The Swedish-Palestinian author Amer Sarsour published his much praised debut novel Medan vi brinner earlier this year. At the Gothenburg Book Fair, Edgar had a chance to interview Amer for a live show (in Swedish) about the book and about being Palestinian in Sweden. This episode is in Swedish as the book hasn't yet been translated, apologies to everyone who doesn't speak the language! We plan on speaking to Amer in English soon. If you enjoy Kalam Podcast and want to suppor the show, there is a...
Sep 30, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 51
It is no longer viable to advocate for Palestinian liberation with Western politicians and diplomats. Palestinian advocacy networks like the Palestinian Institute for Public Diplomacy (PIPD) is now looking to affect change with cultural figures, Generation Z and the Global South in order to pressure the Global North to change its position on Israel and Palestine. In this conversation, Inès Abdel Razek, co-Director of PIPD, speaks with Edgar about the challenges faced by those who advocate for Pa...
Sep 26, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 50
The deadliest day since the 1975-1990 civil war in Lebanon - over 500 people have been killed in 24 hours of Israeli bombardment. We dedicate the majority of today's news summary to the ongoing war in Lebanon. What does Israel wish to achieve? What is life like for Lebanese civilians? If you enjoy Kalam Podcast and want to suppor the show, there is an excellent way to do so - by signing up to our Patreon. For just $3 a month you'll gain access to full length interviews with all our guests and lo...
Sep 24, 2024•24 min•Season 1Ep. 49
This is a special edition of Kalam Podcast due to the dramatic events in Lebanon, effectively escalating the already intense regional tensions in the Middle East. In this conversation, Lebanese journalist Ralph Baydoun joins Edgar for a frank conversation about the precarious state of Lebanon. A country that went from being a top exporter of arts and culture to a place mired in devastating conflict and economic crisis. If you enjoy Kalam Podcast and want to suppor the show, there is an excellent...
Sep 21, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Terror struck large swathes of Lebanon yesterday as hundreds of explosions went off all over the country. Hezbollah members' pagers (the communication device of choice since Israel easily hacks into smartphones) suddenly exploded in their pockets. This left nearly 3,000 people injured - 200 in critical condition - and killed at least 11 people, including an 8-year-old girl, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. This comes in the midst of a dangerous escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, ...
Sep 18, 2024•24 min•Season 1Ep. 47
This is a teaser for the final episode of our three-part series on Hamas for Kalam Shorts. Hamas wrote what they refer to as a "covenant" in 1988 with some.. let's say problematic content. In 2017 they released a policy document with wildly different values and ideas. So what do they actually believe in? Listen to the full episode on patreon.com/kalampodcast For continuous updates follow us on Instagram @kalampodcast and TikTok @kalam_podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...
Sep 14, 2024•1 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Abed Alrahman Shabaneh is a Palestinian writer and curator. In addition to writing novels and essays, Abed also worked on urban planning in Jerusalem. From this experience he gained invaluable insights into how colonialism and occupation is constructed. In his conversation with Edgar, Abed speaks about his ideas about where the technological future will take us, expressed through his slightly dystopian literary work. If you enjoy Kalam Podcast and want to suppor the show, there is an excellent w...
Sep 12, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 45
In this week's news summary, Edgar and Sam discuss the latest deadly airstrikes on Gaza, follow up on the Polio vaccine and the conditions for back to school season in Gaza. In other news, a Jordanian truck driver gunned down three Israeli border police and the culture wars in Israel deepen while the economy is in free fall. These are some of the headlines spoken about in today's episode. If you enjoy Kalam Podcast and want to suppor the show, there is an excellent way to do so - by signing up t...
Sep 11, 2024•20 min•Season 1Ep. 44
After a screening of the documentary Where the Olive Trees Wheep Edgar sits with the Swedish writer Bernt Hermele and the Palestinian-French curator of books, Sarah Dahman Hallgren for a conversation about trauma and resistance. Thank you to everyone who came to see us live! If you enjoy Kalam Podcast and want to suppor the show, there is an excellent way to do so - by signing up to our Patreon. For just $3 a month you'll gain access to full length interviews with all our guests and lots of bonu...
Sep 10, 2024•50 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Today's guest, Amer Shomali, was appointed as the General Director of the Palestinian Museum on October 5, 2023. Two days later, we all know what happened. Amer Shomali is a visual artist who directed one of the most innovative documentaries we have seen as of late. The Wanted 18 follows a number of "Israeli" cows gifted to the Palestinian town of Bayt Sahur. Over the course of our conversation, we touch on the documentary I just mentioned, running a museum during a war, Amer’s upbring in Syria,...
Sep 07, 2024•43 min•Season 1Ep. 42
We are delighted to announce the first episode in our 13 part series from Ramallah on the occupied West Bank. Today's guest is an icon of Palestinian journalism and advocacy, Mariam Barghouti. In this episode, Mariam speaks about the hypocrisy of Western media, the pain she feels in reporting on resistance fighters and about being targeted herself by the Israeli military. This episode is video recorded and available on YouTube, youtube.com/@KalamPodcast972 If you enjoy Kalam Podcast and want to ...
Sep 05, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 41
On today's weekly news summary, Edgar and Sam discuss Israel's incursion into the West Bank, as well as the latest on the distribution of the Polio vaccine in Gaza, the Houthi's latest operations and the UK cutting 10% of its arms sales to Israel. Our main story concerns the general strike that began today in Israel - paralysing large parts of the country including the airports. The Israeli Labour Court ordered for the strike to end even before it began, signalling the gravity of the situation. ...
Sep 03, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 40
This is a teaser, to hear the full episode head over to patreon.com/kalampodcast and sign up for just $3/month and gain access to lots of great bonus content. It's closing in on half a year of Kalam Podcast! Edgar, Sam and Arthur sit down for a reflection session on a balcony in Stockholm. We want to begin by thanking everyone who has listened to the podcast and shared our content and especially to everyone who has signed up to our Patreon. Your support means everything! How has the process been...
Sep 02, 2024•4 min•Season 1Ep. 39
On today's episode of Kalam Podcast Edgar speaks with the founder of Uncivilized Media , Salem Barahmeh. Uncivilized is a channel that tells stories about people and places that are unrepresented, silenced or erased. Very similar to what we do here at Kalam Podcast. Edgar first met Salem on a cold, rainy day in Stockholm several years ago. At the time, he was working with PIPD, the Palestinian Institute for Public Diplomacy. He was traveling the Western World, lobbying for the Palestinian cause ...
Sep 01, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 38
In this week's news summary, Sam and Edgar discuss the failing ceasefire negotiations and the recent escalation between Israel and Hezbollah. In addition, we look at the Israeli Minister for National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and his violent settler supporters who recently stormed the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, harassing Palestinian worshippers and proclaiming the building of the third temple. In horrific news from Gaza, the first case of Polio has been detected among a population whose suffering...
Aug 27, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 37
What does Hamas do when it takes over Gaza? It implements an Islamist agenda and mobilises the population for resistance against Israel. In Part 2 of our series on Hamas for Kalam Shorts, Edgar and Sam discuss how Hamas act once they gain formal political power. They also discuss Hamas' international appeal with parts of the Western Left. This is a teaser, to hear the full episode head over to patreon.com/kalampodcast and sign up for $3/month. In addition to this episode, you'll gain access to l...
Aug 21, 2024•3 min•Season 1Ep. 36
This week has seen massive upheaval on the West Bank - a new pogrom-style burning of a village as well as settler encroachment at the Gaza border. Edgar and Sam discuss the possibilities of an Iranian strike as the US Foreign Secretary, Antony Blinken, visits Tel Aviv. In related news, the Democratic National Convention is kicking off in Chicago where tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters are expected to rally against the administrations endorsement of genoc!de. Kalam Podcast is made p...
Aug 20, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 35
On 27 July, 2024 a rocket hit a football pitch in the village of Majdal Shams in the occupied Golan Heights. 12 children and teenagers were killed and it has yet to be determined who is responsible. In today's episode, Edgar speaks with artist and activist Wael Tarabieh, born and raised in Majdal Shams. The conversation ranges from the history of the Druze in southern Syria to the politics of occupation and why the people of Majdal Shams refused Israeli citizenship. Kalam Podcast is made possibl...
Aug 15, 2024•56 min•Season 1Ep. 34
In this feature episode, recorded live at the Swedish night club Trädgården, Edgar sits with Dawood, a Swedish-Lebanese photographer who recently exhibited his project Unstraight Stories from Egypt. This is a collection of photographs and stream of consciousness anecdotes depicting queer life in the Arab World's most populous country. Special guest feature is Nayuk, a non-binary queer activist from Turkey, who is involved in Unstraight Stories from Turkey. Both projects are made in partnership w...
Aug 14, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 33
This is the first installment of Kalam Digest, a weekly news summary bringing you the latest political developments in the Middle East. In today's episode, Edgar and Sam speak about Israel's new wartime strategy of striking schools in Gaza, while the US delivers $3.5 billion in fresh aid. According to leaks from within Israeli intelligence, Iran is expected to strike Israel within the next few days. What shape will this attack take, and what are its implications for the region? All the while, th...
Aug 13, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 32
What is Hamas? Depending on who you ask, a resistance group or a terrorist organisation. For the people of Gaza, oftentimes, authoritarian thugs. This is part one of a three part Kalam Shorts series on Hamas - on their founding as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood in the 60's and 70's, and their rise to power in the aftermath of the failure of the Oslo Process. If you would like to hear parts 2 and 3 of this series, please consider signing up to our Patreon community for just $3/month, at pa...
Jul 30, 2024•14 min•Season 1Ep. 31
The Israeli military, the IDF, ordered the Hannibal Directive on October 7 to Prevent Hamas Taking Soldiers Captive, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. The IDF has long denied the existence of such a directive, although leaks and ex-soldier testimonies seems to prove otherwise. So what is the Hannibal Directive? On this episode of Kalam Shorts, Sam speaks to Edgar about the origins of the directive and why it was created. This is a teaser, to listen to the full episode sign up to Klub K...
Jul 28, 2024•2 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Earlier this week, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received standing ovations as he spoke at the US Congress in Washington DC. He was applauded, while he is accused of a series of war crimes by the International Criminal Court in the Hague, which is imminently expected to issue an arrest warrant against Netanyahu. Abdelghany Sayed is an expert on International Law and a teacher of it at Kent University in London. In this episode, he speaks to Edgar about the role of International L...
Jul 26, 2024•43 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Mariam Nezar, who goes by Mia, is co-founder of Bellies en-Route , which provides food tours of Cairo as well as cooking classes. Together, Edgar and Mia eat their way through the streets of downtown. Foul, taameya, molokheyya, koshary, and even cow brain are on the menu today! Get a feel for the street food of Cairo, as well as the history behind many of the city's most iconic dishes and restaurants. To see much of the food spoken about in this episode, follow Kalam Podcast on Instagram @kalamp...
Jul 23, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 28
"How can you be gay and support Palestine?" is a question that bugs Swedish club icon Fredrik "Apollo" Asplund. For him, it's obvious - the 1969 Stonewall Riots (protesting New York police harassing the city's queer communities) and the Palestinian Intifada are about the same struggle for freedom and dignity. In the 80's and 90's gay people were killed in the millions by AIDS. Today, the people of Gaza are subjected to genoc!de. For Apollo - the solidarity is clear. Listen to Edgar speak to his ...
Jul 16, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 27
We proudly present Dr. Hanan Ashrawi – one of the foremost Palestinian activist and politicians of the last half century. On this episode she speaks to Edgar about the First Intifada, of which she was a guiding spirit and a crucial player. And the Oslo Peace Process – which was the fruit of much of her labour, while resulting in catastrophe. So what does this Palestinian political veteran think about our current moment? Find out on this Kalam Podcast EXCLUSIVE - Hanan Ashrawi is not giving inter...
Jul 09, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 26
What is the Kuffiyeh, known by many simply as the “Palestine scarf”? How did this humble piece of clothing come to take on the political overtones it does today – and what more exactly does it signify? In this episode, Sam speaks to Edgar about the origins, both historical and etymological, of this iconic scarf. The sound above is a teaser, to listen to the full episode sign up to Klub Kalam at patreon.com/kalampodcast. For continuous updates, follow us on Instagram @kalampodcast Hosted on Acast...
Jun 30, 2024•1 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Diana Buttu speaks to Edgar in the city of Haifa in historic Palestine, today's Israel. The impending war with Lebanon and the genocide in Gaza is strongly felt in this mixed city of Israelis and Palestinians. Diana speaks about what it is like to be a Palestinian citizen of Israel in this moment - living in a "sick society". For continuous updates, follow us on Instagram @kalampodcast If you like the show, please rate and subscribe to Kalam Podcast wherever you're listening right now. And if yo...
Jun 27, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Since its inauguration in 1869 the Suez Canal has played an immensely important part in the history, politics and economics of the Middle East and the World. In this episode Sam and Edgar discuss its role in both the occupation of Egypt by the British and its liberation from imperialist domination, as well as the latest developments since October 7th, with the Houthis of Yemen establishing a de facto blockade of the canal. This is a free episode in the Kalam Shorts series, where we introduce imp...
Jun 23, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 23
The renowned Israeli-British historian Avi Shlaim speaks to Edgar about the Jews of Iraq and the Arab-Jews in general - an identity that was largely destroyed in the wake of the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. Avi Shlaim, Professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford, speaks to Edgar about the Jews of Iraq, who numbered 130,000 in 1948, and what led to every single one of them leaving. It is a candid conversation in which Avi Shlaim answers difficult questions about h...
Jun 20, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 22
