Nèdeem Elmahjoub's blog

Middle East Panorama show on Resonance FM 104.4 Every Friday 14:00 - 15:00 London Time (GMT) Milan Rai, an anti-war activist and author of 7/7: The London Bombings, Islam and the Iraq War , and Martin Jacques, columnist, writer and currently a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics Asia Centre, speak on 7/7 bombings, war, terrorism, the Muslims, and the media. On July 02 Mordechai Vanunu, the Israeli whistleblower who served 18 years in prison for revealing Israeli nuclear secrets, was sentenced to six months in prison "for violating a ban on speaking to foreigners." MEP conducted an interview with Vanunu in April 2005. Listen to the repeat and to Yoel Cohen, author of The Whistleblower of Dimona: Israel, Vanunu and the Bomb. >> Yoel Cohen's interview Quote: " Iraq has reached advanced societal breakdown, with ethnic cleansing on a regional, neighbourhood and even street-by-street basis. There has been a mass exodus of its professionals and manage...

Middle East Panorama show on Resonance FM 104.4 Every Friday 14:00 - 15:00 London Time (GMT) "Can the Arab World be Turned into Gaza's Jailers?" asks the British journalist Jonathan Cook. The author of "Blood and Religion: The Unmasking of the Jewish and Democratic State" argues that the aim of the sanctions by Israel and the US was not to bring about the fall of Hamas. Cook also draws parallels between Iraq and Gaza. >> Listen to the interview "British and American collusion in the pillaging of Iraq's heritage is a scandal that will outlive any passing conflict," writes Simon Jenkins in the Guardian . >> Read the article Music of war and resistance by Zaineb Shaath, Billy Bragg, Boris Vian, Tom Lehrer, the Group of Musical Research, Marcel Khalife ...

Middle East Panorama show on Resonance FM 104.4 Every Friday 14:00 - 15:00 London Time (GMT) Welcome to Palestine : How do we deal with a coup d'etat by an elected government? Robert Fisk. See also Palestine in Suicide by Roni Ben Efrat Hollow Land - Israel's Architecture of Occupation . A talk by Eyal Weizman, architect and Director of the Centre for Research Architecture at Goldsmiths College, University of London, and author of "Hollow Land". "Devotees of the latest nuances of postmodernist styles," wrote Stirling Howieson in his review of 'Hollow Land', "will be disappointed with Weizman's book, for this is not about changing architectural fashions in hot arid climates. Hollow Land is the work of an architect chronicling the physical occupation and colonisation of Palestine by Zionism - in all its forms." The School of African and Oriental Studies, London 13 June 2007. >> Listen to the whole show Quote: " When the first ...

Middle East Panorama show on Resonance FM 104.4 Every Friday 14:00 - 15:00 London Time (GMT) Mahmood Abbas, the Palestinian president, described the situation in the Gaza Strip as "madness" and called for an immediate halt to the violence. Polonius in Shakespeare’s Hamlet replied: “Though this be madness, there is method in’t.” >> Yossi Schwartz from Haifa, Israel >> Article: Crocodile Tears by Uri Avnery Quote: "That is not a matter of Islamic fundamentalism. In this respect all nations are the same: they hate collaborators of a foreign occupier, whether they are Norwegian (Quisling), French (Petain) or Palestinian." (Uri Avnery, June 2007) A speech by the Minister of Information in the Palestinian Authority. It was part of a rally organized by Enough!, a coalition of over 50 charities, trade unions, father and other faith groups. The rally took place in Trafalgar Square on 09 th of June. >> Listen here “ War and profit,” argue Christoph...

Middle East Panorama show on Resonance FM 104.4 Every Friday 14:00 - 15:00 London Time (GMT) Barely reported: Workers from the Iraqi Pipelines Company in Basrah, Iraq, began a strike on 04 June. Two days later Prime minister Nouri al-Maliki issued a warrant for the arrest of the Federation of Oil Unions' leaders. Soon the Iraqi military surrounded striking Basra oil pipeline workers. MEP interviews Sami Ramadani from the unions's UK-based support committee and Jim Catterson from the 20-million-member International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions. >> Interview with S. Ramadani >> Interview with J. Catterson "Bonded at Birth: How a CIA Coup d'Etat in Iran and my Life Became One." Behzad Yaghmaian , an Iranian-born author living in the US and professor at Ramapo College in New Jersey, speaks about his experience in both Iran and the United States and the current situation. As someone who lived among migrant Muslims ...

Middle East Panorama show on Resonance FM 104.4 Every Friday 14:00 - 15:00 London Time (GMT) Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh from The New Yorker magazine points out that the current situation in Lebanon is much like that during the conflict in Afghanistan in the 1980's – which gave rise to al Qaeda – with the same people involved in both the US and Saudi Arabia and the "same pattern" of the US using jihadists that the Saudis assure us they can control. An interview conducted by Hala Gorani on CNN. >> Listen to the interview 'The Deficits of International Law'. A talk given by Norman Geras from Manchester University at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, during Solidarity and Rights conference organized by The Euston Manifesto Group (in association with SOAS Centre for Jewish Studies). Professor Norman Geras is author of 'Marx and Human Nature', 'The Legacy of Rosa Luxembourg', 'The Contract of Mutual Indifference:...

Middle East Panorama show on Resonance FM 104.4 Every Friday 14:00 - 15:00 London Time (GMT) Michael Otterman, an award-winning freelance journalist and documentary filmmaker, reveals in American Torture: From the Cold War to Abu Ghraib (Pluto Press, March 2007) how torture became standard practice in today's 'War on Terror'; an 'alternative set of procedures' and vital tools needed 'to protect the American people and our allies'. (George W. Bush) >> Listen here . The Israeli historian Dr. Moti Golani from Haifa University will be speaking on 'Wars Do Not Just Happen'. The Most prominent and controversial argument that Golani presents seems to be that "peace has not always headed Israel's list of priorities and war has not always headed its neighbours' list of priorities." >> Listen here .

Middle East Panorama show on Resonance FM 104.4 Every Friday 14:00 - 15:00 London Time (GMT) The Economist magazine: "Turkey's problems are postponed, not solved." “We want neither Sharia [Islamic law] nor another coup, but a democratic Turkey,” say the Kemalists. The Turkish military has carried out no fewer than three coups in recent history-in 1960, 1971 and 1980. "Turkey is NATO's longstanding bulwark in the Middle East," argues Cihan Tugal. However, in 2003 the Turkish parliament refused the US use of Turkish bases for its war against Iraq. On this year's May Day between 600 and 900 people were detained during a rally in Istanbul. >> Interview with Cihan Tugal . Labour News: "The longest and strongest wave of worker protest since the end of World War II is rolling through Egypt." May Day rallies in Turkey and Pakistan.

Middle East Panorama show on Resonance FM 104.4 Every Friday 14:00 - 15:00 London Time (GMT) "Afghanistan is the world's largest producer of opium and heroin, but its own people are becoming the victims. ..." David Macdonald tells a story about the diversity of drug use in Afghanistan that no one has ever told before. Author David Macdonald has worked as a drugs advisor to the UN. Drugs in Afghanistan - Opium, Outlaws and Scorpion Tales (Pluto Press 2007) breaks down the myths surrounding the cultivation and consumption of drugs, providing a detailed analysis of the history of drug use within the country. He examines the impact of over 25 years of continuous conflict, and shows how poverty and instability has led to an increase in drugs consumption. >> Listen to the interview Since You Left is an autobiographical essay of a Palestinian-Israeli actor Bakri who returns to the grave of his former mentor, the writer and communist Emile Habibi, and attempts – using ...

Photo of the Year by World Press Photo, Spencer Platt, Getty Images, Beirut, Lebanon: Affluent Lebanese drive down the street to look at a destroyed neighborhood August 15, 2006 in southern Beirut, Lebanon. As the United Nations brokered cease fire between Israel and Hezbollah enters its first day, thousands of Lebanese returned to their homes and villages. >> Read article .

Middle East Panorama show on Resonance FM 104.4 Every Friday 14:00 - 15:00 London Time (GMT) The Myrtle Tree by Jad el Hage (Banipal Books, 2007). A Novel of love and Dreams in War-Torn Lebanon. Jad El Hage comments: "The most recent of our wars began in the 1970s and ended by stages in the early 1990s, depending on how one defines 'beginning' and 'end'. This uncertainty characterised the entire conflict. The only certainty is that we killed each other for more than fifteen years." The novel, says Patrick Seale, "conveys with razor-sharp accuracy the sights, sounds, tastes and tragic dilemmas of Lebanon's fratricidal civil war. A must read .' Hear the author . Birds of War: Hawks, Doves and Illegal Eagles is an exhibition of contemporary, visual artwork to mark the fourth anniversary of the Iraq invasion. 11-17 April 2007 at Candid Arts Trust Gallery, London. >> Listen to Tanya Tier >> Listen to Alaa Siraih In The Iran Hostage Cris...

Middle East Panorama show on Resonance FM 104.4 Every Friday 14:00 - 15:00 London Time (GMT) "We come again to the drama in which we Israelis must play our part opposite Palestinians, Iranians, Lebanese and many others. Who are we performing for, and why are they enjoying it? Why do the Western mind and the Western left dedicate so much time and energy to watching this play, analyzing it and attempting to influence it?" Interview with Matan Kaminer , an Israeli activist who spent some two years in prison for refusing to enlist in the Israeli army. >> Read article Sounds from Tehran (Iran), Izmir (Turkey), Beirut (Lebanon), Douar Tamgrete & Mirleft village (Morocco), Sanandaj City (Iranian Kurdistan) .

Middle East Panorama show on Resonance FM 104.4 or http://www.resonancefm.com/ Every Friday 14:00 - 15:00 London Time (GMT) "Anyone can go to Baghdad; real men go to Tehran", an administration official was heard saying shortly after the fall of Baghdad. Muhammad Idrees Ahmed, member of Spinwatch and whose regular commentaries appear at http://fanonite.wordpress.com joins Middle East Panorama to speak about 'The Israel Connection', 'The Oil Factor', 'The New Politics of Oil' and 'The Next War'. >> Listen to the interview >> Read article The Iraqi Communist Party has been accused of being a 'Stalinist' party and recently as 'a collaborator with the occupiers'' after the American-led invasion of Iraq. In its 73rd year since its foundation the general secretary of the party's organisation in Britain, Radhwan Alwakeel, and Imed Selmans defend the ICP 'glorious history' and 'its practical position...

Middle East Panorama show on Resonance FM 104.4 or http://www.resonancefm.com/ Every Friday 14:00 - 15:00 London Time (GMT) Oil Wars: Does competition for oil drive conflict? What part does oil play in war? "Western intervention in countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan is primarily motivated by the West's desire to control precious oil resources." Is this also true of other conflicts around the world? Interview with Yahia Said, co-editor of Oil Wars (Pluto Books, 2007) and Research Fellow at the London School of Economics, London. Popular Social Movements and the Future of Egyptian Politics . "Since 1952", writes Joel Beinin, Director of Middle East Studies and professor of history at the American University in Cairo, “no Egyptian head of state has been targeted directly in this manner. A taboo has been broken, and there is no telling where these popular movements may lead.” From Cairo Joel Beinin joins Middle East Panorama to speak about the recent wave of ...

Middle East Panorama show on Resonance FM 104.4 or http://www.resonancefm.com/ Every Friday 14:00 - 15:00 London Time (GMT) The Workers Advice Center (or Ma'an in Arabic) in Israel provides an address for unorganised and neglected Arab workers in Israel. WAC is also committed to the struggle of Palestinian workers from the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, for jobs and social rights. It cooperates with Palestinian Trade Unions in fighting the Separation Wall and Israel's policy of closure. They have a unique perspective on the struggles facing workers in the region. A delegation from WAC has met Britain's biggest tarde union, UNISON, and two representatives from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (Britain). Here we listen to Adiv Assaf, national coordinator of WAC. >> Listen to the lead off . "ONLY Saudi diplomacy has succeeded in bearing the historical responsibility for all parties, gathering the warring brothers in Holy Mecca and extinguishing a fire that c...

Middle East Panorama show on Resonance FM 104.4 or http://www.resonancefm.com/ Every Friday 14:00 - 15:00 London Time (GMT) Aida Nadeem ( BBC World Music nominee) for an exculsive gig at the Spitz to showcase material for her forthcoming album on Sam Records, a follow up to the critically acclaimed 2005 release Out of Baghdad. Having fled her home country of Iraq due to her politics, she has sort refuge in Denmark where she has developed a unique style of dance/world music crossover. Dubbed 'ethnic synthetic', it combines aspects of ambient, trip hop and Arabesque blended together with traditional Iraqi poetry and topped off with her own unique vocal style. >> Interview with Aida . "Iran on the brink - Rising Workers and Threats of War" by Andreas Malm and Shora Esmailian (Pluto Press 2007). Questions and comments on the book and the situation in Iran. From a book launch that took place at the Housemans' Bookshop, London 06 March 2007. Listen here >> ...

Middle East Panorama show on Resonance FM 104.4 or http://www.resonancefm.com/ Every Friday 14:00 - 15:00 London Time (GMT) "Hizballah, the Lebanese Shi‘i movement has been cast misleadingly in much media coverage" during the last war last summer. Lara Deeb, a cultural anthropologist, assistant professor of women’s studies at the University of California-Irvine and author of An Enchanted Modern: Gender and Public Piety in Shi‘i Lebanon, joins the show to give a deeper analysis of Hizballah . Listen to the interview: >> Part 1 >> Part 2 While the world keeps its eyes riveted on Iran's nuclear programme, the Islamic Republic has gone through a crisis of its own; soaring unemployment and poverty has given way to social protest. A new labour movement has come to the fore. Although strikes are banned, workers are beginning to organise and underground networks are challenging the rule of the mullahs from within. Andreas Malm and Shora Esmailian, the first is a repo...

Middle East Panorama show on Resonance FM 104.4 or http://www.resonancefm.com/ Every Friday 14:00 - 15:00 London Time (GMT) Interview with Zakaria Ibrahim the founder and director of El Tanbura, a collective of master musicians, village singers, local fishermen and Sufi philosophers from Port Said, Egypt. >> Listen to the interview here 'Israel's demographic demons and their effects on its Palestine citizens' talk by Manal Hazzan, department of laws at University College London.

Middle East Panorama show on Resonance FM 104.4 or http://www.resonancefm.com/ Every Friday 14:00 - 15:00 London Time (GMT) Free lance journalist and author Stephen Grey on 'Our friends, the torturers: the secret story of the CIA's alliance with intelligence agencies of the Middle East and how they became America's jailer and interrogator'

Middle East Panorama show on Resonance FM 104.4 or http://www.resonancefm.com/ Every Friday 14:00 - 15:00 London Time (GMT) " As opposition grows in America to the failed Iraq adventure, the Bush administration is preparing public opinion for an attack on Iran, its latest target, by the spring [of 2007]." (John Pilger) Interview with Yassamine Mather, a member of the editorial board of Critique, a Journal of Socialist Theory, published by Centre for the Study of Socialist Theory and Movements at Glasgow University. Yassamine Mather works in the Departments of Aerospace Engieerning and Mechanical Engineering at Glasgow University. She has written articles on the Iranian revolution and Islamic fundamentalism. >> Listen here Interview with Salamah Kaileh spent 8 years in the Syrian prisons. Born in the town of Birzeit in Palestine, studied in Baghdad and became an activist within the Palestinian resistance. He wrote a number of books among them: "The Arab and The ...