Date:

December 25, 2019

Archbishop Atallah Hanna's Houston Remarks
   
Archbishop Atallah Hanna, a prominent Palestinian Christian figure, has been hospitalized for inhaling poisonous gas from gas canisters thrown into his church in Jerusalem last week. The Archbishop suffered from temporary paralysis, but is now in stable condition in a hospital in Amman, Jordan. In a press conference held Monday, the Archbishop held Israel responsible for the attack against him and accused Israel of trying to silence his voice.
   
Atallah Hanna is the Archbishop of Sabastia from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. In 2008, he refused to meet with President George W. Bush at the Church of Nativity during his visit to Bethlehem. In 2002, he was arrested by Israel on charges of "incitement", the first time a Christian religious leader was arrested for his activism against the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
   
In 2008, Archbishop Atallah Hanna visited Houston, Texas, and spoke at the 9th National Convention of Birzeit Society. Today on Arab Voices, we will air some of his Houston remarks (in Arabic, followed by translation of the main points in English) where he talked about occupied Palestine (the birth place of Jesus Christ), the suffering of Palestinians under the Israeli occupation, Palestinian Christians, roles Arabs and Palestinians should play in the U.S., Christian Zionism, one-state vs. two-states solution, the U.S. media, and much more.
  
We will also listen to his recent message to all Christians around the world regarding occupied Palestine, the birthplace of Christ and where Christianity originated and spread its message throughout the world.

Date:

December 18, 2019

"Iraq Afterwards: Epistemic Violence and Poetic (In)Justice" by Dr. Sinan Antoon
  
The Center for Arab Studies and the Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair in Modern Arab History at the University of Houston held the inaugural lecture of the Michael and Hoda Kardoush Lecture Series on November 20, 2019, at the University of Houston. The speaker was Dr. Sinan Antoon and the topic was "Iraq Afterwards: Epistemic Violence and Poetic (In)Justice."
   
Today on Arab Voices, we will air that lecture in its entirety.
   
Sinan Antoon is an Iraqi-born poet, novelist, scholar, and translator. He studied at Baghdad, Georgetown, and Harvard. He has published two collections of poetry and four novels. His most recent work is The Book of Collateral Damage (Yale University Press, 2019). His literary works have been translated to fourteen languages. His translations include In the Presence of Absence by Mahmoud Darwish, which won the American Literary Translators Association Prize. Antoon’s translation of his own novel, The Corpse Washer, won the 2014 Saif Ghobash Prize for Literary Translation. His scholarly works include The Poetics of the Obscene: Ibn al-Hajjaj and Sukhf (Palgrave, 2014) and articles on the poetry of Mahmoud, Darwish, Sargon Boulus, and Saadi Youssef. His op-eds have appeared in The Guardian, The New York Times and many pan-Arab newspapers and journals. In 2003 Antoon returned to his native Baghdad to co-produce About Baghdad, a documentary about the lives of Iraqis under occupation. He is co-founder and co-editor of Jadaliyya and associate professor at New York University.

Date:

December 11, 2019

Date:

December 4, 2019

1^st Segment: Remarks of Human Rights Watch Omar Shakir and Kenneth Roth after Israel's Expulsion of Shakir
 
We will listen today to the remarks of Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch, and Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, one of the world's leading international human rights organizations, which operates in more than 90 countries. They spoke at a press conference last week, after Israel expelled Omar Shakir and revoked his visa.
   
Human Rights Watch vowed to keep documenting abuses despite the Israeli government’s expulsion.
       

2^nd Segment: Live discussion with Deya' Leonard Dresner & Yazan Meqbil about LE•O and the Educational Opportunities for under-privileged Palestinian Youth.
 
Deya' Leonard Dresner
Founder and Executive Director of LE•O, Leonard Education Organization. She has several years of experience managing key elements of international programs focused on educational opportunities for under-privileged Palestinian youth. She served as Director of Donor Relations for AMIDEAST and as the Director of Development and Student Relations for The Hope Fund. Her strong relationship, program and team-building skills include internship programs, mentoring partners for students, graduate school and job placement support, and most recently Friends of LE•O support groups in the students’ countries of residence. Deya’ has worked closely with over 30 colleges and universities to create sustainable programs to ensure a student’s success in future leadership roles and fulfill their true potential.
  
Yazan Meqbil
Molecular Biologist/Biochemist with a B.A. in Molecular Biology/Biochemistry from Goshen College in Goshen, IN. He attended Goshen College as a LE.O scholar. Throughout his time at Goshen, Mqebil developed an interest in drug discovery which influenced his pursuit of a Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology with the focus on Neuropharmacology. Meqbil grew up in the town of Beit Ommar in the West Bank, occupied Palestine, where he graduated from high school. In Beit Ommar, Meqbil started the Local Committee for Youth-Beit Ommar, an effort aimed to create the space and resources for students aged 10-15 for extracurricular and educational activities. Meqbil hopes to use his scientific expertise to transform scientific and pharmaceutical research in Palestine. As of December 2019, Meqbil is a graduate student at Purdue University in the Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Ph.D program.

Date:

November 27, 2019

“A Lebanese October Revolution: Reclaiming Public Spaces, Rejecting Patriarchy, and Demanding Social Justice” by Dr. Sana Tannoury-Karam
  
The Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair in Modern Arab History at the University of Houston hosted Dr. Sana Tannoury-Karam on November 12, 2019, for a talk titled “A Lebanese October Revolution: Reclaiming Public Spaces, Rejecting Patriarchy, and Demanding Social Justice”.
  
Today on Arab Voices, we will air that lecture in its entirety.
  
Dr. Sana Tannoury-Karam is a historian of the modern Middle East, writing on the intellectual and social history of the Left in the Levant during the Mandate period. She is an Early Career Fellow at the Arab Council for the Social Sciences and a lecturer in the Humanities Department at the Lebanese American University. Most recently, she had completed a post-doctoral fellowship in History at Rice University. She is currently working on her book Red Flags in the Streets of Beirut: An Intellectual and Cultural History of the Lebanese Left, 1920-1948. Dr. Tannoury-Karam, currently residing in Lebanon, and is an activist in the ongoing Lebanese uprising. She is a member of the Coalition of Independent University Professors and an organizing member of the Coalition of Independent Professionals, organizations that have been formed during the October revolution.

Date:

November 20, 2019

1^st Segment: Mohamed Mohamed
Executive Director of The Jerusalem Fund and The Palestine Center. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas, where he majored in Political Science and completed his senior thesis on statelessness and its practical implications on Palestinians living in the refugee camps of Lebanon. He also earned an M.A. in International Relations and an M.S. in International Political Economy from the University of Texas at Dallas. He has written articles about Palestine issues that have been featured on Mondoweiss, Electronic Intifada, and others. Prior to joining The Jerusalem Fund, Mohamed campaigned and worked for a Palestinian-American city councilman and mayoral candidate in the city of Richardson, Texas.
 
We will speak live with Mohamed about the ongoing Israeli occupation and recent escalation of attacks on Gaza, and the US announcement that Israeli settlements are no longer considered a violation of international law.
  

2^nd Segment: Raed Jarrar
Iraqi-American political activist and blogger. He is the Executive Director for MENA at the Delahunt Group. 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 live with Raed Jarrar about the ongoing protests and situation in Iraq, where more than 330 Iraqis were killed and more than 15,000 were wounded over the past three months.

Date:

November 13, 2019

Date:

November 6, 2019

Date:

October 30, 2019

ACC's Annual Unity & Friendship Gala
The Arab American Cultural and Community Center (ACC) in Houston held its 24^th Annual Unity and Friendship Gala on October 19, 2019, and it highlighted Iraq, The Dawn of Civilization. The Gala Chairs were Mrs. Luna Madi and Dr. Ghaidaa Makki. The Mistress of Ceremonies was Sally Mamdooh, award-winning reporter at KPRC-TV.
       
The ACC honorees were Dr. Issam Raad (2019 ACC Lifetime Achievement Award), Mrs. Wafa Abdin (2019 ACC Outstanding Community Service Award), and The Khudairi Group (2019 ACC Business Service Award).
    
Today on Arab Voices, we will listen to some of the remarks delivered at the Gala, including the remarks of Dr. Mahmoud Rabie, ACC President, Mrs. Luna Madi & Dr. Ghaidaa Makki, Gala Chairs, Dr. Ali Al Ameri, President of the Iraqi American Society in Houston, with a tribute to Iraq, Dr. Jamal Zahalka, former member of the Knesset (introduced by Alaa Aburahmeh), Dr. Issam Raad (introduced by Dr. Kamal Khalil), Mrs. Wafa Abdin (introduced by Saleh Al-Mohtaseb), and Mr. Aziz Khudairi (introduced be Subhi Khudairi).

Date:

October 23, 2019

1^st Segment: Ruth Ann Skaff
Ruth Ann Skaff serves on the organizing committee for the National Arab Orchestra’s first ever Houston performance that will be held in Houston on November 16, 2019. She also serves on the board of The Arab-American Educational Foundation. Previously, Ruth Ann has worked for a number of Arab American organizations including the ADC, AAI, ALSAC-St Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Arab American National Museum.
   
Ruth Ann grew up in Houston. Her grandparents immigrated to the United States in the 1880s from the Ottoman province of Greater Syria. Their ancestral villages are in Lebanon. She grew up in the heart of the Arab American community and developed a great love and appreciation for her rich cultural heritage.
       
We will speak with Ruth Ann about the National Arab Orchestra, and the upcoming performance in Houston featuring Abeer Nehme and the Houston Youth Arabic Choir, sponsored by several Houston Arab organizations.
      

2^nd Segment: Maya Mikdashi
Assistant Professor at the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies and a lecturer in the program in Middle East Studies at Rutgers University. She is currently completing a book manuscript that examines the war on terror, sexual difference, secularism, and state power in the contemporary Middle East from the vantage point of Lebanon. Maya received her PhD from Columbia University's Department of Anthropology. She is Co-Director of the award-winning documentary film About Baghdad, and assistant director of Arabs and Terrorism documentary series. She is Co-Founder and Co-Editor of Jadaliyya, an independent ezine produced by the Arab Studies Institute. She has published widely in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes, in addition to online platforms.
        
We will speak with Maya about the unprecedented protests in Lebanon where millions of all ages have been demonstrating across Lebanon for the past week and from across all religious and political groups. They are protesting against government corruption, lack of services, tax hikes, dire economic conditions, depressing electricity supply, austerity, and much more.

Date:

October 16, 2019

Date:

October 9, 2019

Re-Airing Portions of Previous Interviews with Melvin Goodman
Melvin Goodman is Director of the National Security Project at the Center for International Policy in Washington, DC, and a professor of government at Johns Hopkins University. He was an analyst at the CIA for 24 years; a former analyst at the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research; and author of several books on international security, including "National Insecurity: The Cost of American Militarism" and "Failure of Intelligence: The Decline and Fall of the CIA". His latest book is "Whistleblower at the CIA". Goodman helped draft the report that described Israel’s attack against Egypt on the morning of June 5, 1967.Last year, he published the piece The Six Day War and Israeli Lies: What I Saw at the CIA. Goodman has written numerous articles and op-eds over the years, appeared on various media outlets, and has lectured all over the country. He is also the national security columnist for counterpunch.org.
         
Because KPFT is currently in Fall Fund Drive, Arab Voices is offering the following books as a "Thank-You" Gift during this drive:
 

"National Insecurity: The Cost of American Militarism" book by Melvin Goodman - $100 "Whistleblower at the CIA: An Insider’s Account of the Politics of Intelligence" book by Melvin Goodman - $100 Both Books by Melvin Goodman - $150 Please consider a contribution to keep Arab Voices on KPFT. You can call during the show on Wednesday between 6 and 7 pm central time and pledge your support (713-526-5738), or send e-mail to ArabVoices@hotmail.com with your name and the amount you want to pledge.      Thank you.

Fall Fund Drive

Date:

October 2, 2019

1^st Segment: Ellen Siegel
Jewish American nurse, a longtime peace activist who has been a strong voice for justice for Palestinians for decades. Ellen serves on the advisory board of the American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA), and works closely with the National Institution of Social Care and Vocational training known as Beit Atfal Assumoud (Lebanese NGO). Ellen Siegel was working in Gaza Hospital inside Sabra refugee camp in Lebanon during the Israeli massacre in Sabra & Shatila in September 1982 and witnessed the killing of thousands of Palestinian men, women, children and elderly, and testified before the Israeli Kahan Commission of Inquiry. Ellen returned to Lebanon each year after the massacre to participate in the commemorations.
   
We will speak with Ellen Siegel about the work she did in Lebanon as a nurse inside a Palestinian refugee camp; her eyewitness account of the Israeli massacre in Sabra & Shatila 37 years ago in Lebanon; the situation inside Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, and more.
   

2^nd Segment: Jehan Hakim
Chair of the Yemeni Alliance Committee, which advocates for ending the US support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen by raising awareness and pushing legislation. Previously, she served as the Community Advocate with Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus to support communities through educational programs, community organizing initiatives and empowerment and advocacy, and also served with the American Association of Yemeni Students and Professionals. Jehan is a Yemeni American based in California.
      
We will speak with Jehan Hakim about the crisis in Yemen as a result of the U.S.-supported Saudi-led war on Yemen, the current situation inside Yemen, efforts to stop the war, and what people can do to help end U.S. support for this war.

Date:

September 25, 2019

Date:

September 18, 2019

PACC Gala with Keynote Speaker Saree Makdisi
    
The Palestinian American Cultural Center (PACC), held its 10th Anniversary Gala on September 14, 2019, in Houston, to celebrate its achievements and accomplishments over the years, and in appreciation of the organization’s sponsors and donors. The gala was held under the theme “Strengthening the community through unity”. over the years. The Gala was held under the theme “Strengthening the community through unity”.
 
Today on Arab Voices, we will air the remarks delivered at the Gala, including the keynote address on Palestine delivered by Saree Makdisi, Professor of English and Comparative Literature at UCLA, and author of Palestine Inside Out: An Everyday Occupation, who was introduced by Abdel Razzaq Takriti, Associate Professor and Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair in Modern Arab History at the University of Houston. We will also listen to the remarks of Tarek Abuata, Executive Director of Friends of Sabeel North America, the recipient of this year’s Abu-Obaida Community Service Award, and the remarks of Abbas Yaacoubi, PACC board member, past president and one of its founders, Dr. Waleed Faris, PACC President, Muhammad Nabulsi, PACC board member, and Kareem El-Sadi with PACC.
 
The Gala was an amazing event, with nearly 400 people in attendance. The Gala chair was Muna Saqer, co-chair was Luna Madi, and the Mistress of Ceremonies was Nuzha Petro. In addition to the remarkable speakers, the Gala featured Palestinian folkloric performance by Alawdah Dabkeh School members, live traditional Palestinian music played by the talented brothers Muhammad and Hamzah Saadah, and an amazing national anthem and Mawtini performance by Muna Khalidi while Muhammad Saadah was playing the Oud. The gala also featured silent auction, authentic centerpieces of Palestinian clay water jars, a display of traditional Palestinian embroidered dresses, and entertainment by Jabour and Band.
 
One of the highlights of this year’s Gala, was the photo gallery with incredible pictures and powerful Photo Essays by Palestinian American established Photographer, Hanan Awad, narrating stories about Palestine with a series of photographs she took herself when she was in Palestine. Each photo essay tells a story of how occupation destroys identity and land. Hanan Awad is based in Edmond, Oklahoma, and has held multiple photo exhibitions in the U.S., Dubai, and Abu Dhabi.

Date:

September 11, 2019

1^st Segment: "How the VCHR is Preventing Israel Affinity Organizations from Politicizing K-12 Textbooks" by Kathy Drinkard
   
We will air today the remarks of Kathy Drinkard on the topic "How the VCHR is Preventing Israel Affinity Organizations from Politicizing K-12 Textbooks". Kathy Drinkard is chair of the Ministry for Middle East Peace and Justice at Grace Presbyterian Church in Springfield, VA, and a retired teacher and elementary school counselor. She’s long been concerned about the suffering in the Palestinian territories, and has been involved with her church on the issue for more than a decade. She’s traveled to the region four times, most recently Fall 2018, a trip she helped plan. During her second trip, she spent 10 days in Nablus visiting an Anglican congregation which is in partnership with her church. Her third trip was to participate in the seminar “Faith in the Face of Empire,” sponsored by Rev. Mitri Raheb and Bright Stars of Bethlehem.
       
Drinkard delivered those remarks at The Israel Lobby and American Policy Conference held on March 22, 2019 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
         

2^nd Segment: Sam Husseini on the Iraq War Lies Exposed in the New Film "Official Secrets"
  
Sam Husseini is a senior analyst and director of communications with the Institute for Public Accuracy. He has written widely on politics, foreign affairs, public policy, media, and culture. His writing is regularly published by Consortium News, CounterPunch, TruthDig and other outlets. He’s a contributing writer with The Nation and has been published in the Washington Post, USA Today and other large circulation print outlets. He’s appeared on CNN, “Good Morning America,” MSNBC and FNC as well as many independent outlets. Prior to joining IPA, Husseini was media director for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. He founded The Washington Stakeout and VotePact.org.
      
We will speak live with Sam Husseini about the Iraq war lies exposed in the new film "Official Secrets" that opened nationally this week including in Houston, and described by Sam Husseini as the "Tip of Mammoth Iceberg".
 
"Official Secrets" is a remarkably accurate Hollywood account of how British spy Katharine Gun (played by Keira Knightley) attempted to stop the invasion of Iraq by exposing a top secret NSA document proving the U.S. and British governments were spying on other UN members to bully and blackmail their way to a UN authorization for war.

Date:

September 4, 2019

Date:

August 28, 2019

2^nd Segment: Khaled Elgindy
Nonresident senior fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, and a founding board member of the Egyptian American Rule of Law Association. He previously served as an advisor to the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah on permanent status negotiations with Israel from 2004 to 2009, and was a key participant in the Annapolis negotiations held throughout 2008. He is author of the newly released book "Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians, from Balfour to Trump", and co-author of "The Arab Awakening: America and the Transformation of the Middle East". Prior to that, Elgindy spent nine years in various political and policy-related positions in Washington, D.C., both inside and outside the federal government, including as a professional staff member on the House International Relations Committee in 2002 and as a policy analyst for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom from 2000 to 2002. He served as the political action coordinator for the Arab American Institute from 1998 to 2000 and as Middle East program officer for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs from 1995 to 1997.
    
We will speak live with Khaled Elgindy about his new book "Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians, from Balfour to Trump".

Date:

August 21, 2019

Date:

August 14, 2019

In Memoriam: Arab Voices Interview with Former Congressman Paul Findley
 
Former Congressman Paul Findley (R-IL), passed away on August 9, 2019, at the age of 98. He served in the United States Congress for 22 years representing central Illinois.
 
Findley was an advocate for Palestinian rights for nearly half a century, and one of the few who spoke against the Israel lobby in the United States. He was targeted by the Israel lobby and was pushed out of Congress in 1982. Paul Findley was co-founder and chairman emeritus of the Council for the National Interest, and was also a founding director of If Americans Knew.
 
Mr. Findley is the author of the best-selling book They Dare to Speak Out: People and Institutions Confront Israel’s Lobby. This was the first book to expose the power of the Israel lobby throughout the United States: in Congress, academia, and the press. He is also the author of Deliberate Deceptions: Facing the Facts About the U.S.-Israeli Relationship, and Silent No More: Confronting America's False Images of Islam.
 
Arab Voices had interviewed Paul Findley live on the program in April 2006 and talked about the Israel lobby in the U.S., the impact of the Israel lobby on the US foreign policy, Zionist Christians, why fewer congresspeople speak out about the Israel lobby, intimidation by the Israel lobby against congresspeople, his book They Dare to Speak Out: People and Institutions Confront Israel's Lobby, and more!
 
Today on Arab Voices, we will re-air the interview we conducted with former Congressman Paul Findley.

Because KPFT is currently in Summer Fund Drive, Arab Voices will be offering Congressman Paul Findley's book They Dare to Speak Out: People and Institutions Confront Israel's Lobby during the show today as a Thank-You Gift for $100.

Date:

August 7, 2019

Ahmad Awad and Astha Sharma Pokharel
  

From Palestine Legal

Students at Fordham University won a landmark legal victory this week when a judge ruled that Fordham University violated its own rules in prohibiting the formation of a Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) club. The Court annulled Fordham’s decision to deny SJP club status, finding it arbitrary and capricious.
  
We will speak live about that with Ahmad Awad, one of the five students who filed the lawsuit in April 2017 against Fordham University, and Astha Sharma Pokharel, one of the attorneys who worked on this case. Astha Sharma Pokharel is a Bertha Justice Fellow at the Center for Constitutional Rights, where she works on international human rights, corporate accountability, Palestine solidarity, and abusive immigration practices.
 
The students were represented by the Center for Constitutional Rights, Palestine Legal, and cooperating counsel Alan Levine. They have taken on that case and filed the lawsuit on behalf of the five students. This lawsuit is the first major legal win for campus Palestine activists in the US.

Date:

July 31, 2019

Josh Ruebner
Senior Principal at Progress Up Consulting. Josh has two decades of experience as an analyst for Congressional Research Service and as a policy director for the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, a national nonprofit working on progressive foreign policy issues. In those roles, Josh learned the ins-and-outs of Capitol Hill and how to best communicate with Congress to create policy change. Josh has written dozens of high-impact policy papers, has written policy-related op-eds in publications such as The Hill, USA Today, and The Los Angeles Times, and discussed policy issues on TV channels such as C-SPAN, ABC, and NBC. Josh is also the author of two acclaimed books on policy issues, "Israel: Democracy or Apartheid State?" and "Shattered Hopes: Obama’s Failure to Broker Israeli-Palestinian Peace".
  

We will speak live with Josh Ruebner about the non-binding US House of Representatives resolution (H.Res.246) that passed by a vote of 398-17 on July 23, 2019, condemning people for exercising their constitutional right to engage in boycotts in support of Palestinian rights. We will talk about BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement, and H.Res.496, introduced on July 16, 2019, by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, affirming that all Americans have the right to participate in boycotts in pursuit of civil and human rights at home and abroad, as protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution. We will also talk about the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestine, home demolitions in Jerusalem, Israel’s racist policies, the Trump administration’s stance towards Israel/Palestine, and more.

Date:

July 24, 2019

"The Early History of the Arab-American Community" by Professor Akram Khater
The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and The Arab-American Education Foundation Chair in Modern Arab History at the University of Houston held the Nijad and Zeina Fares Arab-American Educational Foundation Annual Distinguished Lecture in Modern Arab Studies on February 19, 2019, at the University of Houston. The lecture was titled "The Early History of the Arab-American Community", and the speaker was Professor Akram Khater.
       
Today on Arab Voices, we will listen to Professor Khater's lecture on "The Early History of the Arab-American Community".
 
Akram Khater Ph.D. (UC Berkeley) is University Faculty Scholar, Professor of History, Khayrallah Chair in Diaspora Studies, and Director of the Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies at North Carolina State University. His books include Inventing Home: Emigration, Gender and the Making of a Lebanese Middle Class, 1861-1921; A History of the Middle East: A Sourcebook for the History of the Middle East and North Africa; and Embracing the Divine: Passion and Politics in the Christian Middle East. He is the editor of the International Journal of Middle East Studies, has completed a 2012 PBS documentary on the history of the Lebanese community in North Carolina, was the senior curator for a museum exhibit on the same topic that opened on February 21, 2014, and was also the curator of the traveling exhibit, The Lebanese in America, which has toured six US cities, and will continue to tour through 2019.

Date:

July 17, 2019

1^st Segment: Congresswomen Remarks on President Trump's "Go Back" comment
We will listen to the reaction/remarks of the four congresswomen (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan) during a press conference they held on July 15, 2019, reacting to President Trump's targeting them in one of his latest racist and xenophobic remarks, telling the congresswomen of color to “go back” to the countries they came from!
      

2^nd Segment: “Saudi Arabia and Jared Kushner: Armaments and Conflict in the Middle East”
 
This is a segment produced by Building Bridges radio program that airs on our sister station WBAI 99.5 FM in the New York City metro area. The segment is titled ”Saudi Arabia and Jared Kushner: Armaments and Conflict in the Middle East“, with guest Mohamad Bazzi, journalism professor at New York University, a former Middle East bureau chief at Newsday and a former Council on Foreign Relations fellow. He is currently writing a book on the proxy wars between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
 
Mohamad Bazzi, recently wrote for The Nation that Trumps public statements on Saudi killing in Yemen reflect "a narrative that has been gaining traction for years among U.S. officials and in sectors of the Western media: that the Saudis and their allies in the Yemen war, especially the United Arab Emirates, are killing civilians and destroying infrastructure by mistake. But this is not true. The Saudi coalition has targeted civilians and the country's infrastructure by design since it intervened in Yemen's civil war in March 2015. Its not that the Saudis and their allies don't know how to use American-made weapons or need help in choosing targets -- they're using them as intended. And American officials have known this for years."

Bazzi has written extensively on the war in Yemen and the Trump administration circumventing Congress on arms to Saudi Arabia while civilians are being targeted -and recently said: "the Trump administration stated it plans to circumvent Congress to sell billions in new weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. U.S. officials have known for years that the Saudi/UAE coalition deliberately targets civilians in Yemen with U.S. weapons."

Date:

July 10, 2019

Special Report on "Christians United For Israel" Summit & the Protests against it
  
We will listen today to a special report produced by Mark Bebawi, former producer and host of "The Monitor" on KPFT Houston, 90.1 FM, on the "Christians United For Israel" (CUFI) summit held July 7-8, 2019 in Washington, D.C., where over 100 faith leaders and community organizers protested the summit. The group led direct actions, including sit-ins outside the center while 21 Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faith leaders staged disruptions of the opening plenary session featuring CUFI founder John Hagee, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.
 
Tarek Abuata, executive director of Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA), who was a guest live on Arab Voices last week to talk about CUFI, was the first to stand up and disrupt, shouting, “Zionism is racism,” and holding up a banner that read, “Israel is an apartheid state.” Security immediately handcuffed Abuata and carried him out of the convention center. Abuata continued to shout, “People of God, wake up! Protect the Palestinian people.”
 
During Vice President Mike Pence’s remarks, Christian and Jewish faith leaders interrupted the U.S. vice president, shouting, “Israel kills children. Jews and Christians say no to Zionism,” and holding a banner that read, “Israel kills civilians.” Security grabbed them and dragged them out of the center.

Date:

July 3, 2019

1^st Segment: Dr. Assal Rad
Research Fellow at the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the voice of Iranian Americans and promoting greater understanding between the American and Iranian people. Dr. Rad graduated with a PhD in Middle Eastern History from the University of California, Irvine. Her PhD research focused on Modern Iran, with an emphasis on national identity formation and identity in post-revolutionary Iran. She works with the policy team on research and writing related to Iran policy issues and U.S.-Iran relations, and also works to organize Iranian Americans around issues that affect the community.
  
We will speak live with Dr. Assal Rad about the tensions between the U.S. and Iran, President Trump's Iran policy and his threats to go to war against Iran, the new sanctions imposed on Iran by the U.S., consequences of President Trump’s abandonment of the Iran nuclear deal, and more.
    

2^nd Segment: Tarek Abuata
Executive Director of Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA), a nonprofit Christian ecumenical organization seeking justice and peace in the Holy Land through nonviolent advocacy and education. Tarek was born into a Palestinian Christian family in Bethlehem, and moved to Texas during the first Palestinian Intifada when he was 12. He was the executive director of Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace and of Love Thy Neighbor. Additionally, he worked with Christian Peacemaker Teams, the United Palestine Appeal, and the Negotiations Support Unit of the Palestinian Authority, researching legal and policy issues. Abuata holds a J.D. from the University of Texas Law School.
   
We will speak live with Tarek Abuata about the upcoming Christians United For Israel (CUFI) summit, scheduled to take place July 7-8 in Washington, D.C., and the campaign (Rise Against Racism: Counter CUFI!) launched to counter CUFI summit and challenge Christian Zionism and express solidarity for the Palestinian people by several organizations, headed by Friends of Sabeel North America, Jewish Voice for Peace, American Muslims for Palestine, and US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, and endorsed by more than 30 organizations.
     
More about CUFI from FOSNA: Christians United for Israel has quietly become the largest organization in the United States driving support for Israel’s oppression of the Palestinian people. With over five million members, CUFI uses its political leverage to ensure ongoing U.S. support for Israel’s colonization and military occupation of Palestine, including imprisoning Palestinian children; bombing homes, schools, and hospitals in Gaza; massacring peaceful protestors; and confiscating Palestinian land. By its own admission, CUFI “led the charge to have the U.S. recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital,” and it continues to push for unconstitutional anti-BDS legislation and illegal settlement expansion. CUFI is a Christian Zionist organization: Its ideology and politics are deeply entrenched in white nationalism, anti-Muslim racism, anti-Semitism, and other systems of oppression. In spite of its strong political influence on the Hill, CUFI has operated largely under the radar and received little attention in comparison with groups like AIPAC.

Date:

June 26, 2019

1^st Segment: Dr. Hanan Ashrawi's Response
  
We will listen to Dr. Hanan Ashrawi's remarks delivered today at a press conference in response to the US-sponsored "Bahrain Workshop", titled "Peace to Prosperity". Dr. Ashrawi is a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee.
            

2^nd Segment: Dr. Khalil Jahshan
We will speak live with Dr. Jahshan about the "Bahrain Workshop".
  
Dr. Khalil Jahshan is Executive Director of the Arab Center Washington DC, a non-partisan, non-profit think tank focusing on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, as well as furthering economic, political, and social understanding of the Arab World in the United States. He is a Palestinian-American political analyst and media commentator. He previously served as Executive Director at Pepperdine University, Executive Vice President of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and director of its government affairs affiliate (NAAA-ADC), Vice President of the American Committee on Jerusalem, President of the National Association of Arab Americans, National Director of the Association of Arab-American University Graduates (AAUG), Assistant Director of Palestine Research and Educational Center, and Lecturer in Arabic at the University of Chicago Extension and at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Mr. Jahshan has served on the boards of directors, and advisory boards of various Middle East-oriented groups, including ANERA, MIFTAH and Search for Common Ground.

Date:

June 19, 2019

Juneteenth Special
 
1^st Segment: Mustafaa Carroll
Civil rights activist, board member with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Houston) and previously served as its Executive Director. Carroll began his civil rights activism at 16 as President of the NAACP Youth Council in his hometown of Gary, Indiana. Prior to his arrival in Houston in June 2010, he served as Board President at CAIR-TX DFW and then Executive Director. He has also served on several other boards over the years, and was just voted to serve on the board of the Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Mustafaa Carroll received several awards and recognitions over the years for his work, including the 2017 CAIR National Leadership Award.
    
We will speak live with Mustafaa about Juneteenth (today, June 19, 2019 is Juneteenth Day), how the advent of slavery and Jim Crow laws affect the American psyche,  how slavery and oppression of black people manifest politically and socio-economically domestically, how do these cultural influences play out on the world stage and the U.S. foreign policy, the intersection between the civil rights movement for blacks, other minority groups, and movements in the U.S. and on the world stage, the underpinnings of the current state of affairs with regards to Islamophobia and xenophobia, and what can be done by the ecumenical or religious community, governmental representatives, lawmakers, educators and individuals to impact a positive change and unity within the society.
           

2^nd Segment: Dr. Melina Abdullah
Professor and Chair of Pan-African Studies at California State University, Los Angeles, and Co-founder of Black Lives Matter LA chapter. She was appointed to the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission in 2014 and is a recognized expert on race, gender, class, and social movements. Abdullah is the author of numerous articles and book chapters, with subjects ranging from political coalition building to womanist mothering. Professor Abdullah is a womanist scholar-activist – understanding the role that she plays in the academy as intrinsically linked to broader struggles for the liberation of oppressed people. Melina is the recipient of many awards over the years, and was recognized by LA Weekly as one of the 10 most influential Los Angeles leaders, “Urban Girl of the Year” by 2UrbanGirls, and one of the 15 “Fiercest Sisters” of 2015 by Fierce.
 
Dr, Melina Abdullah spoke at the University of Houston at an event organized by nine University of Houston student organizations and sponsored by the UH History Department.
 
Today on Arab Voices, we will listen to her talk at UH on the way blacks were treated in the U.S., the struggle for black people and being slaves, Black Lives Matter movement, Police abuse, killing of black people, the struggles for justice, the importance of understanding what is happening to blacks in the U.S. and how that parallels to what is happening to the Palestinian people, how the struggle for black freedom in the U.S. is intrinsically tied to the struggle of oppressed people around the globe, especially the Palestinian people, and how freedom is a constant struggle.

Date:

June 12, 2019

"A History of Activist Repression" by Zoha Khalili
Zoha Khalili is a staff attorney for Palestine Legal. She provides legal advice and advocacy support to Palestine rights activists, students and professors on the West Coast on issues ranging from free speech violations, discrimination, threats, surveillance and disciplinary charges. Zoha's legal career has been devoted to defending the rights of marginalized communities.
 
On April 15, 2019, Zoha Khalili spoke at the University of Houston Law Center on the topic "A History of Activist Repression". She delivered a historical analysis of activist repression in the United States, examples of the types of suppression that people have faced when engaging in advocacy, the types of issues that have affected people advocating for Palestine, lessons to learn, Dos and Don'ts, resources, and more.
 
During her lecture and the Q&A session that followed, she talked about Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King, Black Panthers, American Indian Movement, COINTELPRO (COunter INTELligence PROgram), the different forms of propaganda, the Espionage and Sedition Acts, loyalty oaths, surveillance, infiltrators, informants, pro-Palestinian groups, deportation of Palestinian activists, BDS movement, BDS laws, Israel Anti-Boycott Act, Counter Violent Extremism (CVE), and more.
 
The event was organized by Defend Our Voice Coalition at the University of Houston.
 
Today on Arab Voices, we will air that lecture and some of the questions and answers that followed.

Date:

June 5, 2019

1^st Segment: Dr. Hanan Ashrawi's interview on Democracy Now!
Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, member of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s executive committee, was interviewed last Thursday, May 30, 2019, on Democracy Now!, in which she talked about the Israeli elections, the Trump administration’s so-called “peace plan”, her reaction to the conference or workshop the U.S. has scheduled in Bahrain next month, her response to the U.S. denying her a visa to come to the United States, and more.
 
Today on Arab Voices, we will re-air that interview.
     

2^nd Segment: Dr. Khalid Mustafa Medani
Associate Professor of Political Science and Islamic Studies, and Chair of the African Studies Program at McGill University. He has published numerous articles on the roots of civil conflict and the funding of the Islamic movement in Sudan, the question of informal finance and terrorism in Somalia, the obstacles to state building in Iraq, and the role of informal networks in the rise of Islamic militancy. His current book project is on Globalization, Informal Markets and Collective Action: The Development of Islamic and Ethnic Politics in Egypt, Sudan and Somalia.
 
We will speak live with Professor Medani about the situation in Sudan, the mass protests in the country, the bloody massacre in which at least 102 protesters were killed and hundreds were wounded at a sit-in in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum on Monday, and more.

Date:

May 29, 2019

1^st Segment: Houston Iftar Annual Ramadan Dinner Remarks
More than 1,800 people attended the 20^th anniversary of the Houston Iftar Annual Ramadan Dinner on May 11, 2019. The keynote speaker was Sylvester Turner, Mayor of the City of Houston. Several elected officials and others spoke at the event, and today on Arab Voices, we will listen to some of those remarks delivered by Emcee Mona Khalil, Sohail Syed, President of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston, Congressman Al Green, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, and Sylvester Turner, Mayor of the City of Houston.
   
The event was organized by the Houston Abu Dhabi, Houston Baku, Houston Istanbul and Houston Karachi Sister City Associations, along with the Islamic Society of Greater Houston and other collaborating organizations and sponsors.
     

2^nd Segment: Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's California Remarks
We will air today the full speech of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) delivered on March 23, 2019, at the 4^th Annual Valley Banquet hosted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations California (CAIR-LA). There were hateful attacks, incitement of violence and hate-based smear campaign against Representative Omar after she delivered that speech (based on four words taken out of context), but Arab Voices will be airing her entire remarks on the show today.
 
In 2018, Congresswoman Omar won the congressional seat vacated by Rep. Keith Ellison, the first American Muslim elected to Congress, becoming one of the first two American Muslim women elected to Congress.

Date:

May 22, 2019

Today on Arab Voices, we will air different segments than what we aired last week of both "Al-Nakba" documentary and "The Occupation of the American Mind: Israel's Public Relations War in The United States" documentary.
  
Because KPFT is currently in Spring Fund Drive, Arab Voices will be offering "Al-Nakba" DVD documentary as a "Thank-You Gift" to those who pledge $150. We are also offering another DVD documentary titled "The Occupation of the American Mind: Israel's Public Relations War in The United States" for $100, and both documentaries are available for $200.
 
Please consider a contribution to keep Arab Voices on KPFT. You can call during the show on Wednesday between 6 and 7 pm central time and pledge your support (713-526-5738), or send e-mail to ArabVoices@hotmail.com with your name and the amount you want to pledge.
    
Thank you.
               

Spring Fund Drive

Date:

May 15, 2019

71st Anniversary of Al-Nakba (The Catastrophe)
 
Today, May 15, 2019, marks the 71st anniversary of Al-Nakba (Arabic word for The Catastrophe), that's when Israel declared its independence on 78% of historic Palestine after wiping out more than 530 Palestinian villages and towns, killing thousands of Palestinians and forcing more than 850,000 Palestinians out of their homes. The Palestinians started referring to that as Al-Nakba, which actually started before 1948 and it continues to this day!
   
Today on Arab Voices, we will be talking about Al-Nakba, and also air portions of a special award-winning documentary, entitled "Al-Nakba".
  
And because KPFT is currently in Spring Fund Drive, Arab Voices will be offering "Al-Nakba" DVD documentary as a "Thank-You Gift" to those who pledge $150. We are also offering another DVD documentary titled "The Occupation of the American Mind: Israel's Public Relations War in The United States" for $100, and both documentaries are available for $200.
  
Please consider a contribution to keep Arab Voices on KPFT. You can call during the show on Wednesday between 6 and 7 pm central time and pledge your support (713-526-5738), or send e-mail to ArabVoices@hotmail.com with your name and the amount you want to pledge.
  
BTW, a few years ago, Pacifica Radio Network, produced a special documentary about Al-Nakba, to which I contributed, and it was aired on all Pacifica radio stations and their affiliates across the U.S. It was a collaboration between Arab Voices and several radio stations. This special documentary featured know experts, Palestinian politicians, elder survivors of the Nakba and their children and grand children, former detainees, reporters, and activists.
    
Thank you.
          

Spring Fund Drive

Date:

May 8, 2019

Date:

May 1, 2019

Bahia Amawi
Palestinian-American speech pathologist who has worked with the Pflugerville Independent School District (PFISD) in Austin, Texas for nine years. She has a master’s degree in speech pathology, and has specialized in evaluations for young children with language difficulties. Bahia is a U.S. citizen, who was born in Austria and has lived in the U.S. for the last 30 years, and has four U.S.-born American children.
    
In December 2018, Bahia Amawi filed a federal lawsuit against Pflugerville Independent School District and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for violating her First Amendment right of free speech and challenging Texas Anti-BDS Act, H.B. 89., after she lost her job because she refused to sign a “No Boycott of Israel” clause. Bahia won her case on April 25, 2019 when a federal judge ruled that Texas law banning state contractors from boycotting Israel violates the First Amendment.
        
John T. Floyd
Criminal Defense Lawyer based in Houston, Texas, and a volunteer Civil Rights Lawyer for the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR Houston). He is also a Board Member with CAIR Houston. John T. Floyd is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and has been providing defense services to clients in federal and state courts for over twenty years.
  
John T. Floyd is the attorney representing Bahia Amawi, along with CAIR Legal Defense Fund, who filed the lawsuit against Pflugerville Independent School District and Ken Paxton.
   

We will speak live with both Bahia Amawi and John T. Flyed about last week's landmark court victory in Texas by the Council on American-Islamic Relations Legal Defense Fund in the First Amendment lawsuit filed on behalf of Bahia Amawi who lost her job because she refused to sign a “No Boycott of Israel” clause. We will talk about what happens next, and the plans to challenge 26 other states that have already passed unconstitutional anti-BDS laws.
 

Date:

April 24, 2019

Date:

April 17, 2019

1^st Segment:  Khalil AbuSharekh
We will speak with Houston Palestine Film Festival's board member, Khalil AbuSharekh, about the 13^th annual Houston Palestine Film Festival (HPFF). The festival will showcase a number of award-winning and internationally acclaimed feature films, documentaries and shorts that address a variety of themes and narratives in Palestinian society, including Alexandra Dol’s documentary “Beyond the Frontlines: Tales of Resistance and Resilience from Palestine,” which won the Sunbird Award for Best Documentary Film at the 2017 Palestine Cinema Days Festival. Beyond the Frontlines features Palestinian psychiatrist Dr. Samah Jabr who thoughtfully explores the psychological wounds of war and occupation borne by a resilient people intent on resisting. Alexandra Dols and Dr. Samah Jabr will both be present post-screening on the opening night of April 26 to engage the audience in a Q&A session.
 
The Houston Palestine Film Festival will be held April 26 through May 4 at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and Rice University Media Center. Click here for more details and Program Lineup.
      

2^nd Segment: Dr. Kamel Mohanna
Founder of Amel Association International (مؤسسة عامل الدولية), an independent nonprofit, non-confessional Lebanese organization dedicated to saving lives and generating a democratic and prosperous Lebanon, and a nominee for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, who dedicated his life to help the displaced, the sick and the abandoned. Dr. Kamel Mohanna was born in Khiyam village (South Lebanon) and spent his early life there. Marked by an arduous childhood facing poverty and inequality, he became a man with the courage to choose the right but challenging options instead of the easiest ones. Originally pediatrician, Dr. Kamel Mohanna strengthen his humanitarian commitment after the second Israeli invasion of South Lebanon (1978) when he founded the NGO Amel Association in collaboration with a group of doctors, teachers, journalists and intellectuals. During the war, Amel Association played a significant role providing relief and emergency response. Since then, the NGO has established a considerable network of dispensaries, clinics, medical centers, and a dedicated team of more than 800 volunteers and aid workers. Dr. Kamel Mohanna was honored with several titles recognizing his courage and humanitarian action in favor of the most vulnerable during the war. Among a long series of titles, he received the Order of Honor on behalf of President Jacques Chirac in 1998 for his long commitment to caring for the injured abroad and the Civil Peace and Human Rights Prize (Joseph and Laure Moghaizel Foundation) in collaboration with the UNDP Programme in 2006. During his career, Dr. Kamel Mohanna continued to practice pediatrics while teaching as a Professor at the University. As the General Coordinator of the Lebanese NGOs Network he gave rise to a nation-wide campaign entitled “Khallas”, a civil society initiative urging politicians to end the current deadlock in Lebanon.
 
We will speak live with Dr. Kamel Mohanna about his work and Amel Association International, that is providing many services to Lebanese, as well as Syrian and Palestinian refugees.

Date:

April 10, 2019

"The Early History of the Arab-American Community" by Professor Akram Khater
The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and The Arab-American Education Foundation Chair in Modern Arab History at the University of Houston held the Nijad and Zeina Fares Arab-American Educational Foundation Annual Distinguished Lecture in Modern Arab Studies on February 19, 2019, at the University of Houston. The lecture was titled "The Early History of the Arab-American Community", and the speaker was Professor Akram Khater.
       
Today on Arab Voices, we will listen to Professor Khater's lecture on "The Early History of the Arab-American Community".
 
Akram Khater Ph.D. (UC Berkeley) is University Faculty Scholar, Professor of History, Khayrallah Chair in Diaspora Studies, and Director of the Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies at North Carolina State University. His books include Inventing Home: Emigration, Gender and the Making of a Lebanese Middle Class, 1861-1921; A History of the Middle East: A Sourcebook for the History of the Middle East and North Africa; and Embracing the Divine: Passion and Politics in the Christian Middle East. He is the editor of the International Journal of Middle East Studies, has completed a 2012 PBS documentary on the history of the Lebanese community in North Carolina, was the senior curator for a museum exhibit on the same topic that opened on February 21, 2014, and was also the curator of the traveling exhibit, The Lebanese in America, which has toured six US cities, and will continue to tour through 2019.

Date:

April 3, 2019

1^st Segment: Houston Palestinian Festival
A live conversation with Dr. Waleed Faris, President of the Palestinian American Cultural Center, organizer of the 9th Annual Houston Palestinian Festival, and Alma AlQuqa, senior festival committee member.
 
We will speak with them about the 9th Annual Houston Palestinian Festival that will be held Saturday-Sunday, April 6-7, 2019 at The Water Works at Buffalo Bayou Park, 105 Sabine Street, in Houston. This year, the festival will showcase the Palestinian cities lost in 1948, and it will include:
  
- A new and much larger downtown venue: Water Works at Buffalo Bayou
- An exciting cultural collaboration with Cafe Mawal
- Various Palestinian cuisine from local food vendors
- Cultural music and dance performances from all around Palestine
- Palestinian Pagentry where you watch and learn about Palestinian thobes
- Showcase of a traditional Palestinian wedding
- A larger kids entertainment section with extended hours
- A larger shopping Bazar to give you the ultimate shopping experience with a variety of vendors, such as Henna tattoos, embroidery, arts, clothing, home decor and much more
- And much more live entertainment
     

2^nd Segment: National Arab American Heritage Month
A live conversation with  Sarah Kassis Izzat, a volunteer serving on the board of a special project with Arab America that was formed 3 years ago in order to unify efforts to achieve official recognition and awareness of Arab American heritage and culture throughout the country, and Ahmad Alaswad, Arab-American Cultural & Community Center Board Member, and Chief of Staff at the Office of Fort Bend County Commissioner Ken DeMerchant (the first Arab Chief of Staff in the greater Houston area).
    
We will speak with them about the National Arab American Heritage Month, that aims to educate and enlighten the public about Arab contributions to American culture and to combat the negative media portrayal of Arabs in the U.S. We will talk about the proclamations issued nationwide by several states and various government officials and school boards, including locally the City of Houston (issued by Mayor Sylvester Turner), Houston Independent School District, Fort Bend Independent School District, Fort Bend County Commissioner, and Fort Bend County Judge, proclaiming the month of April as National Arab American Heritage Month. We will also talk about the events planned during the month of April by the Arab American Cultural & Community Center, and share some ideas and recommendations for others.

Date:

March 27, 2019

1^st 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, east European law, African law, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. He authored several books including The Statehood of Palestine: International Law in the Middle East Conflict (2010), The Six-Day War and Israeli Self-Defense: Questioning the Legal Basis for Preventive War (2013), and The International Diplomacy of Israel’s Founders: Deception at the United Nations in the Quest for Palestine (2016). Professor Quigley participated in the fourth session of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine - New York Session in 2012. In 1995 he was recipient of The Ohio State University Distinguished Scholar Award. He formerly held the title of President’s Club Professor of Law.
   
We will speak live with professor Quigley about about President Trump's recognition of "Israel’s sovereignty" over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, and how that violates International Law. The Golan Heights is a Syrian land that has been occupied by Israel since 1967. In 1981, Israel annexed the Syrian Golan Heights, despite numerous United Nations resolutions calling on Israel to withdraw its occupation from the Syrian Golan Heights, and the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.
       

2^nd Segment: "U.S. Foreign Aid and the Israeli Nuclear Weapons Program"
We will air today the remarks of Grant F. Smith, director of the Washington, DC-based Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy (IRmep) on the topic "U.S. Foreign Aid and the Israeli Nuclear Weapons Program". Smith is the author of the 2016 book Big Israel: How Israel’s Lobby Moves America and Divert! Numec, Zalman Shapiro and the Diversion of U.S. Weapons-Grade Uranium Into the Israeli Nuclear Weapons Program (2012). He has also written two histories of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). America’s Defense Line: The Justice Department's Battle to Register the Israel Lobby as Agents of a Foreign Government and Foreign Agents: AIPAC from the 1963 Fulbright Hearings to the 2005 Espionage Scandal. Smith’s reports about the Israel lobby and Freedom of Information Act lawsuits to reveal official U.S. policy on Israel’s nuclear program appear frequently in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and Antiwar.com news website.
    
"U.S. Foreign Aid and the Israeli Nuclear Weapons Program" by Grant F. Smith
In 1969, the Department of Defense, intelligence community and Department of State recommended President Richard Nixon uphold the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and pressure the Israelis to stop their nuclear weapons program by withholding U.S. arms. U.S. deliberations considered Israel’s illegal diversion of U.S. weapons grade uranium. However, the Nixon administration adopted Israel’s policy of “ambiguity” toward Israel’s nukes. Why did this happen? How has “ambiguity” been maintained for a half century? What law governs U.S. foreign aid to non-NPT signatory nuclear countries, and how is this law continually subverted? How has the pattern of action leading to “ambiguity” been repeated in other key U.S. policy areas of interest to Israel and its lobby?
  
Smith delivered those remarks at The Israel Lobby and American Policy Conference held on March 22, 2019 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.      

Date:

March 20, 2019

1^st Segment: 5^th Annual Lebanese Festival
A live conversation with Hiba Elroz, media chair for the Lebanese Festival and board member with the American Lebanese Cultural Center about the 5th Annual Lebanese Festival that will be held Saturday and Sunday, March 23-24 at Constellation Field, in Sugar Land, Texas, organized by the American Lebanese Cultural Center in Houston.
 
There will be delicious food, nonstop dancing, and activities for the whole family which include a NEW bazaar this year named "Made in Lebanon" that will bring a range of authentic Lebanese products and brands to you! ALCC will also sponsor a Walk for Hope during the festival weekend and contribute a portion of festival entrance proceeds to benefit the Children's Cancer Center of Lebanon, an affiliated hospital of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
            

2^nd Segment: New Zealand Terrorist Attack
We will talk about the terrorist attack that killed 50 Muslims and injured 50 others at two mosques in New Zealand on March 15, 2019. We will listen to the reaction and remarks of Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand Prime Minister, and Waleed Aly, an Australian Muslim, writer, academic, lawyer, media presenter and musician, co-host of Network Ten's news and current affairs television program "The Project", who lives in New Zealand. We will also listen to the remarks of Nihad Awad, National Executive Director and co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest non-profit Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, and the remarks of Sylvester Turner, Mayor of the City of Houston.
      

3^rd Segment: AAEF Center for Arab Studies at University of Houston
The Arab-American Educational Foundation (AAEF) in Houston signed an agreement with the University of Houston, a Tier One Research Institution, on March 7, 2019, to launch a center for Arab studies at UH with a million dollar endowment. It was another historic milestone reached by the AAEF Board of Directors, led by Dr. Aziz Shaibani, AAEF President. The AAEF announced right after the agreement was signed (which stipulated that the million dollar be paid over three years), that it actually raised the money and was ready to transfer it to the university the following week.
 
In 2011, the AAEF initiated an endowment campaign and successfully raised one million dollar to establish a Chair of Modern Arab History at the University of Houston, a position held by Dr. Abdel Razzaq Takriti since 2015. In 1995, the AAEF raised another one million dollar to establishment a Chair in Arab Studies at Rice University, a position held by Dr. Ussama Makdisi since 1997. The next phase would be for the AAEF to raise a million dollar to have its name given to the center.
     
Today on the show, we will listen to some of the remarks shared by some of the attendees at the celebration launch event held on March 7, 2019 at Mr. Nijad and Mrs. Zeina Fares' house where the agreement was signed. We will listen to the remarks of Mr. Nijad Fares, Dr. Renu Khator, Chancellor of the University of Houston System and President of the University of Houston, Mr. Farouk Shami, who donated half a million dollars for the new center, and Dr. Aziz Shaibani, President of the Arab-American Educational Foundation.
       

4^th Segment: Dr. Nadia Abuelezam
Creator, Producer, and Host of Palestinians Podcast. She is Palestinian-American, and is a public health researcher and professor interested in domestic and international health disparities. She is an accomplished teacher and storyteller with a passion for the craft of storytelling and narrative. She values storytelling and its impact in building community and creating unity within the Palestinian diaspora. Dr. Abuelezam has performed stories on stages across the United States.
 
We will speak with Dr. Abuelezam about the Palestinians Podcast, and her upcoming visit to Houston to conduct the Palestinian Narrative Training Program to be held at the University of Houston on March 30-31, 2019.

Date:

March 13, 2019

1^st Segment: Alex McDonald
Founder of Texas Coalition for Human Rights. He is an Internet marketer and business consultant based in Houston, Texas. Alex just returned last week from a 10-day visit to Iran as part of a 28 person peace delegation organized by Code Pink, a women-led peace and human rights organization. In 2018, Alex was part of the ground crew for the 2018 Freedom Flotilla for the Norwegian fishing boat Al Awda (The Return) in La Rochelle, France and was a crew member for one week in Northern France onboard the Mairead. In 2017, Alex McDonald visited occupied Palestine and Israel with an interfaith peace group, and has been very concerned about the active role the U.S. has in oppressing the Palestinian people and supporting the violation of human rights.
  
We will speak with Alex about his visit to Iran and what he witnessed there, the impact of the U.S. sanctions on the Iranian people, the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear agreement (JCPOA), and his talk with the Iranian Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, and others.
           

2^nd Segment: Abed A. Ayoub
National Legal & Policy Director of the American-Arab Anti- Discrimination Committee (ADC), the largest Arab American civil rights organization in the U.S. Through his position, Ayoub works to address issues impacting Arabs and Muslims in the United States, including discrimination, hate crimes, and profiling. Ayoub also works to enhance the community’s economic empowerment and access to education. Ayoub also represents the Arab and Muslim community on Capitol Hill, working regularly with members of Congress. He regularly appears as a community voice/contributor on national and international news outlets. Ayoub is a native of Dearborn, Michigan, which is home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans. Before joining ADC, Ayoub was in private practice in Michigan, specializing in immigration and criminal law. Outside of ADC, he works with a number of organizations on interfaith projects and has participated in numerous diversity training programs throughout the country.
  
We will speak with Abed Ayoub about the recent/historic resolution voted on condemning Anti-Muslim bigotry, the attacks against speaking truth regarding the Israel Lobby influence on politicians, accusations of anti-semitism against congresswoman Ilhan Omar, media attacks on Arabs, Tucker Carlson’s attack on Iraqi and Arab culture, and more.

Date:

March 6, 2019

1^st Segment: Dr. Nabeel Shalan
Palestinian American medical doctor, and organizer/promoter of a tour for the "Fozi Mozi & Tutti" Palestinian group in four U.S. cities during the month of April, including Houston.
 
We will speak with Dr. Shalan about the tour that is offering Arab children living in the U.S. the unique opportunity to be part of a children's show in their mother tongue, which will help connect them with their roots and heritage.
 
"Fozi Mozi & Tutti" group is coming from Palestine, and has performed live shows in different countries including Palestine, other Arab countries, and Europe. It is a performance group oriented toward children all over the world. Their programs on YouTube have been dubbed in multiple languages. "Fozi Mozi & Tutti" play the role of two mischievous children, who along with their smart little sister Mandalina, learn as they navigate through daily life. Their fun-filled programs and live shows include plenty of songs and sketches that combine educational value with entertainment.
 
The Houston performance (presented in Arabic) will be held on April 4, 2019 at 7 p.m. at the Cullen Theater at the Wortham Center.
         

2^nd Segment: Dr. Hatem Bazian
Teaching Professor in the Departments of Near Eastern and Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and he is also Provost, Co-Founder and Professor at Zaytuna College, the 1st Accredited Muslim Liberal Arts College in the United States. Dr. Bazian is an adviser to the Religion, Politics, and Globalization Center at UC Berkeley. In 2009, he founded the Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project at UC Berkeley, Editor-in-Chief of the Islamophobia Studies Journal and Founder and Director of the International Islamophobia Studies Consortium. Dr. Bazian is on the board of several organizations, including the Islamic Scholarship Fund, Muslim Legal Fund of America and Muslim Americans for Palestine, for which he is also the founding president. Dr. Bazian publishes articles and papers frequently, and he is author of several books, including "Annotations on Race, Colonialism, Islamophobia, Islam and Palestine", and "Palestine: ...it is something colonial".
  
We will speak with Dr. Bazian about the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestine, the newly released report by the U.N. on Israeli crimes and the efforts to silence critics, the mounting criticism and accusations of anti-semitism against congresswoman Ilhan Omar, and more.
 
Dr. Hatem Bazian was profiled last week in a newly published New Yorker piece “How a Private Israeli Intelligence Firm Spied on Pro-Palestinian Activists in the U.S.”

Date:

February 27, 2019

Date:

February 20, 2019

Re-Airing Portions of Previous Interviews with Melvin Goodman
Melvin Goodman is Director of the National Security Project at the Center for International Policy in Washington, DC, and a professor of government at Johns Hopkins University. He was an analyst at the CIA for 24 years; a former analyst at the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research; and author of several books on international security, including "National Insecurity: The Cost of American Militarism" and "Failure of Intelligence: The Decline and Fall of the CIA". His latest book is "Whistleblower at the CIA". Goodman helped draft the report that described Israel’s attack against Egypt on the morning of June 5, 1967.Last year, he published the piece The Six Day War and Israeli Lies: What I Saw at the CIA. Goodman has written numerous articles and op-eds over the years, appeared on various media outlets, and has lectured all over the country. He is also the national security columnist for counterpunch.org.
         

Winter Fund Drive

Date:

February 13, 2019

1^st Segment: Taher Herzallah
Associate Director of Outreach & Community Organizing for American Muslims for Palestine. He is one of the 'Irvine 11,' a group of students who were arrested and prosecuted for expressing their constitutionally protected rights of free speech and political dissent when they walked out of a speech given by Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren at UC Irvine in 2010. Mr. Herzallah was also one of six people arrested for protesting the appointment of David Friedman as US ambassador to Israel at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in February 2017. He has had articles published in various media outlets including the Orange County Register and Al Jazeera English. He has been featured on several media and radio interviews throughout the US and internationally. Taher Herzallah studied Political Science and International Affairs at UC Riverside.
  
We will speak live with Taher Herzallah about American Muslims for Palestine organization, and the work it does, including the upcoming Palestine Advocacy Day & Training scheduled to be held April 5-8, 2019, in Washington, D.C. We will also talk about the attempts to suppress free speech on college campuses, and the recent attacks against Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib.
     

2^nd Segment: Hanan Awad
Palestinian American living in Edmond, Oklahoma, USA. Hanan is an established street photographer. She held multiple photo galleries in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the United States. She received her undergraduate degree from Rutgers University, NJ in Middle Eastern Studies, Film-making certificate from New York Film Academy and her Masters in double major focusing on Latin America and the Middle East at the University of Central Oklahoma. Her many visits to Palestine got her interested in the forced displacement of the Jahalin Bedouins, a concept that now stands as the main emphasis of her research.
 
We will speak live with Hanan Awad about the Palestinian Bedouins in occupied Palestine and what she witnessed when she visited several of their villages. We will talk about the ongoing Israeli ethnic cleansing, destruction and displacement of the Bedouin villages in Palestine including Khan Al-Ahmar, Israel’s “Judaisation” plan, and laws it passes against the Palestinian Bedouins, Israel's colonial demographic policies, and more.

Date:

February 6, 2019

CAIR-Houston's Annual Banquet: "Faith Led, Justice Driven"
The Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas (Houston Chapter) held its 17th Annual Banquet on December 9, 2018, in Houston under the theme "Faith Led, Justice Driven". Several local community members, faith leaders, and elected officials attended the event that featured an awards ceremony recognizing several individuals. It was a celebration and review of CAIR-Houston's achievements and it also highlighted how to work together to protect civil rights and share a positive message about Islam and Muslims.
    
There were several remarks delivered at the event, and today we will listen to some of them, including those of Mohammed Nasrullah, CAIR-Houston President and Board Chairman; Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee; and Linda Sarsour, award-winning racial and civil rights activist, community organizer, and former Executive Director of the Arab American Association of New York and co-founder of the first Muslim online organizing platform, MPOWER Change.

Date:

January 30, 2019

Date:

January 23, 2019

1^st Segment: “Houstonians Views on Muslim Americans” by Robert L. McKenzie
Robert L. McKenzie is a Senior fellow at New America and director of its Muslim Diaspora Initiative. He is a domestic and foreign policy analyst and scholar of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with fifteen years of applied research and work experience for the U.S. government, private sector, and academia. An anthropologist by training, McKenzie is an expert in displaced persons, refugee resettlement and integration, and Arab and Muslim communities in the United States and Europe. McKenzie is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and he has been a lecturer at Wayne State University (Detroit), a researcher at the American University in Cairo, and a visiting scholar at the University of Oxford. In his latest book project McKenzie explores humanitarian assistance and policy solutions to protracted refugee situations in the Middle East.
 
We will speak live with Dr. McKenzie about the newly released results of a recent study entitled, “Houstonians Views on Muslim Americans”, co-sponsored by Wasat Institute and New America. This local study, as part of a larger national study, breaks down the “whys” at the heart of misunderstandings about Muslims in America. We will talk with Dr. McKenzie about the key findings from this study.
           

2^nd Segment: "Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice"
Making Contact, an award-winning weekly magazine/documentary-style public affairs program heard on 140 radio stations in the USA, Canada, South Africa and Ireland, produced a new edition titled “Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice”. In this edition, Making Contact speaks with author Paul Kivel about his book, Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice. This book offers a framework for understanding institutional racism. It provides practical suggestions, tools, examples, and advice on how white people can intervene in interpersonal and organizational situations to work as allies for racial justice. Completely revised and updated, this expanded third edition directly engages the reader through questions, exercises, and suggestions for action, and takes a detailed look at current issues such as affirmative action, immigration, and health care. It also includes a wealth of information about specific cultural groups such as Muslims, people with mixed-heritage, Native Americans, Jews, recent immigrants, Asian Americans, and Latinos.
 
Today on Arab Voices, we will listen to “Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice” edition by Making Contact.
 
Paul Kivel is an award-winning author and an accomplished trainer and speaker. He has been a social justice activist, a nationally and internationally recognized anti-racism educator, and an innovative leader in violence prevention for over forty years.

Date:

January 16, 2019

Law and Revolution in the Arab Spring
The Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair in Modern Arab History at the University of Houston and The Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair in Arab Studies at Rice University, held an event at the University of Houston on November 13, 2018 that featured Dr. Nimer Sultany, Senior Lecturer in Public Law at SOAS, University of London, and winner of the 2018 International Society of Public Law Book Prize and the 2018 Society of Legal Scholars' Peter Birks Prize for Outstanding Legal Scholarship. Dr. Sultany talked about his recent book Law and Revolution: Legitimacy and Constitutionalism After the Arab Spring. This award winning book offers a critical re-examination of political, legal, and constitutional theory in light of the Arab Spring.
 
Dr. Sultany was introduced by Dr. Ussama Makdisi, Professor of History and the first holder of the Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair of Arab Studies at Rice University, and his talk was followed by commentary from Dr. Abdel Razzaq Takriti, Associate Professor and Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair in Modern Arab History at the University of Houston.
  
Today on Arab Voices, we will air the remarks delivered at that event.

Date:

January 9, 2019

The Realities of Jerusalem Today
 
Today on Arab Voices we will air the remarks delivered at "The Realities of Jerusalem Today" panel held on October 11, 2018, at the Houston Jerusalem Conference entitled "JERUSALEM: WHAT MAKES FOR PEACE?", organized by Bright Stars of Bethlehem. There were three speakers at that panel:
 
Osama Qawasmeh
Member of the Palestinian National Council
 
Tarek Abuata
Executive Director of Friends of Sabeel North America. He previously worked as the coordinator of the Christian Peacemaker Team in Hebron
 
Majed Bamya
Political Coordinator and Legal Adviser for the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations in New York, and Head of the International law and Treaties Department at the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Date:

January 2, 2019

1^st Segment: Daniel McAdams (re-airing last week's HD2 channel interview on the FM radio)
   
Executive Director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. He served as the foreign affairs, civil liberties, and defense policy advisor to U.S. Congressman Ron Paul, MD (R-Texas) from 2001 until Dr. Paul’s retirement at the end of 2012. From 1993-1999 he worked as a journalist based in Budapest, Hungary, and traveled through the former communist bloc as a human rights monitor and election observer.
  
We will speak live with Daniel about Syria, Israel's missile attack on Syria on Christmas day, President Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, will the U.S. actually get out of Syria, what does that mean to Syria and the region, and more.
    

2^nd Segment: Dr. Shireen Al-Adeimi (re-airing June 2018 interview)
   
A Harvard University graduate who will soon begin a position as an assistant professor of education at Michigan State University. Having lived through two civil wars in her country of birth, Yemen, she has played an active role in raising awareness about the U.S.-supported, Saudi-led war on Yemen since 2015. Through her work, she aims to encourage political action among fellow Americans to bring about an end to the U.S. intervention in Yemen.
  
We will speak live with Dr. Al-Adeimi about the catastrophic and dire situation in Yemen as a result of the U.S.-supported Saudi-led war on Yemen, the refugee crisis this war has created (today, June 20 is World Refugee Day), and the recent deadly attack on Yemen’s port city of Al-Hudaydah.