Kalam Edgar Mannheimer

The Eurovision finals were held in Malmö on May 11 2024, and because of Israel's participation huge demonstrations were organised. Tens of thousands are estimated to have marched in Malmö on the days preceding the finals.
An alternative song contest was also organised, Falastinvision: "The genocide free song contest". Edgar travelled to Malmö and attended Falastinvision, where the Palestinian pop artist Bashar Murad performed.
This is a KALAM 5ASA instalment, a feature episode of the Kalam podcast. The regularly scheduled episodes released on Thursdays will not be affected.
For continuous updates and posts about Middle Eastern history, follow us on Instagram @kalampodcast. If you want to support us, you can do so by joining the Kalam Community at patreon.com/kalampodcast

A democratic Egypt is impossible without a liberated Palestine and vice versa. This is the argument put forth by the Egyptian writer, researcher and DJ, Nihal El Aasar. Nihal is a member of the London branch of the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), where she lives.
In today's episode, Nihal speaks to Edgar about why the West has a vested interest in keeping Egypt's government authoritarian and anti-Democratic, as well as the ecumenical nature of the term Arab - before the creation of the state of Israel.
For continuous updates on Kalam, as well as biographical introductions to historical figures in the Middle East, follow us on Instagram @kalampodcast
If you'd like to support Kalam you can do so by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/kalampodcast for just 3 USD a month. There, you'll gain access to full length interviews with all our guests and our new series, Kalam Shorts - 10 to 15 minute explainers of important terminology like Orientalism, Zionism and Settler Colonialism.

Are Edgar and Sam, the two white men behind Kalam, actually orientalists? Listen to find out!
In this first instalment of Kalam Shorts, Middle Eastern scholar Samuel Carlshamre discusses Edward Said's seminal book Orientalism. What is it about, and what do his critics say?
Kalam Shorts are 10-15 minute explainers of terminology important to understand when studying and learning about the Middle East. This first episode is free but coming Kalam Shorts will only be available for our Patreon supporters (subscribe via patreon.com/kalampodcast). Upcoming shorts will look at topics like Settler Colonialism, the Kuffieh and Zionism.
Included in the shorts is a literature guide for further study!
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Across the United States and increasingly in Western Europe, students are establishing encampments on university campuses. Encampments in solidarity with Palestine. Students want to protest against the ongoing war on Gaza and to demand that their institutions divest from Israel.
In today's episode Iraqi writer, poet and literary scholar, Sinan Antoon, speaks to Edgar about this movement and its implications for the broader movement to liberate Palestine. Sinan is an Associate Professor at NYU in New York City and was arrested by the NYPD for peacefully protesting.
For continuous updates on the podcast and on all things Palestine and Middle East, follow us on instagram @kalampodcast
If you want to support independent, in-depth journalism on Palestine and the Middle East, you can do so by joining our Patreon community, at patreon.com/kalampodcast

The Palestinian-Egyptian journalist Youmna El Sayed was for many people the media face of the war on Gaza.
Soon she found herself in the surreal position of reporting on the same calamities she was facing herself. She and her husband and children have been displaced several times and at times did not have enough food or water. She has since chosen to evacuate Gaza for the sake of her kids. At the moment, she’s travelling the Western world, advocating for the Palestinian cause. 
Follow us on social media @kalampodcast for updates about the show and information on Palestine and the Middle East.
Support independent journalism about the Middle East and Palestine by joining our Patreon community. For just 3 USD a month you will gain access to full length interviews and bonus content.

What if all the Palestinians would disappear? Not in a figurative sense, or even through ethnic cleansing or genocide. What if they simply vanished out of thin air? What would that do to israeli society? This is the premise of the Palestinian author Ibtisam Azem’s Book of Disappearance, first published in Arabic in 2014. 
It’s a truly fascinating read, and Ibtisam Azem, who grew up as a Palestinian citizen of Israel, masterfully portrays the hard truths and complexities of Israeli society.
This episode can be seen as a sequel to Episode 1 with Suad Amiry, as her novel talks about the very real disappearance of Palestinians during the 1948 Nakba.
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To support independent journalism about Palestine and the Middle East more broadly, join our Patreon community at patreon.com/kalampodcast.