Date:

December 31, 2014

Palestine and the United Nations
 
The United Nations Security Council failed yesterday to pass a resolution calling  for a full Israeli withdrawal from the Occupied Palestinian Territories within two years, a peace agreement with just terms for lasting peace to be established within one year, and a just resolution on all outstanding issues (including the status of Jerusalem, control of water resources, the release of Palestinian prisoners and the return of Palestinian refugees).
  
We will listen today to the remarks made by some of the UN Security Council Member States that voted for the resolution, and also listen to the remarks of Dr. Riyad Mansour, Palestinian Ambassador at the United Nations.
 
We will also hear the reaction of some prominent Palestinian figures about the failed resolution, and their reaction to today's news about Palestine formally signing a document to join the International Criminal Court to pursue charges against Israelis for war crimes.
   

Date:

December 24, 2014

What is the value of Palestinian lives?
The Palestine Center in Washington, D.C. held its annual Edward Said Memorial Lecture on October 13, 2014. This year the lecture was titled "What is the value of Palestinian lives?", and the guest speaker was Dr. Judith Butler, Professor of Comparative Literature and Critical Theory at the University of California at Berkeley. She spoke about the difference in the value of life given to Palestinian versus Israeli civilians.
  
Today on Arab Voices, we will listen to that lecture.
   

Date:

December 17, 2014

1st Segment: Ruth Nasrullah & Ahmad Alaswad
Ruth Nasrullah is the Communications Coordinator for the Council on American Islamic Relations (Houston). She has a master of arts degree in journalism and is a regular contributor to Azizah, Islamic Horizons, Toastmaster and the Houston Chronicle, for which she has written The Straight Path blog since 2006. She previously served as president of the Houston chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
 
Ahmad Alaswad is the Outreach Coordinator for the Council on American Islamic Relations (Houston). He received dual bachelors degrees in criminal justice and political science, and a masters degree in public policy and international development. He worked as Council Aide to Houston City Council Member M.J. Khan, and also served as the Policy and Agenda Director for Council Member Jarvis Johnson. He also worked with Mayor Bill White and Mayor Annise Parker, providing them policy advice. The highlight of his time working for the City of Houston was winning the Mayor’s proclamation.
  
We will speak with both Ruth and Ahmad about the Texas Muslim Capitol Day scheduled for January 29, 2015, and the issues they plan to raise (including the anti-Islamic bills, immigration reform and its impact, and the criminal justice reform).
  

2nd Segment: Steven Salaita's Remarks
Professor Steven Salaita was dismissed from the University of Illinois over the summer because of his tweets about the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip at that time. His firing caused outrage and raised many questions about academic censorship.  Professor Salaita spoke at Northwestern University in October at an event organized by Students for Justice in Palestine. He talked about his firing, academic censorship, and the continuing colonial domination of the Palestinian people that this censorship covers for.
 
Today on Arab Voices, we will listen to his remarks.
  

Date:

December 10, 2014

Empowering Through Media Access: How To Get Your Story Told
The Muslim Professional Association (MPA) in Houston held an event on November 20, 2014 titled "Empowering Through Media Access: How To Get Your Story Told". The guest speaker was Azmat Khan, an investigative reporter with BuzzFeed, formerly with Al Jazeera America and PBS Frontline. She has won numerous awards for her journalism and produced stories on topics as diverse as the Egyptian revolution, underground abortions in Brazil and the forgotten victims of Detroit’s bankruptcy.
 
Today on Arab Voices, we will listen to Azmat's remarks as well as the questions and answers that were raised during the event.
   

Date:

December 3, 2014

"Christians in the Arab World: History, Demography & Current Affairs"
The Arab-American Educational Foundation in Houston held an event on November 14, 2014 titled "Christians in the Arab World: History, Demography & Current Affairs". The guest speaker was Shawqi Kassis, Arab American scientist, author and translator.
  
Today on Arab Voices, we will listen to Shawqi Kassis' remarks.
  

Date:

November 26, 2014

"Is the Arab World Dying or Being Born?"
The World Affairs Council of Houston held an event on November 13, 2014 titled "Is the Arab World Dying or Being Born?". The guest speaker was Rami Khouri, founding director and senior policy fellow at the Issam Fares Institute of Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut; editor-at-large of the Beirut-based Daily Star newspaper; and an internationally syndicated political columnist and book author. He is a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Dubai School of Government. He has been a visiting scholar at Stanford, Syracuse, Tufts, Mt. Holyoke and Northeastern universities, and in 2006 he was the co-recipient of the Pax Christi International Peace Award for his efforts to bring peace and reconciliation to the Middle East.
 
Today on Arab Voices, we will listen to Rami Khouri's remarks and some of the questions and answers that followed his talk.
  

Date:

November 19, 2014

Arab Voices was preempted on Wednesday, November 19, 2014 for a special Pacifica Radio Archives National Fund Drive that aired on all Pacifica stations in the US.
 

 

Date:

November 12, 2014

ACC's 21st Anniversary Celebration Gala
The Arab American Cultural and Community Center in Houston held its 21st Anniversary Celebration Gala on October 11, 2014. This year's theme was "Moving Forward", and it highlighted the culture and people of Morocco.
 
We will listen today to the remarks made at the Gala by the Mistress of Ceremonies, Ms. Sonia Azad with ABC Channel 13; Mrs. Randa Baba Chadraoui, ACC Gala Chair; and Mr. Abdel Elkhadiri, President of the ACC. We will also listen to the remarks made by the Honorees: Dr. Kamal G. Khalil, the 2014 Outstanding Community Service Award recipient; Dr. Samia N. Khalil, the 2014 ACC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient; and Mr. Farouk Shami with Farouk Systems, the 2014 ACC Outstanding Philanthropic Honoree recipient (introduced by Dr. George Elhaj). We will also listen to the remarks of the Consul General of Morocco from New York.
 
During the Gala, the Arab American Cultural and Community Center announced that it successfully completed its Debt Elimination Campaign after Mr. Farouk Shami gifted the ACC $350,000 dollars during the Gala!
   

Date:

November 5, 2014

Rami Khouri
Founding Director and Senior Public Policy Fellow at the Issam Fares Institute of Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut; editor-at-large of the Beirut-based Daily Star newspaper; and an internationally syndicated political columnist and book author. He is a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Dubai School of Government. He has been a visiting scholar at Stanford, Syracuse, Tufts, Mt. Holyoke and Northeastern universities, and in 2006 he was the co-recipient of the Pax Christi International Peace Award for his efforts to bring peace and reconciliation to the Middle East.
  

Date:

October 29, 2014

"Palestine 5 Film Pack" available tonight on Arab Voices
  
Dear friends, listeners and supports of Arab Voices,
  
KPFT began its Fall Membership Fund Drive On October 12, 2014 and Arab Voices needs your support to reach its goal of $3,000. Arab Voices already raised $2,125 during the past two shows. Please call during the show today 713-526-5738 and pledge your support. If you are unable to call during the show, please send e-mail to ArabVoices@hotmail.com with your name, phone number, mailing address and the amount you want to pledge.
  
We are offering the following special "Thank-You" Gifts:
  
"Palestine 5 Film Pack" - FIVE documentaries (on DVDs) for $365
You get 5 films on the Israel-Palestinian crisis and history, some of which are multi-part series. We will air portions of these documentaries on the show today. The 5 Film Pack includes:
 
1 - "Al Nakba" (award-winning four-part series)
2 - "Roadmap to Apartheid"
3 - "The Price of Oslo"
4 - "Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land"
5 - "Occupation 101"
  
We are also offering:
 
▪ $150 "The Battle for Justice in Palestine" book by Ali Abunimah
▪ $200 "Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. Has Undermined Peace in the Middle East" book by Rashid Khalidi
▪ $75 "Masters of Mankind: Essays and Lectures, 1969-2013" by Noam Chomsky"
▪ $75 DVD "Noam Chomsky at the UN with Amy Goodman"
▪ $120 Both Book & DVD for Noam Chomsky
 
Thank you.
         

Date:

October 22, 2014

Fall Membership Fund Drive
KPFT began its Fall Membership Fund Drive this week, and Arab Voices needs your support to reach its goal. Please call during the show on Wednesday 713-526-5738 and pledge your support. If you are unable to call during the show, please send e-mail to ArabVoices@hotmail.com with your name, phone number, mailing address and the amount you want to pledge. Thank-You Gifts offered include:

• $365 "Palestinian 5 Film Pack" featuring Al Nakba and Roadmap to Apartheid: You get 5 films on the Israel-Palestinian crisis and history, some of which are multi-part series. The pack includes the award-winning Al Jazeera four-part series "Al Nakba," the two-part documentary "The Price of Oslo" by the same filmmaker and the documentary "Roadmap to Apartheid," narrated by Alice Walker, about the connections between the Israel/Palestinian conflict and the former Apartheid regime in South Africa. It also includes "Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land," and "Occupation 101."
• $75 DVD: "Road Map to Apartheid"
• $150 DVD Set 1: "Al Nakba" plus "Price of Oslo"
• $200 DVD Set 2: "Al Nakba" plus "Road Map to Apartheid"
• $150 "The Battle for Justice in Palestine" by Ali Abunimah
• $200 "Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. Has Undermined Peace in the Middle East" by Rashid Khalidi
• $75 "Masters of Mankind: Essays and Lectures, 1969-2013" by Noam Chomsky"
• $75 DVD "Noam Chomsky @ the UN with Amy Goodman"
• $120 Both Book & DVD for Noam Chomsky

Thank you.
        

Date:

October 15, 2014

Fall Membership Fund Drive
KPFT began its Fall Membership Fund Drive this week, and Arab Voices needs your support to reach its goal. Please call during the show on Wednesday 713-526-5738 and pledge your support. If you are unable to call during the show, please send e-mail to ArabVoices@hotmail.com with your name, phone number, mailing address and the amount you want to pledge. Thank-You Gifts offered include:

• $365 "Palestinian 5 Film Pack" featuring Al Nakba and Roadmap to Apartheid: You get 5 films on the Israel-Palestinian crisis and history, some of which are multi-part series. The pack includes the award-winning Al Jazeera four-part series "Al Nakba," the two-part documentary "The Price of Oslo" by the same filmmaker and the documentary "Roadmap to Apartheid," narrated by Alice Walker, about the connections between the Israel/Palestinian conflict and the former Apartheid regime in South Africa. It also includes "Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land," and "Occupation 101."
• $75 DVD: "Road Map to Apartheid"
• $150 DVD Set 1: "Al Nakba" plus "Price of Oslo"
• $200 DVD Set 2: "Al Nakba" plus "Road Map to Apartheid"
• $150 "The Battle for Justice in Palestine" by Ali Abunimah (new book - February 2014)
• $200 "Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. Has Undermined Peace in the Middle East" by Rashid Khalidi

Thank you.
        

Date:

October 8, 2014

Russell Tribunal on Palestine & BDS Local Event
The Russell Tribunal on Palestine held a special extraordinary session in Brussels on September 24-25, 2014 to examine the nature of potential international crimes committed in Gaza recently by Israel. During the session, several testimonies from 16 individual witnesses provided eyewitness and expert opinion on a range of issues of direct relevance to the events in Gaza in the summer of 2014.
    
Today on Arab Voices we will listen to some of the remarks made at the session including those of Ronnie Kasrils, writer, activist and former South Africa government minister, Ken Loach, award-winning film & television director, and Michael Deas, Coordinator in Europe for the BDS Movement.
    
We will also be speaking with Sarah Kassis with the BDS Houston Campaign about an event scheduled for Thursday, October 9 at the University of Houston titled "Free Palestine: How You Can Help" that will highlight the BDS movement.
. 

Date:

October 1, 2014

"Medical equipment sits at border as Egypt bans Gaza imports"
A podcast produced by The Electronic Intifada.
 
- After Israel’s attacks created thousands of new patients with physical disabilities in Gaza, patients and doctors are still waiting for basic medical equipment and medicines to arrive as Egypt and Israel maintains a tight blockade; we’ll speak with Dr. Basman Alashi, executive director Gaza’s only rehabilitation hospital, which was bombed to rubble in July.
 
- Human rights advocate Khalil Abu Shammala on the personal and collective psychological trauma after Israel’s onslaught on Gaza.
 
- Ohio University’s student senate president takes a stand for Palestine and is threatened with death and rape.
 
- Nader Ihmoud reports from Chicago, where hundreds of runners are gearing up to raise money for Palestinian children needing medical care in Gaza.
  

Date:

September 24, 2014

1st Segment: Salam Al-Marayati
President of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. He writes frequently and extensively on Islam, human rights, democracy, Middle East politics, and more. His articles and interviews have appeared in numerous national and international media outlets. He has also been deeply involved in interfaith activities. He also speaks frequently to congregations at community-sponsored events, temples, synagogues, churches, high schools, and college campuses. Mr. Al-Marayati also works as an advisor to several political, civic and academic institutions seeking to understand the role of Islam and Muslims in America and throughout the world.
  
We will speak with him about ISIS or the so called "Islamic State".
  

2nd Segment: Edward Said's Remarks
On the 11th anniversary of his death, we will listen today to a portion of the late Professor Edward Said’s speech at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee’s annual convention held in Washington, D.C. in June of 2003. The title of his talk was "On Dignity and Solidarity".
 
Edward W. Said was Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. He died on September 25, 2003 in New York.
   

Date:

September 17, 2014

1st Segment: Stephen Stapleton
Artist and Edge of Arabia co-founder. He is an artist and curator. After encountering the artistic community in Abha, Saudi Arabia during a journey across the Middle East in 2003, he founded the Off-screen Education Program and Edge of Arabia as platforms for cultural dialogue between the Middle East and the western world. He later co-founded the Crossway Foundation. He has exhibited his own artwork in Tehran, Amman, London, Oslo and New York. He has published several books related to the Middle East, including Offscreen: Four Young Artists in the Middle East, and has won several awards for his work in the field of intercultural education.
 
We will speak with Stephen about the upcoming event CULTURUNNERS at the Rothko Chapel this coming Sunday, September 21, that is part of a larger initiative that is bringing Middle Eastern artists to the US for a three-year tour and will include artist talks and film screenings at the Chapel focused on the artists' journey, the importance of cross-cultural dialogue, and the introduction of Arab artists to the American audience.
  

2nd Segment: Ruth Nasrullah & David Atwood
Ruth Nasrullah is the CAIR-TX communications coordinator. She has a master of arts degree in journalism and is a regular contributor to Azizah, Islamic Horizons, Toastmaster and the Houston Chronicle, for which she has written The Straight Path blog since 2006. She previously served as president of the Houston chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
 
Davis Atwood is the past president of the Houston Peace and Justice Center and currently serves on the board of that organization. He is coordinator of Pax Christi Houston, a Catholic peace and justice organization. He has authored several books and has worked many years to improve the Texas criminal justice system, including abolition of the death penalty.
 
We will speak with both Ruth and David about the 2014 Civil Rights Conference to be held in Houston on Saturday, September 20. We will also talk about the award winning film, NESHOBA: The Price of Freedom, that will be premiered at the University of Houston on Friday, September 19.
  

3rd Segment: Rick Halperin's Remarks at CRC
Director of the Embrey Human Rights Program at Southern Methodist University, a human rights educator and longtime activist, and twice chair of the board of directors of Amnesty International USA.
 
Rick Halperin spoke at the first Civil Rights Conference held in Houston in 2012 about the Right to Protest and Free Speech. Today, we will re-air those remarks.
 

Date:

September 10, 2014

Raed Jarrar
Raed Jarrar serves as the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)’s Policy Impact Coordinator at the Office of Public Policy and Advocacy in Washington, D.C. Since his immigration to the U.S. in 2005, he has worked on political and cultural issues pertaining to U.S. engagement in the Arab and Muslim worlds. He is widely recognized as an expert on political, social, and economic developments in the Middle East. He has testified in numerous Congressional hearings and briefings, and he is also a frequent guest on national and international media outlets in both Arabic and English.
 
We will speak with Raed about Iraq, Syria and ISIS.
  

Date:

September 3, 2014

Save the Children of Palestine Awareness Day
On Monday, September 1, 2014, a coalition of civil rights activists organized a special "Save the Children of Palestine Awareness Day" at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Plaza in Houston, to educate the community about the plight of children in occupied Palestine. Organizations represented included the Black Heritage Society, Houston office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Houstonians for Peace, and Students for Justice in Palestine.
 
Several people spoke at the event and today we will listen to most of them, including the remarks of Minister Robert Muhammad with the Nation of Islam, Reverend Ronnie Lister, Sylvester Brown with the Black Heritage Society, Akua Holt with Pan African Journal, Mustafaa Carroll with the Council on American Islamic Relations, and Hoda El-Haj with Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Houston.
   

Date:

August 27, 2014

Khalil Jahshan
Executive Director at Arab Center Washington, a progressive think tank focusing on US foreign policy in the Middle East with a specific emphasis on the advocacy for democracy and justice in the region. He previously served as Executive Director at Pepperdine University, Executive Vice President at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), President of the National Association of Arab Americans, Assistant Director at the Palestine Research and Educational Center, and Director of National Office at the Association of Arab-American University Graduates.
 

Date:

August 20, 2014

Vijay Prashad
Chair of South Asian History and Professor of International Studies at Trinity College in Hartford. He is a well-known commentator on world affairs, and writes regularly in many journals. He is a columnist for Frontline, co-editor of Dispatches from the Arab Spring, and author of sixteen books, including The Poorer Nations: A Possible History of the Global South, and Arab Spring, Libyan Winter. We will speak with him about the crisis in Palestine, the crisis in Iraq and Syria as the violence and political turmoil continue to escalate, and also talk about the advances and threats of ISIS to the region.
 

Date:

August 13, 2014

1st Segment: Dr. Mustafa Barghouti (in Gaza)
Member of the Palestinian parliament, co-founder and Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative, a leading figure in Palestinian civil society, and a longtime advocate for the non-violent Palestinian protest movement. He previously served as Minister of Information in Palestine, and also ran for the presidency of the Palestinian National Authority. He is an advocate for peace in the Middle East, and is a 2010 Peace Prize nominee. Dr. Barghouti is currently in Gaza City in occupied Palestine. We will speak with him about the recent massive Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip, what he is witnessing in Gaza, and his views on what is needed to end this crisis.
   
2nd Segment: John Quigley
Professor emeritus of international law at Ohio State University, who is active in international human rights work. His numerous publications include books and articles on human rights, the United Nations, war and peace, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. He authored several books including The Statehood of Palestine: International Law in the Middle East Conflict. Professor Quigley participated in the fourth session of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine - New York Session in 2012. We will speak with him about the ongoing Israeli war crimes and genocide against the Palestinian people, and the options available to bring Israel before the International Criminal Court. We will talk about whether the Genocide Convention should be invoked with regard to Israel's recent attack on Gaza, and even if it does, will it make any difference knowing that Israel for so many years has gotten away with ethnic cleansing, war crimes, and genocide.
   

Date:

August 6, 2014

Dr. Mona El-Farra (in Gaza)
Vice President of the Palestine Red Crescent Society of the Gaza Strip, Director of Gaza Projects of the Middle East Children's Alliance (MECA), human rights and women’s rights activist, and member of the Union of Health Work Committees.

Last Friday, an Israeli airstrike massacred 9 members of Dr. Mona El-Farra's family in the Gaza Strip, including 5 children! Despite that personal tragedy, she continues to work tirelessly every day to treat hundreds of Palestinians. Dr. El-Farra has been warning that the situation in Gaza was going to worsen dramatically because of the dwindling availability of water, electricity, basic medications and medical supplies.
 
We will speak with Dr. El-Farra (in Gaza) about the crisis in the Gaza Strip as a result of the latest Israeli attack and genocide against the Palestinian people!
 

Summer Membership Fund Drive
KPFT began its Summer Membership Fund Drive this week, and Arab Voices needs your support to reach its goal. Please call during the show on Wednesday 713-526-5738 and pledge your support. If you are unable to call during the show, please send e-mail to ArabVoices@hotmail.com with your name, phone number, mailing address and the amount you want to pledge. Thank-You Gifts offered include:

• $365 "Palestinian 5 Film Pack" featuring Al Nakba and Roadmap to Apartheid: You get 5 films on the Israel-Palestinian crisis and history, some of which are multi-part series. The pack includes the award-winning Al Jazeera four-part series "Al Nakba," the two-part documentary "The Price of Oslo" by the same filmmaker and the documentary "Roadmap to Apartheid," narrated by Alice Walker, about the connections between the Israel/Palestinian conflict and the former Apartheid regime in South Africa. It also includes "Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land," and "Occupation 101."
• $75 DVD: "Road Map to Apartheid"
• $150 DVD Set 1: "Al Nakba" plus "Price of Oslo"
• $200 DVD Set 2: "Al Nakba" plus "Road Map to Apartheid"
• $150 "The Battle for Justice in Palestine" by Ali Abunimah (new book - February 2014)
• $200 "Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. Has Undermined Peace in the Middle East" by Rashid Khalidi

Click here for a list of other gifts.
 
Thank you.
      

Date:

July 30, 2014

Yousef Al-Helou (based in Gaza)
Palestinian freelance Journalist based in Gaza City in occupied Palestine. He is a Reuters Journalist fellow at Oxford University and the Middle East correspondent for Real News Network. Yousef just completed his masters in journalism at Oxford University, and he can be followed on Twitter at @YousefAlhelou. We will speak with him about the horrific situation in the Gaza Strip and the latest/ongoing Israeli state terrorism, genocide, massacres and war crimes against the Palestinian people that has killed more than 1,300 Palestinians over the past 23 days (including many women, children, infants, elderly, journalists and medical personnel), injured more than 7,000 Palestinians, and caused major destruction to the Gaza Strip with thousands of homes completely destroyed, no water and no electricity (Gaza's sole power plant was bombed again!).
 
We will also listen to remarks and the names of some of the Palestinians that were killed by Israel as they were read last night at a Candle Light Vigil held in Houston where more than 500 people attended in support of Gaza. Last Friday, nearly 4,000 people attended a demonstration by the Galleria in Houston calling for an end to Israeli terrorism and genocide against the Palestinians.
 

Summer Membership Fund Drive
KPFT began its Summer Membership Fund Drive this week, and Arab Voices needs your support to reach its goal. Please call during the show on Wednesday 713-526-5738 and pledge your support. If you are unable to call during the show, please send e-mail to ArabVoices@hotmail.com with your name, phone number, mailing address and the amount you want to pledge. Thank-You Gifts offered include:

• $365 "Palestinian 5 Film Pack" featuring Al Nakba and Roadmap to Apartheid: You get 5 films on the Israel-Palestinian crisis and history, some of which are multi-part series. The pack includes the award-winning Al Jazeera four-part series "Al Nakba," the two-part documentary "The Price of Oslo" by the same filmmaker and the documentary "Roadmap to Apartheid," narrated by Alice Walker, about the connections between the Israel/Palestinian conflict and the former Apartheid regime in South Africa. It also includes "Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land," and "Occupation 101."
• $75 DVD: "Road Map to Apartheid"
• $150 DVD Set 1: "Al Nakba" plus "Price of Oslo"
• $200 DVD Set 2: "Al Nakba" plus "Road Map to Apartheid"
• $150 "The Battle for Justice in Palestine" by Ali Abunimah (new book - February 2014)
• $200 "Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. Has Undermined Peace in the Middle East" by Rashid Khalidi

Click here for a list of other gifts.

Thank you.
 

Date:

July 23, 2014

Josh Ruebner
Policy Director of the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation. He is a former Analyst in Middle East Affairs at Congressional Research Service, a federal government agency providing Members of Congress with policy analysis. He previously served as Executive Director of Jews for Peace in Palestine and Israel. Ruebner's analysis and commentary on U.S. policy toward the Middle East appear frequently in various media outlets. He is also author of the book “Shattered Hopes: Obama's Failure to Broker Israeli-Palestinian Peace”.
   

Date:

July 16, 2014

Rania Khalek
An independent journalist reporting on the underclass and marginalized. She's written for Extra, The Nation, Al Jazeera America, the Electronic Intifada and more. To follow her work, check out her website Dispatches from the Underclass and follow her on twitter @RaniaKhalek.
 
We will speak with Rania about the current/ongoing Israeli attack and war crimes on the occupied Gaza Strip that has killed 214 Palestinians over the past few days (most of them are civilians including many children, infants, women and elderly), injured more than 1,600 Palestinians, destroyed over 620 homes, businesses and mosques, and caused major devastation to the besieged Gaza Strip.
 
We will also hear the reaction of many local Houstonians and others who participated in two demonstrations in Houston over the weekend where more than 2,500 people attended to protest Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip.

Date:

July 9, 2014

Haidar Eid (in Gaza, Palestine)
Associate Professor at al-Aqsa University in Gaza, who has written widely on the Arab-Israeli conflict, including articles published at Znet, Electronic Intifada, Palestine Chronicle, and Al Jazeera. He has also published papers on cultural studies and literature in a number of journals.
 

Diana Buttu (in Palestine)
Lawyer and Policy Advisor to Al-Shabaka, the Palestinian Policy Network. She previously served as a spokesperson for the Palestine Liberation Organization, and also served as legal advisor to the PLO in its negotiations with Israel.
  

A discussion with professor Haidar Eid and Diana Buttu (all in occupied Palestine) about the latest Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip (the latest in a series of war crimes committed against the Palestinians over the years).

Date:

July 2, 2014

1st Segment: Ali Abunimah
Co-founder and Executive Director of the award-winning and widely acclaimed publication The Electronic Intifada. Abunimah is a Media Commentator, an expert on Palestine and the Palestinian-Israeli problem, author of One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse, and the recently released book The Battle for Justice in Palestine.
      
2nd Segment: Jennifer Loewenstein
Associate Director of the Middle East Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is an expert on contemporary Middle East: history, politics, culture, religion and U.S. foreign policy in the region She has spent extensive time in Gaza including witnessing attacks. She is now in touch with human rights groups in Gaza. She said today: “More than three times the number of the Israeli youths murdered near Hebron were murdered by the Israeli military in its terrorist rampage across the West Bank since the three [Israeli youths] went missing. But we will never see the handsome photos and bios of the dead Palestinians because they are ‘human animals’ according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, unworthy of our grief."
 

We will speak with our guests about the ongoing Israeli attacks on Palestinians throughout the occupied Palestinian territories including the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.

Date:

June 25, 2014

Faith in Freedom: CAIR Texas Annual Banquet
The Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas (Houston Chapter), America's largest Muslim civil liberties organization, held its annual fundraising banquet on June 14, 2014 in Houston under the theme "Faith in Freedom". Several local community members, faith leaders and elected officials attended the event that featured an awards ceremony recognizing several individuals (Reverend Ronnie Lister received the Ester L. King Bridge Builder Award; Texas State Representative Lon Burnam received the Courage in Justice Award; and Farrukh Shamsi received the Civic Engagement Award). The guest speaker was UT-Austin professor Dr. Denise Spellberg, scholar of Islamic civilization and Islam in America and Europe and author of the recently published book "Thomas Jefferson’s Qur’an: Islam and the Founders". She spoke about the history of Islam in America. CAIR also discussed the challenges ahead, debut upcoming projects and goals, and showcased the results of the work done by CAIR. Nearly 400 people attended the event, and CAIR was able to raise approximately $200,000 in contributions to support its civil rights work.
  
There were several remarks made at the event, and today we will listen to few of these remarks, including the remarks by Dr. Yusuf Shere, CAIR Texas President; Mustafaa Carroll, Executive Director of CAIR Texas; Nihad Awad, Executive Director and co-founder of CAIR National; Ruth Nasrullah, Communications Coordinator; and Ahmad Alaswad, Outreach Coordinator.

Date:

June 18, 2014

Dr. Dahlia Wasfi
Dr. Dahlia Wasfi is a speaker and activist in support of ending the military and economic occupations of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine. She was born in the US to an American Jewish mother and an Iraqi Muslim father. She is currently working on a book. Dr. Wasfi can be found on the internet at www.liberatethis.com and on Facebook and YouTube.
 

Date:

June 11, 2014

Buthayna Hammad
On June 1, 2014, Palestinian-American Buthayna Hammad was attending a soccer match between Honduras and Israel at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas. Fifteen minutes into the game, she was approached by the Head of Security at BBVA Compass Stadium, removed her from her seat, surrounded her with four Houston Police officers and three additional stadium security personnel, and prohibited her from returning to her seat until she surrendered the Palestinian Flag she had on her. Ms. Hammad said that the Head of Security told her that she was not allowed to carry this flag because it implies a “racial slur” and that it is a BBVA Compass Stadium violation.
   

Dr. Rashid Khalidi
The Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies at Columbia University, editor of the Journal of Palestine Studies, and was President of the Middle East Studies Association, and an advisor to the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid and Washington Arab-Israeli peace negotiations from October 1991 until June 1993. He is the author of many books and publications, including his latest book "Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. Has Undermined Peace in the Middle East". He teaches courses on Modern Middle Eastern History; The United States, the Middle East and the Cold War; Islamic Movements in the Modern Middle East; The Modern History of Palestine; and Nationalism in the Arab World.
 

Date:

May 28, 2014

Dr. Samer Shehata
Associate Professor of Middle East Studies & Middle East Studies Program Coordinator at the Department of International and Area Studies at the University of Oklahoma. He has previously taught at the American University in Cairo, Columbia University, New York University, and Georgetown University. His areas of research include Middle Eastern politics, Egyptian politics, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist politics, and U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East. Professor Shehata has authored and published several books and articles.  
 

We will speak live with professor Shehata about Egypt; the latest developments there; the current presidential elections; rebuilding Egypt; the US-Egyptian relations; and much more.
  

Date:

May 21, 2014

"Reporting From the Front Line: The Middle East and The Challenge To Tell The Truth"
On May 9, 2014, the Arab-American Educational Foundation in Houston organized a lecture at Rice University titled “Reporting From the Front Line: The Middle East and The Challenge To Tell The Truth”. The speaker was Robert Fisk, Middle East Correspondent for The Independent. It was "an examination of the conflicts now tearing apart the Arab world and the way in which journalism and governments frame our misunderstanding of it. How can we learn from the unwritten story of the region -- and predict its future?".
   
Today on Arab Voices, we will listen to that lecture.
   

Date:

May 14, 2014

Dear friends, listeners and supporters for Arab Voices,
 
Last month, April 2014, marked the 12^th anniversary for Arab Voices radio talk show on KPFT Houston, 90.1 FM. Over the past 12 years, more than 600 distinguished guests appeared live on the show covering different topics.
 
That has been possible because of your support, and today, Arab Voices needs your support during the Spring Fund Drive for KPFT, which started two weeks ago. Please call us during the show today, May 14 between 7 and 8 pm central time and pledge your support at 713-526-5738.  If you are unable to call during the show, please send e-mail to ArabVoices@hotmail.com with your name, phone number, mailing address and the amount you want to pledge.
 
Arab Voices is offering several Thank-You Gifts during KPFT's Membership Drive, including:        

• NEW: "No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State" new book (May 2014) by Glenn Greenwald ($150)
• NEW: “Glenn Greenwald DemocracyNow! Broadcast” 2-DVD Special ($100)
• NEW: “Glenn Greenwald Combo” - new book and 2-DVD special ($200)
• NEW: "The Battle for Justice in Palestine" new book (February 2014) by Ali Abunimah ($150)
• "Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. Has Undermined Peace in the Middle East" book by Rashid Khalidi ($200)
• "Al-Nakba" 4-DVD Set ($150)
• "National Insecurity: The Cost of American Militarism" book by Melvin Goodman ($150)
• "Dirty Wars" Combo (book and DVD) - "Dirty Wars" documentary film and book by Jeremy Scahill ($240)
    

Date:

May 7, 2014

1st Segment: Sary Joudah
Palestinian-American who currently serves as the Executive Director of the Houston Palestine Film Festival and sits on its Film Selection Committee. The film festival is scheduled to be held in Houston on May 9-24. We will speak live with Sary about the 8th Annual Houston Palestine Film Festival.
   
2nd Segment: Robert Fisk
A multiple award-winning journalist on the Middle East, based in Beirut, Lebanon. He has been the Middle East correspondent for The Independent for more than 30 years, and has published a number of books and reported on several wars and armed conflicts. He was voted International Journalist of the Year several times. Fisk will be speaking in Houston this coming Friday on the topic "Reporting From the Front Line: The Middle East and The Challenge To Tell The Truth" at an event organized by the Arab-American Educational Foundation.
     

KPFT began its Spring Membership Fund Drive last week, and Arab Voices needs your support to reach its goal. Please call during the show 713-526-5738 and pledge your support. Thank-You Gifts offered include:

• "The Battle for Justice in Palestine" by Ali Abunimah (new book - February 2014 $150)

• "Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. Has Undermined Peace in the Middle East" by Rashid Khalidi ($200)

• "Al-Nakba" 4 DVD Set ($150)

• "Natioanl Insecurity: The Cost of American Militarism" by Mekvin Goodman ($150)

• "Dirty Wars" Combo (book and DVD) - "Dirty Wars" documentary film and hardback book by Jeremy Scahill ($240)

Click here for a full list of all gifts.

Thank you.
 

Date:

April 30, 2014

Dr. Jess Ghannam
Palestinian-American Doctor; a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Global Health Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, and Adjunct Professor of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University. He is a human rights activist; member of the international executive committee of Al-Awda, the Palestinian Right to Return Coalition; and former president of the San Francisco chapter of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. He currently serves on the Board of KinderUSA and the MLFA. He lectures and writes about the health effects of war and occupation in Palestine, where he travels frequently. He is a board member of the Gaza Community Mental Health Program, and has established clinics in Gaza City, Jabaliyah, Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah. Dr. Ghannam also co-hosts ARAB TALK RADIO program on KPOO in San Francisco, along with Jamal Dajani, the award-winning producer of Mosaic News on Link TV.
  

We will speak live with Dr. Ghannam about occupied Palestine; the ongoing Israeli atrocities; colonies; the apartheid wall; BDS; the latest reconciliation between Fateh and Hamas; the U.S. efforts to “reach a deal” between Israel and Palestine lead by Secretary of State John Kerry; and more.
  

Today, KPFT begins its Spring Membership Fund Drive, and Arab Voices needs your support to reach its goal. Please call during the show 713-526-5738 and pledge your support. Thank-You Gifts offered include:

• "The Battle for Justice in Palestine" by Ali Abunimah (new book - February 2014 $150)

• "Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. Has Undermined Peace in the Middle East" by Rashid Khalidi ($200)

• "Al-Nakba" 4 DVD Set ($150)

• "Natioanl Insecurity: The Cost of American Militarism" by Mekvin Goodman ($150)

• "Dirty Wars" Combo (book and DVD) - "Dirty Wars" documentary film and hardback book by Jeremy Scahill ($240)

Click here for a full list of all gifts.

Thank you.
 

Date:

April 23, 2014

Arabophobia: A Scholar, a Poet and a Visual Artist Respond
FotoFest in collaboration with the Humanities Research Center at Rice University and the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy held a symposium at Rice University on April 2, 2014 titled "Arabophobia: A scholar, a Poet and a Visual Artist Respond". The speakers were Dr. Melani McAlister, Associate Professor of American Studies, International Affairs, and Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University, a scholar on American reactions to Arabs, particularly regarding media representations; Houston-based, award-winning Palestinian-American poet and physician Dr. Fady Joudah; and featured artist Khaled Hafez, FotoFest Biennial Exhibiting Artist from Egypt.
  
Today, we will listen to the remarks made at the symposium.
 
The event was organized with Dr. Ussama Makdisi, Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair of Arab Studies at Rice University, and Fares el-Dahdah, Director of the Humanities Research Center at Rice University.
 

Date:

April 16, 2014

"Al-Andalus and its Afterlife: Moorish Spain and the "Muslim Problem" in Europe Today"

On March 21, 2014, the Arab-American Educational Foundation in Houston organized a lecture at Rice University titled “Al-Andalus and its Afterlife: Moorish Spain and the "Muslim Problem" in Europe Today”. The speaker was Charles Hirschkind, associate professor of anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley.
   
Today on Arab Voices, we will listen to that lecture.
 

Date:

April 9, 2014

1st Segment: “Fleeing Syria, Seeking Refuge”
“Making Contact”, a weekly program produced by the National Radio Project, produced a segment titled “Fleeing Syria, Seeking Refuge”: "Over 2 million Syrians have been displaced by Syria’s ongoing war. Neighboring countries are overwhelmed with refugees. So where else to turn? Heading to more affluent nations isn’t so easy. This edition of Making Contact looks at refugees who’ve fled Syria to Turkey, Sweden, and Thailand. They’re trying to navigate a fragmented global refugee policy, in a time of extreme need." Today, we will listen to this program.
 

2nd Segment: "The Red Line and the Rat Line"
Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh published a new article few days ago in the London Review of Books titled "The Red Line and the Rat Line”. In that article, Seymour Hersh reveals a potential Turkish role in Syria chemical strike that almost sparked U.S. bombing last year. Few months ago, he published another article titled “Whose Sarin?” casting doubt on the veracity of the Obama administration’s claims that only the Syrian regime could have carried out the chemical attacks in Syria.
 
Amy Goodman with Democracy Now interviewed Hersh this past Monday about his latest article. Today, we will listen to that interview.
 

Date:

April 2, 2014

ACC's Round-table Discussion with Fotofest Artists
The Arab American Cultural & Community Center (ACC) in Houston held a roundtable discussion last night with four artists participating at FotoFest 2014 International Biennial: Contemporary Arab Photographic Art. It was a special event marking the beginning of a month-long festivities planned by the ACC (part of The National Arab American Heritage Month). Today on Arab Voices, we will listen to the roundtable discussion with the four artists: Sama Alshaibi, Khaled Hafez, Steve Sabella and Stephen Stapleton.
 

Date:

March 26, 2014

1st Segment: The 4th Palestinian Festival
A live conversation with Samer Kadoura, Festival Chair, and Ruba Afifi, Festival Co-Chair and Board Members with the Palestinian American Cultural Center (PACC-Houston) about the 4th Palestinian Festival scheduled to be held March 29-30 at Jones Plaza in Downtown Houston. This year, Palestinian International Artist Hani Mitwasi will be performing live at the Festival.
   

2nd Segment: Mohammad Bakri
A live conversation with award winning and one of the leading Palestinian actors and film directors, Mohammad Bakri. Bakri has acted in numerous international films in countries including France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark and Canada. Amongst his production is the award winning film documentary "Jenin, Jenin" about Israel’s 2002 assault on the West Bank town of Jenin. He also directed the film "1948", and the autobiographical documentaries "Since You Left", and "Zahara".

Date:

March 19, 2014

Jeremy Scahill on President Obama’s Dirty Wars
Jeremy Scahill is an investigative reporter, war correspondent and author of the international bestselling books Dirty Wars: The World Is a Battlefield and Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army. He has reported from Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, Nigeria, the former Yugoslavia and elsewhere across the globe. Scahill has served as the National Security Correspondent for The Nation magazine and Democracy Now!. Scahill’s work has sparked several Congressional investigations and won some of journalism’s highest honors. Scahill is a producer and writer of the award-winning film Dirty Wars, which premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and has been nominated for an Academy Award. He is currently an editor with Laura Poitras and Glenn Greenwald at Pierre Omidyar’s new media project, The//Intercept, a publication of First Look Media.
  

We will listen today to most/excerpt of Jeremy Scahill's talk at the Lannan Foundation (part of the Lannan In Pursuit of Cultural Freedom series). Jeremy talked about drone attacks on American citizens, black sites around the globe where prisoners are tortured, the prison at Guantanamo, president Obama's “Dirty Wars” that has put Americans in more danger through actions that fuel hatred and extremism, and more. Scahill’s new book and film Dirty Wars: The World is a Battlefield, is an investigation into the U.S. government’s covert wars which he suggests are drawing the nation deeper into conflict across the globe, setting the world stage for destabilization and blowback. Scahill's talk was followed by a conversation with Tom Engelhardt.

Date:

March 12, 2014

Zoe Goldman
2014 Arab Projects Coordinator at FotoFest. She joined FotoFest in 2013 in preparation for the FotoFest 2014 Biennial, working on Arab press and community outreach. Zoe has lived in Cairo, Morocco, and most recently Singapore, where she worked as a writing teacher for 11th grade students at a Singaporean public school.
  
Karin Adrian von Roques
Arab and Indian Art Collections Specialist. She is the lead curator for FotoFest 2014 Biennial. She is known for her work, over the past 20 years, bringing contemporary Arab art to international museums and galleries throughout the world.
 
Dana Ashrawi
Board member at The Arab-American Educational Foundation (AAEF), one of the Arab Programming Partners with FotoFest 2014 Biennial.
   
Shady El Noshokaty
A contemporary Egyptian artist, a teacher of drawing, painting and media arts at Helwan University in Egypt and at the American University in Cairo. Many of his Art projects have been very successful and were featured in the biggest museums and international exhibitions around the world. Shady is one of 49 prominent contemporary Arab artists from 13 countries participating in FotoFest 2014 Biennial.
  

A live discussion with the guests about FotoFest 2014 Biennial, the 15th International Biennial of Photography and Photo-related Art to be held March 15 - April 27, 2014 in Houston. FotoFest's own exhibitions for the 2014 Biennial will focus on Contemporary Arab Video, Photography and Multi Media art. The Biennial will showcase 49 prominent contemporary Arab artists from 13 countries using photography and related visual media. The featured artists explore a diverse range of ideas and subjects important to contemporary Arab artists including: the emergence of secular art and culture in modern societies; the desert as metaphor; religion and faith in everyday life; a sense of belonging and feelings of estrangement; the complexities of East-West relationships; the rapidity of social, economic and environmental change, particularly in the Gulf region; the position of women in Arab societies; and the recent political changes in the region.
 
The Arab exhibitions will be one of the most important presentations of Arab contemporary art to be done in the United States. FotoFest’s Arab exhibitions are accompanied by six weeks of Arab programs including forums and panels as well as Arab films, concerts, poetry readings, and programs for schools.