Centre Stage

In part 1 of this episode of Centre Stage, our guest is Clive Stafford Smith, a civil rights lawyer and legal counsel for many of the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. His best-known client is Aafia Siddiqui, who he says is a victim of circumstance, and should never have ended up on the FBI’s Most Wanted list after the 9/11 attacks in the US. 

In this episode:

• Clive Stafford Smith (@CliveSSmith), civil rights lawyer and legal counsel for many of the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay
• Maryam Nemazee (@MaryamNemazee), presenter at  Al Jazeera

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@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

Refik Hodzic is a journalist, filmmaker and an expert in transitional justice who has also worked as a spokesperson for the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Hodzic joins us on Centre Stage, where he draws parallels between the Bosnian genocide and the war in Gaza, discusses the role of Western governments in achieving justice, and explains why young people are his only hope. 

In this episode:

• Refik Hodzic (@davidahearst), journalist, filmmaker and an expert in transitional justice 
• Rawaa Auge (@Rawaak), presenter at Al Jazeera Digital

This episode is produced in partnership with the Islam and Muslims Initiative, an international platform that connects Muslims and non-Muslims in the realms of religion, politics, business, media, academia and civil society.

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In this episode of Centre Stage, our guest is veteran journalist and editor-in-chief of The Middle East Eye, David Hearst. His career spans decades of reporting on Eastern Europe, Russia and the Middle East. Hearst talks about why he thinks we’re currently witnessing the collapse of the Western governance model, and how the mistakes of the West are linked to the war on Gaza. 

In this episode:

• David Hearst (@davidahearst), veteran journalist and editor-in-chief of The Middle East Eye
• Rawaa Auge (@Rawaak), presenter at Al Jazeera Digital

This episode is produced in partnership with the Islam and Muslims Initiative, an international platform that connects Muslims and non-Muslims in the realms of religion, politics, business, media, academia and civil society.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

The trailblazing leader of Slovenia who became the country’s first female president did it without the backing of a political party. President Natasa Pirc Musar had a diverse career as an attorney, journalist and former information commissioner. A staunch advocate for human rights, President Musar talks about Slovenia’s recent recognition of Palestine, and why a reform of the UN Security Council is needed. 

In this episode:

• Natasa Pirc Musar (@nmusar), President of Slovenia
• Rawaa Auge (@Rawaak), presenter at Al Jazeera Digital

This episode is produced in partnership with the Islam and Muslims Initiative, an international platform that connects Muslims and non-Muslims in the realms of religion, politics, business, media, academia and civil society.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

In this episode of Centre Stage, the former president of Tunisia, Moncef Marzouki, explains how being a medical doctor has helped shape his political career, and why the Arab Spring has been a failure — “everywhere”.

Moncef Marzouki was Tunisia’s first president after the Arab Spring uprisings. But less than a decade after he was sworn in, and following a coup, Tunisia’s new government stripped him of his passport and issued an international warrant for his arrest for incitement to overthrow the government.

Today, Moncef Marzouki takes Centre Stage, to explain his side of the events, and how he sees the future unfolding in the Middle East and North Africa.

In this episode:

• Moncef Marzouki, former president of Tunisia
• Dareen Abughaida (@DareenAG),  Principal Presenter at Al Jazeera English 

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For six months, people have watched Israel’s war on Gaza and heard words like genocide, apartheid, and ICJ become part of the daily news lexicon. For some, it can be difficult to follow and fully understand. Noura Erakat is a human rights attorney, an associate professor at Rutgers University, and an advocate for justice and equality for Palestinians. Speaking on Centre Stage with host Rawaa Auge, Erakat explains the colonial structure of rule in Palestine and the UN’s mandate there.

In this episode:

• Noura Erakat (@4noura), human rights attorney and associate professor at Rutgers University
• Rawaa Auge (@Rawaak), presenter at Al Jazeera Digital

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Diana Buttu is an international lawyer, a former legal adviser to the PLO, and a staunch defender of the Palestinian cause. Buttu debunks the myth that hostilities in Gaza began only after the October 7 attacks, looks at what’s behind the defunding of UNRWA, and challenges Israel’s often-repeated claim of having the most “moral army in the world.”

In this episode:

• Diana Buttu (@dianabuttu), international lawyer
• Rawaa Auge (@Rawaak), presenter at Al Jazeera Digital

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Mustafa Barghouti joins us on Centre Stage. He talks with to us about confronting Israeli oppression, the realities of what he calls Israel’s “system of fascists” and he hints at his political future. 

In this episode:

• Mustafa Barghouti (@MustafaBarghou1), secretary general and co-founder of the Palestinian National Initiative
• Rawaa Auge (@Rawaak), presenter at Al Jazeera Digital

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@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

In this episode of Centre Stage, our guest is Ilan Pappé. He’s an Israeli historian and professor at the University of Exeter. Pappé is known for his outspoken views on the Israeli-Palestinian question - drawing both praise and criticism. He’s the author of several books including "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine", in which he challenges the traditional Israeli narrative over the establishment of Israel in 1948. In today’s episode, Pappé discusses the dangers of the Zionist ideology and its impact on Israel and Palestine, the historical context of October 7, and his vision for a one-state solution. 

In this episode:

• Ilan Pappé (@pappe54), Israeli historian and professor at the University of Exeter
• Dareen Abughaida (@DareenAG), Principal Presenter at Al Jazeera English 

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@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

In this episode of Centre Stage, our guest is UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese. She is an international lawyer with a focus on human rights, migration and the displacement of refugees. Albanese has been vocal and critical of Israel and its partners. Her assessments are blunt. And when describing Israel's actions in war, she does not hold back.

In this episode:

• Francesca Albanese (@FranceskAlbs), UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories
• Rawaa Auge (@Rawaak), presenter at Al Jazeera Digital

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook