The Enlightenment Podcast

“She’s been called a pioneer of Palestinian cinema — the filmmaker who broke barriers, rewrote history, and built a cinematic revolution for her people.”

In Episode 55 of The Enlightenment Podcast, Shamim and Hanan are joined by Annemarie Jacir, the award-winning Palestinian filmmaker and writer whose body of work has not only made history but also given Palestine a lasting voice on the global stage. Together, we explore Annemarie’s artistic journey, the challenges of making films under occupation, and the transformative role of cinema in Palestinian resistance.

Annemarie Jacir has written, directed, and produced over 16 films, with her work premiering at Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Locarno, Rotterdam, Toronto, and more. All of Annemarie’s feature films have been selected as Palestine’s official Oscar entry — a historic achievement in itself. Annemarie’s groundbreaking short film Like Twenty Impossibles became the first Arab short film ever selected for Cannes, cementing her place in film history.

Annemarie’s latest feature, Palestine 36, was created in the midst of the Gaza genocide, literally while missiles flew overhead. The film premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, earning the longest standing ovation in TIFF history, according to festival director Cameron Bailey. Palestine 36 will also premiere this October at the BFI London Film Festival, and will be in cinemas across UK and Ireland starting Oct. 31.

Annemarie has served on the juries of Cannes, Sundance, and Berlin, and is a member of both BAFTA and AMPAS. Annemarie continues to inspire a new generation of Palestinian filmmakers, proving that art itself can be an act of defiance and liberation.

This episode is not just about filmmaking — it is about cultural survival, creative resistance, and why stories are among Palestine’s most powerful weapons.

Annemarie Jacir’s Work:

🎬 Like Twenty Impossibles  → https://www.netflix.com/ae-en/title/81474205

🎬 Salt of This Sea → https://www.netflix.com/ae-en/title/70117041

🎬 When I Saw You → https://vimeo.com/ondemand/19606

🎬 Wajib → https://www.netflix.com/watch/80211283

🎬 Palestine 36 → Festival screenings (TIFF, BFI London 2025, Rome 2025, Chicago International, AFI, Tokyo, Sau Paulo) – distribution TBA. UK Distribution Curzon, France Haut et Court , USA Watermelon Pictures, Germany Alamode Films, Turkey TRT) 

Annemarie Jacir’s Social Media:

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/annamariajacir/?hl=en 

X (Twitter) → https://x.com/annemariejacir?lang=en 

Palestine 36 Film → https://www.instagram.com/palestine36film/?hl=en

The Enlightenment Podcast Social Media:

https://feedlinks.link/enlightenmentpodcast 

#TheEnlightenmentPodcast #AnnemarieJacir #PalestinianCinema #PalestinianFilmmakers #PalestinianCulture #PalestinianLiberation #FreePalestine #GazaGenocide #EndTheOccupation #CinemaAsResistance #ResistanceThroughArt #Palestine36 #GazaUnderAttack #StorytellingAsResistance #VoicesForPalestine

“I've never had an M16 pointed at me before. After just one hour in Bil'in! The Palestinians I met weren't terrorists but human beings — kind, resilient, and oppressed — fighting for the most basic right of all: freedom. What shocked me most was the deep-rooted racism among the majority of Israelis — a society taught to dehumanize Palestinians.” – Robert Martin, Bil'in, West Bank (2014)

In Episode 54 of The Enlightenment Podcast, Shamim and Hanan are joined by Robert Martin, the Australian filmmaker and activist who went from being anti-Palestinian to risking detention and psychological torture for breaking the Gaza blockade. Together, we explore Robert’s extraordinary transformation, his frontline experiences in Palestine, and his unflinching commitment to justice.

Robert was detained and tortured by Israeli forces in July 2024 during the Handler Humanitarian Mission. Once a real estate professional with little awareness of Palestine, his first visit to Bil’in changed everything. Since then, Robert has become a leading voice exposing Israel’s occupation and brutality, reaching millions worldwide through his films and activism—despite facing ongoing threats for speaking truth to power.

This episode is not just about Robert’s story—it is about awakening, the price of resistance, and why solidarity with Palestine is a moral imperative for us all.

Robert Martin’s Social Media:

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/robert_martin_palestine_/?hl=en

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/robert.martin.767615/ 

X (Twitter) → https://x.com/Robert_Martin72? 

Books mentioned:

The 51 Day War by Max Blumenthal → https://www.amazon.com/51-Day-War-Ruin-Resistance/dp/156858511X 

The Enlightenment Podcast Social Media:

https://feedlinks.link/enlightenmentpodcast 

 #TheEnlightenmentPodcast #RobertMartin #FreePalestine #EndTheOccupation #PalestinianLiberation #GazaSiege #HandlerMission #TruthToPower #ExposeApartheid #JusticeForPalestine

“He’s been called ‘one of the most self-hating Jews on earth,’ faced death threats from fellow Jews, and in November 2023, Senator Chris Coons had him removed from an Amtrak train by police after he confronted him about opposing a Gaza ceasefire...”

In Episode 53 of The Enlightenment Podcast, Shamim and Hanan are joined by Aaron Maté, the award-winning Jewish-Canadian journalist who has become one of the most fearless voices exposing Israeli genocide and apartheid. Together, we discuss Aaron’s journey into journalism, his relentless work debunking Israeli propaganda, and the moral imperative of standing for Palestinian liberation.

Aaron is a journalist at The Grayzone, host of Pushback, and co-host of Useful Idiots. The son of Holocaust survivor Dr. Gabor Maté, Aaron has risked both his career and his safety to speak out on Palestine. He has called Israel’s onslaught in Gaza—where one out of every 50 people has been killed—“one of the worst crimes in human history.”

This episode is not just about journalism—it is about truth-telling in the face of empire, the personal costs of resistance, and why silence in the face of genocide is never an option.

Aaron Maté’s Work:

📰 The Grayzone → https://www.youtube.com/@thegrayzone7996

🎙️ Pushback Podcast → https://open.spotify.com/show/5H4mm4a8gXLVbBGDoiYcsN?si=b67e1e32e16041d9

🎙️ Useful Idiots → https://www.youtube.com/@usefulidiots

Their Blood, Our Bullets: The Hidden Story of US-Russia War for Ukraine Useful Idiots → https://www.amazon.co.uk/Their-Blood-Our-Bullets-US-Russia/dp/1682193659 

Social Media

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/aaronjmate/?hl=en 

X (Twitter) → https://x.com/aaronjmate/ 

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/aaronjmate/

Enlightenment Podcast Social Media:

https://feedlinks.link/enlightenmentpodcast

#TheEnlightenmentPodcast #AaronMate #TheGrayzone #PushbackPodcast #UsefulIdiots #ExposePropaganda #JournalismAndJustice #EndTheOccupation #PalestinianLiberation #FreePalestine #TruthToPower

In Episode 52 of The Enlightenment Podcast, Shamim and Hanan are joined by Huwaida Arraf, the Palestinian-American human rights attorney, activist, and co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). Huwaida has dedicated her life to building international solidarity networks that confront Israeli apartheid and injustice.Huwaida co-founded ISM, which brought over 10,000 international witnesses to Palestine, challenging Israel’s impunity on the ground. She is also a survivor of the 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla, when Israeli commandos violently attacked humanitarian ships attempting to break the blockade on Gaza. Beyond her activism, Huwaida ran for U.S. Congress in Michigan, continuing her fight for justice within the political arena.In this episode, Huwaida reflects on the role of international solidarity in dismantling structures of oppression, the costs of resistance, and the urgent need for global action. Her life’s work is a defiant reminder that standing with Palestine means standing against apartheid everywhere—and that silence, in the face of injustice, is complicity.Follow Huwaida Arraf’s work: 🌍 International Solidarity Movement → https://palsolidarity.org/ 🌍 Freedom Flotilla Coalition → https://freedomflotilla.org/ Huwaida Arraf’s Social Media:Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/huwaidaarraf/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/huwaida.arraf/X → https://x.com/huwaidaarraf/ Enlightenment Podcast Social Media:https://feedlinks.link/enlightenmentpodcast #TheEnlightenmentPodcast #HuwaidaArraf #InternationalSolidarity #ISM #FreedomFlotilla #JusticeForPalestine #EndTheBlockade #DismantleApartheid #FreePalestine #HumanRights #ResistanceVoices #RachelCorrie #ThomasHurndall #RememberRachelCorrie #JamesMiller #BrianAvery #AysenurEygi #MarkPerlmutter

In Episode 51 of The Enlightenment Podcast, Shamim and Hanan are joined by Vivien Sansour, the Palestinian artist, conservationist, and visionary founder of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library. Through her groundbreaking work, Vivien is preserving endangered Palestinian seed varieties and ensuring that stories of land, food, and heritage remain alive—one harvest at a time.

Vivien established the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library in Battir in 2014, creating a living repository of seeds at risk of extinction. Beyond conservation, she founded the Traveling Kitchen to reconnect farms and kitchens, bringing food, culture, and community together. Her work has been featured at the V&A in London and the Venice Biennale, and she has held fellowships at Harvard and Bard.

In this episode, Vivien reflects on the intimate relationship between seeds, memory, and resistance, and how the preservation of agriculture is not only cultural heritage but an act of defiance against erasure. By saving Palestinian seeds, she is reclaiming identity, defending land, and refusing the systematic attempts to uproot a people’s existence.

Palestine Heirloom Seed Library:

Website → palestineheirloomseedlibrary.com/ 

The Seed Protector’s Project → palestineheirloomseedlibrary.com/projects/the-seed-protectors 

Vivien Sansour nad PHSL Social Media:

🌱 Palestine Heirloom Seed Library → instagram.com/paliheirloomseedlibrary

🌱 Vivien Sansour Instagram → instagram.com/viviensansour 

Enlightenment Podcast Social Media:

https://feedlinks.link/enlightenmentpodcast 

#Palestine #VivienSansour #SeedLibrary #FoodSovereignty #CulturalResistance #PalestinianHeritage #LandAndLiberation #SaveTheSeeds #EnlightenmentPodcast #FreePalestine

In Episode 50 of The Enlightenment Podcast, Shamim and Hanan are joined by Bob Suberi, a Yemeni-American Jew, Vietnam veteran, and activist who was recently arrested by Israeli forces while attempting to break the Gaza blockade aboard the Freedom Flotilla. Bob joins us to share his remarkable journey, his fight for justice in Palestine, and his work dismantling Zionist propaganda.

Bob is a 77-year-old former St. Louis restaurant owner who spent nearly six decades as a committed Zionist—until a profound awakening during his 2019 visit to the West Bank changed the course of his life. Since then, he has become an outspoken advocate for Palestinian liberation, leading Veterans for Peace St. Louis and regularly joining protective presence missions in Masafer Yatta, where Palestinian communities face relentless harassment and displacement under Israeli occupation.

In this uncompromising conversation, Bob lays bare his transformation from decades of Zionist belief to becoming a frontline witness to Israeli crimes. He challenges the myths that sustained his former worldview, exposes the brutality of the blockade and occupation, and makes a fierce call for solidarity with Palestinians. This episode is not just a story of awakening—it’s a defiant challenge to propaganda and silence.

Bob’s Work and Affiliations:

🌍 Freedom Flotilla Coalition → https://freedomflotilla.org/

Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s Social Media:

Facebook  →  facebook.com/FreedomFlotillaCoalition/ 

Instagram → instagram.com/gazafreedomflotilla/ 

X (Twitter) → https://x.com/gazafflotilla 

Enlightenment Podcast Social Media:

https://feedlinks.link/enlightenmentpodcast 

#TheEnlightenmentPodcast #BobSuberi #FreedomFlotilla #VeteransForPeace #EndTheBlockade #MasaferYatta #JusticeForPalestine #DismantleZionism #FreePalestine #Solidarity

In Episode 49 of The Enlightenment Podcast, Shamim and Hanan are joined by Omar El-Akkad, the award-winning Egyptian-Canadian journalist and novelist whose viral tweet about Gaza later became the title of his explosive nonfiction debut—now a New York Times bestselling book.

Omar is an award-winning journalist who spent over a decade covering conflicts from Afghanistan to Guantánamo Bay for The Globe and Mail. He is the acclaimed author of the novel American War, praised by the BBC, and the Scotiabank Giller Prize-winning novel What Strange Paradise. His latest work, the explosive nonfiction debut One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, is a searing indictment of Western complicity in the genocide of Palestinians and has been shortlisted for the 2025 Palestine Book Award.

In this powerful episode, Omar discusses the urgent need to dismantle Zionist propaganda, the role of literature in the fight for liberation, and the personal costs of speaking truth to power. His courage, moral clarity, and willingness to risk his career in pursuit of justice make his voice one of the most important of our time.

Omar’s Work: 📘 American War → https://www.amazon.com/American-War-Omar-El-Akkad/dp/0451493583 

📘 What Strange Paradise → https://www.amazon.com/What-Strange-Paradise-Omar-Akkad/dp/1984899244/ 

📘 One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This → https://www.amazon.com/Everyone-Will-Have-Always-Against/dp/0593804147/ 

Support the People of Palestine

The Sameer Project → https://www.instagram.com/thesameerproject 

The Ghassan Abu-Sittah Children’s Fund → https://gascf.org/ 

Palestine Children’s Relief Funds → https://www.pcrf.net/ 

Medical Aid for Palestinians → https://www.map.org.uk/ 

Gaza Funds → https://gazafunds.com/all 

The Hind Rajab Foundation → https://www.hindrajabfoundation.org/ 

Omar on Social Media: X (Twitter) → https://x.com/omarelakkad?lang=en Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/oelakkad/?hl=en 

Enlightenment Podcast Social Media:

https://feedlinks.link/enlightenmentpodcast

#TheEnlightenmentPodcast #OmarElAkkad #AmericanWar #WhatStrangeParadise #PalestineBookAwards #PalestinianLiberation #OneDayEveryoneWillHaveAlwaysBeenAgainstThis #DismantleZionism #WesternComplicity #JusticeForPalestine #FreePalestine #TruthToPower #LiteratureForJustice #EndTheOccupation

In Episode 48 of The Enlightenment Podcast, Shamim and Hanan are joined by Professor Omer Bartov, one of the world’s foremost Holocaust and genocide scholars, whose moral clarity and scholarly rigor have led him to unequivocally describe Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide—a position he reached through a deeply personal and professional journey.

Professor Bartov is the Dean's Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University and has been described by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum as one of the world’s leading specialists in genocide. Born in Israel, he served in the Israeli Army and fought in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, eventually rising to the rank of company commander before embarking on an academic career that would make him a globally respected historian.

He is the author of multiple award-winning books, including Anatomy of a Genocide and his latest, Genocide, the Holocaust and Israel-Palestine – First Person in History in Times of Crisis. His forthcoming book, Israel: What Went Wrong?, is due to be published in April 2026. In a principled stand, Professor Bartov resigned from the editorial board of Yad Vashem Studies after two decades, when his colleagues refused to confront Israel’s killing and maiming of thousands of Palestinian children.

In this compelling episode, Professor Bartov reflects on his own transformation from soldier to outspoken critic of Israeli policies, unpacks the historical and legal frameworks for understanding genocide, and speaks about the ethical responsibility of scholars in times of moral crisis.

Professor Bartov’s Work:

Anatomy of a Genocide → https://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Genocide-Death-Called-Buczacz/dp/1451684533

Genocide: The Holocaust and Israel-Palestine – First Person in History in Times of Crisis → https://www.amazon.com/Genocide-Holocaust-Israel-Palestine-First-Person-History/dp/1350332321

Israel: What Went Wrong? (Coming April 2026) → https://www.amazon.co.uk/Israel-What-Wrong-Omer-Bartov/dp/0374618186 

The Eastern Front, 1941-45: German Troops and the Barbarisation of Warfare (St Antony's Series)

 → https://www.amazon.com/Eastern-Front-1941-45-Barbarisation-Warfare/dp/0333949447/

Hitler's Army: Soldiers, Nazis, and War in the Third Reich (Oxford Paperbacks)

 → https://www.amazon.com/Hitlers-Army-Soldiers-Oxford-Paperbacks/dp/0195079035/ 

Professor Bartov on Social Media:X (Twitter) → https://x.com/bartov_omer LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/omer-bartov-6336343a/ 

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/OmerBartov/ 

Website  → https://vivo.brown.edu/display/obartov 

Enlightenment Podcast Social Media:

https://feedlinks.link/enlightenmentpodcast

#TheEnlightenmentPodcast #OmerBartov #GazaGenocide #HolocaustScholar #GenocideStudies #EndGazaGenocide #JusticeForPalestine #BrownUniversity #IsraelWhatWentWrong #DecolonizeHistory #MoralCourage #GenocideAwareness #PalestinianRights #HumanRightsNow #ScholarActivism

In Episode 47 of The Enlightenment Podcast, Shamim and Hanan are joined by Ahed Tamimi, the iconic Palestinian girl, national hero, freedom fighter, and symbol of resistance whose unwavering defiance in the face of Israeli military occupation has inspired people around the world.

As a teenager, Ahed became internationally known when videos of her confronting heavily armed Israeli soldiers in her village of Nabi Saleh went viral. Her courage and dignity in those moments made her a global symbol of Palestinian resistance—described by many as “the face of Palestinian defiance.”

Now in her early twenties, Ahed continues her activism on the ground in the occupied West Bank. She previously pursued international law at Birzeit University, driven by her commitment to justice and Palestinian liberation. Although she ultimately chose not to complete the degree, her pursuit of education remains part of a broader resistance—one shaped by relentless restrictions on her freedom and movement under occupation.

Her powerful memoir, They Called Me a Lioness, co-written with Dena Takruri, offers a gripping and emotional portrait of life under occupation—where childhood, resistance, and survival are inseparable.

In this deeply moving episode, Ahed reflects on growing up under military rule, the emotional weight of being a national symbol, and how she continues to fight—through storytelling, advocacy, and an unshakable love for her people.

Ahed’s Work:

📘 They Called Me a Lioness: A Memoir

→ https://www.amazon.com/They-Called-Me-Lioness-Palestinian/dp/0593134583 

Dena Takruri on Social Media:

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/denatakruri/ 

X (Twitter) → https://x.com/dena 

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/denatakruri/ 

Enlightenment Podcast Social Media:

https://feedlinks.link/enlightenmentpodcast

#TheEnlightenmentPodcast #AhedTamimi #TheyCalledMeALioness #PalestinianResistance #FreePalestine #BirzeitUniversity #YouthActivism #LegalAdvocacy #JusticeForPalestine #LifeUnderOccupation #DecolonizeNow #PalestinianVoices #EndTheOccupation #PalestinianLiberation #SymbolOfResistance

In Episode 46 of The Enlightenment Podcast, Shamim and Hanan are joined by Heather Masoud and Catherine Pawson, the visionary co-founders of Zaytoun, a pioneering social enterprise that launched the world’s first Fairtrade certified olive oil in 2009. For over two decades, Zaytoun has supported Palestinian farmers through ethical trade and solidarity, while celebrating the deep cultural heritage of Palestinian food.

Zaytoun is more than a brand—it’s a movement grounded in economic resistance. Through direct partnerships with suppliers in Palestine, they’ve offered high-quality Palestinian products to the UK market, helping to sustain communities living under military occupation. From olive oil to maftoul, their work uplifts both land and people.

Heather brings a background in natural resource management, while Catherine’s journey began through Arabic and Islamic studies, giving her the linguistic and cultural foundation to connect deeply with West Asia—commonly referred to as the Middle East.

In this episode, Heather and Catherine reflect on two decades of solidarity work, the challenges of building ethical supply chains under occupation, and the joy and resilience embedded in Palestinian culinary heritage.

Zaytoun’s Work:🌿 Zaytoun Official Website→ https://www.zaytoun.uk

🛒 Shop Palestinian Products→ https://zaytoun.uk/products/

Zaytoun on Social Media:Instagram → https://instagram.com/zaytoun_cicBluesky → @zaytouncic.bsky.socialFacebook → https://facebook.com/ZaytounCIC

Enlightenment Podcast Social Media:

https://feedlinks.link/enlightenmentpodcast

#TheEnlightenmentPodcast #Zaytoun #FairtradePalestine #PalestinianOliveOil #PalestinianFarmers #HeatherMasoud #CatherinePawson #PalestinianHeritage #CulinaryResistance #BuyPalestinian #EconomicJustice #FoodSovereignty #PalestinianVoices #DecolonizeTrade #JusticeForPalestine #FairTradeNotAid