The Echo Chamber from Tortoise Shack

Dr. Akram Habeeb is a professor of English at the Islamic University of Gaza. He taught and inspired many academics including Dr. Refaat Alareer. He left Gaza after 45 days of displacement in Rafah, where he did his best to care for his family. In this episode, he talks about his special relationship with Refaat Alareer, education and his own experience of the ongoing genocide in Gaza. He also shares a wonderful poem that you should stay tuned for.

We want to express our condolences to Tony and his family on their loss.

The Brendan Ogle Podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-128733772

Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-to-126186702

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack

In this echo chamber podcast you'll hear from writer, musician and activist, Martin Leahy, whose weekly one-man housing protest outside the Dáil is coming up on 3 years next Thursday May 15th. A real one. Everyone Should Have a Home!

The Brendan Ogle Podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-128733772

Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-to-126186702

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack

Shrouq Alaila is a journalist from Gaza. She won the Freedom of Press Award in 2024 for her journalism work in Gaza. She speaks to us from Gaza on the challenges of reporting, securing food and caring for a baby whose father, also a journalist, killed by Israel as he shielded them from Israeli bombing. Tune in for this powerful episode.

Editors Note: I’ve recorded over 2,000 podcasts and this is maybe one of the most important and impactful episodes I’ve ever had the privilege to be involved in.

The Housing Tzar Debacle podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-127977984

Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-to-126186702

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack

Soliman Hijjy is an award winning visual journalist from Gaza. He’s also the fella in the group who keeps everyone smiling, even in the most difficult moments. He joins us from Khan Yunis only 7 minutes after another deadly Israeli attack. We talk about his work, the role of journalism beyond telling stories and how making jokes in moments of danger is an act of resistance.

Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-to-126186702

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack

Listeners know tortoise shack regular John Harris as that fella who writes about politics and hosts one of them podcasts for the Guardian. Many of you will have seen his award winning series Anywhere But Westminster. So when he told me a few years ago that he was working on a book about his neurodivergent and autistic son James, I knew it would be a great read. I was wrong, it's a brilliant read.

John joins me know to discuss the book, autism, family ups and downs and how music not only helped James find his voice, it opened up the conversation between their entire family. Thanks, John

Maybe I'm Amazed is published by John Murray and is available in bookshops across Ireland.

Dave Hingerty podcast out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-127569343

Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-to-126186702

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack

Workers Rights Champions, Matt McGranaghan and Martin McMahon discuss the An Post Bogus self-employment case that is dragging along (delayed again) in the High Court. This is potentially another seismic case on the abuse of employment status by yet another semi-state business. The historic nature of the (alleged?) wrongdoing means that An Post has everything to lose, and its not great for the Revenue Commissioners either. The Echo Chamber Pod is the only media with full access to the legal arguments in advance. Here they are outside the paywall.

The Kneecap Hurty Feelings podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-127435973

Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-to-126186702

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack

Ruwaida Amer is an award winning film-maker and producer from Gaza, yet she trained as a teacher. War has a way of turning everything upside down.

She now dedicates her time to telling the stories of people in Gaza and the children who she cares deeply for. She joins us to speak about how the destruction of her family home as a child by Israel made her the journalist she is now and how the ongoing genocide motivates her to tell more stories.

Please watch One Day in Gaza here:https://youtu.be/SxgZsNb7z4o?si=v19PiOmpiTtr6vZV

The John Harris podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-127125764

Donate to Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-to-126186702

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack

"Disappointed my concerns have been compounded by Govts misrepresentation. They claim no dissent was raised, yet multiple voices spoke in favour of removing the Traveller committee from d’Hondt. This erasure of support mirrors the disregard for Traveller voices in their decision."

Senator Eileen Flynn, April 14th 2025.

When our guest, Senator Eillen Flynn, wrote this a few days ago we immediately reached out to see what had happened and what can still be done to fix it. She, as always, was gracious enough to join us to break it all down. Is 'nothing about us, without us' just a meaningless slogan? Time will tell.

Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-to-126186702

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack

We've been desperately disappointed by the mainstream western coverage of the genocide in Gaza since it began over 559 days ago. So when we read the piece Omissions, caveats and false balance: How media is failing Palestinians, the international order and our profession, by reporter with The Currency, Niall Sargent, it felt like FINALLY!

The piece which has since been shared by Francesca Albanese is here:https://thecurrency.news/articles/184892/youre-scared-of-doing-the-right-thing-because-the-right-thing-comes-with-a-price/

Niall rejoins us for the first time in a good while to talk about why he wrote it, what he learned while putting it together and his feeling that journalism, with some notable exceptions, has let itself down over the last 18 months.

The Senator Eileen Flynn podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-126781341

Donate to Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-to-126186702

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack

In this Echo Chamber Podcast we are rejoined by economist with NERI, Ciarán Nugent to discuss the Trump Tariffs, our Pharma vulnerability, the potential impacts on the tax haven and killing false economic narratives like "austerity saved the economy."

Senator Eileen Flynn podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-126781341

Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-to-126186702