In Episode 29 of The Enlightenment Podcast, Shamim and Hanan sit down with Dr. Sara Husseini, a political strategist and advocate for Palestinian representation.

Dr. Husseini is the Director of the British Palestinian Committee, an independent, diaspora-led organization dedicated to political and strategic advocacy in the UK. She also serves on the boards of the Britain-Palestine Centre and the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy (PIPD), working to elevate Palestinian voices in policymaking and international relations.

With a distinguished career in diplomacy, Dr. Husseini has advised senior Palestinian officials across multiple offices, including the Secretary-General of the PLO and the Palestinian Ambassador to Germany. She also spent three years with the Global Philanthropic Collective Compact, focusing on humanitarian and development initiatives.

Dr. Husseini holds a BA in German Studies and European History, an MA in Islamic Studies, and a PhD in Early Christian-Muslim Relations, all from the University of Birmingham in the UK.

In this episode, Shamim and Hanan explore the importance of Palestinian representation, the role of advocacy in shaping political discourse, and the challenges of influencing UK policy on Palestine.

📖 Learn more about Dr. Husseini’s work:

🔹 British Palestinian Committee: www.britpalcommittee.co.uk/

🔹 Britain Palestine Media Centre: https://www.britainpalestinemedia.com/

🔹 Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy (PIPD): https://www.thepipd.com/

📌 Take action:

🔹 Donate to BPC: https://britpalcommittee.co.uk/donate-bpc

🔹 Subscribe to BPC mailing list: https://britpalcommittee.co.uk/subscribe

🔹 UK listeners – Email your MP to stop the genocide and Britain’s complicity: http://britpalcommittee.eaction.org.uk/stopthegenocide

📰 Subscribe to The Enlightenment Podcast Newsletter on Substack for exclusive content and episode updates: https://enlightenmentpodcast.substack.com

#SaraHusseini #EnlightenmentPodcast #PalestinianRights #PoliticalAdvocacy #PublicDiplomacy #BritishPalestinian #MiddleEast #Podcast #FreePalestine

In Episode 28 of The Enlightenment Podcast, Shamim and Hanan sit down with Sawsan Asfari, a Palestinian-Lebanese film producer, philanthropist, and human rights advocate.

Sawsan holds a degree in Political Science and Journalism and has dedicated her career to supporting Palestinian communities through education, cultural initiatives, and storytelling. She is the Executive Director of the Galilee Foundation, an organization that empowers Palestinian youth in Israel through education. She is also the co-founder and trustee of the Asfari Foundation, which provides educational opportunities and leadership development programs across the Middle East.

In addition to her philanthropic work, Sawsan is an award-winning film producer. She founded Cocoon Films (formerly Cactus World Films) to champion independent cinema that highlights Middle Eastern narratives. Several of her films have received international recognition, including Wajib, Salt of the Sea, and When I Saw You, which won multiple awards at major film festivals. She also produced The Teacher (2023) and Tomorrow’s Freedom (2022), continuing her commitment to impactful storytelling.

Sawsan is also a member of the Welfare Association and the US Middle East Project (US MEP), advocating for Palestinian rights and sustainable development initiatives.

In this episode, Shamim and Hanan explore Sawsan’s journey from journalism to award-winning film production, her commitment to uplifting Palestinian voices, and the role of storytelling in advocating for justice.

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📖 Learn more about Sawsan’s work:

🔹 Asfari Foundation: https://www.asfarifoundation.org.uk/

🔹 Galilee Foundation: https://www.galileefoundation.org.uk/

🔹 Cocoon Films: https://cocoonfilms.co.uk/

📌 Explore the organizations Sawsan is involved with:

🔸 Taawon Welfare Association: https://www.unrwa.org/taawon-welfare-association

🔸 US MEP: https://www.usmep.us/

🔸 Arab Women’s Association: https://www.awa-london.org/

🔸 Hind Rajab Foundation: https://www.hindrajabfoundation.org/

🛍️ Support Palestine – Featured Item:

🧣 Map of Palestine Cashmere Shawl: https://anzclothing.com/?srsltid=AfmBOopLPmc4NoSDNhC4yww2brPWEI5Hfa8zVKYF-g8Y0JFdFblHEO2J

#SawsanAsfari #EnlightenmentPodcast #PalestinianRights #HumanRights #GalileeFoundation #AsfariFoundation #CocoonFilms #MiddleEast #Podcast

In Episode 27 of The Enlightenment Podcast, Shamim and Hanan sit down with Farah Nabulsi, an Oscar-nominated and BAFTA award-winning filmmaker and human rights advocate.

After a successful career in finance, Farah pivoted to filmmaking following her first visit to Palestine in 2013. Since then, she has dedicated her work to highlighting the Palestinian experience through cinema.

She has written, directed, and produced several impactful films, including:

🎬 Oceans of Injustice – Her first short film, an adaptation of her writing, offering a deeply personal and autobiographical look at Palestinian struggles.

🎬 They Took My Son – A harrowing exploration of the brutal treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli detention.

🎬 The Present – An Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning short film that highlights the daily hardships faced by Palestinians under occupation.

🎬 The Teacher – A feature film that premiered at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival), delving into the life of a Palestinian school teacher caught between personal loss and political resistance.

In this episode, Farah shares her journey from finance to filmmaking, her creative process, and the impact she hopes to make through storytelling.

🚨 Exciting News! The Teacher will be released in the U.S. on April 19th, distributed by Watermelon Pictures. Visit their site for more details: https://www.watermelonpictures.com 🍉

📖 Explore more of Farah Nabulsi’s work here: https://www.farahnabulsi.com#FarahNabulsi

#TheTeacher #WatermelonPictures #ThePresent #PalestinianCinema #TIFF #BAFTA #HumanRights #Storytelling #EnlightenmentPodcast #Palestine

In Episode 26 of The Enlightenment Podcast, Shamim and Hanan sit down with Dr. Ghada Karmi, a Palestinian-born academic, physician, prolific author, and activist.

Dr. Karmi has held numerous prestigious positions, including Associate Fellow at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London and Research Fellow at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter. She has also served as Vice Chair of the Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU), a leading organization advocating for stronger UK-Arab relations.

As an outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights, Dr. Karmi has written extensively on the Palestinian struggle, displacement, and identity. Her notable works include In Search of Fatima: A Palestinian Story, Married to Another Man: Israel’s Dilemma in Palestine, Return: A Palestinian Memoir, and One State: The Only Democratic Future for Palestine-Israel.

In this episode, they explore Dr. Karmi’s personal journey, her insights on Palestine’s ongoing struggle, and the future of advocacy for Palestinian rights.

📖 Explore Dr. Karmi’s books here: Amazon - Ghada Karmi

#GhadaKarmi #EnlightenmentPodcast #PalestinianRights #OneState #InSearchOfFatima #Return #HumanRights #MiddleEast #Podcast

In Episode 25 of The Enlightenment Podcast, Shamim and Hanan engage in a compelling conversation with Dr. Lena El-Malak, a Palestinian technology and data privacy attorney with profound expertise in public international law and refugee law. Dr. El-Malak earned her doctoral degree in public international law from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.

She is the author of Stolen Nation: The Right to Reparation of Palestinian Refugees, a comprehensive legal analysis addressing the destruction and expropriation of Palestinian property during the Nakba. This work advocates for a law-based approach to enforce the right to reparation and examines the marginalization of Palestinian refugees' legal rights in political discourse.

In this episode, they delve into the complexities of reparations, the quest for justice, and potential solutions for Palestinian refugees.

📖 Get Stolen Nation here: https://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Nation-Reparation-Palestinian-Palestine/dp/0755652797

#LenaElMalak #EnlightenmentPodcast #StolenNation #PalestinianRefugees #Reparations #InternationalLaw #HumanRights #Podcast

In Episode 24 of The Enlightenment Podcast, Shamim and Hanan sit down with Raja Shehadeh, a distinguished Palestinian lawyer, human rights activist, and prolific, award-winning writer. In 1979, he co-founded Al-Haq, a pioneering Palestinian human rights organization that continues to do remarkable work in the field. 

Shehadeh's literary contributions have garnered significant acclaim. His book Palestinian Walks: Forays into a Vanishing Landscape won the Orwell Prize, a prestigious British award for political writing, in 2008.

More recently, his memoir We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I was a finalist for the 2023 National Book Award for Nonfiction. 

We are excited to discuss his forthcoming book, Forgotten: Searching for Palestine's Hidden Places and Lost Memorials, which delves into the overlooked memorials and sites within historic Palestine. This work is scheduled for publication on March 6, 2025, in London. 

In this episode, they explore Shehadeh's extensive career, his unwavering commitment to human rights, and the inspiration behind his latest literary endeavor.

📖 Pre-order Forgotten here: https://profilebooks.com/work/forgotten/

💡 Learn more about Al-Haq:

Website: https://www.alhaq.org

X: https://twitter.com/alhaq_org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alhaq_org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alhaqorganization

#RajaShehadeh #EnlightenmentPodcast #AlHaq #PalestinianWalks #WeCouldHaveBeenFriends #Forgotten #HumanRights #Palestine #Podcast

In Episode 23 of The Enlightenment Podcast, Shamim and Hanan sit down with Miko Peled, an author and human rights activist born in Jerusalem. He is renowned for his influential books, including The General's Son: Journey of an Israeli in Palestine and Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.

Miko is the founder and president of the Palestine House of Freedom (Dar Alhurriya), a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization dedicated to ending Israeli apartheid and establishing a free Palestine with equal rights for all.

In this episode, they discuss Miko's personal journey, his perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the mission of the Palestine House of Freedom.

Join us for this insightful conversation as we explore the path toward a just and peaceful resolution in the Middle East.

For more information about the Palestine House of Freedom, you can visit their official website: daralhurriya.org

Additionally, here's a video introducing the Palestine House of Freedom: https://youtu.be/D1b6fGmpAUs

You can also follow them on social media:

• Instagram: @palestinehouseoffreedom

• Facebook: Palestine House of Freedom
  

In Episode 22 of The Enlightenment Podcast, Shamim and Hanan sit down with Ahmed Eldin, an Emmy-nominated journalist, producer, actor, and activist of Palestinian descent. Ahmed has built an impressive media career, including roles with The Huffington Post, VICE, and AJ+.

His work includes the Emmy-nominated project Defining Middle Ground: The Next Generation of Muslim New Yorkers, and he has received various accolades, including a Webby Award. 

His documentary Queer Egypt Under Attack won multiple awards, including the Amnesty International UK Media Award for Digital Creativity and the British Journalism Award for Social Affairs, Diversity & Inclusion in 2023. The film focuses on the treatment of LGBTQI+ individuals in Egypt.

In this episode, they discuss Ahmed's diverse career, his advocacy for human rights, and the challenges faced by marginalized communities in the Middle East.

📽️ Watch Queer Egypt Under Attack here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnSV0UVleR

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share your thoughts in the comments!

#AhmedShihabEldin #EnlightenmentPodcast #QueerEgyptUnderAttack #LGBTQ #MiddleEast #HumanRights #Journalism #Activism #Podcast

In Episode 21 of The Enlightenment Podcast, Shamim and Hanan welcome their first Israeli guest, Professor Avi Shlaim, an Israeli-British historian of Iraqi Jewish descent. As an Emeritus Professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford, Professor Shlaim is renowned for his critical perspectives on the history of Zionism and Israel, being a prominent figure among Israel's "New Historians."

Born in Baghdad in 1945, Professor Shlaim and his family relocated to Israel in 1950. He pursued his education in history at Jesus College, Cambridge, and later obtained an M.Sc. in International Relations from the London School of Economics.

In this episode, they delve into his latest work, Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew, which has also been published in Arabic. The memoir offers a unique perspective on his personal journey and the broader historical context of Arab-Jews.

Join them as they explore Professor Shlaim's personal narrative, the intricate history of Arab-Jews, and his critical insights into Zionism and Israeli history.

📚 Learn more about Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew: https://www.amazon.com/Three-Worlds-Arab-Jew-Avi-Shlaim/dp/0861544633

In Episode 20 of The Enlightenment Podcast, Shamim and Hanan sit down with Atef Alshaer, a Professor in Arabic and Cultural Studies at the University of Westminster. With a career dedicated to exploring the intersections of literature, culture, and politics, Atef brings profound insights into Palestinian identity and resistance through poetry and storytelling.

With a BA in English Language and Literature from Birzeit University in Palestine and a Master’s and PhD from the University of London, Atef has authored numerous works, including Poetry and Politics in the Modern Arab World, A Map of Absence: An Anthology of Palestinian Writing on the Nakba. His acclaimed book New Palestinian Poetry won the Palestine Book Award in 2020.

In this episode, they discuss the power of Palestinian poetry, the enduring cultural impact of the Nakba, and how literature has preserved identity and resistance amidst occupation and displacement.

📚 Learn more about A Map of Absence: An Anthology of Palestinian Writing on the Nakba - https://www.amazon.com/Map-Absence-Anthology-Palestinian-Writing/dp/0863569900