The Big Picture with Mohamed Hassan

Why I turned my camera from Hollywood to Palestine | Misan Harriman

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 17:00:00 +0100

This week on The Big Picture Podcast we’re joined by celebrated photographer and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Misan Harriman.

Harriman has built a global following through his moving black and white photography of the world’s most recognisable faces, becoming the first ever Black photographer to shoot the cover of Vogue.

Since then, he made his directorial debut with the emotional short film ruminating on grief, The After, which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2024.

His new documentary, Shoot The People, chronicles his own story as he travels the world drawing inspiration from the Anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa, Black Lives Matter in the US and the Gaza ceasefire movement here in the UK.

But what makes Harriman stand out is what he chooses to turn his lens, and his platform, towards.

Since October 7, he’s been a staple of pro-Palestine rallies, searching through the crowds for individual protesters with a message that resonates with him, and showing that to the world.

Before that he covered the Black Lives Matter movement, framing ordinary people in extraordinary ways, giving them the same intimate and dramatic treatment he gives to the world’s rich and famous.

And through his lens, he sends a message.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.

You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

Francesca Albanese exposed a global "economy of genocide", then she was sanctioned

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0100

Just two days after we sat down with Francesca Albanese, the Trump Administration placed her under sanctions.

They accuse the UN Special Rapporteur of waging “economic warfare” on the United States. She says the sanctions are “mafia style intimidation techniques” and vows to continue her work to remind states of their obligations to “stop and punish genocide. And those who profit from it.”

So why has the US taken such a drastic move? That has a lot to do with a scathing report Albanese just published, titled the “economy of genocide”.

In it, she accuses more than 60 corporations of “sustaining and profiting off of Israeli occupation, apartheid and genocide.”

Some of these companies include Google, Amazon, Hyundai Booking.com and the bank Barclays.

This week on the Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with Francesca Albanese to talk about what her explosive report exposes about the world's richest companies, and how the rest of us are implicated in a system that exploits the pain of Palestinians for the sake of profit.

Silicon Valley, Israel and the new AI arms race | Antony Loewenstein

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0100

What does the war look like in the age of AI?

This week on the Big Picture Podcast, we’re joined by author and investigative journalist Antony Loewenstein.

We spoke to Loewenstein early in 2024 about his best-selling book ‘The Palestine Laboratory’ - which chronicled how Israel tests high tech weapons in Gaza before exporting them to the world.

Since then, The Palestine Laboratory has been turned into a documentary with Al Jazeera, where Loewenstein travels to Mexico, Greece, India and South Africa to investigate how this technology is changing law enforcement and government surveillance around the world.

Part of his work has examined how Silicon Valley and the AI sector have fueled the rise of a new arms race, one where technology giants like Microsoft and Amazon now compete for lucrative defence contracts worth tens of billions of dollars.

These are the same companies that once promised only to use their powers for good. Google famously enshrined the words ‘Don’t Be Evil’ into their manifesto.

But what was happening behind the scenes was a different story.

Norman Finkelstein on Israel, Zohran Mamdani and the coming class war

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 20:00:00 +0100

In a fiery and deeply personal return to The Big Picture Podcast, professor Norman Finkelstein explains why Israel and its allies in the West have destroyed the international order, and how the election of a Muslim socialist in New York threatens their grip on power.

Finkelstein is a political scientist and one of the world’s foremost scholars on Israel-Palestine, as well as a critic of culture and empire.

He is the author of The Holocaust Industry and most recently, I’ll Burn That Bridge When I Get To It.

The Israel-Iran war is more dangerous than we imagine | David Hearst

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0100

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with Middle East Eye’s Editor in Chief David Hearst to talk about the rapidly unfolding war between Israel and Iran, why the West supports it and what it threatens to unleash on the global order.

So what does Israel really want to achieve, what options does Iran have to deescalate, and will the United States stop the war, or join it?

How the Military Industrial Complex really works | William Hartung

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 17:00:00 +0100

NOTE: This conversation was recorded in November 2024, which is why you'll hear references to the elections and the Biden Administration.

This week on The Big Picture, we sit down with military analyst and author William Hartung.

Hartung is a senior fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, and in 2010 published Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Military Industrial-Complex - a seminal work that examined how military lobby groups shaped public policy, and how White House officials pursued lucrative jobs in the same lobbies that funded their political careers.

In 2024 he published a Cost of War report with Brown University, which unpacked the $20 billion of military aid the Biden Administration had given to Israel's government since October 7, the majority of which was then used to purchase weapons from US military companies.

Trump and Zionists want to scare us into silence. We won’t let them | Linda Sarsour

Mon, 12 May 2025 11:00:00 +0100

Why haven’t there been mass protests against Trump like there were in 2017?

Part of the reason is the climate of fear and uncertainty that now proliferates throughout many communities, from student activists on IV league campuses to undocumented migrants.

The arrests of pro-Palestine students Mahmoud Khalil, Mohsen Mahdawi and Rumeysa Ozturk among others, and the deportation of hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador, some of whom legal US residents, has left many in shock about the direction of the government and what it intends to do next.

So how do activists and organisers continue to speak up without fearing for their own careers, their families and their freedom?

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we speak with Palestinian-American political activist and civil rights advocate Linda Sarsour.

Sarsour was the co-chair of the 2017 women’s march, which brought millions to the streets in a defiant protest of Donald Trump’s first term in office - at the time it was the largest single day protest in US history.

In 2020 she published her memoir We’re Not Here To Be Bystanders.

Pope Francis and the Muslim World | Jordan Denari Duffner

Sat, 26 Apr 2025 15:00:00 +0100

The catholic world is grieving the loss of Pope Francis, but so is much of the Muslim one.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, Pope Francis spent much of his life reaching out across religious lines, forming monumental friendships with Muslims, from refugee families to Islamic scholars to Palestinians.

In his final Easter Sunday sermon just hours before his death, he called on the world to protect the sanctity of life in Gaza, and work towards a lasting ceasefire that saved Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages.

His voice echoed across all corners of the world, and in his death, his messages were reflected.

The grand imam of Al Azhar Ahmad al Tayeb, described Pope Francis as a “true friend to Muslims, sincere in his pursuit of peace”.

So how did he leave such a mark on such a divided world?

This week on the Big Picture Podcast we speak with Georgetown University scholar, theologian and author Dr Jordan Denari Duffner.

Dr Jordan is the author of ‘Finding Jesus Among Muslims’ and the upcoming book ‘Pope Francis and Islam’.

Why I had to flee America | Momodou Taal

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 17:00:00 +0100

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we speak to Momodou Taal, a Cornell Unveristy scholar forced to flee from US immigration officers.

The crackdown by the Trump administration on pro-Palestine activists has continued to intensify despite legal challenges.

Undercover agents belonging to the department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE for short, have been filmed arresting university students on campuses, in their homes and even in the middle of the street.

Some of those targeted as part of this nationwide sweep have attempted to appeal to the justice system - in Cornell university a group of academics and students launched a legal case against the Trump Administration.

At its centre is the case of Mamodou Taal, a British-Gambian PHD student whose home was then raided by ICE agents in an attempt to arrest him.

After failing to get a judge to hear their case, Taal decided instead to leave the United States before he faces the same fate as Mahmoud Khalil and Rumeysa Ozturk.

American doctor in Gaza: ending the carnage is in Trump's hands | Dr Feroze Sidhwa

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 11:00:00 +0000

A trauma surgeon stationed at one of Gaza’s largest hospitals says the carnage this week is beyond anything he has seen in Ukraine or anywhere.

More than 500 have been killed by Israeli airstrikes since Tuesday, when Israel’s government broke a two-month ceasefire with Hamas and has escalated attacks since.

Hospitals continue to be overwhelmed with more than 900 injuries and facing ongoing shortages since food and fuel were cut off by Israel’s government in early March.

UNICEF says Tuesday was the single deadliest day for children in Gaza since the war began.

On this episode of The Big Picture Podcast, we speak with Dr Feroze Sadhwa, a volunteer trauma surgeon at Nasser Hospital, and an eyewitness to what he describes as ‘carnage’ in Gaza.

Netanyahu commits a 'bloodbath' in Gaza to save himself | Daniel Levy

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 18:00:00 +0000

At least 400 people have been killed after a surprise Israeli attack on Gaza in the early hours of Tuesday.

Israel’s government vows to continue escalating these military attacks, saying it’s in response to Hamas’ refusal to extend the ceasefire, which has been in place since January.

But is this the real reason for this morning’s attack? Or is there a much more cynical explanation - one tied to the political fate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu?

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we speak to Daniel Levy, the president of the US/Middle East Project and a former Israeli peace negotiator.

Judaism is 6000 years old. It can outlive Zionism | Rabbia Alissa Wise

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Is Judaism itself an anti-Zionist religion?

According to Rabbi and organiser Alissa Wise, it's precisely the teachings of her faith that informs her stance against Israel, and her advocacy for a free Palestine.

Rabbi Wise is a former organiser with Jewish Voice for Peace, and in December 2023 founded the group Rabbis for Ceasefire, calling for an end to Israel's genocide in Gaza.

The group now has more than 200 members, all of them teachers of the Jewish faith. They're a part of a growing movement of dissenting voices within Jewish communities challenging ideas that were taboo for decades.

Back in November, shortly after the re-election of Donald Trump, The Big Picture Podcast travelled to Philadelphia to meet with Rabbi Alissa Wise to talk about the history of Judaism and the Jewish people.

And why standing against Zionism is the most Jewish thing she can do.

A Hamas official speaks on Gaza ceasefire & the next war with Israel | Basem Naim

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 21:00:00 +0000

What has Hamas achieved after 15 months of war with Israel?

With the assassination of two of its most senior leaders, and the devastating human toll in Gaza, the future of Hamas appears uncertain.

But the scenes of its militia re-emerging hours after the ceasefire sent a message of defiance.

The scenes outraged an Israeli public, who were told that victory would only come after the complete destruction of Hamas.

While the world prays for an end to the violence in Gaza, Hamas’ senior leaders say a new chapter of their fight against Israel is expected - this time in the West Bank.

As settler-led violence and Israeli military raids on Palestinian villages reach historic levels, many have lost hope that the Palestinian Authority and its president Mahmoud Abbas can do anything to protect Palestinians from another all-out war.

Instead, the lure of armed resistance championed by Hamas has influenced a generation of disillusioned and angry young Palestinians, who’ve given up hope that diplomacy offers them any future.

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we speak with senior Hamas official Basem Naim, who is a former health minister in Gaza and now part of the group’s political bureau.

Naim believes that Gaza was only the first chapter in the war, and that the next will be more complicated and ultimately more devastating.

Netanyahu’s total victory narrative collapsed, and Israelis are in shock | Daniel Levy | The Big Picture

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Netanyahu’s social contract has collapsed, and Israelis are in a state of shock.

That is how former Israeli negotiator Daniel Levy sees the outcome of 15 months of war in Gaza, after a ceasefire was brokered without Hamas conceding defeat.

Instead, Israelis watch the scenes of Hamas militants celebrating in fresh uniforms and wonder what exactly did their Prime Minister achieve after promising nothing short of a total victory.

Meanwhile, the abject failures of the Biden Administration in their deeply unpopular Gaza policy were undermined by the seeming ease of Trump’s ability to force Netanyahu to accept a deal that was on the table since May 2024.

But as Levy says, this says less about Trump’s power as it does Netanyahu’s vulnerability.

This week on the Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with the former Israeli peace negotiator and the president of the US-Middle East Project Daniel Levy.

Daniel Levy was part of the negotiating team during the Oslo Accords in the mid-90s. He was then a Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister’s office and a lead drafter of the model peace agreement, known as the Geneva Initiative.

If you’d like to read Amos Harel’s analysis on the IDF’s push for a ceasefire, you can read it here: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-01-22/ty-article/.premium/despite-operational-successes-in-gaza-the-next-idf-chief-will-inherit-an-army-in-crisis/00000194-8abc-dee1-aff7-ebff04f10000

The Muslim senator who took on Australia’s government | Fatima Payman | The Big Picture

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 14:00:00 +0000

When Fatima Payman was first elected to Australia’s senate - she didn’t imagine she’d go to war with the Prime Minister two years later.

Back in May, the country’s first ever hijabi lawmaker broke ranks with the governing Labor Party and accused Israel of genocide in Gaza.

Despite attempts by her party to rein her in, she refused to stay quiet about what she saw happening in Gaza, and became increasingly vocal about her party’s silence on the issue, and Australia’s continued trade deals with Israel.

By June, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese suspended her from the caucus, then from the party, and by July she’d been exiled permanently.

Today, she continues to advocate for Palestinian rights as an independent senator, and her fiery critiques of the Labor government are even bolder.

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we speak with Senator Fatima Payman about navigating her young career in Politics as an outsider determined to speak from her conscience.

Piers Morgan, CNN and the fight for Palestinian dignity | Mohammed el-Kurd

Sat, 28 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

What makes a perfect victim?

For Palestinians fighting to keep their stories alive in the media, it often feels that they must audition for the sympathies of their Western audiences.

If they don’t fit the mould - then their voices are ignored.

In 2021, Mohammed al-Kurd was catapulted into the spotlight when his family’s home in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah was being forcefully evicted by Israeli settlers.

Since then, he’s been one of the most outspoken and unapologetic Palestinian voices, using his social media presence, as well as his poetry and journalism, to push back against the media’s skewed narratives of his people.

He is the author of the celebrated poetry collection 'Rifqa', and the upcoming book 'Perfect Victims'.

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with Mohammed al-Kurd to talk about flipping the script on how Palestinians are expected to speak and behave in the public eye.

The Syrian dream rises from the ashes of Assad’s nightmare | Waad al-Kateab

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Two years after our conversation with Waad al-Kateab about the desperate plight of Syrian refugees, we return to have a very different conversation.

Less than a week after the dramatic and unexpected collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s brutal reign, Syrians are beginning to dream once again of a future they believed had died.

Waad al-Kateab and her family had settled in the UK, though they continued to fight to speak on behalf of refugees and the Syrian revolution which they refused to give up on no matter how bleak the situation seemed.

In her Oscar-nominated film ‘For Sama’, al-Kateab documented the last days of her city of Aleppo, besieged by Assad’s forces for five years and reduced to rubble.

Today, she counts the days until she can return to her childhood home.

This week on the Big Picture Podcast, Waad al-Kateab invites us to her home to talk about her dream of a new Syria, her fears and trepidations about what comes next, and revealing her real name for the first time.

Trump’s intrusive demons and Israel’s ‘enlightened cause’ | Norman Finkelstein

Sat, 16 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Has Donald Trump peeled back the veil on the toxicity of America?

What will his second term mean for Israel, Palestine and the pursuit of justice?

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we welcome back Norman Finkelstein, political scientist, author and legal scholar, to talk about the aftermath of the US elections, Israel’s war in Gaza and shifting tactics of the Palestine movement.

Finkelstein has spent his career chronicling in excruciating detail the Israel-Palestine conflict from the perspective of international law, and feels that much of the conversation has framed it the wrong way. It’s not that Israel is betraying the laws of war, it’s actually “following the logic of genocide”.

His most recent book ‘I’ll Burn That Bridge When I Get To It’ took a surprising turn, scrutinising the prevalence of identity politics and cancel culture, which Finkelstein argues has undermined movements for justice and left the space open for malicious actors.

Americans are socialised into capitalism, racism and then Zionism | Noura Erakat

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 16:00:00 +0000

What is the link between Zionism, capitalism and the American empire?

Fresh off the back of a deeply toxic, all consuming US election - one in which the issue of Palestine and the war in Gaza was largely ignored - we examine what it means to survive a system intent on silencing and marginalising dissenting voices.

Despite the key role the Biden Administration has played in arming and supporting Israel, a position opposed by the majority of Americans, few political voices were interested in challenging or even speaking about this policy.

A policy which mirrors the US’ own bloody history of colonialism, empire and exploitation. An environment in which voices who challenge the status quo

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, Mohamed Hassan sits down with human rights attorney, legal scholar and professor at Rutgers University Noura Erakat.

Erakat is one of the boldest and most precise Palestinian-American voices in the public eye, and says despite speaking for years about the legal rights of Palestinians, she has always been sceptical of the law.

In October she wrote a piece for The Nation titled ‘Nothing Will Ever Be The Same’, in which she says a year of genocide in Gaza has changed her as a person, as a Palestinian and as a legal scholar.

The birth of Israel and the death of Zionism | Ilan Pappé

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:00:00 +0000

Can Zionism survive the current war in Gaza?

Israeli historian Ilan Pappé believes it can’t. In fact, he argues that the liberation of Palestine is an inevitability.

Pappé is the author of 24 books on the Israel-Palestine conflict, and most recently published two books: ‘Lobbying for Zionism on Both Sides of the Atlantic’ and ‘A Very Short History of the Israel-Palestine Conflict’.

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with Ilan Pappé to talk about where the Zionist project originates, why it embraced settler colonialism and why he believes it will ultimately fail to achieve its goals.

The untold history of the Israeli Defence Forces | The Big Picture

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 12:00:00 +0100

Before the formation of the Israeli Defence Forces in 1948, there were three underground Zionist militias - The Haganah, the Irgun and the Lehi.

They differed in tactics and beliefs, and at times fought with each other - but together they terrorised Palestinian villages and executed bombings and assassinations against the British to force them to give up control of the land.

They blew up hotels in Jerusalem, embassies in Europe and assassinated a UN mediator.

After Israel was officiated as a state - the three militias would create the IDF - and their leaders would go on to form Israel’s government, become politicians, ambassadors and Prime Ministers.

And their dark history would be forgotten.

This week on The Big Picture, we unpack that history.

Will Kamal Harris lose the election because of the Gaza vote | Abbas Alawieh

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 11:00:00 +0100

Can Kamala Harris defeat Donald Trump without ending the war in Gaza?

That could be up to a handful of key swing states, including Michigan, home to 150,000 Arab-American voters.

This is a community that has never had a political voice in Washington, that is, until now. A group of activists, community organisers and political insiders have come together to galvanise the anger around Gaza and force the Democrats to pay attention.

That birthed the Uncommitted National Movement.

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, my name is Mohamed Hassan and today I’m joined by the founder of the Uncommitted Movement, Abbas Alawieh.

In 2021, Alawieh became chief-of-staff for Missouri Congresswoman Cori Bush. After October 7, he helped start a movement to withhold a vote for Joe Biden at the Democratic Primary in Michigan over his stance on Gaza, resulting in over 100,000 people voting ‘Uncommitted’ on their ballot papers.

Michigan has historically been a battleground for Republicans and Democrats. In 2016, Trump became president after beating Hillary Clinton in the state by a margin of just 10,000 votes. Four years later, Biden swung Michigan back by 154,000 votes.

That means for both candidates, securing the Arab-American vote could be crucial. But that relies on this community to vote as a block, and recognise the influence they can wield. So can they do it? Or will they continue to be ignored?

A (very) online history of Elon Musk | Marc Owen Jones

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 13:00:00 +0100

Does Elon Musk have too much power over how we communicate online?

Is he using that power to fuel dangerous far-right conspiracies?

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we’re joined by Marc Owen Jones, social media analyst, author and assistant professor at Northwestern University in Doha.

Over the last few weeks, he’s been documenting the Southport anti-immigrant riots across the UK, and the link between online misinformation and the real world violence it can cause.

The riots, fueled by misinformation spread by online influencers like Tommy Robbinson, Andrew Tate and Nigel Farage, who initially blamed immigrants and Muslims for the attack, despite the suspect not belonging to either group.

The UK government pinned much of the blame on X-owner and tech-mogul Elon Musk, who was seen to engage actively in the conversation, sharing far-right memes and conspiracy theories about a ‘two tier justice system’ - accusing the British government of cracking down on free speech and being under the influence of Islamists.

Musk, who bought X in 2022 under a mandate of “protecting free speech”, has increasingly been accused of turning the platform into an unmoderated, bot-filled conspiracy den, and that he himself has become one of its worst offenders.

So are the accusations true?

Israel, Iran, Hezbollah and the tightrope of regional war | Trita Parsi

Sat, 10 Aug 2024 05:00:00 +0100

What is the price tag for convincing Iran to back down?

The US is desperately trying to keep a lid on the heightened tensions in the Middle East, following Israel’s assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Hanieyeh in Iran’s capital, and the airstrike on a Beirut suburb that killed senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the gambler and accused war criminal, seems determined to escalate tensions with Iran to the brink of war, largely to keep himself in power.

Iran, meanwhile, has made it very clear that war is the last thing it wants. But after Israel’s attack on its embassy in April that pushed it to launch hundreds of retaliatory drones as a deterrent against further attacks, Iran finds itself again in the spotlight.

What will it decide to do?

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with political analyst Trita Parsi to talk about what each party really wants to achieve from a confrontation, and what it would take for Iran to save face without escalating into all out war.

Paris was the founder and former president of the Iranian-American National Council and is currently the executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.

The frightening reality is - even if no one really wants a war - we may be just one tiny miscalculation away from a point of no return.

Netanyahu's end game: Why Israel assassinated Hamas chief in Iran | Gideon Levy

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 18:00:00 +0100

Two assassinations. Two capital cities. Less than 24 hours.

One struck an apartment in downtown Beirut, killing a woman and two children - targeting a Hezbollah senior commander.

Then just hours later, a strike in the heart of Tehran, assassinating Hamas’ most high profile figure, and its political chief - Ismail Hanieyah.

Israel has claimed the first attack, though not the second - at least not yet - but the reverberations are already starting to be felt - as are fears that we’re barreling towards an inevitable regional war - one that could spiral quickly out of control.

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with award-winning Israeli journalist and author Gideon Levy about the significance, and wisdom, of the two high profile assassinations.

Hanieyah’s killing in particular threatens to derail the already fragile ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, which have so far failed to put an end to a horrific 10-month war that killed more than 39,000 Palestinians and 1200 Israelis.

It also pushes the United States deeper into a corner.

The Biden Administration has failed to pull Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from the brink, but continues to supply him with weapons used against a civilian population in Gaza, while undermining attempts to hold Israel to account internationally.

Now less than 100 days before an election that could return Trump to the White House - can the US really afford to follow Israel into a war with Hezbollah - and possibly - a war with Iran?

Why real change for Palestine can't come from the fringes | Naz Shah

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 17:00:00 +0100

Just days out from a historic general election expected to usher in a Labour government for the first time in 14 years - we speak to one of its most vocal and fiery MPs - Naz Shah.

Shah has been the MP for Bradford West since 2015 - after beginning her career as a carer with the NHS and a community advocate - campaigning among other things for the release of her own mother from prison.

In November, she broke ranks with the Labour Party leadership to support a call for a ceasefire in Gaza - and resigned from her position in the shadow cabinet.

She wasn’t alone - 55 other Labour MPs did the same - in one of the biggest challenges to the leadership of Keir Starmer, who’s been heavily criticised over remarks he made supporting Israeli military action.

But despite her public positions, and a long track record of speaking out for Palestine and Islamophobia - Naz Shah hasn’t evaded criticism - as calls among Muslim voters grow to boycott all Labour candidates at the upcoming general election.

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with Shah to talk about lobbying for Palestine inside the Labour Party, why she thinks boycotting Labour is a mistake, and what it would take to push Keir Starmer in the right direction.

Palestine, people power and changing the two party system | Leanne Mohamad

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 14:00:00 +0100

Can a lone 24 year old Palestinian take on the Labour Party?

That’s what Leanne Mohamad is determined to do, campaigning as an independent candidate in the safe Labour seat of Ilford North at the upcoming general elections.

It’s no small feat - she’s up against Wes Streeting, a senior party heavyweight and a man tapped by many as Keir Starmer’s successor. So how can she take him on?

Mohamad’s no stranger to taking on the odds. When she was 15, a high school speech she gave on Palestinian rights went viral, unleashing a wave of angry and hateful reactions that prompted her school to take the video down.

But the counterwave of support she received propelled her to become one of the most prominent activists speaking up for Gaza today - and the face of a grassroots political campaign to punish Labour for their support of Israel’s military actions.

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with activist and political candidate Leanne Mohamad to talk about her Palestinian identity and how it’s shaped who she is today, and why she wants to be a new voice in parliament.

If she wins, it could prove that public anger over foreign policy can change politics, and more significantly, that the British Muslim voice is ready to be taken seriously.

Subscribe and listen on all podcast platforms: https://thebigpicture.buzzsprout.com/

After 40 years with Labour, Corbyn is taking them on | Jeremy Corbyn

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 17:00:00 +0100

Jeremy Corbyn was the Labour MP for North Islington for 40 years - his entire political career.

But not anymore.

Now, he’s campaigning against his former party, trying to convince his lifelong voters to abandon the party that abandoned him.

After he was suspended from the Labour Party by his former shadow minister Keir Starmer, Corbyn chose to stand as an independent, and feels like he no longer recognises the party that shaped him.

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we go on the road to North Islington, where we joined Corbyn on the campaign trail to talk about the challenges of going out on his own, how Gaza changed British politics and his thoughts on what kind of leader Starmer would make.

Subscribe and listen on all podcast platforms: https://thebigpicture.buzzsprout.com/

What investigating the Iraq War taught me about Gaza | Les Roberts

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 16:00:00 +0100

In 2004, Les Roberts smuggled himself into Iraq as his own government was in the midst of bombing and occupying the country.

His mission was to find out how many civilians had been killed in the devastating US-led invasion, because Western media was refusing to cover it.

When he published his findings in the Lancet Report, that between 100,000 and 600,000 people had been killed - it was dismissed and scorned. Years later, his estimate has been accepted as true.

Inside Iraq, Roberts witnessed the horrors of America’s indiscriminate bombing campaign, and the terror it inflicted on the people of Iraq, and Iraqi children in particular.

Today, he watches as a similar horror is unleashed on children in Gaza.

More than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli airstrikes since October 7, including more than 15,000 children.

Many health officials, including Roberts, believe that number is likely conservative, as it doesn’t account for thousands missing or trapped beneath the rubble of their homes, nor those who have died from the spread of disease and famine.

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we speak with Dr Les Roberts, an epidemiologist and Professor Emeritus at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

Dr Roberts spent his career documenting death and disease in conflict zones - including in Rwanda, the Congo and Iraq.

You can read his opinion piece on the accuracy of the death toll in Gaza for Time Magazine here: https://time.com/6909636/gaza-death-toll/

We can never trust these instruments of power | Norman Finkelstein

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 13:00:00 +0100

We are living through a moment of social and political upheaval - one that has somehow aligned the Houthi rebels in Yemen, South Africa’s greatest legal minds and students across the wealthiest campuses in the world.

They’re all fighting for Gaza, and against an increasingly isolated Israeli government and its Western backers. So are we witnessing a historic tipping point?

Norman Finkelstein has documented the Israel-Palestine conflict for over 4 decades, with a particular focus on Israel’s actions in Gaza.

As the son of Holocaust survivors, he became particularly critical of Israel’s use of history as a propaganda tool to shut down critique - something he documents in his book ‘The Holocaust Industry’.

Since October 7, he’s been one of the most prolific voices speaking out - accusing Israel of carrying out a Genocide - and describing Gaza as a concentration camp.

In this episode of The Big Picture podcast, we speak to him about the value of international law, the historic turning point in Palestinian advocacy and his view on Israel’s moral argument for its own existence.

Fiona Lali took down Suella Braverman, now she's going after the government

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 15:00:00 +0100

Fiona Lali wants to bring down the British government, as well as capitalism.

The marxist organiser turned independent candidate in the upcoming UK general elections says there’s a link between the powerful protest movement for Palestine and the widespread anger felt by young people and workers alike.

Lali went viral in May when she confronted former British Home Secretary Suella Braverman on TV, in what many saw as a powerful rebuttal of Braverman’s views on the university encampments protesting for Gaza.

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we speak with Lali about how she took on one of the most divisive political figures in the country, and what she wants to change now that she’s become a politician.

[BONUS] The ICC arrest warrants against Israel and Hamas explained | The Big Picture

Tue, 21 May 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Will Benjamin Netanyahu face justice at the Hague?

The International Criminal Court on Monday issued arrest warrants for both Israeli and Hamas leaders over their actions in Gaza and on 7 October, accusing them both of committing war crimes.

It’s an unprecedented move, the first time a US-ally has been pursued by the ICC.

Prosecutor Karim Khan says that the reputation of international law itself hangs in the balance, and that the decision must be respected in order to prove that “human beings wherever they may be have equal value”.

But it’s complicated. Both Israel and the US have vowed to fight it, and there’s a history of ICC member states refusing to hand over their allies to the court.

This week on The Big Picture, we examine what the ICC case is, and what it will take to bring the war in Gaza to an end.

The untold legacy of Winston Churchill and the British Empire | Tariq Ali

Thu, 16 May 2024 12:00:00 +0100

Winston Churchill is one of the most biographed figures in modern history, and held up as an orator and wartime strategist that turned the tide against Hitler and Nazi Germany.

But how accurate is this image? And is it hiding a darker reality?

This week on The Big Picture, we sit down with British-Pakistani writer, political activist and public intellectual Tariq Ali.

Ali published his own biography, titled ‘Winston Churchill: His Times, His Crimes’. In it, he paints a different portrait - one of a self-obsessed, ruthless and deeply racist colonial leader, who lost little sleep over his crushing attempts to maintain Britain’s rule.

In particular, his actions in Ireland, Kenya and Bangladesh led to some of the most horrific atrocities of the 20th Century.

Why young Jewish Americans are turning on Israel | Simone Zimmerman

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 14:00:00 +0100

“I was definitely raised to be a Jewish leader of some kind.”

With college campuses all over the US gripped by intense battles around free speech, antisemitism and Palestinian rights - the voices of young Jewish Americans have led the way.

One of the boldest and most prominent voices is that of Simone Zimmerman.

Zimmerman was raised in a conservative Zionist household, taught to idolise and support Israel as the highest aspiration of all young Jewish Americans like her.

But as she got older, she began to question whether there was another side to Israel she was being sheltered from - and when she sought answers, she was shocked at what she discovered.

Prompted by conversations with Palestinians under occupation and Jewish activists, she went home and began to organise in an attempt to stop her government’s military support for Israel, and as she puts it, “live out the values of justice I was raised on”.

On the frontlines of protests in campuses and halls of power, she suddenly found herself a target of accusations by pro-Israeli groups, who now called her “antisemitic” and a “jew hater” and threatening her online.

After October 7, she became more determined than ever to challenge the beliefs in her community about Israel, and the reluctance by many to see the horrific reality of what’s happening in Gaza.

This week on The Big Picture, we sit down with Simone Zimmerman to talk about her story, which has been documented in a provocative new documentary called ‘Israelism’, and whether we’re witnessing a turning point in how young Jewish-Americans see Israel, and how young Americans see their government’s support for the occupation.

Check out the trailer for Israelism here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bondvm3hvGM&ab_channel=TikkunOlamFilms

Check out Simone Zimmerman’s work with If Not Now here: https://www.ifnotnowmovement.org/

Why are Israel and Iran on the brink of war? | David Hearst

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 17:00:00 +0100

Did Iran fall into Israel’s trap when it attacked on Saturday, or did it outmanoeuvre Netanyahu? Are we on the brink of regional war, or can the US contain the spill?

When Israel bombed an Iranian embassy compound in Damascus on 1 April, killing top Iranian commanders, many saw it as bait laid out by Benjamin Netanyahu to force a direct confrontation that would drag the US into a wider regional conflict. More isolated than ever on the world stage after six months of brutal war in Gaza, Israel needed a distraction.

Iran vowed to respond, and despite warnings from US President Joe Biden, launched a large-scale drone and missile attack on Israel, the first direct confrontation with Israel after decades of proxy aggressions between the two adversaries.

Most of the attack was thwarted by the US and Israel’s aerial defence systems, with the help of British and French air power as well as, surprisingly, Jordan. It was an incredibly expensive show of defensive force that sent a message to Israel’s enemies, but also potentially exposed a contingency strategy the US had in place for years against Iran.

The aftermath of the attack, which Iran declared a victory, left the region and the world reeling, fearing what could be the first spark in a much-feared regional war spilling out from Gaza - one that Israel had at times provoked, but that all its neighbours, as well as the US and even Iran itself, had desperately tried to avoid.

In this episode of The Big Picture, we sit down with Middle East Eye’s editor-in-chief David Hearst to talk about whether Iran’s attack was a stroke of strategic shrewdness, or if it played directly into Israel’s hands.

Antisemitism, White Supremacy and the death of liberal Europe | Ghassan Hage

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 13:00:00 +0100

Is Europe ‘nostalgic for a racist past’ when it didn’t have to apologise for its colonialism?

In this week’s episode of The Big Picture, we sit down with renowned Australian anthropologist Ghassan Hage.

Hage is currently fighting against the prestigious Max Planck Society in Germany over accusations of ‘antisemitism’ over his critiques of Israel.

This week, Germany’s government had to defend its ongoing military support for Israel’s war in Gaza after a legal case was filed at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by Nicaragua, who accused Germany of “facilitating the commission of genocide”.

We go in-depth and speak about Germany, antisemitism and the end of liberal Europe.

Hage was invited to a placement at a Max Planck institute last year, but soon became the target of attacks by right-wing media in Germany, who lobbied the Max Planck directors to fire him. They did.

Despite being married to a Jewish refugee whose father fled Mussolini, and building a career in creating dialogue, Hage was denied a chance to defend the accusations.

Now he’s fighting back, and says his case is part of a wider trend in Germany and many western nations who are using ‘antisemitism’ as a cover to keep immigrants under control.

Why Sadiq Khan still believes in Labour under Keir Starmer

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 17:00:00 +0100

In this episode of The Big Picture, we sit down with Sadiq Khan for a wide ranging conversation about Labour’s election hopes, his political regrets and his vision for the future of London.

Sadiq Khan wants to make history by winning a third term as London’s mayor - but his confidence is shaky.

A winter of mass protests, a smear campaign in the media and a new set of voting regulations ushered in by a hostile Tory government have pushed him to rally his supporters not to take the upcoming May elections for granted.

On top of that, Khan’s trying to talk his Muslim base out of punishing him and Labour in anger over the war in Gaza, which he says would be politically naive.

So what’s he saying to his fellow Londonders to convince them otherwise, and what’s his view on Keir Starmer’s public positions since October 7?

Finding my voice and leaving Gaza | Plestia Alaqad

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000

How do you humanise people facing unimaginable odds?

That was the task Plestia Alaqad gave herself when she first put on her press vest on October 7. Freshly graduated from journalism school and dreaming of a bright future, she suddenly found herself in the middle of a war zone, with the eyes of the world watching.

Armed with her phone and internet access, she began documenting the lives of her family and the people around her - finding stories of hope and resilience amid the rubble.

Overnight, she became one of the most followed people on the internet, as each day, millions tuned in to watch the war unfold through her eyes. It was a kid of journalism we hadn’t witnessed before, immediate, empathetic and spoken through the voices of young Palestinians facing the unimaginable.

In this episode of The Big Picture Podcast, Mohamed Hassan meets with Plestia in Melbourne, where she and her family fled after leaving Gaza, reluctant and tearful, praying for the day they would return but knowing that day may not come.

How Israel tests its weapons in Gaza then sells them to the world | Antony Loewenstein

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 17:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with investigative journalist Antony Loewenstein to talk about how for decades, Israel used its occupation of Palestinians as a testing ground for new weaponry, which it then packages and sells to governments around the world.

In fact, Loewenstein argues that since its inception, Israel built its economy around military and surveillance technology, exporting it to some of the world’s most repressive regimes including Myanmar, Pinochet’s Chile and apartheid South Africa.

As the devastating war in Gaza wages on, Israeli defence contractors have already begun advertising drones, hightech firearms and robot dogs battle-tested in the field and ready to be sent abroad.

The Big Picture is produced and presented by Mohamed Hassan. It’s a weekly show about the big ideas that shape our past, present and future.

Changing the narrative around Palestine | Randa Abdel Fattah

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 18:00:00 +0000

What does coverage of Gaza tell us about how the West sees the rest of the world?

A recent report into mainstream news coverage found Islamophobic and anti-Arab language was widely used in coverage of the events after 7 October, with Israeli victims described using emotive language 11 times more than Palestinian victims.

It also documented how pro-Palestinian voices were frequently vilified and treated with hostility during interviews. So why is this happening?

In our first episode of Season 3 of The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with sociologist and writer Dr Randa Abdel Fattah, who speaks about her first-hand experience as an outspoken Palestinian academic.

She argues in her work that media narratives paint Palestinians and Arabs as ‘unreasonable, unrestrained and uncivilised’ as a way of maintaining a western colonial order.

Why the West is wrong about Islam | Peter Oborne

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 18:00:00 +0000

Why are Western societies so fearful of Islam and Muslims?

One can answer this question by examining history, particularly that of European colonial powers, and the ways in which they justified their actions in the Global South by painting its peoples and religions as alien and in need of reformation.

Another answer can be found in the murky ties between our modern political parties, powerful media figures and well-funded think tanks, who have all benefited from casting Muslim communities as antagonists.

This week on The Big Picture podcast, we speak to celebrated journalist, author and columnist Peter Oborne, who has spent years tracing the roots of anti-Muslim hatred in Western history, and the people who shape its modern manifestations in Britain, the US and France.

He presents his findings in his 2023 book ‘The Fate of Abraham: Why The West Is Wrong About Islam’.

The Labour Party has a racism problem | Ali Milani

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 17:00:00 +0000

How deep does racism run within the Labour Party?

Since the start of the Gaza war, there's been a growing anger within British Muslim communities at Labour's perceived lack of leadership on the Palestinian issue, and on the calls for a ceasefire.

Under Sir Keir Starmer, the opposition party has towed the government line, publicly supporting Israel's devastating war, despite the outcry of many Labour MPs - many who quit in protest.

But some have remained to fight.

This week on The Big Picture, we speak with Labour Party member and former Uxbridge candidate Ali Milani, who says he's ready to publicly challenge the way senior members of the party view Palestinians, and Muslims in general.

How to build a mass movement around Palestine | Chris Nineham

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 14:00:00 +0000

This week on the Big Picture, we speak with British political activist, author and deputy chair of the Stop The War Coalition, Chris Nineham.

Nineham was instrumental in organising the historic anti-war demonstrations in 2003 against the invasion of Iraq - which saw millions flood the streets in major cities across the globe - and is considered the largest protest in UK history.

Now he's helping bring together another global call to action on January 13 - this time to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza after three months of continuous action.

We speak with Nineham about what it takes to build a mass movement, bringing together activists, unionists and community groups and turn the momentum of the last three months of action into a worldwide push to end war, injustice and poverty.

The 'righteous anger' of Palestinians | Omar Suleiman

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 13:00:00 +0000

It is impossible not to feel overwhelmed by the ongoing war in Gaza - the death toll, the horrific footage, the world’s inability to bring it to an end.

That is compounded for Palestinians, many with family members directly impacted, who feel they’ve always been seen through a racist and islamophobic lens, and that speaking out is a political act with consequences.

So how do Palestinians and Muslims navigate their feelings of anger with their faith?

This week on The Big Picture, we sit down with Palestinian-American scholar and activist Dr Omar Suleiman, the founder of the Yaqeen Institute in Texas.

Dr Suleiman built a reputation as a religious voice who resonates with the growing Muslim diaspora searching for leaders, and as a millennial often on the frontlines of social issues and protest movements in the US.

He speaks to us about his own anger, his commitment to challenging his government and why this is a turning point for how he sees himself as an American.

A British lawmaker fights for her Christian family in Gaza | Layla Moran

Wed, 20 Dec 2023 17:00:00 +0000

What does it take to shift the UK’s position on Palestine?

One lawmaker, Layla Moran, has a deeply personal drive to fight for change. Her relatives have been trapped in a Gaza Church for days, surrounded by Israeli snipers and tanks and running out of food and water.

Moran has been fighting to change the position of her Liberal Democrats Party for years, to introduce policies about recognizing a Palestinian state by bringing together Israeli and Palestinian voices.

Her efforts led to the party calling for a ceasefire in Gaza on November 13, more than a month before other British parties budged on their blanket support for Israel’s military action.

Now she wants the government to commit to joining the international community in pushing for an end to the war, and to uphold its “historic obligation” to recognising Palestinian independence.

This week on the Big Picture, we speak to Layla Moran about her family, her Palestinian identity and her belief in dialogue as a tool to bridge the bitter divide.

The legal team pursuing justice in the Gaza War | Tayab Ali

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 18:00:00 +0000

Can Western leaders be held to account for their role in the Gaza war?

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with one lawyer determined to do just that, and who has already put many of them on public notice.

Tayab Ali is Solicitor Advocate, a partner at the London Law firm Bindmans LLP and the director of the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP).

For years, Ali fought to bring Israeli politicians before British courts on charges of war crimes. These included former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

In 2009, he successfully applied for UK court to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni following the brutal Operation Cast Lead, which killed more than 1000 Palestinians in Gaza.

In 2011 the British government controversially issued diplomatic protection for Livni to allow her to visit London on a speaking tour.

Following the Hamas attack on October 7 which led to Israel’s war in Gaza, killing more than 18,000 people including 7000 children, Ali and his team published a public letter to British politicians, informing them of their intent to prosecute any lawmakers “aiding and abetting war crimes in Gaza”.

They’re also supporting groups mounting a case at the High Court against the UK government over its arms exports to Israel.

[BONUS] Biden needs the Arab vote to beat Trump | The Big Picture Explained

Sun, 10 Dec 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Joe Biden has pursued a ‘no red lines’ policy in his support for Israel’s war in Gaza, despite it being deeply unpopular among his own voters.

The growing anger in Arab and Muslim American communities in key swing states has pushed many to vow they won’t vote for him in the 2024 Presidential elections.

While only making up 1% of the population - it’s where they live that could make all the difference - and it’s something the Democrats are starting to really worry about.

This week on The Big Picture, we examine what poll numbers say about Biden’s foreign policy decisions, and what it says about his hopes for defeating Donald Trump.

Why a weapons expert is taking on the US government | Josh Paul

Thu, 07 Dec 2023 13:00:00 +0000

Josh Paul created a big stir when he resigned from the US State Department in protest of the sale of weapons to Israel.

In a highly publicised letter, he said the rush to arm Israel’s war in Gaza was “shortsighted, destructive, unjust and contradictory”

The former arms trade expert, who helped the US train the Iraqi police and the Palestinian Authority, and oversaw weapons deals to a number of controversial regimes, says he’s now speaking out in the hopes he can pressure the US into changing its foreign policy.

Israel's fears, its delusions and its future | Daniel Levy

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 17:00:00 +0000

Is there a path back from the brink for Israel and Palestine?

Under the blinding influence of fury and revenge after the October 7 attack, Israel has waged a relentless war in Gaza which killed more than 11,000 Palestinians and displaced more than 1.5 million people.

But beyond its stated aim to eliminate Hamas, there seems to be no plan for what happens the day after, or what would stop the wheel of violence from continuing to spin.

This week on The Big Picture podcast, we sit down with former Israeli negotiator and analyst Daniel Levy, who now heads the US-Middle East Project.

Levy argues that despite the terrifying language now normal within Israeli society, there is still an offramp, and even a road to peace.

[BONUS] Why American politicians are 'lying' about Gaza | The Big Picture Explained

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Are there Hamas tunnels under hospitals? Did Israel give up Gaza in 2005? Did the Palestinians reject their own state?

This week on The Big Picture, we examine a widely shared interview with Hillary Clinton, praised as informative and illuminating.

Except most of what she says about Gaza isn’t true - so why is she misleading the public?

It could be her financial ties to Israel, and influential Israeli lobbies in the United States. She’s not the only one.

The fall of Western order, the rise of the Global South | Wadah Khanfar

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 16:00:00 +0000

Are Western leaders sleepwalking into a disaster in the Middle East?

As regional tensions surge amid Israel’s devastating war in Gaza, its allies in the US and Europe have refused calls to de-escalate the conflict and prevent the staggering toll on human life from spiralling further.

Western countries vowed to stand by Israel as it responds to the deadly October 7 attack by Hamas, with many invoking the language of the ‘War on Terror’ and a ‘Clash of Civilisations’. But unlike conflicts in the past, these countries have increasingly found themselves isolated on the world stage, at the United Nations and on the streets of major cities.

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with Palestinian thinker and political strategist Wadah Khanfar, the former director general of Al Jazeera.

Khanfar says Israel and its allies are desperately trying to maintain Western hegemony in the Middle East and beyond, but they cannot see that the world has already moved on.

[BONUS] ‘40 beheaded babies’ : How media amplified an unconfirmed story | The Big Picture Explained

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 17:00:00 +0100

On Wednesday, the world woke up to newspapers plastered with a horrific headline about ‘40 Israeli babies decapitated by Hamas’.

But was the story true?

We dig into the dizzying, circular debate around the darkest story of an already devastating week and ask whether journalists fulfilled their duty to fact-check it, or instead helped Israel justify its policy of ‘collective punishment’ in Gaza.

The history of Hamas, Fatah and Palestinian liberation movements | Azzam Tamimi

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 17:00:00 +0100

The history of Palestinian liberation movements is paved with setbacks, betrayals and bitter rivalries.

What began as an attempt to unify the resistance against Israeli occupation has over time been undermined by regional and global political interests, ideological differences and disagreements over the justification, and use, of guerilla tactics.

Today the question of who represents Palestinian interests is hotly contested, with Hamas and Fatah vying for control, and a wave of dissatisfied young factions on the rise in Gaza and the West Bank.

This week on The Big Picture podcast, we speak with British-Palestinian academic and political activist Dr Azzam Tamimi.

In the light of the ongoing violence in Gaza and Israel, and the devastating toll on civilian life, Dr Tamimi explains how these movements began, and why another Palestinian uprising is inevitable.

Imran Khan, the army and Pakistan's broken politics | Zulfi Bukhari

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 13:00:00 +0100

What is the fate of Imran Khan?

After more than a year of political turmoil following his ousting, the embattled former Pakistani leader is in prison, fighting dozens of charges from corruption to sedition to selling state secrets.

He’s also been barred from taking part in the country’s upcoming elections, and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, is slowly being dismantled. Senior leaders have been arrested or pushed into exile, and his supporters accused of terrorism.

Pakistan’s caretaker government insists justice is taking its course, and that elections will be open and fair. Khan’s supporters say the opposition and the military have conspired to make sure the country’s most popular political figure can never reach the polls come January.

This week on The Big Picture podcast, we sit down with Zulfi Bukhari, a former cabinet minister and special assistant to Imran Khan.

Himself in exile, Bukhari has been lobbying governments to speak out about the climate of fear, censorship and intimidation undermining the country’s future.

What Ireland's history of resistance says about Palestine | Richard Boyd Barrett

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 15:00:00 +0100

Ireland’s fight for independence from British rule has defined how it sees itself in the world - as a liberated people compelled to fight against oppression everywhere.

This sentiment formed its proud stance of ‘neutrality’, which saw it refuse to engage in World War II, and defines its strong and vocal support for the fight against Apartheid - first in South Africa, and today in Palestine.

But under pressure from NATO to join the fight against Russia, is that ‘neutrality’ under threat?

This week on The Big Picture podcast, we sit down with Irish lawmaker and anti-war activist Richard Boyd Barrett to talk about why Irish people feel compelled to support the Palestinian struggle, and how Ireland can lead the world away from warring empires.

How a human rights defender was convicted of terrorism | Muhammad Rabbani

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 15:00:00 +0100

How far would you go to protect a client?

When Muhammad Rabbani, a human rights advocate, was stopped and interrogated on his way back to the UK after working with a high profile client, it was an experience he was familiar with.

As a Muslim and an activist, he'd been stopped at the airport many times before.

This time however, when he refused to give up the passwords to his personal devices, he was arrested, charged and convicted under the Terrorism Act.

His fight to clear his name has been documented in the new film 'Phantom Parrot', which highlights the controversial 'Schedule 7' clause that allows police to detain and question citizens at the border without suspicion, and how it's used to gather and share intelligence with other bodies such as the FBI.

This week on the Big Picture podcast, we sit down with Rabbani, who is the managing director of CAGE, to hear his story firsthand, and why he thinks it should shock and concern every British citizen.

You can find out more about 'Phantom Parrot' and where to watch it here: https://phantomparrot.com/

Jeremy Corbyn | The future of Labour and the Left in Britain

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 16:00:00 +0100

Has the Labour Party turned its back on the Left?

Following the disastrous election loss to Boris Johnson in 2019, the party emerged from the ashes promising to shed itself of its past and the image of one man - Jeremy Corbyn.

His successor Sir Keir Starmer has instead defined his leadership directly in opposition to Corbyn, leaning towards the centrist ideals of another former leader, Tony Blair.

So what remains of the Labour that once promised revolutionary reforms to Britain’s welfare, climate and foreign policies?

This week on the Big Picture podcast, we sit down with Jeremy Corbyn, who resigned in 2019 as Labour leader, was suspended from the party in 2020 and earlier this year banned from running again as a candidate.

He says the party now resembles the undemocratic and dictatorial environment he first encountered in the 1960s.

What Uyghurs want the world to know about China | Rahima Mahmut

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 15:00:00 +0100

How do you challenge the might of the Chinese state?

For decades, the Uyghur Muslims have fought to preserve their culture, their language and their religion in the face of China’s rising power and control.

Since 2013, sweeping crackdowns have turned the once-autonomous region which calls itself ‘East Turkestan’ into a heavily militarised zone, where high tech surveillance systems were installed and thousands of ordinary people disappeared.

What China calls ‘anti-terrorism’ measures have been revealed as something much more sinister - concentration camps where more than a million Uyghurs are ‘re-educated’ into giving up their beliefs and adopting nationalist ideals, or face severe consequences.

Those who managed to escape Xinjiang are now trying to warn the world about what’s happening to their families who they can no longer reach.

This week on The Big Picture podcast, we sit down with Rahima Mahmut, an Uyghur folk singer in exile and the UK director of the World Uyghur Congress. She says China has fooled the world into looking the other way, but she and others will not give up.

Why we should be worried about AI mass surveillance | Agnes Callamard

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 17:00:00 +0100

Can we trust the AI to watch over us?

Artificial intelligence and machine learning technology have entered into a new era, advancing at a rate none of us can comprehend or keep up with.

Tech companies, governments and police forces are racing to own and turn these advances into cutting edge security and mass surveillance systems, while legislators and human rights voices desperately try to build the guard rails that will keep it from getting out of control.

What’s at stake is the real possibility of a world where every aspect of our lives, public or private, is surveilled, analysed and documented for the benefit of those at the helm of this new technology, and whose interests lie in keeping us under control.

This week on the Big Picture podcast, we sit down with Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnes Callamard, who says we’re already seeing the consequences of unregulated AI, and must act to fix it before it’s too late.

The forgotten history of Arab Jews | Avi Shlaim

Thu, 03 Aug 2023 14:00:00 +0100

For thousands of years, Jewish communities lived and thrived in the Arab world, and were integral to shaping its history, culture and economy.

But when Israel was established, more than 260,000 Arab-Jews fled their homes, and their history has largely been forgotten.

So what happened in the 1950s that forced the vast majority of them to leave?

This week on The Big Picture podcast, we sit down with Israeli historian and Oxford fellow Avi Shlaim, who himself was born in Iraq and left as a child.

Professor Shlaim documented his own family’s migration from Iraq, describing a prosperous and happy society that didn’t buy into the promise of Zionism.

In fact, he says he’s uncovered proof that external forces conspired to scare Arab-Jews into leaving.

How Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shifted global politics | David Hearst

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 11:00:00 +0100

Putin, NATO and the threat of nuclear war - has the world entered a new reality?

More than a year and a half ago, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shocked the world, destabilising energy markets, food security and diplomacy.

But attempts by the US to rally the world behind Ukraine have failed, with many former allies choosing instead to sit on the sidelines and bide their time - signalling a fissure after decades of unchallenged Western hegemony.

This week on The Big Picture podcast, we sit down with MEE’s Editor in Chief David Hearst, who reflects on his time reporting in post-Soviet Russia to analyse the current global landscape, and the ways in which the Ukraine war has pushed it to the point of no return.

Narco-Diplomacy: How Bashar al-Assad used Captagon to survive the Syrian War | Lina Khatib

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 15:00:00 +0100

What happens when a dictator uses drug trafficking as a tool of diplomacy?

The psychoactive drug known as Captagon has exploded across the Middle East and Europe, leading many countries to clasify it as an ‘epidemic’. The highly-addictive pill used to be made in Turkey and Latin America, but that slowly changed after the Syrian Civil War.

Today, 80% of the global supplies come from Syria, and many have accused Bashar al-Assad of using the drug to generate billions in revenue for the government, bypassing sanctions, and to put pressure on his neighbours to resume diplomatic ties.

That gambit seems to have paid off in May when, after more than 10 years, Syria was welcomed back into the Arab League.

In this week’s episode of The Big Picture, we sit down with Dr Lina Khatib, head of the Middle East Institute at SOAS University. Dr Khatib says despite years of sanctions and political pressure, Assad has emerged feeling victorious.

The UK wants to ban Israel boycotts, but MPs vow to fight it | Crispin Blunt MP

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 11:00:00 +0100

Could the BDS movement soon become illegal in the UK?

Under a new bill, the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill, boycotting foreign countries will become illegal for public bodies, which would include councils, unions and student organisations.

The law specifically protects Israel from being targetted, and bars public bodies from even voicing support for pro-Palestinian BDS initiatives even if they don’t take part.

The bill, spearheaded by Secretary of State for Levelling Up Michale Gove, passed its first two readings in parliament, but a large number of Conservative MPs vow to break away from their party and fight it.

In this episode of The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with Conservative MP Cripsin Blunt, who also serves as the director of the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians.

He says the bill will set a dangerous precedent for free speech and will create a dangerous environment for activists as well as Jewish communities.

Israel, the media and the future of Palestinian resistence | Husam Zomlot

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 11:00:00 +0100

Are we witnessing the beginning of a new Palestinian uprising?

The Israeli raid on Jenin this week marked a sudden escalation of violence in an increasingly tense West Bank, with calls for armed insurrections in several Palestinian cities.

12 people, including three children, died in Jenin, adding to the toll of more than 100 Palestinians that have been killed since 2022.

Israel’s far-right government vows the raids will continue, as the Palestinian Authority faces growing anger for failing to intervene, and a young generation ready to take up arms.

In the first episode of our second season of The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with Palestinian ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot, who says international media is helping Israel continue to evade accountability, and that Palestinians are frustrated and hopeless.

How Israel uses architecture to exert control | Eyal Weizman

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 14:00:00 +0100

On the frontlines of technological leaps are often people in power - governments, police, intelligence agencies and militaries - trying to use new research to advance the ways in which they operate. But what happens when these powers aren’t used for good? Who can keep the powerful in check in a global digital age?

In this episode of The Big Picture, we sit down with architect and investigator Eyal Weizman to talk about how Israel uses urban planning to expand its control of the West Bank and why he decided to start a crime-fighting team of architects, journalists, and coders called Forensic Architecture to hold governments to account.

Producer & Audio Editing: Houda Fansa Jawadi
Filming & Recording: Hossam Sarhan
GFX: Anas Alaa

www.middlleeasteye.net

The history of Kurdish liberation movements | Zeynep Kaya

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 14:00:00 +0100

Kurdish political groups and militias have been fighting for independence for more than a century, pitting them against the governments of four countries: Turkey, Iran, Syria and Iraq.

These groups rallied around the idea of a ‘Greater Kurdistan’, though critics say this romanticised homeland never really existed and that modern Kurds should accept their place in their adopted nation-states.

In this episode of The Big Picture, we speak with lecturer and historian Dr Zeynep Kaya about the ‘Kurdish question’, the upcoming Turkish elections and how war, terrorism and economics have changed the way Kurds see themselves.

Producer & Audio Editing: Houda Fansa Jawadi
Filming & Recording: Hossam Sarhan
GFX: Anas Alaa

www.middlleeasteye.net

Western Muslims and the Culture War | Dr Yasir Qadhi

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 14:00:00 +0100

Do Muslims have a place in the so-called ‘cultre war’?

In many Western countries, a battle has waged between progressives and conservatives jostling in the political sphere and online. Many young Muslims have found themselves embroiled in these same conversations on gender, sexuality and tradition, creating a schism that threatens to divide their communities.

In this episode of The Big Picture, we speak with American theologian and public speaker Dr. Yasir Qadhi about the role of Muslim scholars in the debate and Islam’s answer to the question of modernity.

Audio Editing: Houda Fansa Jawadi
Filming & Recording: Hossam Sarhan
GFX: Anas Alaa

www.middlleeasteye.net

Christchurch Mosque Attacks: Keeping my brother’s story alive | Aya al-Umari

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 17:00:00 +0000

Four years after the Christchurch terror attacks, Aya al-Umari is fighting to change her brother’s story from ‘victim’ to ‘hero’.Hussein al-Umari was killed on 15 March in an act of white supremacy that claimed the lives of 51 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand.

Despite local and international attention shifting elsewhere, the survivors and families at the centre of the attacks continue to struggle with grief, pain and new beginnings.

In this episode of The Big Picture, Aya al-Umari shares her own journey of grieving her brother and why the world needs to know his story.

Audio editing & mixing: Houda Fansa Jawadi

Credit: Movespace

www.middlleeasteye.net

How UK counterterror laws ‘criminalise’ British Muslims | Layla Aitlhadj

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 17:00:00 +0000

After nearly four years of delay, the independent review into the UK’s counter-terror programme ‘Prevent’ has been published. The highly controversial strategy has been slammed by Muslim groups for creating an environment of fear and suspicion around ordinary citizens, who have been questioned in their workplaces, schools and medical facilities as a result.

Instead, the review by William Showcross praises Prevent, highlighting instead the need to counter what he calls ‘bad faith’ actors trying to undermine the programme.

In this episode of The Big Picture, we sit down with Dr Layla Aitlhadj, the director and lead campaigner of Prevent Watch, a Muslim-led initiative representing those impacted by the Prevent programme, some as young as four years old.

Producer & Audio Editing: Houda Fansa Jawadi
Filming & Recording: Hossam Sarhan
GFX: Anas Alaa

www.middlleeasteye.net

Talking to young men about Andrew Tate | Zahara Chowdhury

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 14:00:00 +0000

Andrew Tate’s sudden and meteoric rise as a men’s rights influencer has captivated the attention of young men all over the world and shocked many others, including teachers and parents, about why their children are drawn in by his mix of misogyny and self-help guruisms. Despite his arrest on sex trafficking charges by Romanian authorities, his loyal followers continue to stand by him, including a large group of Muslim men.

Educator, teacher, podcaster and speaker Zahara Chowdhury has made a career from talking to young people and their parents about difficult topics - diversity, inclusion, toxic masculinity and social media. As a teacher and parent, her unique perspectives on how to listen, engage and challenge young people on a variety of views have made her a popular speaker across the UK. In this episode of The Big Picture, we sit down with Chowdhury to talk about why Tate and other right-wing influencers appeal to young men and how parents can dispel his most harmful ideas.

Producer & Audio Editing: Houda Fansa Jawadi
Filming & Recording: Hossam Sarhan
GFX: Anas Alaa

www.middlleeasteye.net

Trauma, memory and hope: The story of Syrian refugees | Waad al-Kateab

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 14:00:00 +0000

Syrian activist, revolutionary and filmmaker Waad al-Kateab gave birth to her daughter Sama under siege in Aleppo, sheltering in a makeshift hospital while Bashar al-Assad’s forces bombed the city around them. As a new mother, she decided to pick up her camera and document what she imagined were her last moments alive.

Three years after her landmark documentary For Sama toured the world, al-Kateab continues to campaign for the rights of Syrians, those displaced and those still facing persecution and violence at home. She is also raising two daughters now in her family’s new home in the UK.

In this episode of The Big Picture, we sit with the filmmaker at the opening of her new exhibit, ‘We Dared To Dream’, to talk about displacement, new beginnings and unfinished fights.

Filming: Hossam Sarhan
GFX: Anas Alaa
Audio editor: Houda Fansa Jawadi

www.middlleeasteye.net

Ben Gvir, Smotrich and the end of the peace process | Daniel Levy

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 14:00:00 +0000

After four years of political turmoil, Israel's far-right Zionist agitators have emerged victorious, seeking to expel Palestinians, implement Jewish loyalty laws and tear up the peace process once and for all.

With the help of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have dominated Israeli politics and are set to take over the most powerful positions in government, despite the alarm of the international community.

Daniel Levy is a former Israeli peace negotiator who was instrumental in the 1993 Oslo Accords. He now heads the US Middle East Project and advocates for Palestinian rights at the United Nations and other international bodies.

In this episode of The Big Picture, Levy breaks down the rise of Israel's far-right and what their electoral victory says about Israeli society today.

Filming: Hossam Sarhan
GFX: Anas Alaa
Audio editor: Houda Fansa Jawadi

www.middlleeasteye.net

Women's liberation, minority rights and revolution in Iran | Dr Kat Eghdamian

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 12:00:00 +0000

In our first in a series of long-form interviews with great minds, we speak with human rights advocate Dr Kat Eghdamian on why the fight for women's liberation in Iran is not about religion but control.

Dr Eghdamian explains how the death of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish woman, inspired a nationwide movement built on Kurdish traditions and slogans and what we can learn from the young people putting their lives on the line for a better future.

Filming & Recording: Hossam Sarhan
GFX: Anas Alaa
Audio editor: Houda Fansa Jawadi