Date:

December 28, 2023    (Episode # 1,093)

A Catastrophic Year for the Palestinians; Christmas Message by Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac; Scholars' Call for Ceasefire; and "The War on Palestine and the Politics of History" by Dr. Abdel Razzaq Takriti (part 1)
 
In this episode of Arab Voices (#1,093), we will talk about the disastrous and catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip as a result of the ongoing Israeli ethnic cleansing, genocide, and war crimes against the Palestinians, as the year 2023 is being recorded as one of the worst ever in Palestinian history.
 

We will air Scholars Against the War in Palestine's call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire via a circulated petition that has been signed by thousands of scholars from across the world. The petition is titled “All I Want for the Holidays is a Ceasefire”.
 

We will air a special Christmas Message by the Reverend Dr. Munther Isaac, Palestinian Christian Theologian, Evangelical Lutheran Pastor in Bethlehem in occupied Palestine, and the Academic Dean of Beth Bible College. He delivered that message at the Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem on December 23, 2023, during a ceremony titled “Christ in the Rubble: A Liturgy of Lament”, in which he criticized those who are complicit in Israel's ongoing bombardment of Gaza, and provided words of encouragement to the Palestinians.
 

We will also air part 1 of “The War on Palestine and the Politics of History” lecture delivered by Dr. Abdel Razzaq Takriti on December 1, 2023, during the farewell event organized by the Arab-American Educational Foundation Center for Arab Studies at the University of Houston. We will also air the introductory remarks delivered by Dr. David McNally, Distinguished Professor and NEH-Cullen Chair in History and Business at the University of Houston. Arab Voices will air part 2 of the lecture during the next episode of Arab Voices.
 
Dr. Abdel Razzaq Takriti, the inaugural holder of the Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair in Modern Arab History, Associate Professor at the Department of History, and founding Director of the Arab-American Educational Foundation Center for Arab Studies at the University of Houston, has a new position at Rice University in Houston, as Associate Professor of History and Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair of Arab Studies.

Date:

December 21, 2023    (Episode # 1,092)

The ongoing Israeli Genocide in Gaza, & Remarks from Pope Francis, Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, Majed Bamya, Lara Elborno, & Dr. Noura Erakat
 
In this episode of Arab Voices (#1,092), we will talk about the ongoing Israeli genocide against the Palestinians, and the catastrophe in the Gaza Strip where Israel has killed nearly 20,000 Palestinians (mostly women and children) and injured more than 52,500 others since October 7, 2023.
 
We will also air the following remarks and speeches:
 
Pope Francis’ reaction to the Israeli atrocities in Gaza, calling them a war and terrorism.
 
Reverend Dr. Mitri Raheb, Founder and President of Dar al-Kalima University in Bethlehem, Palestine, delivering a message about the cancellation of Christmas festivities in Palestine because of the war on Gaza, and the Christmas story in the context of Gaza!
 
Majed Bamya, Deputy Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations speaking about the crisis in Gaza at a side event organized by the Palestinian civil society organizations on the margins of the Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court at the United Nations.
 
Lara Elborno, Palestinian-American international lawyer and activist based in Paris though her family originally hails from Gaza and Yaffa, speaking at the Stop the War Rally held in London on December 2, 2023, about the realities of the Palestinians who have more than 4,000-year history in the occupied territories.
 
Dr. Noura Erakat, human rights attorney, author, and associate professor at Rutgers University, speaking at the Palestine Festival of Literature held November 1, 2023, at the Union Theological Seminary in New York titled “But We Must Speak: On Palestine and the Mandates of Conscience”.

Date:

December 14, 2023    (Episode # 1,091)

1st Segment: Ethnic Cleansing & Genocide by Apartheid Israel against the Palestinians continue...
 
The latest Israeli genocidal war on the Palestinians entered its 3rd month with a continuation of its ongoing and escalated bombardment of the Gaza Strip, racing the clock to destroy everything there. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israel has killed more than 18,600 Palestinians (70% are women and children) and injured more than 50,000 since October 7, 2023. Thousands of Palestinians are still under the rubble of destroyed buildings across the Gaza Strip and are presumed dead, as no one can reach them. 60% of the residential buildings in the entire Gaza Strip where 2.3 million Palestinians live have been destroyed! Apartheid Israel has been working hard on making the Gaza Strip unlivable for whoever is left alive from the slaughter it is inflicting on the 2.3 million Palestinians there, and it seems that Israel wants to force whoever is left alive to leave Gaza to Egypt, as part of its ethnic cleansing plans.
 
The health care system in the Gaza Strip has been targeted heavily by Apartheid Israel and has collapsed from the ongoing Israeli genocidal war, as part of its plan to make the Gaza Strip unlivable. During this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,091), we will air the remarks of Dr. Ben Thomson with "North America Medical Doctors" about the health crisis in the Gaza Strip, the remarks of Dr. Sukkar with "Doctors for Ceasefire", whose 41 members of her husband's family in Gaza were killed by Israel, speaking about the catastrophic health situation in the Gaza Strip, and the remarks of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar on the same topic.
  

2nd Segment: Israel's Assassination of Dr. Refaat Alareer and his Interview with Arab Voices
 
On December 7, 2023, Dr. Refaat Alareer, a Palestinian professor, author, co-editor of the book Gaza Unsilenced and the editor of (and a contributor to) Gaza Writes Back, a collection of short stories, was assassinated by Apartheid Israel in Gaza. Dr. Alareer was one of the most prominent and important English language teachers in the Gaza Strip, an influential academic, translator, poet, and activist. Dr. Alareer has a Ph.D. in English Literature, and was teaching world literature, comparative literature, and both fiction and non-fiction creative writing at the Islamic University of Gaza since 2007.
 
Arab Voices had interviewed Dr. Refaat Alareer in October 2023 and in May 2021.
 
During this episode of Arab Voices, we will air the interview we conducted with Dr. Refaat Alareer on October 12, 2023, while he was in Gaza, 5 days after the latest Israeli genocidal war on the Palestinians started. We will also listen to the last poem Dr. Alareer published on November 1, 2023, titled “If I must die, let it be a tale”, read by Scottish actor Brian Cox.

Date:

December 7, 2023    (Episode # 1,090)

Israel's Genocidal War on the Palestinians; Dr. Adela Cedillo's & Dr. Hosam Aboul-Ela's Palestine Teach-In Remarks; & Dr. Marc Lamont Hill's UN Talk
 
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,090), we will have an update on the ongoing genocidal war on the Palestinians by Apartheid Israel, listen to Palestinian Journalist Noor Harazeen in Gaza on the situation there after the ceasefire was broken, the catastrophic health situation in the Gaza Strip, a message from Dr. Mads Gilbert, a Norwegian physician specializing in emergency medicine who has helped provide emergency trauma care in Gaza for over 40 years, to Western leaders, Palestinian-Canadian Hala Alshaer with a message to those who advocate for ethnic cleansing and believe evacuating and removing Palestinians from their homeland is the answer, and Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General on the invoking of Article 99 by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

In addition, we will air the remarks of both Professor Adela Cedillo, Assistant Professor of Mexican History at the University of Houston, and Professor Hosam Aboul-Ela, Professor of English and the Arab-American Educational Foundation Dr. Burhan and Mrs. Misako Ajouz Chair in Arab Studies at the University of Houston, speaking at the Emergency Palestine Teach-In held in October 2023 at the University of Houston organized by the Arab-American Educational Foundation Center for Arab Studies.

We will also air the remarks of Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, an academic, author, activist, and television personality, delivered at the United Nations 5 years ago at a special meeting of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, in which he called for equal rights for all in historic Palestine. Dr. Hill was fired from his position as a commentator for CNN at that time, one day after he spoke at the United Nations!

Date:

November 30, 2023    (Episode # 1,089)

Gaza: ICJP's Investigation, Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sitta's Testimony, and Dr. Tshepo Chéry on Solidarity with the Palestinians
 
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,089), we will air the remarks of Tayab Ali, Director of the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), outlining the criminal allegations under investigation and what the evidence ICJP is collecting regarding the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip. Tayab Ali spoke about that during a press conference ICJP held on November 27, 2023, in the UK.
 
We will also air the testimony/eyewitness account of Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sitta, a world-renowned Palestinian-British surgeon who spent 43 days in Gaza treating the injured while Israel was attacking the Gaza Strip. Dr. Abu-Sitta, who participated in the same ICJP press conference, explains the situation he witnessed in the Gaza Strip and describes the Israeli aggression through the types of injuries received at Gaza hospitals.

November 29^th of every year is observed as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people, and in support of that, we will air the remarks of Professor Tshepo Chéry, Assistant Professor of African History at the University of Houston, delivered at the Emergency Palestine Teach-In held in October 2023 at UH, organized by the Arab-American Educational Foundation Center for Arab Studies at UH.

Date:

November 23, 2023    (Episode # 1,088)

Israel's Ongoing Genocide against the Palestinian People
 
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,088), we will continue to talk about the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people by Apartheid Israel and the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip.
 
It has been over 47 days of non-stop 24 hours a day 7 days a week bombardment of the Gaza Strip, targeting everything and anything inside the Gaza Strip where 2.3 million Palestinians live, half of them are children. Israel has been bombing hospitals, urgent care centers, ambulances, rescue teams, civil defense staff, schools and universities, shopping malls, supermarkets, bakeries, grocery stores, United Nations staff and centers, electricity plants, and water plants. Israel has also been targeting and destroying the infrastructure of the entire Gaza Strip. It has cut off water, electricity, and food to the entire Gaza Strip, and has been preventing medical aid and critically needed supplies from reaching the Gaza Strip. Since October 7, 2023, Israel killed more than 14,854 Palestinians, including 6,150 children, 4,000 women, 690 senior citizens, 205 medical staff, 36 civil defense staff, and 62 journalists. What the entire world has been witnessing is genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes, atrocities, and terrorism committed by Apartheid Israel against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and also in the occupied West Bank.
 
In this episode of Arab Voices, we will air the final words of Palestinian journalist Ayat Al Khadour moments before she was killed by the Israeli bombardment on November 20, 2023, in Beit Lahya in the Gaza Strip. We will also air the remarks of Nada Abu Tarbush, Palestine's representative to the United Nations, delivered at the 5th Meeting of the High Contracting Parties in Geneva, in which she condemns Israel's actions in Gaza, and confronted the dismissal of Palestinian identity, emphasizing the dire consequences of such actions. We will also air a new message by Chris Hedges, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, best-selling author, and activist, on the crisis in Gaza and a letter by Chris to the Children of Gaza, and will air portions of a speech he delivered during the 2014 Israeli war on the Gaza Strip. In addition, we will air the remarks of Professor Sue Ferguson, Associate Professor Emerita at Wilfrid Laurier University, delivered at the Emergency Palestine Teach-In held at the University of Houston and organized by the Arab-American Educational Foundation Center for Arab Studies.

Date:

November 16, 2023    (Episode # 1,087)

Israel's Ongoing Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing of the Palestinian People
 
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,087), the topic will be the ongoing Israeli genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and Israel’s targeting of the health care system and medical workers in the Gaza Strip.
 
We will air one of the final interviews Democracy Now! conducted with Dr. Hammam Alloh, one of the Palestinian doctors who worked at Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical center in the Gaza Strip, who was killed on November 11, 2023, when Israel bombed his house. He was killed along with his father, brother-in-law, and father-in-law.
 
We will also air Ali Abunimah's opening remarks from the November 15, 2023, Electronic Intifada podcast on Israel's history of lies about Gaza's al-Shifa hospital. Abunimah is author and co-founder of the Electronic Intifada.
 
We will air some of the remarks delivered on November 12, 2023, in Houston, Texas, by Congressman Al Green (Texas 9th Congressional District) at the “Unfiltered Town Hall” he organized on the topic “the injustice innocent civilian Palestinian men, women, and especially children are suffering in the name of justice”, at which he also called for a ceasefire, and said “Israel's bombardment of Palestine has created a humanitarian crisis of catastrophic proportions”. The event also closed with a peaceful “Justice for Palestinians Candlelight Vigil.”
 
We will also air the remarks of Dr. David McNally, Cullen Distinguished Professor of History & Business at the University of Houston delivered at the Emergency Teach-In event on Palestine, held at the University of Houston on October 13, 2023, organized by the Arab-American Educational Foundation Center for Arab Studies at the University of Houston.

Date:

November 9, 2023    (Episode # 1,086)

Israel's Genocidal War on the Palestinians and the Catastrophe in Gaza
 
In this episode of Arab Voices, episode # 1086, I will continue to talk about the ongoing slaughter and genocide of the Palestinian people by apartheid Israel, approved, funded, armed, and encouraged by the United States government.
 
Since October 7, 2023, we have been witnessing unprecedented massive extermination of a population in front of our own eyes 24/7. We are literally witnessing war crimes, genocide, extermination, starvation, and population transfer, committed by Apartheid Israel against millions of Palestinians.

A horrific and catastrophic situation is unfolding in the Gaza Strip where 2.3 million Palestinians are being bombed from the air, land and sea, 24/7 by apartheid Israel. Entire residential neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip and countless blocks were wiped out, and hundreds of families were massacred. 2.3 million Palestinians have no water, no electricity, and no food, not because of a natural disaster like an earthquake, but because apartheid Israel decided to do so, supported and funded by the United States government!

Since October 7, 2023, and the time I am producing this episode of Arab Voices, 10,569 Palestinians have been killed by apartheid Israel, including 4,324 children, 2,823 women, and 649 senior citizens. Nearly 50% of the Palestinians killed are children, as young as 1 day old!

During this episode of Arab Voices, I will air a message from Palestinian children in Gaza to the world, an update from Palestinian journalist Noor Harazeen in Gaza, an update from Dr. Mads Gilbert, a Norwegian physician specializing in emergency medicine who has helped provide emergency trauma care in Gaza for over 40 years, and an update from Issa Amro, a human rights defender based in Hebron on the recent surge in Israeli violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli occupation forces killed more than 170 Palestinians and injured more than 2,300 since October 7. I will also air portions of an interview conducted by Amy Goodman with Josh Paul who recently resigned from the US State Department to protest continued arms sales to Israel, and I will also air the remarks of Palestinian-American Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib delivered at the US House of Representatives at a hearing to censure her.
 
In addition, I will air some of the remarks delivered at the largest pro-Palestinian rally in US history held in Washington, D.C. on November 4, 2023, and attended by more than 300,000. I will air the remarks of Dr. Hatem Bazian with UC Berkley, Dr. Noura Erakat, human rights attorney, author, and associate professor at Rutgers University, and Mohammed El-Kurd, writer and author from occupied Jerusalem, Palestine correspondent at The Nation, and culture editor at Mondoweiss.

Date:

November 2, 2023    (Episode # 1,085)

Israel's Ongoing, Horrific, Catastrophic, and Genocidal War on the Palestinians
 
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,085), the topic will be the ongoing horrific, catastrophic, and genocidal war on the Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip by Apartheid Israel. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has launched a massive destructive assault on the Gaza Strip by dropping thousands of bombs on the 2.3 million Palestinians living there, causing massive death and destruction. Entire residential neighborhoods were wiped out, hundreds of families massacred, and completely wiped off the civil registry. The Israeli actions are clearly intended to kill as many Palestinians as possible, and/or force whoever is left to leave the Gaza Strip (Ethnic Cleansing). Since October 7, 2023, Israel killed 9,061 Palestinians, including 3,760 children, 2,326 women, and 135 medical staff. At least 22,000 Palestinians have been injured, while more than 2,000 remain missing under the rubble.
 
We will hear reactions and statements about the ongoing catastrophe from James Elder, spokesperson for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) on killing Palestinian children, Noor Harazeen, a Palestinian Journalist in Gaza on the situation there, the Reverend Dr. Mitri Raheb with a special message from heads of churches on behalf of Christian Palestinians in Gaza, Mary Lou McDonald, an Irish politician, UN Chief António Gutteres on the dire situation in Gaza, John Kirby and the double-standards and hypocrisy of the US administration, Diana Buttu on the leaked document from the Israeli Intelligence Ministry advocating for the Ethnic Cleansing of 2.3 million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and force them to go to Egypt, Palestinian-American Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib calling for a ceasefire, Nihad Awad, Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), and we will also air spoken words titled "Time is Ticking By" by Amal Albaz, Writer, Poet, and Speaker.

Date:

October 26, 2023    (Episode # 1,084)

1) Israel's War on the Palestinians; 2) Voices from Palestine; 3) Ceasefire Rally; 4) Teach-In on Palestine
 
Israel's War on the Palestinians
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,084), we will continue to talk about the ongoing genocide against the Palestinians by Apartheid Israel, Israel’s attempts at exterminating and/or displacing Palestinians with its round-the-clock bombing of 2.3 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the catastrophic situation inside the Gaza Strip, and Apartheid Israel's escalation of its attacks against Palestinians throughout the occupied West Bank and occupied Jerusalem. We will also share some of the most outrageous, shocking, dehumanizing, and violent remarks by several Israeli and US politicians!
 
Since October 7, 2023, Apartheid Israel killed 7,028 Palestinians (including 2,913 children, 1,709 women, 397 elderly, 24 journalists, and 73 medical staff), injured 18,484 Palestinians, and destroyed more than 100,000 civilian homes. Israel has targeted and bombed hospitals, ambulances, medical facilities, mosques, churches, businesses, supermarkets, malls, residential buildings, governmental offices, police stations, bakeries that make bread, schools, and universities, under the full support and impunity for its war crimes by the United States and others. Israel also cut off water, electricity, food deliveries, and fuel to the 2.3 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip while bombing them 24/7! Israel's ongoing bombardment and siege have led to severe shortages, devastating Gaza's healthcare system, and on October 24, 2023, the Palestinian Ministry of Health declared the complete collapse of the health system in the Gaza Strip!
  
Voices from Palestine
We will air voices from the occupied West Bank on the current situation from Mariam Barghouti, a Palestinian writer, and Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, 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.
 
Ceasefire Rally
We will also air some of the remarks delivered at the Ceasefire Now rally held in Washington, D.C. on October 20, 2023, and attended by thousands. We will air the remarks of Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg with Jewish Voice for Peace, Rabbi Alissa Wise, with Jewish Voice for Peace, and Laila El-Haddad, an award-winning Palestinian author, social activist, policy analyst, and journalist from Gaza.
 
Teach-In on Palestine
On October 13, 2023, an emergency Teach-In event on Palestine was held at the University of Houston organized by the Arab-American Educational Foundation Center for Arab Studies at the University of Houston. This emergency teach-in featured contributions from distinguished scholars of Palestine and global settler-colonialism, and during this episode of Arab Voices, we will air the remarks of Dr. Ussama Makdisi, Professor of History and Chancellor’s Chair at the University of California Berkeley, who was previously Professor of History and the first holder of the Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair of Arab Studies at Rice University in Houston, and also air some of the remarks of Dr. Abdel Razzaq Takriti, Associate Professor & Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair in Modern Arab History, and Founding Director of the Arab-American Educational Foundation Center for Arab Studies at the University of Houston.

Date:

October 19, 2023    (Episode # 1,083)

Israel's Genocide, War Crimes & Ethnic Cleansing in Gaza
 
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,083), we will continue to talk about the catastrophic and ongoing Israeli Genocide, Terrorism, Atrocities, War Crimes, and Ethnic Cleansing of the Palestinian People in the Gaza Strip and all of Palestine. We will share with you several remarks and reactions to what is happening by different people, including:

Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, a 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. We will listen to his remarks delivered at a press conference Arab Voices attended and recorded.
 
Dr. Riyad Mansour, Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations, speaking at the UN and also addressing a reporter's question about the Israeli attack on Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital.

Loureen Sayej, diplomat and legal advisor at the Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations.

Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, a distinguished Palestinian leader, legislator, activist, scholar, and Chairperson of The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy - MIFTAH, delivering a message to the world.
 
Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta, Palestinian-British surgeon who was at Al-Ahli Baptist hospital when it was attacked by Israel.
 
Dr. Thaer Abubaker, Palestinian diplomat and ambassador with a message for US Secretary of State Blinken.
 
Mohammed El-Kurd, writer from occupied Jerusalem, Palestine correspondent at The Nation, culture editor at Mondoweiss, and author of RIFQA.
 
We will also talk about the increase in hate incidents against Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims in the US since October 7.

Date:

October 12, 2023    (Episode # 1,082)

Israeli Genocide and War Crimes Continue...
 
The Gaza Strip (365 km²) where over 2.3 million Palestinians live, one of the most densely populated areas on this planet, which has been under blockade and strangulation for over 16 years by Apartheid Israel, is being destroyed by constant non-stop bombardment by Apartheid Israel since October 7, 2023. We are witnessing genocide, war crimes, and ethnic cleansing committed against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, targeting commercial buildings, residential homes, apartment buildings, hospitals, ambulances, mosques, a church, schools, and universities. Israeli fighter jets are targeting and destroying roads, infrastructure, and the Gaza-Egypt crossing. As of 10/12/23 afternoon, and according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 1,417 Palestinians have been killed (including 447 children and 248 women) and at least 6,268 others were wounded (including 1531 children and 932 women), and many are still missing under the rubbles. 44 families were massacred, 10 medical staff were targeted and killed, 14 health facilities were attacked, and several journalists were killed.
 
On October 9, 2023, Israeli War Minister Gallant said “We are putting a complete siege on Gaza … No electricity, no food, no water, no gas – it’s all closed”, and yes, Israel cut off food, water, and electricity for the 2.3 million Palestinians living in the besieged Gaza Strip, a clear war crime. Israel even warned Egypt that if it sent food and other aid to the 2.3 million Palestinians, Israeli jets would bomb them!
 
In this episode of Arab Voices (#1,082), we will talk about this catastrophe and will interview Refaat Alareer (in Gaza), and also air portions of a previous interview we conducted with Nurit Peled-Elhanan.
 

Interview with Refaat Alareer (in Gaza)
 
We will speak with Refaat Alareer (in Gaza) about the ongoing massive, deadly, and catastrophic attack on the besieged Gaza Strip, and the ongoing Israeli Genocide, Terrorism, Atrocities, War Crimes, Murder, Bombings, and Ethnic Cleansing of the Palestinian people.
 
Refaat Alareer is a Palestinian professor, activist, author, co-editor of the book Gaza Unsilenced and the editor of (and a contributor to) Gaza Writes Back, a collection of short stories. Refaat has a Ph.D. in English Literature, and has been teaching world literature, comparative literature, and both fiction and non-fiction creative writing at the Islamic University of Gaza since 2007. Refaat Alareer is a native of Gaza City’s Shijaieh neighborhood.
 

Nurit Peled-Elhanan
 
We will also air portions of an interview Arab Voices conducted previously with Nurit Peled-Elhanan, author of Palestine in Israeli School Books: Ideology and Propaganda in Education, in which she details how Israelis (including young children) are taught to hate Arabs and Palestinians, that Arabs and Palestinians are enemies, invaders and intruders, and Israelis should get rid of them one way or another, and how Israel justifies mass murder and massacres of Palestinians!
 
Nurit Peled-Elhanan is an Israeli Lecturer in Language Education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, an award-winning Israeli peace activist, poet, and author, and one of the founders of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine. She is the daughter of Israeli General Matti Peled. In 2001, she was awarded the Sakharov Prize for Human Rights and the Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament.

Date:

October 5, 2023    (Episode # 1,081)

Interview with Ahmad Abuznaid about USCPR National Conference, 30 Years of Oslo, Taxpayers' Money Funding Israeli Atrocities, US Foreign Policy, & US Visa Waiver Program
 
Ahmad Abuznaid is the Executive Director of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR). Before joining USCPR, he co-founded the Florida-based Dream Defenders after the killing of Trayvon Martin, serving as Legal & Policy Director and Chief Operating Officer during his time there. Ahmad went on to lead the National Network for Arab American Communities as the Executive Director from 2017 to 2019.
 
We will speak with Ahmad about the upcoming "Seize the Moment" USCPR National Conference that will be held in Houston, Texas, October 27-29, 2023. Hundreds of activists will be attending from different cities, in what is expected to be the largest movement-wide gathering for Palestinian rights in the USA. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib will be delivering the keynote address at the conference, which will include 4 Main Plenary Sessions, 45 Workshops and Gatherings, and a Cultural Night. Dozens of speakers and activists will be participating including Huwaida Arraf, Omar Barghouti, Phyllis Bennis, Marc Lamont Hill, Darryl Li, Dylan Saba, Diala Shamas, Jehad Abusalim, Ash-Lee Woodard, Cindy Stella Wiesner, Melanie Yazzie, Lara Kiswani, Sumaya Awad, and Mariam Barghouti.
  
We will also speak with Ahmad about the ongoing Israeli atrocities in occupied Palestine 30+ years after the Oslo Accord was signed, the use of US taxpayers’ money to fund Israeli occupation, the admission of Israel into the US Visa Waiver Program, grassroots efforts in the US for Palestinian rights, the hypocrisy of the US foreign policy and media outlets, and more.

Date:

September 28, 2023    (Episode # 1,080)

1st Segment: Israel's Admission into the US Visa Waiver Program, the Strong Opposition to it, and the Lawsuit Filed to Halt it
 
We will talk about the designation by the United States government of allowing Israel into the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) by November 30, 2023, despite the failure of Apartheid Israel to meet all of the legal requirements for admission into that program, the strong opposition to this decision by numerous organizations and legal experts, and the federal lawsuit filed by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) against the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and State in defense of civil rights for Arab and Palestinian Americans, asking the court to halt further actions to admit Israel into the Visa Waiver Program. The opposition is launched because Israel has been discriminating against U.S. Citizens, particularly Palestinian-Americans, when they try to enter Israel.  We will talk about that lawsuit, the statement issued by the opposing organizations, and share some of the reactions to the US decision by representatives from various national organizations.
 

2nd Segment: Palestine Writes Literature Festival
 
Palestine Writes Literature Festival, the only North American literature festival dedicated to celebrating and promoting cultural productions of Palestinian writers and artists, held its 2023 festival on September 22-24 at the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, and was a historic and successful festival with more than 1,500 registered attendees, despite the efforts of Zionists and their supporters to cancel the festival.
 
During this segment of Arab Voices, we will air some of the remarks delivered at the festival, including the remarks of Amer Zahr, Palestinian American Comedian, Activist and Author, who was the festival MC, Susan Abulhawa, Palestine Writes Executive Director, festival organizer, novelist, poet, activist, and scientist, who's first novel, Mornings in Jenin, is considered a classic in Palestinian literature, and became an international bestseller, translated into 32 languages, and made Abulhawa one of the most widely read Arab authors in the world, Huda Fakhreddine, author, translator, and associate professor of Arabic literature at the University of Pennsylvania, Susan Muaddi Darraj, Director of Publishing, an award-winning writer of books for adults and children who won an American Book Award for her novel-in-stories, A Curious Land, won two Arab American Book Awards, and a Maryland State Arts Council Independent Artists Award, and Jenan Abushtaya, an SJD student at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.
 
Arab Voices is planning to air more remarks and spoken words delivered at that festival during future episodes of Arab Voices.

Date:

September 21, 2023    (Episode # 1,079)

1st Segment: Interview with Rania Succar, Outstanding Arab American Philanthropist of the Year
 
The Center for Arab American Philanthropy has chosen Rania Succar to be the recipient of the 2023 Outstanding Arab American Philanthropist of the Year Award.

Rania Succar is a Syrian-American life-long social entrepreneur and an accomplished business leader. She is the CEO of Intuit Mailchimp. Before that, she was Google's Director of Brand Solutions for North America and worked for McKinsey in the US and Dubai before joining Google. Rania co-founded the Harvard Arab Alumni Association in 2001 and was president until 2008. She has a Harvard MBA, a Harvard MPA in International Development, and a Harvard BA in economics. Rania is passionate about closing the opportunity gap that exists for children and youth in the Arab world. In 2011 she Co-Founded Jusoor, an Arabic word meaning Bridges, a global non-profit that has provided education opportunities to over 10,000 Syrian children and youth and has impacted the lives of thousands more.
 
We will speak with Rania Succar about the prestigious award she is receiving, her organization Jusoor, and her work with Syrian youth and refugees.
 

2nd Segment: Professor Edward Said's Speech on Dignity and Solidarity
 
This week marks the 20th anniversary of the passing of Professor Edward Said, and in memory and honor of Dr. Said, we are going to air a portion of a speech he delivered on Dignity and Solidarity at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee’s annual convention held in Washington, D.C. in June 2003 (three months before he died).
 
Professor Edward Said was born in Jerusalem in 1935 to a Christian Arab family. His father immigrated to the United States at the turn of the century. Said was raised in Jerusalem and Cairo. In 1951, he went to the United States to attend Princeton and Harvard universities. He specialized in English literature, comparative literature and musicology. He was appointed professor at Columbia University in New York City, where he stayed for the rest of his life. He died on September 25, 2003, in New York. For more than a decade, Said battled leukemia, but never stopped writing a great deal on the Palestinian Israeli subject - choosing to participate in conferences and speak out with the vehemence that characterized him. Professor Said is an internationally renowned writer, author, and scholar. His writings about the Middle East and its relationship with the West have gone far to open new roads in academia and to influence public opinion. During the course of his life, Professor Said articulated a vision of Palestine and the Arab world that not only recalled the significant contributions of the region’s people, but also offered hope for the future.

Date:

September 14, 2023    (Episode # 1,078)

1st Segment: Catastrophic Earthquake in Morocco & Deadly Flooding in Libya, and how you can help
 
During the first segment, we will talk about the catastrophic earthquake in Morocco and the unprecedented deadly flooding in Libya, two Arab countries in northern Africa, and how you can help.
 
On September 8, 2023, a major earthquake that registered a magnitude of 6.8 hit Morocco, the deadliest earthquake in over 60 years. According to the Moroccan Ministry of Interior, nearly 3,000 people were killed and nearly 6,000 were injured. The numbers are expected to go higher. Several villages were wiped off the map by this catastrophic earthquake, and rescue teams are facing challenges reaching many areas as the search for the thousands of missing people and survivors trapped in the rubble of flattened villages continues. It has been a challenge for rescuers to reach remote mountain villages where victims are still being trapped.
 
On September 10, storm Daniel hit several Libyan cities very hard with massive rain that caused catastrophic flooding, especially after two dams collapsed. The flooding was unprecedented and destroyed cities and villages. More than 6,000 people were killed and the number is expected to be much higher as recovery efforts are still underway with more than 10,000 still missing or unaccounted for. More than 30,000 people were displaced. Storm Daniel hit the cities of Bayda, Benghazi, al-Marj, Susa, and the port city of Derna, which suffered the most after two dams collapsed, causing catastrophic flooding in the city. Thousands of families are left homeless without shelter, food, and access to clean water.
 
Our hearts go out to the people of Morocco and the people of Libya!
  

2nd Segment: Grand Opening of the Senan Shaibani Marsh Arabs Project & The Mudhif
 
Iraq, the cradle of civilization, with a very rich culture, heritage, great contributions to the world, and a rich ancient civilization, is also home to the Marsh Arabs, mainly in Southern Iraq, near where the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers join. A Mudhif, an Arabic word for a guest house, a 5000-year-old structure, a traditional reed house, used to be one of the popular and unique builds of the Marsh Arabs in the swamps of southern Iraq. It serves as a cultural center, court, site for religious ceremonies, and place for welcoming visitors.
 
A huge project named the Senan Shaibani Marsh Arabs Project, which included the building of a Mudhif structure on the lawn of Rice University in Houston, Texas, was launched in Houston, Texas, about two years ago. The Project is a collaboration between Archeology Now and the Arab-American Educational Foundation, and it provides one of the first opportunities for Americans to see and experience an authentic representation of an ancient culture with immense historical significance.

One of the Senan Shaibani Marsh Arabs Project milestones was revealed at the grand opening ceremony held on September 9, 2023, at Rice University, and that is the Mudhif, created as a place to celebrate the story of the Iraqi Marsh Dwellers and to preserve 5,000 years of history. It is the first of its kind ever built outside of Iraq from materials shipped from Iraq. It was constructed in June and July 2023 by over 100 volunteers from across Houston, including many members of the multi-cultural and multi-faith Iraqi community, who found purpose in the project.
  
During the second segment, we will air remarks from some of the organizers, volunteers, and attendees at the grand opening ceremony, including the remarks of Dr. Aziz Shaibani, President of the Arab-American Educational Foundation (AAEF), Azzam Alwash, Founder and CEO of Nature Iraq, Ali Daher, President of the Arab-American Cultural & Community Center, Dr. Hussain Alobaidi, Iraqi American Doctor, Dr. Sinan Antoon, Iraqi Poet, Writer & Academic, Amer Al-Nahhas, with the AAEF, Becky Lao, Executive Director of Archeology Now, Dr. Omar Aldabagh, President & Founder of the Iraqi American Community and Board Member with Archeology Now, Dr. Ghaidaa Makki, Iraqi American Doctor and Board Member with the Arab-American Cultural & Community Center, Ali, an Iraqi youth, Sarah Izzat, Ruth Ann Skaff, Board Member with the AAEF, Dalia Khalil, Iraqi American, and Noor, Iraqi Artist with Afaf Arts.

Date:

September 7, 2023    (Episode # 1,077)

1st Segment: Grand Opening of the Senan Shaibani Marsh Arabs Project
 
We will talk about the grand opening of the Senan Shaibani Marsh Arabs Project, scheduled for Saturday, September 9, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Rice University. In addition to a tour of the Mudhif, a replica of a 5000-year-old structure built of reed from the Iraqi Marshes and shipped to Houston, there are several activities planned including family fun and entertainment, music, traditional Iraqi food, and dance. We will also share a brief message from Dr. Aziz Shaibani, President of the Arab-American Educational Foundation, about the historic Mudhif structure and the grand opening event.
  
The project is a collaboration between Archeology Now and the Arab-American Educational Foundation, and provides one of the first opportunities for Americans to see and experience an authentic representation of an ancient culture with immense historical significance.
 
In addition to the grand opening on September 9, there are other activities planned including talks on Iraqi marsh culture and ecology, a documentary screening on life in the Iraqi marshes, and more. A list of those events is posted in our Community Calendar section.
 

2nd Segment: "Islamophobia and Imperialism: 20 years after the invasion of Iraq"
 
During the second segment, we will air a program from CovertAction Bulletin, the official podcast of CovertAction Magazine, titled "Islamophobia and Imperialism: 20 years after the invasion of Iraq". It is an interview with Dr. Nazia Kazi, author of Islamophobia, Race and Global Politics, and Associate Professor of Anthropology at Stockton University in New Jersey.
  
In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Islamophobia became a sort of unofficial religion in the United States. Vigilante street attacks on Muslim people became common. The government surveilled mosques and community centers. Over two decades later, the situation doesn't seem much different. Resistance to bringing refugees from Syria into the US based entirely in racism and Islamophobia. As we mark the 20th anniversary of the war in Iraq in March 2023, the New York Times major retrospective piece barely mentions the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians who died, and says nothing about its own role in the war or the toll on Muslim people in the US.
 
But Islamophobia as a weapon of imperialism goes deeper: The US has a long history of funding right-wing political Islamist forces from Afghanistan to Syria and Indonesia. In this episode, we investigate the role that Islamophobia plays in US foreign and domestic policy. It's a tool used by those in power to justify its wars and surveillance operations in its quest for continued global hegemony.
 
We're joined by Dr. Nazia Kazi, author of Islamophobia, Race and Global Politics, and Associate Professor of Anthropology at Stockton University in New Jersey.

Date:

August 24, 2023    (Episode # 1,076)

Edward Said Library in Gaza & Poetry Reading by Mosab Abu Toha from "Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza", winner of the 2023 American Book Award
 
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,076), we will air some of the remarks delivered at an event held in Houston, Texas on March 14, 2023, about the Edward Said Library that serves thousands of Palestinian children, youth, and families in the occupied Gaza Strip. We will air the remarks of Mosab Abu Toha, Founder of the Edward Said Library, Zeiad Abbas Shamrouch, Middle East Children’s Alliance Executive Director, and Joe Shahda, one of the event organizers.
 
We will also air Mosab Abu Toha's reading of selected poems from his newest book Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza, a winner of the Palestine Book Award, winner of the 2023 American Book Award, and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry. In this poetry debut, Mosab Abu Toha writes about his life under siege in Gaza, first as a child, and then as a young father. A survivor of four brutal Israeli military attacks, he bears witness to a grinding cycle of destruction and assault, and yet, his poetry is inspired by a profound humanity.
   
Mosab Abu Toha is a Palestinian poet, scholar, and librarian who was born in Gaza and has spent his life there. A graduate in English language teaching and literature, he taught English at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) schools in Gaza from 2016 until 2019, and is the founder of the Edward Said Library, Gaza’s first English-language library. Abu Toha is a columnist for Arrowsmith Press, and his writings from Gaza have appeared in The Nation, Arrowsmith Press, and Literary Hub. His poems have been published on the Poetry Foundation’s website, in Poetry Magazine, Banipal, Solstice, The Markaz Review, The New Arab, Peripheries, and other journals. His newest book Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza is winner of the Palestine Book Award, winner of the 2023 American Book Award, and National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry Finalist.

Date:

August 24, 2023    (Episode # 1,075)

"Progress in the Shadow of Prejudice" Civil Rights Report & Update on the Federal Watchlist Program
 
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, held a community briefing on April 11, 2023, on CAIR's new civil rights report titled "Progress in the Shadow of Prejudice", and an update on the federal watchlist program.
  
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1075), we will air the remarks delivered at that briefing by Corey Saylor, Research and Advocacy Director at the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Ammar Ansari, CAIR Research and Advocacy Coordinator, and Zanah Ghalawanji, Legal Director at CAIR. Two expert guests also participated at the briefing, Dr. Hatem Bazian, Chair and Founder of Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project at the Center for Race & Gender at the University of California Berkeley, and Dalia Mogahed, Director of Research at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding in Washington, D.C. We will also air their remarks regarding CAIR's new civil rights report "Progress in the Shadow of Prejudice".
 
CAIR's report reveals that in 2022, it received a total of 5,156 complaints nationwide (a 23 percent decrease from 2021), complaints about law enforcement and government overreach dropped by 38 percent, while at the same time, complaints about school incidents increased by 63 percent.
 
In the report, CAIR states: "Regardless of the total number of complaints, the human experience of being subjected to hate remains chilling. The case studies section of this report provides examples of the effects of Islamophobia on the lived experiences of American Muslims and efforts to secure justice for them."

Date:

August 17, 2023    (Episode # 1,074)

"Christian Theology in the Palestinian Context" by Varsen Aghabekian, Munther Isaac, Mitri Raheb, and Jack Sara
 
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1074), we will air the remarks of four esteemed Palestinian Christian leaders from Bethlehem, Palestine, who spoke in Houston, Texas at an event organized by Churches for Middle East Peace and Fuller Seminary Houston. We will air the remarks of Dr. Varsen Aghabekian, the Reverend Dr. Mitri Raheb, the Reverend Dr. Munther Isaac, and Dr. Jack Sara. Their talk explores how Palestinian Christian theology engages with biblical notions of the Land and its inhabitants. In their remarks, they talk about their perspectives and their take on what’s happening in Palestine, the Christian Palestinian population, the plight of Palestinian Christians and their experience living under occupation, oppression, discrimination, injustice, and dehumanization, Palestinian Christian Theology, “Christ at the checkpoint”, the new Israeli government, the rise of Israeli incitements and incidents against Palestinian Christians, their call for American Christians, evangelicals, activists, leaders, pastors and theologians, and much more.
 
We will also listen to brief remarks from the organizers of the event, Alexis Busetti with Fuller Seminary Houston, Wayne Park, chancellor of Fuller Texas, and Lauren Draper, Middle East Fellow at Churches for Middle East Peace.
  
Varsen Aghabekian (Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, USA) is a management and policy consultant. She has directed several national studies and authored numerous manuals, articles and national reports on Jerusalem, education, youth, and women. Recent publications include Palestinian women in politics and Christian migration from the Holy Land. A founding member of several non-governmental organizations and forums. Dr. Aghabekian is an active member in university boards and human rights organizations, including Dar al-Kalima University in Bethlehem. She served as the Commissioner General of the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights as well as a member of the Presidential Committee for the Restoration of the Church of the Nativity.
 
Munther Isaac (Ph.D., Oxford Centre for Mission Studies) is the academic dean of Bethlehem Bible College in Palestine and director of the Christ at the Checkpoint conference. He is also pastor of Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem. He is the author of The Other Side of the Wall: A Palestinian Christian Narrative of Lament and Hope and From Land to Lands, from Eden to the Renewed Earth: A Christ-Centered Biblical Theology of the Promised Land."
 
Mitri Raheb (Ph.D., Philipps University at Marburg, Germany) is the founder and president of Dar al-Kalima University in Bethlehem and the co-founder of Bright Stars of Bethlehem, a not for profit 501c3 in the USA. The most widely published Palestinian theologian to date, Dr. Raheb is the author and editor of 40 books including: The Cross in Contexts: Suffering and Redemption in Palestine; Faith in the Face of Empire: The Bible through Palestinian Eyes; I am a Palestinian Christian; Bethlehem Besieged.
 
Jack Sara (Ph.D., Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary) is the President of Bethlehem Bible College and an ordained minister in the Evangelical Alliance Church in the Holy Land, where he maintains a role overseeing church leadership. Jack has worked extensively in the area of peace and reconciliation and has played a pioneering role in several ministries in the Bethlehem area and internationally.

Date:

August 10, 2023    (Episode # 1,073)

1st Segment: Interview with Lein Soltan
 
We will speak with Lein Soltan, Advocacy and Operations Manager at UNRWA USA about UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) and the crucial services it has been providing to millions of Palestinian refugees, Advocacy work at UNRWA USA, and the Blocking of $75 Million US Food Aid to UNRWA by Rep. McCaul (R-TX) & Sen. Risch (R-ID).
 
Lein Soltan is a Palestinian American born and raised in North Carolina to Palestinian refugee parents fleeing the Gulf War in Kuwait. She holds a Masters in Public Health with a Global Health concentration and a Bachelors in Biology with a Marine Science concentration from the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. Lein spent the first seven years of her career as a marine biologist, managing a sea turtle research lab at UNC after working as an ocean outdoor educator in San Diego.

Lein’s transition to global health was inspired by her experience growing up as a first-generation American in a Palestinian refugee family, ingraining a sense of global connectivity and a responsibility to advocate for her people. Lein is passionate about the connections between the environment, animals, and health and hopes to bring an environmental justice lens to her advocacy work at UNRWA USA.
 

2nd Segment: Interview with Mustafaa Carroll and Hadi Jawad
 
We will speak with two Texas activists Mustafaa Carroll and Hadi Jawad about Representative Michael McCaul of Texas and Senator James Risch of Idaho Blocking of $75 Million Food Aid to Palestinian Refugees through UNRWA, and the URGENT Call for Action.
 
Mustafaa Carroll is a lifelong community activist, and lecturer, who currently serves as the Convenor for the North Texas Chapter of the Muslim Alliance for Black Lives, and also serves on the board of United Colors Education Center.
 
Carroll has served on several boards including the Shura of the North Texas Islamic Council, the Make-A-Wish Foundation board of North Texas, the advisory committee of the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce, the board of the Coalition Of Community Organizations in Houston’s 5th Ward, and also served as Executive Director for the Council on American Islamic Relations in Houston and Dallas.
  
Hadi Jawad is a Dallas based peace and justice activist, advocate and organizer who devotes much of his time to human rights and social justice issues in the DFW metroplex area.
 
Working with the Dallas Peace Center in the 1990’s, Jawad led efforts in North Texas to oppose sanctions on Iraq, the subsequent US invasion of Iraq in 2003, and organized the largest antiwar protest in Dallas’ history. He is a co-founder of the Crawford Peace House in Crawford, Texas, that in 2005 drew national and international attention to the failing US/ NATO occupation of Iraq. In 2007, Jawad launched the short-lived “American Muslim Voices” in N. Texas, one of the earliest Muslim radio shows in the country.

Date:

August 3, 2023    (Episode # 1,072)

"Navigating Anti-Imperialism and Anti-Authoritarianism: The Syrian Uprising and the Question of Palestine" by Bassam Haddad
Part 2 of 2 / Q&A Session
  
During the previous episode of Arab Voices (# 1,071), already archived on our website ArabVoices.net, we aired a lecture by Professor Bassam Haddad titled "Navigating Anti-Imperialism and Anti-Authoritarianism: The Syrian Uprising and the Question of Palestine," that shed light on crucial aspects of the Syrian civil war. During this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,072), we will air the question and answer session that followed his lecture.
 
Dr. Bassam Haddad, Associate Professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, delivered that lecture on May 24, 2023, at the annual Hisham Sharabi Memorial Lecture, organized by the Palestine Center in Washington, D.C. The annual lecture is dedicated to Professor Hisham Sharabi, the founder of The Jerusalem Fund and Palestine Center.
 
Professor Haddad delved into the complexities of the Syrian civil war, which initially began as a popular uprising fueled by widespread discontent due to neoliberal policies implemented since the 1990s. However, it eventually escalated into a multifaceted regional and international proxy conflict. He discussed how interventions by regional actors, ostensibly supporting the uprising, had a detrimental effect on its original inclusive nature. These interventions led to the sectarianization, weaponization, and internationalization of the uprising.
 
Professor Haddad addressed the significant implications of the devastating Syrian war on Syrians, Palestinians, and the region. He addressed the interplay between the Syrian situation and its influence on the Palestine question, particularly within the dynamic landscape of shifting alliances in the region. Professor Haddad's lecture emphasized the need for a nuanced understanding of the intricacies surrounding the Syrian case, highlighting its far-reaching repercussions within Syria and the broader Middle East.
   
Bassam Haddad is Founding Director of the Middle East and Islamic Studies Program and Associate Professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. He is the author of Business Networks in Syria: The Political Economy of Authoritarian Resilience (Stanford University Press, 2011) and co-editor of A Critical Political Economy of the Middle East (Stanford University Press, 2021). Bassam is Co-Founder/Editor of Jadaliyya Ezine and Executive Director of the Arab Studies Institute. He serves as Founding Editor of the Arab Studies Journal and the Knowledge Production Project. He is co-producer/director of the award-winning documentary film, About Baghdad, and director of the acclaimed three-part documentary series Arabs and Terrorism. Bassam served on the Board of the Arab Council for the Social Sciences and is Executive Producer of Status Audio-Visual Podcast. He is also the Executive Editor of the Knowledge Production Project and Director of the Middle East Studies Pedagogy Initiative (MESPI). He received MESA’s Jere L. Bacharach Service Award in 2017 for his service to the profession. Currently, Bassam is working on his second Syria book titled Understanding The Syrian Tragedy: Regime, Opposition, Outsiders (forthcoming, Stanford University Press).

Date:

July 27, 2023    (Episode # 1,071)

"Navigating Anti-Imperialism and Anti-Authoritarianism: The Syrian Uprising and the Question of Palestine" by Bassam Haddad
Part 1 of 2 / Lecture
  
The Palestine Center in Washington, D.C. held its annual Hisham Sharabi Memorial Lecture on May 24, 2023, dedicated to Professor Hisham Sharabi, the founder of The Jerusalem Fund and Palestine Center. The guest speaker was Professor Bassam Haddad, Associate Professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University, and a former student of Sharabi. His lecture, titled "Navigating Anti-Imperialism and Anti-Authoritarianism: The Syrian Uprising and the Question of Palestine," shed light on crucial aspects of the Syrian civil war.
 
Professor Haddad delved into the complexities of the Syrian civil war, which initially began as a popular uprising fueled by widespread discontent due to neoliberal policies implemented since the 1990s. However, it eventually escalated into a multifaceted regional and international proxy conflict. He discussed how interventions by regional actors, ostensibly supporting the uprising, had a detrimental effect on its original inclusive nature. These interventions led to the sectarianization, weaponization, and internationalization of the uprising.
 
Professor Haddad addressed the significant implications of the devastating Syrian war on Syrians, Palestinians, and the region. He addressed the interplay between the Syrian situation and its influence on the Palestine question, particularly within the dynamic landscape of shifting alliances in the region. Professor Haddad's lecture emphasized the need for a nuanced understanding of the intricacies surrounding the Syrian case, highlighting its far-reaching repercussions within Syria and the broader Middle East.
 
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,071), we will air that lecture in its entirety, and some of the questions and answers that followed, and we plan to air the rest of the questions and answers during the next episode of Arab Voices.
  
Bassam Haddad is Founding Director of the Middle East and Islamic Studies Program and Associate Professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. He is the author of Business Networks in Syria: The Political Economy of Authoritarian Resilience (Stanford University Press, 2011) and co-editor of A Critical Political Economy of the Middle East (Stanford University Press, 2021). Bassam is Co-Founder/Editor of Jadaliyya Ezine and Executive Director of the Arab Studies Institute. He serves as Founding Editor of the Arab Studies Journal and the Knowledge Production Project. He is co-producer/director of the award-winning documentary film, About Baghdad, and director of the acclaimed three-part documentary series Arabs and Terrorism. Bassam served on the Board of the Arab Council for the Social Sciences and is Executive Producer of Status Audio-Visual Podcast. He is also the Executive Editor of the Knowledge Production Project and Director of the Middle East Studies Pedagogy Initiative (MESPI). He received MESA’s Jere L. Bacharach Service Award in 2017 for his service to the profession. Currently, Bassam is working on his second Syria book titled Understanding The Syrian Tragedy: Regime, Opposition, Outsiders (forthcoming, Stanford University Press).

Date:

July 20, 2023    (Episode # 1,070)

“Actualizing a One-State Solution” by Jeff Halper
     
Jeff Halper, an Israeli-American activist, organizer, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Director of The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, and co-founder of The One Democratic State Campaign, spoke in Houston, Texas on the topic  "Actualizing a One-State Solution", opposing US government support of Israeli apartheid and advocating for the One Democratic State Campaign - a genuine call for political action, and the establishment of a single democratic state including everyone living between the River and the Sea, including Palestinian refugees who choose to return to their homeland.
 
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,070), we will air Jeff Halper's remarks. Halper delivered that talk at the University of Houston on October 22, 2022, at an event organized by Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Houston.
 
While in Houston, Jeff Halper also spoke at a different event on “Israeli House Demolitions”, and that talk was aired on Arab Voices previously and is archived on our website at https://www.arabvoices.net/archives/ArabVoices102722.mp3.

Date:

July 13, 2023    (Episode # 1,069)

“From Adam to Murad: Universal History Through Ottoman Eyes”, by Dr. Emine Fetvacı
     
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1069), we will air the 2023 Annual Lecture in Ottoman History held on March 1, 2023, at the University of Houston, organized by the Arab-American Educational Foundation Center for Arab Studies at the University of Houston. The lecture is titled “From Adam to Murad: Universal History Through Ottoman Eyes”, presented by Dr. Emine Fetvacı, and introduced by Dr. Emire Cihan Yüksel, Associate Professor at the University of Houston, who is serving as the 2022-23 Acting Director of the Arab-American Educational Foundation Center for Arab Studies.
 
In the sixteenth century, artists and historians working for the Ottoman court in Istanbul produced multiple works of Ottoman history that eulogized the ruling elite. The books varied in content: some described the reign of a particular sultan, others focused on the military campaigns of a courtier, yet others were universal histories that fit the Ottoman dynasty into a long line of rulers including Old Testament prophets and pre-Islamic Persian heroes from the Shahnama (Book of Kings). This talk will examine Zubdat al Tawarikh, an illustrated universal history that was made for the ruler Murad III (r. 1574-1595) and its models. Through the paintings of this and other Ottoman histories, we will trace changes in the Ottoman concept of the ideal ruler during the sixteenth century.
 
Dr. Emine Fetvacı is the Norma Jean Calderwood University Professor in Islamic & Asian Art, Boston College. She specializes in the arts of the book in the early-modern Islamic world. Her first book, Picturing History at the Ottoman Court (Indiana University Press, 2013), was awarded the 2014 M. Fuat Köprülü Book Prize by the Ottoman and Turkish Studies Association. Her latest monograph, The Album of the World Emperor: Cross-Cultural Collecting and Album Making at the Ottoman Court (Princeton University Press, 2019), which has been nominated for the 2021 Charles Rufus Morey Award of the College Art Association, focuses on an imperial album created for the Ottoman sultan Ahmed I (r. 1603-1617), and examines the art and architecture produced during the sultan’s reign. Her most recent project examines artistic connections between the Ottoman and Mughal Empires.

Date:

July 6, 2023    (Episode # 1,068)

1st Segment: Israel's Deadly Attack & War Crimes in Jenin
     
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1068), we will talk about the latest Israeli attack, aggression, and war crimes committed in Jenin in the occupied West Bank, where on July 3, 2023, the Israeli occupation forces launched another deadly and destructive attack on the city of Jenin and its refugee camp, murdering 12 Palestinians, injuring 120, and causing massive destruction to the city and its refugee camp. It even used aerial missile strikes against the Palestinian population, and forced thousands of Palestinians out of their homes.
 
2nd Segment: How Israel tests weapons on Palestinians, a podcast from the Electronic Intifada
     
During this episode of Arab Voices, we will also air a podcast from the Electronic Intifada on how Israel tests weapons on Palestinians. In this podcast, Nora Barrows-Friedman interviews journalist, filmmaker, and best-selling author Antony Loewenstein to talk about his latest book, The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports The Technology Of Occupation Around The World. Loewenstein’s book is a meticulously researched exposé on how Israel tests weaponry and surveillance technology on Palestinians, perfecting what he calls the architecture of control. He talks about Israel’s occupation and the requisite dehumanization of Palestinians as a marketing tool, and its weapons and spyware – including NSO Group’s signature Pegasus software – as Israel’s export assets. This technology is being sold to global markets as “field-tested.”

Date:

June 29, 2023    (Episode # 1,067)

“The Black Study of an Old Matter: The Poetic Socialities of Africanité and Arabité" by Professor R.A. Judy
     
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1067), we will air a lecture delivered at the University of Houston held on February 9, 2023, titled “The Black Study of an Old Matter: The Poetic Socialities of Africanité and Arabité by R.A. Judy, Professor of Literature at the University of Pittsburgh. The lecture was organized by The Arab-American Educational Foundation Dr. Burhan and Mrs. Misako Ajouz Professor of Arab Studies at the University of Houston, co-sponsored by the Arab-American Educational Foundation Center for Arab Studies, the Department of English, and the Department of African American Studies at the University of Houston.
 
In his lecture, Professor R.A. Judy considers the way in which the confluence of conceptual performative poetic practices of living with nothingness challenge the political foundations of the neoliberal world order. Two illustrations of this are “sṭambālī” and “diwān.”
 
Professor R.A. Judy is introduced by Dr. Hosam Aboul-Ela, Professor of English and the Arab-American Educational Foundation Dr. Burhan and Mrs. Misako Ajouz Professor of Arab Studies at the University of Houston.

Date:

June 22, 2023    (Episode # 1,066)

Interview with Salim Tamari (in Ramallah) - "Virtual Return to Jaffa"
Nakba 75 Special
     
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,066), we will air an interview Hanan Awad conducted with Salim Tamari (in Ramallah) on the topic "Virtual Return to Jaffa".
 
Salim Tamari is a Palestinian sociologist, and historian, who serves as a Research Associate for the Institute for Palestine Studies, and is the editor of the Jerusalem Quarterly.
   
This interview is part of Arab Voices Nakba 75 Special Episodes we are airing during the months of May and June 2023, as we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the ongoing Palestinian Nakba or Catastrophe.
    
All Arab Voices episodes, including the special Nakba 75 episodes are archived on our website www.ArabVoices.net for on-demand listening.

Date:

June 15, 2023    (Episode # 1,065)

Interview with Marwah Tibi (in Taybe) on Film & Identity in Palestine
Nakba 75 Special
     
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,065), we will air an interview Hanan Awad conducted with Marwah Tibi (in Taybe) about ”Film & Identity in Palestine”. Marwah Tibi is an independent filmmaker who produces and directs documentaries in Palestine.
  
This interview is part of Arab Voices Nakba 75 Special Episodes we are airing during the months of May and June 2023, as we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the ongoing Palestinian Nakba or Catastrophe.
    
During the next episode of Arab Voices, we will air an additional interview hosted by Hanan Awad with another distinguished guest, Salim Tamari (in Ramallah) with a ”Virtual Return to Jaffa”.

Date:

June 8, 2023    (Episode # 1,064)

Interview with Dr. Yasser Abu Jamie (in Gaza) on Mental Health Under Occupation (Part 2 of 2)
Nakba 75 Special
     
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,064), we will air part 2 of the interview Hanan Awad conducted with Dr. Yasser Abu Jamie (in Gaza) on "Mental Health Under Occupation". Dr. Abu Jamie is the General Director of the Gaza Mental Health Program, and a leading Palestinian Psychiatrist. During the previous episode of Arab Voices, we aired part 1 of that interview (archived on our website www.ArabVoices.net).
 
This interview is part of Arab Voices Nakba 75 Special Episodes we are airing during the months of May and June 2023, as we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the ongoing Palestinian Nakba or Catastrophe.
    
Over the next few weeks, we will air additional interviews hosted by Hanan Awad with other distinguished guests, including Marwah Tibi in Taiybe on ”Film & Identity in Palestine”, and Salim Tamari in Ramallah with a ”Virtual Return to Jaffa”.
 

Date:

June 1, 2023    (Episode # 1,063)

Interview with Dr. Yasser Abu Jamie (in Gaza) on Mental Health Under Occupation (Part 1 of 2)
Nakba 75 Special
     
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,063), we will air part 1 of an interview Hanan Awad conducted with Dr. Yasser Abu Jamie (in Gaza) on "Mental Health Under Occupation". Dr. Abu Jamie is the General Director of the Gaza Mental Health Program, and a leading Palestinian Psychiatrist.
 
This interview is part of Arab Voices Nakba 75 Special Episodes we are airing during the months of May and June 2023, as we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the ongoing Palestinian Nakba or Catastrophe.
    
We will air part 2 of Hanan's interview with Dr. Abu Jamie during the next episode of Arab Voices, and over the next few weeks, we will air additional interviews hosted by Hanan Awad with other distinguished guests, including Marwah Tibi in Taiybe on ”Film & Identity in Palestine”, and Salim Tamari in Ramallah with a ”Virtual Return to Jaffa”.

Date:

May 25, 2023    (Episode # 1,062)

1st Segment: Interview with Batoul Abuharb about the Houston Palestine Film Festival
      
Interview with Batoul Abuharb with the Houston Palestine Film Festival about the upcoming 16th annual festival that features the latest films in Palestinian Cinema. The festival is scheduled to take place over two weekends: June 2nd & 3rd (at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston) and June 9th & 10th (at Rice University Cinema). Three major films will be screened at the festival:
 
A Gaza Weekend
Friday, June 2 & 9, 2023 at 7 p.m.
A British journalist tries to escape Israel after the UN imposes an embargo from land, air, and sea due to the spreading of a virus.
 
Mediterranean Fever
Saturday, June 3 & 10, 2023 at 3 p.m.
Waleed is an aspiring writer suffering from chronic depression who cultivates a relationship with a petty criminal neighbor.
 
Alam
Saturday, June 3 & 10, 2023 at 7 p.m.
A Palestinian-Israeli high schooler undergoes a political awakening when he falls for the outspoken new girl in his class.
 
The festival will also screen several short films: Palestine 87 directed by Bilal Alkhatib, Angel of Gaza directed by Ahmed Mansour, and the short documentary Last May in Palestine directed by Rabeea Eid.
     

2nd Segment: Interview with Saleh Diab (in Sheikh Jarrah)
Nakba 75 Special
     
Interview with Saleh Diab, a Palestinian activist, and one of the leaders of the struggle against expulsions of Palestinians from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem. Diab was jailed 20 times by the Israeli Occupation Forces but continues to resist, and his story speaks volume of the resilience and steadfastness of the Palestinians against the ongoing Israeli aggressions and attempts to force him and other Palestinians out of their homes from Sheikh Jarrah in occupied Jerusalem. Saleh Diab’s family was forced out of their home in Jaffa in 1948, so for him and many other Palestinians, the Palestinian Nakba is ongoing!
 
This interview with Saleh Diab is part of Arab Voices Nakba 75 Special Episodes we are airing during the months of May and June 2023, as we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the ongoing Palestinian Nakba or Catastrophe.
   
Over the next few weeks, we will air interviews hosted by Hanan Awad with other distinguished guests, including Yasser Abu Jamie in Gaza on “Mental Health Under Occupation”, Marwah Tibi in Taiybe on ”Film & Identity in Palestine”, and Salim Tamari in Ramallah with a ”Virtual Return to Jaffa”.

Date:

May 18, 2023    (Episode # 1,061)

Interview with Rana Barakat (in Birzeit) about Lifta Village
Nakba 75 Special Episode
      
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,061) we will air an interview Hanan Awad conducted with Rana Barakat, Associate Professor of History and Contemporary Arab Studies at Birzeit University in occupied Palestine. Barakat's research interests include the history and historiography of colonialism, nationalism, and cultures of resistance. She is currently working on a book monograph titled "Lifta and Resisting the Museumification of Palestine: Indigenous History of the Nakba". Barakat’s work explores the struggles of Lifta's people and their efforts to preserve their village as a symbol, not just for the importance of cultural heritage, but also as a symbol of the hope to return to their homes in Palestine.
  
This interview is part of Arab Voices Nakba Special Episodes we are airing during the months of May and June 2023, as we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the ongoing Palestinian Nakba or Catastrophe. These episodes are hosted by Hanan Awad, and include interviews with several distinguished guests, including Salman Abu Sitta on the “The Right of Return”, Rana Barakat on “Lifta Village”, Yasser Abu Jamie on “Mental Health Under Occupation”, Marwah Tibi on ”Film & Identity in Palestine”, Saleh Diab and his ”Eyewitness Account”, and Salim Tamari with a ”Virtual Return to Jaffa”.

Date:

May 11, 2023    (Episode # 1,060)

Interview with Dr. Salman Abu Sitta (in London) on "The Right of Return" (Part 2 of 2)  -  Nakba 75 Special Episode
      
The month of May 2023, marks the 75th anniversary of the ongoing Palestinian Nakba. Nakba is an Arabic word for Catastrophe. 75 years ago, in May 1948, right before the British Mandate was to expire in Palestine, Israel declared its independence on 78% of historic Palestine after wiping out more than 530 Palestinian villages and towns, killing thousands of Palestinians and forcing nearly 850,000 Palestinians out of their homes. The Palestinians call that Al-Nakba (The Catastrophe).
 
In commemoration of the ongoing Palestinian Nakba, Arab Voices will air special episodes hosted by Hanan Awad during May & June 2023. Hanan will interview several distinguished guests, including Salman Abu Sitta on “The Right of Return”, Rana Barakat on “Lifta Village”, Yasser Abu Jamie on “Mental Health Under Occupation”, Marwah Tibi on ”Film & Identity in Palestine”, Saleh Diab and his ”Eyewitness Account”, and Salim Tamari with a ”Virtual Return to Jaffa”.
 
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,060), we will air part 2 of the interview Hanan Awad conducted with Dr. Salman Abu Sitta (in London). During the last episode of Arab Voices, we aired part 1 of that interview (archived on our website).
 
Abu Sitta is a Palestinian researcher, former member of the Palestinian National Council, Founder of Palestine Land Society, general coordinator of the Right of Return Congress, and author of several books.

Date:

May 4, 2023    (Episode # 1,059)

Interview with Dr. Salman Abu Sitta (in London) on "The Right of Return" (Part 1 of 2)  -  Nakba 75 Special Episode
      
The month of May 2023, marks the 75th anniversary of the ongoing Palestinian Nakba. Nakba is an Arabic word for Catastrophe. 75 years ago, in May 1948, right before the British Mandate was to expire in Palestine, Israel declared its independence on 78% of historic Palestine after wiping out more than 530 Palestinian villages and towns, killing thousands of Palestinians and forcing nearly 850,000 Palestinians out of their homes. The Palestinians call that Al-Nakba (The Catastrophe).
 
In commemoration of the ongoing Palestinian Nakba, Arab Voices will air special episodes hosted by Hanan Awad during May & June 2023. Hanan will interview several distinguished guests, including Salman Abu Sitta on “The Right of Return”, Rana Barakat on “Lifta Village”, Yasser Abu Jamie on “Mental Health Under Occupation”, Marwah Tibi on ”Film & Identity in Palestine”, Saleh Diab and his ”Eyewitness Account”, and Salim Tamari with a ”Virtual Return to Jaffa”.
 
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,059), we will talk about Al-Nakba, and air part 1 of the interview with Dr. Salman Abu Sitta (in London). Abu Sitta is a Palestinian researcher, former member of the Palestinian National Council, Founder of Palestine Land Society, general coordinator of the Right of Return Congress, and author of several books.

Date:

April 27, 2023    (Episode # 1,058)

1st Segment: Interview with Becky Lao about the Marsh Arabs Project
      
During the first segment, we will interview Becky Lao, Executive Director of Archeology Now, and one of the Marsh Arabs Project leaders.
 
The Marsh Arabs Project is a collaboration between Archeology Now and the Arab-American Educational Foundation. The project will include the construction of an Iraqi mudhif (المضيف) on the Rice University campus in Houston, Texas, and will be made up of reeds from Iraq (15 feet tall, 15 feet wide, and 27 feet long). The project will also include talks/lectures, cultural activities, a film screening on the Marsh Arabs of Iraq, and will also host classes. The project will provide one of the first opportunities for Americans to see and experience an authentic representation of an ancient culture with immense historical significance.
    

2nd Segment: Interview with Dr. Khaled Mustafa Medani about the Crisis in Sudan
     
We will interview Professor Khalid Mustafa Medani about the crisis in Sudan that reached the Sudanese Capitol Khartoum, for the first time in Sudan's history. We will talk about the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces that has killed hundreds of Sudanese and injured thousands. Tens of thousands have fled their homes, and a humanitarian crisis is unfolding as a result of the fighting. We will discuss all of that and more.
 
Dr. Khalid Mustafa Medani is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Islamic Studies who is also Chair of the African Studies Program at McGill University in Canada. His research focuses on globalization, and the political economy of Islamist and Ethnic Politics in Africa and the Middle East, with a special focus on Sudan, Egypt, and Somalia. Dr. Medani is a Sudanese Scholar. He is the author of Black Markets and Militants: Informal Networks in the Middle East and Africa, which received an award from the American Political Science Association for the Best Book in the Field of Middle East and North Africa Politics by a Senior Scholar in 2022.

Date:

April 20, 2023    (Episode # 1,057)

International Day of Al-Quds Houston Remarks      
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,057), we will air some of the remarks delivered at the International Day of Al-Quds rally held in front of the Consulate General of Israel in Houston, Texas, on April 14, 2023. Al-Quds is Jerusalem in Arabic, and the International Day of Al-Quds is usually held every year on the last Friday of Ramadan in numerous cities in the U.S. and other countries.
 
During this episode, we will air the remarks of Syed Farhat Abbas, a Muslim Scholar with the Islamic Education Center in Houston, David Smith, an organizer with the Houston Socialist Movement, Kamal Khalil with the Palestinian American Council, Pervez Agwan, running for Congress in the newly drawn District 7 in Texas, Derrick Broze, activist, author, journalist, documentary filmmaker, and Houston Mayoral Candidate, Zaara Shafi with Students for Justice in Palestine at Rice University, Anna Rajagopal with Students for Justice in Palestine at Rice University, Alizay Azeem with Students for Justice in Palestine at Rice University, Dr. Qamber Jafri, Alex Kerry with the Palestinian Youth Movement, Yasmeen with Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Houston, Alex McDonald, founder of Texas Coalition for Human Rights, Mohammed Nabulsi with the Palestinian American Cultural Center and the Palestinian Youth Movement, and Mohammed Rashid with the Palestinian Youth Movement.

Date:

April 13, 2023    (Episode # 1,056)

Zakaria Odeh (in occupied Jerusalem)
      
Our guest for this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,056) will be Zakaria Odeh, a human rights activist, and Executive Director for the Civil Coalition for Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem.
 
We will speak with Zakaria Odeh (in occupied Jerusalem) about the occupied city of Jerusalem, the significance of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa mosque, banning Palestinian Christians & Muslims from the West Bank and Gaza Strip to visit Jerusalem, denying access to Al-Aqsa mosque to Muslims, denying permits for medical treatments to Palestinians, the ongoing and escalated Israeli brutal attacks on Palestinian worshippers in Jerusalem, the discrimination and measures imposed by Apartheid Israel on Palestinians in Jerusalem and at Al-Aqsa mosque, the revocation of residency from Palestinians living in occupied Jerusalem, absentee law, forced expulsion of Palestinians from their homes, home demolitions, military checkpoints and roadblocks, Israeli colonies and colonizers horrific acts against Palestinians, targeting, prosecuting and jailing Palestinian children, imposing Israeli education system & curriculum on Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem, forbidding teachers from talking about the Palestinian Nakba or Israeli Occupation in schools, the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestine, and more.
 
NOTE: The International Day of Al-Quds-Houston event will be held on Friday, April 14, from 3:30 pm to 7:00 pm. in front of the Consulate General of Israel, 24 Greenway Plaza, Houston, TX 77046.

Date:

April 6, 2023    (Episode # 1,055)

National Arab American Heritage Month, and National Arab American Medical Association Houston Chapter biennial Ben Qurrah Award Gala Honorees
      
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,055), we will talk about the National Arab American Heritage Month (April 2023), which is a celebration and recognition of Arab Americans, their rich culture, heritage, and contributions, and President Joe Biden's historic proclamation.
 
And in celebration of Arab Americans and their contributions, we will air some of the remarks delivered at the National Arab American Medical Association Houston Chapter 12th biennial Ben Qurrah Medical Award Gala, held in Houston, Texas, on February 4, 2023. Named for the 8th Century Arab Physician Thābit Ben Qurrah, renowned for his work to modernize mathematics and medicine, the biennial Ben Qurrah Award Gala celebrates the achievements of prominent scientists of Arab origin who have made major contributions to science, medicine and health care, and honors those who have made remarkable contributions in the field of medicine and who have succeeded in the worldwide advancement of science.
 
This year's honorees were:
 
Dr. Hana El Sahly, Professor of Molecular Virology and Microbiology and Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine as the Houston honoree.
 
Dr. Elias Jabbour, Professor of Medicine, Department of Leukemia, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center as the National/International honoree.
 
Dr. Zaina Al-Mohtaseb, Cataract, Refractive, & Cornea Surgeon, Director of Research, Whitsett Vision Group, Clinical Associate Professor, Baylor College of Medicine as the Rising Star Award honoree.
 
And from the 2020 pandemic selection:
Dr. Nizar Tannir, Endowed Ransom Horne, Jr. Professorship for Cancer Research at The University of Texas (UT), MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC). He served as Deputy Chair (April 2012-February 2019) then as Chair ad interim (March 2019-August 2020) of the Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology.
 
During this episode of Arab Voices, we will air the remarks of some of the honorees delivered at that gala, including the remarks of Dr. Nizar Tannir, Dr. Zaina Al-Mohtaseb, and Dr. Hana El Sahly. Because of the time limit, we will not air the remarks of Dr. Elias Jabbour, but you can listen to his remarks here.

Date:

March 30, 2023    (Episode # 1,054)

Richard Silverstein
      
Richard Silverstein is a freelance journalist. He writes the Tikun Olam blog, devoted to exposing the excesses of the Israeli national security state. His work has appeared in Haaretz, the Middle East Eye, The Nation, the New Arab, the Guardian, the Los Angeles Times, the Forward, and the Seattle Times.
 
Silverstein contributed to the essay collection devoted to the 2006 Lebanon war, A Time to Speak Out, and has another essay in the collection, Israel and Palestine: Alternate Perspectives on Statehood.
  

In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,054), we will discuss with Richard Silverstein the strikes, and mass protests in Apartheid Israel, the new extremist far-right wing fascist Israeli government, the proposed "judicial changes", reactions to what is happening from the U.S. administration and amongst the Jewish communities and organizations, the new letter sent by several U.S. representatives led by Jamaal Bowman and Sen. Bernie Sanders and endorsed by 70 Jewish organizations demanding President Biden to probe Israel's use of U.S. arms, media coverage of how Israeli forces are handling Israeli demonstrators vs. Palestinian demonstrators, the impact the new government has on the Palestinians, the ongoing genocide against the Palestinians by Israel and its colonizers, and more.

Date:

March 23, 2023    (Episode # 1,053)

1st Segment: Ramadan, Remembering Rachel Corrie, Home Demolitions, Smotrich's Remarks & Use of Map
      
During the 1st segment, we will talk about the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, The 20th anniversary of Apartheid Israel’s murder of U.S. Citizen and peace activist Rachel Corrie, Israeli home demolitions, and the Israeli Finance Minister’s remarks about the Palestinians and his use of a map showing Jordan as part of Israel.
 
March 16, 2023, marked the 20th anniversary of the murder of Rachel Corrie, a U.S. peace activist from Olympia, Washington. She was killed by Israel in the occupied Gaza Strip in Palestine. On that day, Rachel Corrie was protesting the demolition of a Palestinian home in the occupied Gaza Strip by the Israeli Occupation Military, when an Israeli bulldozer crushed her to death.
 
On this 20th anniversary of the murder of Rachel Corrie, we will air a prose written by Amber Poole titled "Rachel Corrie: Slated For Demolition". Amber read that prose live on Arab Voices during an interview we conducted with Cindy and Craig Corrie, the parents of Rachel Corrie back in 2003.
   

2nd Segment: Iraq 20 Years Later
     
Twenty years ago, on March 20, 2003, the United States, under President George W. Bush, launched a massive attack on Iraq and occupied it. The U.S. waged that war based on lies accusing Iraq of possessing weapons of mass destruction, which was not the case. The war was catastrophic to Iraq and its people. It devastated the country, destroyed its infrastructure, killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, displaced millions of Iraqis, destroyed the health and educational systems, Iraq’s economy, and its oil (Iraq has the second largest oil reserve in the world, and many believe Iraq’s oil is one of the main reasons the US occupied Iraq to steal its oil). That war wreaked havoc on Iraq on many levels. The US also used Depleted Uranium on the Iraqi people, and its effect are lived to this day in Iraq because depleted uranium is a chemically toxic and radioactive heavy material that can pose extremely harmful environmental and health risks for communities that live close to war zones.
 
During this episode of Arab Voices, we will air previous interviews we conducted with Dr. Imad Khadduri, former Iraqi Nuclear Scientist, who worked with the Iraqi Atomic Energy Commission for 30 years (we talked about Iraq's nuclear weapons program), and an interview with Scott Ritter, former Chief U.N. Weapons Inspector in Iraq (we talked about weapons of mass destruction and his inspection in Iraq). In addition, we will air portions of a recent interview Democracy Now! conducted with two Iraqis looking back at how the unprovoked U.S. invasion devastated Iraq and helped destabilize much of the Middle East. They interviewed Feurat Alani, a French Iraqi writer and documentarian who was based in Baghdad, Iraq from 2003 to 2008. His recent piece for The Washington Post is headlined “The Iraq War helped destroy what it meant to be an Iraqi.”, and Sinan Antoon, an Iraqi born and raised in Baghdad. He is a writer, poet, translator, and associate professor at New York University. His latest piece appeared in The Guardian, headlined “A million lives later, I cannot forgive what American terrorism did to my country, Iraq.”

Date:

March 16, 2023    (Episode # 1,052)

“Sisters in the Mirror: A History of Muslim Women and the Global Politics of Feminism” by Dr. Elora Shehabuddin
      
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1052), we will air some of the remarks delivered at an event organized and hosted by the Arab-American Educational Foundation Center for Arab Studies at the University of Houston on February 2, 2023. It was a book launch discussion of “Sisters in the Mirror: A History of Muslim Women and the Global Politics of Feminism” by Dr. Elora Shehabuddin.
 
Dr. Shehabuddin is Professor of Gender & Women's Studies and Global Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. She was Professor of Transnational Asian Studies and Core Faculty in the Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality at Rice University prior to moving to Berkeley in 2022.
 
The book launch discussion featured a talk by Dr. Elora Shehabuddin about her new book “Sisters in the Mirror: A History of Muslim Women and the Global Politics of Feminism”, and contributions from Dr. Elora Halim Chowdhury, Professor of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston, Dr. Kamran Asdar Ali, Professor of Anthropology, Middle East Studies and Asian Studies at The University of Texas at Austin, and Dr. Susan Ferguson, Associate Professor Emerita, Digital Media and Journalism at Wilfrid Laurier University.
 
We will air in this episode the remarks of Dr. Elora Shehabuddin, Dr. Elora Chowdhury, and Dr. Susan Ferguson.
 
We will skip the remarks of Dr. Kamran Asdar Ali because of the time, but we will post a link to the entire event on our website www.ArabVoices.net once it is published by the Arab-American Educational Foundation Center for Arab Studies at the University of Houston.

Date:

March 9, 2023    (Episode # 1,051)

1st Segment: Interview with Michael Ibrahim
     
We will speak with Michael Ibrahim, National Arab Orchestra Founder and Music Director. We will talk about the National Arab Orchestra, and the upcoming Houston event Treasures of the East: Timeless Classics of the Arab World, which will highlight some of the Arab world’s most treasured pieces of music with a performance that will showcase the rich beauty and diverse heritage of the Arab world with special guest artists, Ranine Chaar and Mohamed Mohsen. Treasures of the East builds bridges between communities by providing a forum for people to connect through the joy of Arab music and the atmosphere of such performances the National Arab Orchestra is famed for.
 

2nd Segment: In Memoriam: Arab Voices Interview with Senator James Abourezk
     
We will air an interview we conducted previously with U.S. Senator James Abourezk who passed away on February 24, 2023, at the age of 92.

Senator James Abourezk was the son of Lebanese Arab immigrants. Between 1948 and 1952, James served in the United States Navy during the Korean War and was elected as a United States Representative from South Dakota in 1970. He served in that role for one term before being elected as a United States Senator for South Dakota in 1972, where he served until 1979. James made history as the nation’s first Arab American Senator. James Abourezk was the founder of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC).

During that interview, we talked about several issues including the U.S.-led War on Iraq, the rhetoric of attacks on Iran, the Lebanese-Syrian relations, Nuclear weapons in the Middle East and Israel's Nuclear Arsenal, the Israel Lobby and its effect on U.S. Policy, Israel's attack on the USS Liberty and the U.S. cover-up, and the U.S. Patriot Act and status of Arab Americans.

Date:

March 2, 2023    (Episode # 1,050)

1st Segment: Ongoing Palestinian Genocide
     
We will talk about the escalation of Apartheid Israel's ongoing plans of ethnic cleansing in Palestine, war crimes, atrocities, aggression, slaughter, genocide, terrorism, land theft, discrimination, Apartheid, home demolitions, and a whole lot more.  
 
On February 22, Israeli occupation forces murdered 11 Palestinians and injured more than 100 in Nablus City in the occupied West Bank. On February 26, hundreds of Israeli colonizers, gangs, and terrorists, escorted and protected by the Israeli occupation soldiers stormed the town of Huwara, south of Nablus City in the occupied West Bank, burned down 35 Palestinian houses and partially damaged 40 others, and torched or destroyed more than 100 cars belonging to Palestinians. One Palestinian was killed and 400 were wounded in the Israeli rampage on the Huwara town, and on March 1, large Israeli occupation forces stormed Aqabet Jaber refugee camp near Jericho in the occupied West Bank, killing one Palestinian, injured several others, and kidnapped a number of Palestinians. During its attack on the village, Israeli occupation soldiers placed a Palestinian man and his very young son as human shields, a common practice of the Israeli occupation soldiers, which is prohibited by International law.
 
What we are witnessing in occupied Palestine is genocide and terrorism at its highest forms, while Israel continues to enjoy full impunity for its terrorism, war crimes, and genocide against the Palestinian people.
 

2nd Segment: The Belmarsh Tribunal D.C. — The Case of Julian Assange (Part 3 of 3)
     
During the previous two episode of Arab Voices, we aired some of the remarks delivered at The Belmarsh Tribunal D.C. — The Case of Julian Assange, held in Washington D.C. on January 20, 2023, organized by Progressive International and the Wau Holland Foundation.
 
During this episode of Arab Voices (#1,050), we will air more remarks delivered at that tribunal, including the remarks of Kevin Gosztola, managing editor of Shadowproof, John Shipton, father of Julian Assange, Betty Medsger, investigative reporter, Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers whistleblower, Suchitra Vijayan, writer, photographer and activist, and Professor Noam Chomsky, linguist and activist.
  
Julian Assange is WikiLeaks Founder who exposed war crimes committed by U.S. forces in Iraq. He is being held in a British jail, was charged by the United States government with the publication of classified documents and exposing war crimes committed by U.S. forces, in Iraq. Assange faces up to 175 years in prison if convicted of violations of the Espionage Act. In June 2022, the British government approved the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States to face espionage charges.

In 2010, WikiLeaks released government materials related to American military operations in the Middle East, including a video showing American pilots in Iraq making jokes as they opened fire on a group of non-combatants that included civilians and journalists, as well as on Iraqis who came to their aid, killing numerous civilians and seriously wounding two children.

Nearly 20 experts spoke at the Belmarsh Tribunal D.C. — The Case of Julian Assange, including Ben Wizner, lead attorney at ACLU of Edward Snowden, Jeffrey Sterling, lawyer and former CIA employee, Katrina vanden Heuvel, editorial director and publisher at the The Nation, Margaret Kunstler, civil rights attorney, Stefania Maurizi, investigative journalist, Il Fatto Quotidiano, Jeremy Corbyn, member of the U.K. Parliament and founder of the Peace and Justice Project, Steven Donziger, human rights attorney, Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor-in-chief at WikiLeaks, Jesselyn Radack, national security and human rights attorney, Chip Gibbons, policy director of Defending Rights & Dissent, Kevin Gosztola, managing editor of Shadowproof, John Shipton, father of Julian Assange, Betty Medsger, investigative reporter, Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers whistleblower, Suchitra Vijayan, writer, photographer & activist, and Professor Noam Chomsky, linguist and activist. Amy Goodman, Host of Democracy Now! and Sreshko Horvat, co-founder of DiEM25, co-chaired the tribunal.

Date:

February 23, 2023    (Episode # 1,049)

The Belmarsh Tribunal D.C. — The Case of Julian Assange (Part 2 of 3)
     
During the previous episode of Arab Voices, we aired some of the remarks delivered at The Belmarsh Tribunal D.C. — The Case of Julian Assange, held in Washington D.C. on January 20, 2023, organized by Progressive International and the Wau Holland Foundation.
 
During this episode of Arab Voices (#1,049), we will air more remarks delivered at that tribunal, including the remarks of Jeremy Corbyn, member of the U.K. Parliament and founder of the Peace and Justice Project, Steven Donziger, human rights attorney, Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor-in-chief at WikiLeaks, Jesselyn Radack, national security and human rights attorney, and Chip Gibbons, policy director of Defending Rights & Dissent.
 
Julian Assange is WikiLeaks Founder who exposed war crimes committed by U.S. forces in Iraq. He is being held in a British jail, was charged by the United States government with the publication of classified documents and exposing war crimes committed by U.S. forces, in Iraq. Assange faces up to 175 years in prison if convicted of violations of the Espionage Act. In June 2022, the British government approved the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States to face espionage charges.

In 2010, WikiLeaks released government materials related to American military operations in the Middle East, including a video showing American pilots in Iraq making jokes as they opened fire on a group of non-combatants that included civilians and journalists, as well as on Iraqis who came to their aid, killing numerous civilians and seriously wounding two children.

Nearly 20 experts spoke at the Belmarsh Tribunal D.C. — The Case of Julian Assange, including Ben Wizner, lead attorney at ACLU of Edward Snowden, Jeffrey Sterling, lawyer and former CIA employee, Katrina vanden Heuvel, editorial director and publisher at the The Nation, Margaret Kunstler, civil rights attorney, Stefania Maurizi, investigative journalist, Il Fatto Quotidiano, Jeremy Corbyn, member of the U.K. Parliament and founder of the Peace and Justice Project, Steven Donziger, human rights attorney, Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor-in-chief at WikiLeaks, Jesselyn Radack, national security and human rights attorney, Chip Gibbons, policy director of Defending Rights & Dissent, Kevin Gosztola, managing editor of Shadowproof, John Shipton, father of Julian Assange, Betty Medsger, investigative reporter, Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers whistleblower, Suchitra Vijayan, writer, photographer & activist, and Professor Noam Chomsky, linguist and activist. Amy Goodman, Host of Democracy Now! and Sreshko Horvat, co-founder of DiEM25, co-chaired the tribunal.

Date:

February 16, 2023    (Episode # 1,048)

The Belmarsh Tribunal D.C. — The Case of Julian Assange (Part 1 of 3)
     
In this episode of Arab Voices (# 1048), we will air some of the remarks delivered at The Belmarsh Tribunal D.C. — The Case of Julian Assange, held in Washington D.C. on January 20, 2023, organized by Progressive International and the Wau Holland Foundation.
 
Julian Assange is WikiLeaks Founder who exposed war crimes committed by U.S. forces in Iraq. He is being held in a British jail, was charged by the United States government with the publication of classified documents and exposing war crimes committed by U.S. forces, in Iraq. Assange faces up to 175 years in prison if convicted of violations of the Espionage Act. In June 2022, the British government approved the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States to face espionage charges.

In 2010, WikiLeaks released government materials related to American military operations in the Middle East, including a video showing American pilots in Iraq making jokes as they opened fire on a group of non-combatants that included civilians and journalists, as well as on Iraqis who came to their aid, killing numerous civilians and seriously wounding two children.

Nearly 20 experts spoke at the Belmarsh Tribunal D.C. — The Case of Julian Assange, including Ben Wizner, lead attorney at ACLU of Edward Snowden, Jeffrey Sterling, lawyer and former CIA employee, Katrina vanden Heuvel, editorial director and publisher at the The Nation, Margaret Kunstler, civil rights attorney, Stefania Maurizi, investigative journalist, Il Fatto Quotidiano, Jeremy Corbyn, member of the U.K. Parliament and founder of the Peace and Justice Project, Steven Donziger, human rights attorney, Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor-in-chief at WikiLeaks, Jesselyn Radack, national security and human rights attorney, Chip Gibbons, policy director of Defending Rights & Dissent, Kevin Gosztola, managing editor of Shadowproof, John Shipton, father of Julian Assange, Betty Medsger, investigative reporter, Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers whistleblower, Suchitra Vijayan, writer, photographer & activist, and Professor Noam Chomsky, linguist and activist. Amy Goodman, Host of Democracy Now! and Srecko Horvat, co-founder of DiEM25, co-chaired the tribunal.
 
During this episode of Arab Voices, we will air the remarks delivered at that Tribunal by Ben Wizner, Jeffrey Sterling, Margaret Kunstler, Stefania Maurizi, as well as the opening remarks by Amy Goodman and Srecko Horvat.
 
Arab Voices will air more remarks delivered at that Tribunal during the next episode of Arab Voices.

Date:

February 9, 2023    (Episode # 1,047)

1st Segment: Devastating Earthquake in Turkey & Syria and How to Help
     
In this episode of Arab Voices, we will talk about the deadly earthquake that hit Turkey & Syria and ways you can help.
 
The massive 7.8 earthquake caused major damage in Turkey & Syria, and according to officials, the death toll has surpassed 20,000 in both countries with tens of thousands more injured, and the recovery efforts are still underway with many people still buried under the rubble. Thousands of buildings were destroyed, and tens of thousands of people can no longer go back to their damaged homes.
  
Arab Voices extends its deepest condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims of this devastating earthquake. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Turkey & Syria.
  
Organizations Accepting Donations for Earthquake Relief Efforts:
 
   www.syrianamericanclub.com
   www.hhrd.org
   www.centeraap.org
   www.isgh.org
   www.masnational.org/TE
    

2nd Segment: Removal of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee
     
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a Democratic Representative from Minnesota, who is an Arab-American, Muslim-American, African-American, and critical of Israeli atrocities against the Palestinian people, was ousted on February 2, 2023, from the House Foreign Affairs Committee by House Republicans, who accused her of being anti-Semite. Many argue that her removal has nothing to do with anti-Semitism, but because she is outspoken, standing for what’s right and what’s wrong, and because she is critical of the Israeli atrocities against the Palestinian people.
 
In this episode of Arab Voices, we will talk about that, and we will air the remarks delivered on the House floor by some of the lawmakers that debated the resolution on her removal. We will air the remarks of Representatives Gregory Meeks (New York), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York), Cori Bush (Missouri), Pramila Jayapal (Washington), Mark Pocan (Wisconsin), Ayanna Pressley (Massachusetts), Betty McCollum (Minnesota), Janice Schakowsky (Illinois), Rashida Tlaib (Michigan), and we will also air Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s response.
 
We will also air the remarks delivered at a press conference held in front of the U.S. Congress, by a coalition of American Muslim, Arab-American, Jewish, and Iranian-American groups responding to the ouster of Representative Omar from her position on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. We will air the remarks of Robert McCaw, Government Affairs Director at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Jasmine Hawamdeh, Communications Manager for the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), Edward Ahmed Mitchell, National Deputy Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Iman Awad, Deputy Director of Emgage Action, Mohammad Ali, Director of Policy and Government Relations at the Muslim Public Affairs Council, Donna Farvard, National Organizing Director at the National Iranian American Council Action, Emily Kaplan, Senior Legislative and Electoral Grassroots Organizer at Jewish Voice for Peace Action, and Mongi Dhaouadi, President of the Tunisian United Network and Executive Director of the Libyan American Alliance.

Date:

February 2, 2023    (Episode # 1,046)

Dr. Ramzy Baroud
     
A US-Palestinian journalist, media consultant, author, internationally-syndicated columnist, Editor of Palestine Chronicle, and a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs. He is the author of several books and a contributor to many others. The books he authored include Searching Jenin: Eyewitness Accounts of the Israeli Invasion, The Second Palestinian Intifada: A Chronicle of a People’s Struggle, My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza’s Untold Story, The Last Earth, a Palestinian Story, These Chains Will Be Broken, and his latest volume, co-edited with Ilan Pappe, is titled Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals Speak Out.
 
Dr. Ramzy Baroud’s work has been published in hundreds of newspapers and journals worldwide, has contributed to and was referenced in hundreds of books and academic journals, and has been a guest speaker at many universities around the world. He is also a regular guest on many television and radio programs nationally and internationally.
 

We will speak with Dr. Baroud about many issues and points, including why Israel is escalating its attacks on the Palestinians throughout the West Bank, and particularly in Jenin, the reasons for the increased armed resistance to the Israeli occupation in the West Bank, Israeli theft of Palestinian artifacts and destruction of their archaeological sites, Israel’s “soft” annexation of the West Bank, the Israeli ”great Jerusalem plan”, home demolitions, the ongoing destructions in Sheikh Jarrah, Silwan, Khan Al-Ahmar, Masafer Yatta, and other places, Israeli control of Palestinian water resources, Israeli colonies and the criminal acts of the Israeli colonizers, Palestine 48, the new Israeli government and its new measures and policies imposed on the Palestinians, the impunity Israel has, the support of the US to Israel’s crimes and its refusal to recognize Palestinians in the West Bank as occupied, Palestinian resistance and steadfastness, possible solutions to the crisis, and more.

Date:

January 26, 2023    (Episode # 1,045)

1st Segment: Another Israeli Massacre
     
In this episode of Arab Voices, we will talk about the latest Israeli massacre committed against the Palestinians, where on January 26, 2023, Israeli occupation forces stormed the Palestinian city of Jenin and its refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, shot and killed at least 9 Palestinians, including a 60-year-old Palestinian woman, and wounded at least 20 others (some are in critical condition). Israeli occupation forces prevented ambulances and paramedics from reaching the wounded or transporting them to hospitals, fired at an ambulance, and even fired gas bombs at the pediatric section of Jenin Government Hospital, causing suffocation cases from gas inhalation among Palestinians, including mothers and children.
 

2nd Segment: Oppositions to Texas Senate Bill 147
     
We will talk about the proposed new legislation in the State of Texas (Senate Bill 147) that will ban governments, businesses, and individual citizens of China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia from buying real estate in Texas. Many are warning that such legislation could easily be expanded to include citizens of other countries, and there are talks about similar legislation that might be introduced to the US Congress.
 
In today’s episode of Arab Voices, we will air the reactions and some of the remarks about Senate Bill 147 delivered on January 23, 2023, by several elected officials, organizations, and community members at a press conference held in Houston, Texas, the 4th largest and most diverse city in the United States, and largest city in Texas. We will air the remarks of State Representative Gene Wu, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Congressman Al Green, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas Representative Dr. Suleman Lalani (among first Muslims elected to Texas Legislature), William White, Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Houston), Lesley Briones, Harris County Commissioner Pct. 4 and former judge, Phillip Andrews with Fort Bend County Republican Party, Alice Chen, City of Stafford Council Member, Niloufar Hafizi, Iranian-American and Civic Engagement Director at Emgage Texas, Ling Luo, Chair of the Asian Americans Leadership Council, and Zafar Tahir, Pakistani-American Businessman.

Date:

January 19, 2023    (Episode # 1,044)

1st Segment: “Women in Coalitions: Challenges and Successes" (part 2 of 2)
     
During last week’s episode of Arab Voices (#1,043), we aired the remarks delivered at a panel discussion titled “Women in Coalitions: Challenges and Successes”. That panel was part of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) 2022 Alex Odeh Memorial Conference and Gala held in October 2022 in California, where they explored the issues that impact the community, while honoring Alex Odeh and celebrating Arab American excellence and achievement. The panel was moderated by Cheryl Faris, and it explored how organizational and individual bonds overlap to effect and influence redistricting designations for voting rights, monitoring the police, and pressuring elected officials toward legislation that ensures effective changes for justice. The speakers on this panel were Buki Domingos, co-founder of San Diego’s Racial Justice Coalition, Jeanine Erikat, Palestinian-Muslim American serving as the Policy Lead at the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA), and Tazheen Nizam, Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR-San Diego.
  
During this episode of Arab Voices (#1,044), we will air the remaining questions and answers that followed the remarks we aired last week at the panel “Women in Coalitions: Challenges and Successes”. The questions addressed voting, empowering communities, engaging elected officials, political education, elevating young women leaders, advice to young women starting in the political world, and the rise in anti-Muslim hate in India.
 

2nd Segment: Ajit Sahi on Hindutva
     
One of the questions and answers addressed in the “Women in Coalitions: Challenges and Successes” panel (previous segment) was on the rise of anti-Muslim hate in India, where nearly 200 million Muslims are facing persecution, illegal arrests, and unlawful demolition of Muslim houses. Many are calling what is happening in India a genocide against Muslims.
 
During this episode of Arab Voices, we will air a speech about Hindutva, an ideology that advocates for Hindu supremacy. That talk was delivered at the ICNA-MAS Convention held in Baltimore, Maryland in May 2022, by Ajit Sahi, Advocacy Director at the Indian American Muslim Council.
 

3rd Segment: Directory of American Muslim Elected Officials
     
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, and Jetpac, held a news conference on October 25, 2022, in Washington, D.C., to announce the release of the first national directory of local, state and federal elected Muslim officials and judges in the United States. CAIR and Jetpac’s directory documented 189 elected officials holding local and state office across 30 states. These officials include members of Congress, state legislators, mayors, councilors, school board officials, judiciary members, and law enforcement.

During this episode of Arab Voices, we will air the remarks delivered at that press conference announcing the release of the first national directory of local, state and federal elected Muslim officials and judges in the United States.
 
An updated/final list of 82 local, state legislative, statewide, judicial, and federal American Muslim electoral victories counted in 2022 midterm election, was released by CAIR and Jetpac, and that list is posted here.

Date:

January 12, 2023    (Episode # 1,043)

“Women in Coalitions: Challenges and Successes" (part 1 of 2)
     
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), the largest Arab American grassroots civil rights organization in the United States committed to defending the rights of people of Arab descent and promoting their rich cultural heritage, held its 2022 Alex Odeh Memorial Conference and Gala on October 7th and 8th 2022 in California, where they explored the issues that impact the community, while honoring Alex Odeh and celebrating Arab American excellence and achievement.
 
There were great speakers and excellent topics discussed at that conference, and in this episode of Arab Voices (# 1,043), we will air the remarks delivered at the panel titled “Women in Coalitions: Challenges and Successes”.
  
The panel was moderated by Cheryl Faris, and it explored how organizational and individual bonds overlap to effect and influence redistricting designations for voting rights, monitoring the police, pressuring elected officials toward legislation that ensures effective changes for justice, and more. The speakers on this panel were Buki Domingos, co-founder of San Diego’s Racial Justice Coalition, Jeanine Erikat, Palestinian-Muslim American serving as the Policy Lead at the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA), and Tazheen Nizam, Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR-San Diego.
  
About the moderator and panelists:
   
Cheryl Faris was raised in a Lebanese community in Fall River, MA. After earning a BA degree from Bridgewater State University and a Master’s from NYU, she moved to Los Angeles and obtained a JD degree from Loyola Law School. She practiced law for 25 years at an international telecommunications company, then switched careers to teach Law and Psychology at a college prep high school in West Los Angeles. While there, she founded and ran an award-winning Mock Trial program. Cheryl served on the board of the Southern Christian Leadership Council, and for many years sat on the National Board of ADC, working closely with Alex Odeh and Jim Abourezk. She was the first woman president of the Arab-American Lawyers’ Association of Southern California, and is currently the chair of the board of Impro Theatre. She performs in long-form improvised plays in the styles of Dickens and Shakespeare, and can fluently speak in iambic pentameter.

Jeanine Erikat is a Palestinian-Muslim American serving as the Policy Lead at the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA). In that role, Jeanine leads PANA's community listening sessions, advocacy campaigns, redistricting efforts, and engages the community in PANA’s policy priorities to fight for the economic, social, and civic inclusion of refugee and immigrant communities. An alumnus of the Women Foundation of California's Solis Policy Institute, Jeanine holds a B.S. in Public Health Sciences as well as a B.A. in History from the University of California, Irvine. A passionate advocate for health education, she devotes her free time volunteering at multiple organizations dedicated to uplifting both the Arab and Muslim communities

Nigerian-born Buki Domingos is the co-founder of San Diego’s Racial Justice Coalition. Fluent in five languages, she draws upon her personal experiences to build resources for victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. As a member of San Diego County's Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board, Buki assists coalitions in vetting candidates and shaping legislation on policing and discrimination. In 2017 she attended the National Feminist Organizing School in Philadelphia sponsored by Grassroots Global Justice, and in 2019 was selected as one of the official representatives for San Diego at the National Women’s March in Washington, D.C. Buki began her career as a singer/songwriter who worked with artists such as Elton John and Whitney Houston. She now works full time as a healthcare professional while also volunteering with the Indigenous Health Care Support group. In addition to all that she does, Buki created, and continues to run, the KNSJ Radio show “Alafia: Voices of the African Diaspora” which focuses on the struggles that communities of color are immersed in and the organizations and individuals that support those communities

Tazheen Nizam is the Executive Director of CAIR - San Diego. Tazheen has deep roots in the San Diego Muslim American Muslim community and has worked extensively with the interfaith community, and has been an active voice in San Diego politics. She is the Founder & Co-Chair of the North County Immigration Task Force, where she has advocated for immigrants’ rights. She serves as Community Development Block Grant Commissioner for the City of Vista. She also serves on multiple non-profit boards, including the San Dieguito Interfaith Ministerial Association, South Vista Communities, the Tri-City Islamic Center, and others. Prior to joining CAIR-SD , Tazheen worked as a finance consultant and accounting professional for over 20 years. Tazheen is an alumnus of the Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) and the Rockwood Fellowship Institute. Tazheen holds a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting and an M.B.A. with an emphasis in Organization Management & Finance. She also holds certifications in Non-Profit Management, Paralegal Studies, and Mediation.

Date:

January 5, 2023    (Episode # 1,042)

1st Segment: A Horrific, Deadly & Devastating 2022 for the Palestinians
     
In this episode of Arab Voices, we will talk about the horrific and bloody 2022 year for Palestinians in occupied Palestine, where Apartheid Israel continued to escalate its war crimes against the Palestinians, as part of its Zionist settler-colonial and ethnic cleansing project. At least 240 Palestinians were killed by Apartheid Israel including 47 children in 2022, approximately 10,000 Palestinians were injured by Apartheid Israel, 6,500 Palestinians were kidnapped from the occupied Palestinian areas by Apartheid Israel, more than 832 buildings and infrastructures belonging to Palestinians were demolished by Apartheid Israel, and at least 13,000 olive trees were uprooted.
           

2nd Segment: Israeli Apartheid: Tool of Zionist Settler Colonialism
     
On November 29, 2022, Al-Haq, an independent Palestinian non-governmental human rights organization based in Ramallah, occupied Palestine, released a landmark coalition report titled “Israeli Apartheid: Tool of Zionist Settler Colonialism”. The report explores Israel’s settler colonial and apartheid regime imposed on the Palestinian people.
 
During this episode of Arab Voices, we will air some of the remarks delivered at a special event held in occupied Ramallah in the West Bank to talk about that report, including the remarks of Francesca Albanese, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Rania Muhareb, one of the authors of the new report who is an Al-Shabaka policy member and a former legal researcher and advocacy officer at Al-Haq organization, Tamam Mohsen, advocacy officer at Al Mezan Center for Human Rights in the besieged Gaza Strip, and Omar Barghouti, a founding committee member of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, and a co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. We will also air a new documentary produced by Al-Haq titled "Israel’s Settler Colonial Apartheid Regime: Segregating The Palestinian People".
 
Prominent Reports about Israeli Apartheid:
     

Al-Haq (2022): “Israeli Apartheid: Tool of Zionist Settler Colonialism”   Amnesty International (2022): “Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians: Cruel system of domination and crime against humanity”   United Nations Rights Expert (2022): "Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territory is ‘apartheid’"     Human Rights Watch (2021): "A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution"   Al Mezan Center For Human Rights (2021): "The Gaza Bantustan—Israeli Apartheid in the Gaza Strip"   B’tselem (2021): "A regime of Jewish supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea: This is Apartheid".