Centre Stage

In this episode of Centre Stage, Harry Hagopian talks about the interfaith mosaic of Islam, Judaism and Christianity within the Israel-Palestine context and describes his role during the Oslo Accords. He also sheds light on the often forgotten, if not also overlooked or neglected, indigenous Christian population of the Holy Land. Harry Hagopian, an Armenian Christian originally from Jordan, is an international lawyer based in the UK and the former Assistant General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches.

In this episode:

• Harry Hagopian, international lawyer based in the UK 
• 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

Omar Shakir is the Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch. He has spent years documenting and investigating human rights abuses and Israeli crimes against humanity across Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories. He joins us to explain the processes and difficulties in carrying out his job as well as provide an overview of the long list of crimes Israel has committed against Palestinians.

In this episode:

• Omar Shakir (@OmarSShakir), Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch
• 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

Dr. Omar Suleiman talks about the oppression of pro-Palestinian voices in the West, the growing Islamophobia and how it lends itself to racism.

In this episode:

• Dr. Omar Suleiman (@omarsuleiman504), American Muslim scholar and civil rights leader
• Dareen Abughaida (@DareenAG),  Principal Presenter at Al Jazeera English 

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

We sit down with Peter Oborne to discuss the role of the media in shaping the narrative around the war on Gaza and the growing divide in the West between political stance and public opinion.

Oborne has authored several books including The Rise of Political Lying and The Triumph of the Political Class. He was also the former chief political commentator of the Daily Telegraph and currently writes a political column for Middle East Eye. 

In this episode:

• Peter Oborne (@OborneTweets), Journalist and Political Commentator
• Samantha Johnson  (@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

We sit down with former Israeli negotiator Daniel Levy to discuss the war in Gaza from historical, inter-faith, and geopolitical perspectives. Levy served under Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin during Oslo B negotiations.

He also discusses the Palestinian right of return, the consequences of the Oslo negotiations and addresses anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. 

In this episode:

• Daniel Levy, President of the US/Middle East Project, Former Israeli Negotiator
• Dareen Abughaida (@DareenAG),  Principal Presenter at Al Jazeera English 

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, we hear from Palestine’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Husam Zomlot as he reflects on the war in Gaza, the double standards it exposed, the road to peace and responds to questions about Palestinian leadership and the decades-long aspiration for statehood and self-determination.

In this episode:

• Husam Zomlot (@hzomlot), Palestine’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom
• Sandra Gathmann (@SandraGathmann), Al Jazeera Digital Presenter 

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, Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta shares his experience as a surgeon in different hospitals in Gaza during the ongoing Israeli war. Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta is one of the world’s leading specialists in plastic and reconstructive surgery.

The British-Palestinian surgeon is a passionate and active humanitarian and has worked as a war surgeon in numerous war zones including Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and Gaza. Since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, he has dedicated his time to treating thousands of civilians caught up in this brutal ongoing aggression.

In this episode:

• Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta, surgeon 
• 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, Facebook, Threads 

In this episode, Dr. Rania Awaad explores modern psychology concepts in Islamic tradition, modern psychology and spirituality, and psychology in traditional Islamic medical literature.

She is a recognized leader in Muslim mental health in the United States. She has pioneered by establishing the first Muslim Mental Health Community Advisory Board (BAMMH CAB) in the U.S. Dr. Awaad has also established multiple Muslim mental health clinics as well as custom-tailored clinical and educational training programs for clinicians, religious and community leaders to address the mental health needs of Muslim communities. She is also the Director of the Stanford Muslim Mental Health & Islamic Psychology Lab. 

In this episode:

• Dr Rania Awaad (@DrRaniaAwaad), MD clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Stanford University
• 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, Sarah Joseph explores issues related to the representation of Muslim women in mainstream media. We discuss the common tropes and stereotypes, and what needs to be done to alter this image in media.

Sarah Joseph is an influential powerhouse in Muslim Media who is the founder, editor, and CEO of EMEL Media Group - a platform that has created a shift in the way Muslims are portrayed and marketed to. Sarah is listed as one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world and has lectured on Islam globally for over two decades. 

In this episode:

• Sarah Joseph (@SarahIJoseph), editor and CEO of EMEL Media Group
• Samantha Johnson (@MissSamJohnson), a presenter and executive producer 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

 

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi talks with Jamal Elshayyal about her Pakistani heritage and her illustrious career at the heart of British politics. They cover a wide range of subjects, from her humble Yorkshire beginnings to the many rights of women in Islam, and why she chose to join the centre-right Conservative Party. Baroness Warsi is a member of the House of Lords and the UK’s first Muslim Cabinet Minister. She resigned in 2014 in protest over her Government’s response to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

In this episode:

• Baroness Warsi is a leading campaigner against Islamophobia and has consistently been named as one of the world’s ‘500 most influential Muslims’ by the Middle East think-tank the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre.
• Jamal Elshayyal is a senior journalist and the manager of Content Strategy for OTT Platforms. 

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook