was in Afghanistan this past summer). He is author of several books including the best-selling book "Target Iraq: What the News Media Didn’t Tell You", and his latest book "Conversations with Terrorists" will be published in 2010. Erlich has produced several major radio documentaries and has won numerous journalism awards.

A discussion about the U.S. Foreign Policy towards the Middle East and President Obama's decision to send more troops to Afghanistan.

Date:

November 25, 2009

Law and Disorder
Special program about a major decision written by a federal judge that was brought against former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft for the illegal and unconstitutional detention of American Muslims. This program includes an interview with Lee Gelernt, ACLU Attorney, and Deputy Director of the Immigrants’ Rights Project, as well as an interview with Farhana Khera, first Executive Director of Muslim Advocates and the National Association of Muslim Lawyers, talking about a Lawsuit filed to Make Public the FBI’s Domestic Investigative Operational Guidelines.

Date:

November 18, 2009

Faheem Kazimi
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Islamic Education Center (IEC-Houston).
 
We will talk with Mr. Kazimi about the seizure by the U.S. Federal Government of the IEC-Houston building last week along with other mosques and a skyscraper in the U.S. that are owned by the Alavi Foundation, a New York-based foundation accused of being a front for the Iranian government.

Date:

November 11, 2009

Salam Al-Marayati
Executive Director for the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), who also works as an advisor to several political, civic and academic institutions in the U.S. seeking to understand the role of Islam and Muslims in America and throughout the world. Salam has written extensively on Islam, human rights, democracy, Middle East politics, the Balkan Crisis, and the Transcaucus conflict. Salam has also been deeply involved in interfaith activities.

The attack at Fort Hood in Texas, and the immediate trigger of anti-Muslim backlash, especially by the mainstream media.
 

Membership Drive

Date:

November 4, 2009

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 worsening situation in occupied Palestine as a result of the ongoing Israeli occupation; Goldstone's Report “UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict”, and the new U.S. House Resolution 867 that calls on President Obama and the Secretary of State to "oppose unequivocally any endorsement or further consideration of Goldstone's Report".
 

Membership Drive

Date:

October 28, 2009

Membership Drive
 

Membership Drive

Date:

October 21, 2009

Yvonne Ridley
Award-winning British journalist, author, human rights activist and Muslim convert, who made international headlines when she was captured by the Taliban while reporting on the war in Afghanistan. Yvonne has worked for numerous media outlets and has visited Iraq and Palestine, including several trips to Gaza to break the siege imposed on it.

A discussion with Yvonne about her personal experiences as a journalist, her capture by the Taliban and later her conversion to Islam. We will also talk about her trips to the Middle East, including her trips to break the siege on Gaza, and also talk about her work to defend Islam, and much more.
 
Note: Yvonne Ridley will be speaking in Houston on Saturday, October 24 (click here for the details).

Date:

October 14, 2009

Richard Goldstone's Report on Gaza
Head of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission to Gaza
 
Audio recording of Justice Goldstone's press conference held on September 15 about the committee's findings on Gaza, followed by the remarks he made at the United Nations Human Rights Council on September 29. In that report, Goldstone says Israel’s war actions against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip amount to war crimes and possibly, in some respects, crimes against humanity.

Date:

October 7, 2009

Jeff Gates
A widely acclaimed author, attorney, investment banker, educator and consultant to government, corporate and union leaders worldwide; an adviser to policy-makers worldwide; former counsel to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee; and author of numerous articles and books including his latest book "Guilt By Association: How Deception and Self-Deceit Took America to War".

A discussion about Mr. Gates' latest provocative book "Guilt By Association: How Deception and Self-Deceit Took America to War", in which the author says "America’s credibility on the world stage has deteriorated due to a small group of elites and extremists who pledge allegiance to Israel”. In this book, former counsel to the U.S. Senate, Jeff Gates documents how Israeli agents and their “assets” in the U.S. manipulated policy-makers to wage war in Iraq and now seek to expand that war to Iran. Mr. gates presents a 60-year chronicle detailing betrayal, duplicity and deceit by a nation that has long feigned friendship with America in order to manipulate the U.S. military to wage its wars. Guilt by Association also shows how guilt by association was deployed to discredit the U.S. by its entangled alliance with the state of Israel, and how association is routinely used as a political tool either to accredit or discredit. In this book, Mr. Gates chronicles a long tradition of corruption and treason at the hands of foreign agents committed to advancing the Zionist cause through well timed crises, as well as the hidden influence that Israel exerted over the 2008 presidential elections.
 
This must-read book is described as “Breathless just reading it” by Noam Chomsky, “Explosively revelatory, powerful, compelling and certain to be highly contentious” by Ambassador Edward Peck, and “Magnificent, timely and persuasive” by Paul Findley.

Date:

September 30, 2009

Syria, Palestine, Egypt & Lebanon @ the UN
Speeches/Remarks made at the Sixty-Fourth General Assembly Session of the United Nations held in New York this month made covering various topics by the Syrian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Walid Al-Moualem, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas, the Egyptian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and the Lebanese President, Michel Sleiman.

Date:

September 23, 2009

Dahr Jamail
Award-winning unembedded and independent journalist and author who has reported from the Middle East for over six years. He writes for the Inter Press Service, and Le Monde Diplomatique, among others. He also reports on radio for Democracy Now!, and has appeared on the BBC, NPR, Al-Jazeera and numerous other stations around the globe.

"The Will to Resist: Soldiers Who Refuse to Fight in Iraq and Afghanistan": A new book just released by Dahr Jamail in which he tells the hidden story of American soldiers turning against the war, and brings us inside the movement of military resistance to the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. Dahr's comprehensive study of today's military resisters sheds new light on the contours of dissent within the ranks of the world's most powerful military.

Date:

September 16, 2009

"American Muslims: Outreach for America"
Speeches made at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Houston Chapter) 8^th Annual Fundraising Banquet held on August 15, 2009. The speeches cover various topics, but they all focus on the theme "American Muslims: Outreach for America", to reflect CAIR's goals and achievements of doing outreach for a better America.
 
We will listen to CAIR-Houston case successes given by Iliana Gonzalez, Civil Rights Coordinator at CAIR-Houston. The keynote address was given by former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. Nihad Awad, Executive Director of CAIR-National was also in attendance and delivered a speech.

Date:

September 9, 2009

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".

Date:

September 2, 2009

Libya and Lockerbie: The Untold Story
Special program about Libya and the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing in Lockerbie. 

Date:

August 26, 2009

Ralph Nader
Prominent Lebanese-American, political activist, former presidential candidate, consumer advocate, lawyer, 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 magazine as One of the 100 Most Influential Americans of the Twentieth Century.

Various topics including Mr. Nader's views on President Obama's foreign policy, especially towards the Middle East and Afghanistan; bringing peace to occupied Iraq and occupied Palestine; mock executions by the CIA of suspected "terrorists" post-9/11; and much more.

Date:

August 19, 2009

Dr. Ezzat Abouleish
Egyptian-American, Professor Emeritus at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, who authored articles and books, including "Contributions of Islam to Medicine". In addition to being named a fellow at the Royal College of Surgeons in Great Britain, he holds numerous other national and international awards for his outstanding work.

Ameer Abuhalimeh
Executive Director of the Islamic Da’wah Center in Houston that is currently hosting the international touring exhibition of "Sultans of Science: 1000 Years of Knowledge Rediscovered".

A discussion with Dr. Abouleish about his current Art Exhibit "When The East Meets The West" at the Clear Lake Freeman Library, and also talk with Ameer Abuhalimeh about the "Sultans of Science: 1000 Years of Knowledge Rediscovered", currently on exhibition at the Islamic Da'wah Center in Downtown Houston which celebrates the scientific and technological breakthroughs made by scholars during the Golden Age of the Islamic World (eighth to 18th centuries) and their lasting influence on modern science and technology.

Date:

August 12, 2009

Cynthia McKinney
Former US Congresswoman and the 2008 Green Party presidential candidate.
 
We will talk with her about the U.S. Foreign Policy towards the Middle East, and her own personal experience in trying to visit and deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip in which the boat she was riding was rammed one time by the Israeli Navy, and on a second attempt, she was kidnapped and jailed by the Israeli forces.
 

Membership Drive

Date:

August 5, 2009

Nadia Bilbassy-Charters
Chief news correspondent at Middle East Broadcasting Center, MBC-TV
 
"Moving Forward: Palestinian Political Parties & Reconciliation": In a recent Palestine Center briefing, Nadia Bilbassy-Charters, argues that by tracing the history of the development of Palestinian political parties, we can come to a better understanding of the rise of Fateh and Hamas, the fault lines between them and amongst their leaders, the internal and external dynamics which shape each party’s actions and the difficulties in reconciling.

Date:

July 29, 2009

Dr. James Paul
Executive Director of Global Policy Forum, a prominent figure in the NGO advocacy community at the United Nations, and a well-known speaker and writer on the UN and global policy issues, who has written extensively about Iraq over the years.

Iraq: Myth and Reality; reality on the ground in occupied Iraq vs. what is being reported about complete U.S. troops withdrawal from Iraqi cities; Washington's involvement in Iraqi internal politics; U.S. military basis in Iraq; Washington's aims at privatization of Iraq's vast oil resources; and much more.

Date:

July 22, 2009

Helena Cobban
A veteran journalist, writer, researcher and author of several books including "Re-engage! America and the World After Bush". Helena visited the Middle East earlier this year, and spent one month in Egypt, Jordan, Syria, the occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel.

We will talk with her about her month-long trip, her findings and conclusions based on her first-hand eye-witness account of developments on the ground in the countries she visited, and much more.

Date:

July 15, 2009

Rinad Abdallah
An American lawyer from San Bernardino, California who entered the Gaza Strip few hours ago with the US Viva Palestina convoy lead by British MP George Galloway to deliver humanitarian aid to the Palestinians living in the besieged Gaza Strip.  Rinad will join us LIVE from Gaza to talk about this humanitarian mission.

 
President Bill Clinton's Speech
A speech made in June 2009 by President Clinton at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee's annual National Convention, where he spoke about the importance of the work of ADC and the role of identity in politics.

Date:

July 8, 2009

Adam Shapiro
Jewish-American activist and co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement in Palestine; documentary filmmaker, whose latest work is "Chronicles of a Refugee" a 6-part series about Palestinian refugees all over the world and their experiences of the last 61 years. Adam was on board the Free Gaza Boat "Spirit of Humanity" when he was kidnapped and jailed by the State of Israel. Adam has just returned to the U.S.

Kathy Sheetz
Medical officer, nurse, human rights activist and film maker. Kathy was on board the Free Gaza Boat "Spirit of Humanity" when she was kidnapped and jailed by the State of Israel.  Kathy has just returned to the U.S.
 

Date:

July 1, 2009

Raed Jarrar
Born and raised in Iraq, Mr. Jarrar is currently based in Washington D.C. He is a political analyst; contributing writer for Foreign Policy in Focus; member of the steering committee of the NY-based coalition United For Peace and Justice; and serves as Iraq consultant for the American Friends Service Committee.

The current situation in occupied Iraq, the U.S. troops "withdrawal" from some Iraqi cities, the increase of attacks in Iraq in the last few days, the U.S. military basis in Iraq, the Iraqi oil, and much more.

Date:

June 24, 2009

Dr. James Zogby
Founder and president of the Arab American Institute, co-founder and served as the Executive Director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, a lecturer and scholar on Middle East issues, U.S.-Arab relations and the history of the Arab American community, author of several books and articles, and host of the award winning "Viewpoint” TV program.

Dr. Zogby has just retuned to the U.S. from a trip to the Middle East. We will talk with him about his own view and the views he heard while in the Middle East about President Obama's foreign policy towards the Middle East; the recent Lebanese elections; the Palestinian-Israeli problem; and much more.

Date:

June 17, 2009

Dr. Stephen Zunes
Professor of Politics and International Studies at the University of San Francisco, where he chairs the program in Middle Eastern Studies. He serves as a senior policy analyst for the Foreign Policy in Focus project of the Institute for Policy Studies, and is also an associate editor of Peace Review, and chair of the academic advisory committee for the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict.

Elections in Iran, President Obama’s recent visit to the Middle East and his remarks about peace in that part of the world, Occupied Iraq, President Carter’s visit to the besieged Gaza Strip and his meeting with Hamas officials, and the recent Israeli Prime Minister’s remarks about his own plans.

Date:

June 10, 2009

President Barack Obama's Speech in Cairo
Remarks made by President Barack Obama on June 4, 2009 at Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt, where he addressed the Arab and Muslim worlds.  In his speech, President Obama called for a new beginning between the United States and Muslims across the world.

Date:

June 3, 2009

Gilad Atzmon
Israeli expat, writer, philosopher, activist and talented jazz saxophonist.  He will be joining us live in the studio to talk about Palestine and Israel.  Right after his interview with Arab Voices, Gilad Atzmon will do a live performance followed by a talk on Palestine in Houston (click here for the details).

Phillip Tourney
USS Liberty Survivor; an American hero, who served in the US Navy for 8 years. We will talk with him about the 42^nd anniversary of the brutal & deliberate Israeli attack on the US Navy intelligence ship USS Liberty that killed 34 Americans and wounded 174, and his efforts to launch a US investigation.

Date:

May 27, 2009

George Galloway
British Member of Parliament and activist, who broke the siege on Gaza by leading more than 100 vehicle aid convoy Artery of Life bringing medicine, food, clothing and toys from the UK to Gaza after a 24-day journey through Europe and Africa in March.

Break The Siege of Gaza: A speech given by George Galloway in Houston on May 17, 2009, and Mr. Galloway's new initiative to lead a US convoy of at least 500 vehicles and $10 million of humanitarian aid to Gaza.  More information is at www.vivapalestina-us.org.

Date:

May 20, 2009

Date:

May 13, 2009

Ali Khalili
Chairman of the Coalition to Free Imam Zoubir Bouchikhi will be talking with Arab Voices LIVE about the case of Sheikh Zoubir Bouchikhi, a well respected Imam, scholar and teacher in Houston (a native of Algeria) with two master’s degrees, who was arrested and has been held at a private immigration prison in Houston for nearly 5 months.  On March 17, 2009, the Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) set a bond for his release, but then ICE decided to delay his release supposedly based on advice from Washington!
 
BREAKING NEWS - May 13 @ 7:30 pm:
Imam Zoubir has just been released from jail.
Announcement was made LIVE on Arab Voices!
 
Campaign Letter to Free Sheikh Zoubir
  
Video & Photos of Demonstration in Support of Sheikh Zoubir
 
Sheikh Zoubir's interview with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now
 

Membership Drive

Ali Khalili
  

Sheikh Zoubir

Date:

May 6, 2009

Medea Benjamin
Cofounder of both CODEPINK and Global Exchange. She has been working for several years to promote a U.S. foreign policy that respects human rights. She recently led a 60-person delegation to Gaza, and on Monday, May 4, she interrupted the Israeli President at AIPAC's Conference calling for an end to the Israeli occupation and lifting the siege of Gaza.

AIPAC's (American Israeli Political Action Committee) annual policy conference and Medea's participation in it; the U.S. administrations  decision to drop espionage-related charges against two former officials of AIPAC; Medea's recent 60-person delegation trip to Gaza, and the upcoming delegation to Gaza.
 

Membership Drive

Date:

April 29, 2009

Dr. Hanan Ashrawi
Palestinian legislator, activist and scholar, who served as the official spokeswoman for the Palestinian Delegation to the Middle East peace process in 1991. She chairs the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH), and she is the Diana Tamari Sabbagh Fellow in Middle Eastern Studies at the Baker Institute.

'Peace in the Middle East: Lessons Learned and New Directions": A lecture given by Dr. Hanan Ashrawi at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University in Houston last month (March 24, 2009).

Date:

April 22, 2009

Yousef Munayyer
Policy Analyst for the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), the largest Arab-American civil rights organization in the US. Munayyer is completing doctoral work in Government and Politics. He frequently writes on matters of foreign policy in the Arab and Muslim world and civil rights and civil liberties issues in the US. His Op-Eds appear regularly in numerous national newspapers.

The Obama  Administration’s policy and its efforts to change the U.S. foreign policy in relation to the Middle East, the newly released torture memos from the Bush era, the just-held UN conference on racism, and much more.

Date:

April 15, 2009

Annemarie Jacir
Palestinian-born filmmaker who was named one of Filmmaker magazine's 25 New Faces of Independent Cinema. She has written, directed and produced a number of award-winning films including Until When, Post Oslo History, and Salt of this Sea, which will be premiered on Friday, April 17 during Houston Palestine Film Festival.  Jacir also works as a freelance editor and cinematographer and a teacher of cinema to children in Palestinian refugee camps.

Date:

April 8, 2009

Adam Kokesh
Corporal in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and a veteran of the Iraq War. He is an activist with and a member of the board of the Iraq Veterans Against the War organization.

A discussion with Adam about his experience in Iraq; Iraq Veterans Against the War organization; President Barack Obama's visit to Iraq and his plans for troop withdrawal from Iraq. 

Date:

April 1, 2009

Codepink Womens Delegation to Gaza
"Sprouts: Codepink Womens Delegation to Gaza": The story of CODEPINK delegates who went to Gaza, Hollywood stars who supported them, and others, who pressured Israel, Egypt, and the White House. Finally President Obama puts pressure on PM Ehud Olmert, and Israel blinks.

Featured speakers/guests: Jordan Elgrably, LCC, UN Special Rapporteur to Palestine, Richard Falk, Phyllis Bennis, Alice Walker, singer Annie Lennox, KPFK's Don Bustany, actor Eric Roberts, CODEPINK, Ann Wright, Medea Benjamin, Gael Murphy, Pam Rasmussen, and Nile Alwardini.

Date:

March 25, 2009

Dahr Jamail
Independent journalist who has reported from the Middle East for the last five years.  He writes for the Inter Press Service, and Le Monde Diplomatique, among others. He also reports on radio for Democracy Now!, and has appeared on the BBC and NPR and numerous other stations around the globe.

"Iraq and Beyond: The Real Story by Dahr Jamail": A speech given by Dahr Jamail at the Rothko Chapel in Houston on March 3, 2009. Dahr spoke about the war in Iraq, the current situation in that region of the world, and the implications for human rights.

Date:

March 18, 2009

Aseel Al Banna
An Iraqi peace activist, co-founder and active member of Iraqi Voices for Peace.  Born and raised in Baghdad, Aseel studied architecture and urban studies and is currently based in Washington, D.C. Aseel has been politically active in her community where she traveled with an Iraqi women's delegation throughout the US to shed light on the horrors of the war in Iraq and its impact on women and children.

The current situation in occupied Iraq on the eve of the 6^th anniversary of the U.S.-lead attack and occupation of Iraq; the horrors of the war and its impact on women and children over the years; the Iraqi refugee crisis; President Obama's plans for U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq, and much more.

Date:

March 11, 2009

George Galloway
British Member of Parliament and activist, who broke the siege on Gaza by leading more than a 100-vehicle aid convoy Artery of Life bringing medicine, food, clothing and toys from the UK to Gaza after a 24-day journey through Europe and Africa.

Nadje Al-Ali
Co-author of a new book entitled, "What Kind of Liberation? Women and the Occupation of Iraq." She is also the director at the University of London, Department of Gender Studies Center at the School of Oriental and African Studies.

First Segment: George Galloway's first speech (recorded) when he entered Gaza to deliver medicine, food, clothing and toys with the "Artery of Life" convoy.
 
Second Segment: "What Kind of Liberation? Women and Iraq" - a special program produced by Making Contact. In this edition, we hear from author and activist, Nadje Al-Ali who talks about the reality of women's lives in Iraq. In the run-up to the war in Iraq, a lot of attention was given to the plight of Iraqi women. The constant drumbeat from the Bush administration was that U.S. interest in Iraq was liberation -- with women's rights as a top priority. What went largely unreported is that Iraqi women activists have been organizing - for the last 50 years. So what was life like for women before the invasion? And... what's it like now?

Date:

March 4, 2009

Dr. Rashid Khalidi
The Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies at Columbia University; author of numerous books including "The Iron Cage: The Story of The Palestinian Struggle for Statehood"; editor of the Journal of Palestine Studies; who was an advisor to the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid and Washington Arab-Israeli peace negotiations from 1991 until 1993.

The Gaza Siege:  A speech given by Dr. Khalidi at the Rothko Chapel in Houston on February 19, 2009.  Dr. Khalidi brings close to four decades of academic research about the history of the modern Middle East to bear in his analysis of the current situation.

Date:

February 25, 2009

Coleen Rowley
Former FBI Special Agent and whistle-blower, who shook Washington when she revealed that her bosses blocked efforts that could have foiled some of the 9/11 attacks. She is a former candidate for Congress, and was named one of Time magazine's people of the year in 2002. She recently wrote the piece "Criminal Justice 101 & the Bush War Criminals."

David Swanson
Author of the upcoming book "Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union" and of the introduction to "The 35 Articles of Impeachment and the Case for Prosecuting George W. Bush"; former press secretary for Dennis Kucinich's 2004 presidential campaign, media coordinator for the International Labor Communications Association; Co-Founder of AfterDowningStreet.org; creator of ConvictBushCheney.org; and Washington Director of Democrats.com.

A host of organizations urged on Tuesday Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint a nonpartisan independent Special Counsel to immediately commence a prosecutorial investigation into the most serious alleged crimes of former President George W. Bush, former Vice President Cheney, the attorneys formerly employed by the Department of Justice whose memos sought to justify torture, and other former top officials of the Bush administration. We will talk with Coleen Rowley about prosecution of officials from the Bush regime.

Date:

February 18, 2009

Naseer Aruri
Chancellor Professor (Emeritus) of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth; Chair of the Board of Directors of the Trans-Arab Research Institute; member of the Palestine Center Committee; author of several books and numerous publications, who has just completed a book manuscript tentatively titled "Imperial America: The Root Cause of September 11".

The Israeli attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip are continuing, with several air strikes that hit Gaza on Wednesday, February 18. Since late December 2008, more than 1,337 Palestinians were killed and more than 5,500 were injured.  Many of the dead and wounded were children and women.  When will the International community, especially the United States, intervene to stop the ongoing Israeli attacks and war crimes against the Palestinians.

Date:

February 11, 2009

Dennis Kucinich
Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio's 10th district, who was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 elections.

Josh Ruebner
National Advocacy Director for the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation; who worked for Congressional Research Service as an analyst in Middle East affairs.

"Armed and Dangerous: Weapons Transfers to Israel during the Bush Administration".  A policy briefing held last week at Capitol Hill by the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, on the effect of Israel's misuse of U.S. weapons against Palestinian civilians. The briefing included a presentation by Josh Ruebner of a research on arms transfers to Israel during the Bush Administration, and their effect on Palestinian civilians, and also included comments made by Congressman Dennis Kucinich about his request for the State Department to investigate Israel's possible violations of the US Arms Export Control Act.

We will also hear a special report aired on 60 Minutes on CBS titled "Is Peace Out of Reach?", in which journalist Bob Simon shows how the Israeli government’s years of support for the increasing presence of illegal Israeli settlements and settlers in the West Bank, Israeli policies on appropriating Palestinian homes, Israel’s imposition of arbitrary travel restriction and establishment of hundreds of military checkpoints, and the creation of the Apartheid Wall, are adversely impacting the feasibility of two-state solution.

Date:

February 4, 2009

Khalil Jahshan
Executive Director of Pepperdine University Seaver College’s Internship Program; Lecturer in International Studies and Languages; Middle East consultant, and a frequent lecturer before foreign policy panels, academic groups, think tanks, and community gatherings on the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Palestine problem, Israeli politics, and U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.

The foreign policy of the new Obama administration; the ongoing occupation of Palestine and Iraq, and how should the new Obama administration deal with the Middle East.

Date:

January 28, 2009

Audrey Stewart
Human rights worker with Loyola University and community advocate with the Loyola Law Clinic in New Orleans, who just returned to the U.S. after visiting the occupied Gaza Strip
 
Audrey recently wrote "Why I am in Gaza", "Suddenly Bombs Started Falling", and "Starting Over in Gaza".

Audrey's eyewitness account of the devastation and suffering in the occupied Gaza Strip as a result of the latest Israeli war.
 

Membership Drive

Date:

January 21, 2009

Greta Berlin
A U.S. human rights activist, 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 before the latest Israeli war. In one of her previous visits to occupied Palestine, Greta was shot by the Israeli occupation forces.

The current situation in the occupied Gaza Strip, and Israel's war crimes in Gaza.
 

Membership Drive

Date:

January 14, 2009

Rami Almeghari
Contributor to The Electronic Intifada, IMEMC.org and Free Speech Radio News (currently in Gaza); lecturer on media and political translation at the Islamic University of Gaza; and former senior English translator at and editor-in-chief of the International Press Center in Gaza.

Alison Weir
Founder and Executive Director of If Americans Knew; who visited and conducted an independent investigation in the flashpoints in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. Alison has spoken on Capitol Hill, to business leaders, at prestigious Washington D.C. thinktanks, and at a multitude of universities.

We will talk with Rami (from occupied Gaza) about the current situation in the occupied Gaza Strip where more than 1,000 Palestinians (including hundreds of children and women) have been killed and more than 4,600 Palestinians  have been injured by the latest Israeli war. We will also talk with Alison Weir about facts most Americans do not know about the current crisis, and how all Americans are directly connected to it.

Date:

January 7, 2009   

Sameh Habeeb
Palestinian photojournalist, humanitarian and peace activist who was born, raised and currently lives in the occupied Gaza Strip. Sameh maintains the web blog http://gazatoday.blogspot.com. Sameh also worked as a News Producer and a Journalist at the Ramattan News Agency.

Uri Avnery
Israeli Peace activist, journalist, writer;  former member of the Israeli Knesset (three terms); founding member of Gush Shalom (Israeli peace bloc); former publisher and editor-in-chief of Haolam Hazeh news magazine; founding member of the Israeli Council for Israeli-Palestinian Peace, who lives in Tel Aviv.

Mosab Nasser
A Palestinian born and raised in Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip, who currently lives and works in Houston, Texas, but his entire family still lives in the occupied Gaza Strip. Mosab is a spokesperson for Houston Coalition for Justice & Peace in Palestine. 

The Israeli war on the occupied Gaza Strip that has killed more than 700 Palestinians (including children and women), injured over 3,100 Palestinians, and destroyed the infrastructure of the Gaza Strip.