Ron Saba on JNF Tax Fraud
This week our cohost Hanna Kawas talks with activist Ron Saba from Montreal about the Jewish National Fund, its role in maintaining the racist structures in Israel, and the tax privileges it is granted in Canada. They also discuss upcoming pickets against the JNF Gala Dinners all across the country (See more info on the Vancouver picket and the JNF Dinners).
Our final piece of music is by Lebanese singer Khaled El Habre, The President of the Republic, a satire on corrupt and arrogant politicians. We dedicate it to the struggle against such officials, and we have had more than our fair share of such corruption here in Canada, from the municipal level all the way to the PM’s office.

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Amir Maasoumi on Syria Peace and Reconciliation Mission
This week we’ll be talking with Montreal activist and intellectual Amir Maasoumi, who was part of the recent Syria Peace and Reconciliation Mission, headed by Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire of Northern Ireland. He will tell us about his trip to Syria and Lebanon and the work of the delegation.
Our final piece of music is by Jewish American singer/songwriter David Rovics. It is a satirical bite at U.S. official hypocrisy entitled Operation Iraqi Liberation (OIL) and we dedicate it to the Arab people who have always struggled and will continue to struggle to throw off the yoke of U.S. led hegemonic designs.

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David Heap and Ehab Lotayef on Gaza’s Ark
This week we talk with the two spokespersons for Gaza’s Ark here in Canada, David Heap and Ehab Lotayef, who update us on the project and what people here can do to help. We reached David in Italy where he is promoting the Ark project and then spoke with Ehab in Montreal.
Our final piece of music is by Lebanese singer Marcel Khalife, Walking Tall, and we dedicate it to the proud Gazan people who continue to walk tall and resist the Israeli occupation until they are able to live free and with dignity.

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This week we present a cultural and spoken word tribute to mark the 65th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, produced by our sister show PoetsWest based in Seattle. The show includes a short radio play and readings of Mahmoud Darwish’s poetry by Ed Mast, original poetry by Hanna Eady and music by Reem Kelani. We dedicate the show to the Palestinian nation, especially the majority in diaspora, as they remember the original ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1947/48 and the destruction of over 400 Palestinian towns and villages by Zionist forces.

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This week we talk with Rabab Abdulhadi, Senior Scholar of the Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Initiative, at the College of Ethnic Studies, San Francisco State University. Rabab is a veteran Palestinian activist and will be one of the guest speakers at the upcoming Palestinian Shatat Conference this weekend in Vancouver.
Our final piece of music is by Lebanese singer Ahmed Kabbour, They Called me a Refugee, and we dedicate it to the Palestinian diaspora, to all those Palestinians still in exile who will return to their homeland.

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Conversation with Palestinian Musician Simon Shaheen

This week we talk with renowned Palestinian musician Simon Shaheen. Simon, amazing on both violin and oud, will be performing his new composition The Call: Songs of Liberation in Vancouver on April 27th. In this candid conversation, Simon discusses his own history and journey as a musician, the influence of Arabic music and also explains the motivations behind his new music.
Our final piece of music is an Oud Solo by our guest Simon Shaheen, and we dedicate it to all those Palestinian artists who have kept the legacy and spirit of Palestinian culture alive.

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Remembering Jenin with Susan Abulhawa
This week we talk with Palestinian American author and activist Susan Abulhawa about the 11th anniversary of the Israeli assault on the Jenin refugee camp and her book, Mornings in Jenin. Susan is also a contributor to the book “Searching Jenin”, and the founder of Playgrounds for Palestine.
Our final piece of music is by Jewish American singer/songwriter David Rovics, entitled simply Jenin; the song highlights the international conspiracy of silence around the tragedy of the Palestinian people and we urge all supporters to call their respective governments to account – silence is complicity.

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This week we talk with Frank Barat from Belgium, a human rights activist and coordinator of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine. We’ll discuss the work of the Tribunal and the recommendations that came out of the Final Session held last month in Brussels.
Our closing piece of music is by Roger Waters, founding member of the Pink Floyd rock group and also a member of the Russell Tribunal. We dedicate his version of “We Shall Overcome” to the Palestinian people in their struggle to overcome all obstacles on the path to freedom and liberation.

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This week we talk with Rev. Robert Assali, Chair of the Canadian Friends of Sabeel, about their recent statement calling on the new Canadian Office of Religious Freedom to investigate Israeli abuses at Holy Week. We also discuss the Kairos Bethlehem call “Here We Stand, Stand with us!”
We closed the show with excerpts of a statement by Prof. Mazin Qumsiyeh from the Bethlehem area, commenting on the Easter Holiday and the restrictions on Palestinians, both Christians and Moslems. Our final piece of music is by the legendary Lebanese singer, Fairuz, called “Old Jerusalem” and we dedicate it to the Palestinian people’s attachment to their land and their steadfastness in refusing to relinquish it.

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