Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Anjuman Rahman
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‘Gaza is always in a state of rebirth, always rising from the ashes. We refuse to vanish’
Palestinian journalist Yousef Alhelou returned to Gaza after almost a decade away with one mission in mind; documenting life, the cities, their people, culture and faith. His is one of the last visual records of the enclave before Israel decimated it....
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German-Syrian band Shkoon: Through music we learnt to listen and tell a story
Music duo Shkoon is made up of a Syrian vocalist and a German producer who don’t always see eye to eye, but their success comes from their ability to challenge one another and create sounds that unite them. ...
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Eyes on Gaza: Witnessing Annihilation
In an interview with MEMO, law professor and author Khaled Beydoun discussed his latest book, ‘Eyes on Gaza: Witnessing Annihilation’. He delved into the portrayal of Arab men in the context of the war on terrorism and highlighted how, through social media, the humanity of Palestinians is being recognised...
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Mo Season 2 takes us to Palestine in tears, laughter and everything in between
When Mo first hit Netflix in 2022, it felt like a game-changer. Here was a show unlike anything we’d seen before—raw, hilarious, deeply personal and unapologetically Palestinian. Now, with season 2, the series doubles down on everything that made it so powerful, taking us on a journey that is...
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The Gaza Martyrs Project: ‘It’s our way of reflecting on who they were, their hopes and dreams’
MEMO spoke with Reema Farah who volunteered for the ‘Stitch Their Names Together’ project to remember the Palestinians killed in Gaza. The project brings together volunteers from across the world to stitch the names and ages of all the victims of Israel’s genocide. ‘Stitching their names brought me closer...
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'Gazans evacuated for medical treatment fear they'll never be allowed back home'
Israel decimated the healthcare system in the besieged enclave, forcing Palestinians to seek treatment abroad where possible. Now, those who have been allowed to leave fear Tel Aviv's efforts to ethnically cleanse Gaza may mean they won’t be allowed to return. The interviews in this article were carried...
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Virtual reality: Providing injured Gazans an alternative space to heal
For patients with amputations, it can take many months to come to terms with the loss of a limb, Mosab Ali found using VR headsets can help speed up the process and help Palestinians in Gaza come to terms with their loss and find an alternative space where they...
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Normalisation of Israel’s war crimes in Gaza’s hospitals and dehumanisation of Palestinian patients must end
The deliberate targeting of hospitals in Gaza has been a sadistic trend highlighting the normalisation of war crimes in an international system increasingly indifferent to Palestinian suffering. Since the Israeli military’s strike on Al-Ahli Arab Hospital on 17 October last year, resulting in the immediate loss of over 500 Palestinian...
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Why is the world silent about Israel imprisoning its youngest Palestinian child yet?
Ayham’s case is not an isolated transgression imposed by Israel; it is a reflection of a deeply rooted system of apartheid and oppression....
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‘SOAS Student Union is supposed to be independent, but it has been completely silenced’
In the months since Israel’s escalation in Gaza since 7 October, a chilling wave of repression has swept across UK universities, targeting pro-Palestine activists with alarming severity. At the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), a historic hub for progressive thought, this repression has been starkly visible. Students have...
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‘We believe in love and dreams’ - A Gaza love story tested by Israel’s genocide
“For me and Reham, we believe in love and dreams and we hold onto them,” Abdallah Abdou says softly, as if trying to convince himself as much as anyone who is listening. Sitting in a makeshift shelter in southern Gaza, Abdallah, a 31-year-old dentist, reflects on a future that,...
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Boycotting for Palestine: How Adil Abbuthalha's ‘Boycat’ App is revolutionising ethical shopping
In the fast-evolving world of activism, technology, and social justice, few individuals embody the spirit of both innovation and purpose quite like Adil Abbuthalha, the creator of Boycat, an app designed to revolutionise ethical consumerism. His journey from data science to launching a global movement through an app showcases the...
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‘I saw the hospital engulfed in flames, people burning alive, their bodies writhing in pain’
“My life was full of achievements, and then came 7 October.” These haunting words from 19-year-old Gazan, Shahd, mark the one-year anniversary of Israel’s war on Gaza, reflecting the unimaginable shift from a future filled with dreams to a present consumed by devastation and loss. On 7 October, 2023, the...
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Knights of Cinema: The Story of the Palestine Film Unit
Towards the middle of a chapter on “The Palestine Film Unit’s Cinematic Experience” in her book Knights of Cinema: The Story of the Palestine Film Unit, Khadijeh Habashneh notes: “The film unit decided to avoid using two languages: one for the people, and one for the world.” In its context,...
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Activists call for global strike against Israel war on Gaza
Palestinians from Gaza and Pick Up For Gaza have called for a global strike on 1 October 2024 in an effort to draw attention to the atrocities in the enclave and to unite protest movements to make a change and bring an end to Israel's 'killing machine'. Organiser Hanin...
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First Gazan to compete in World Boxing Championships: ‘My people are in need of help’
Shams Al-Tayeb, a 24-year-old Palestinian boxer from Gaza, is preparing to make history as the first Palestinian from Gaza to compete in the World Boxing Championship (WBC). But, for Al-Tayeb, his fight is not just in the ring – he is fighting for the freedom and future of his...
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Providing refuge and a sense of community through hummus
For the founder of HummusTown, setting up her enterprise meant battling stereotypes, red tape and her own fears, but the outcome has provided a safe haven for refugees from across the Middle East and delicious food for customers in Rome. ...
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‘I can be more useful here in Palestine,’ says Russian journalist resisting Israeli occupation
Andrey moved to Israel to escape possible persecution in Russia, what he gained was an understanding of the occupation and apartheid system which has pushed him to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians....
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The silence on Gaza from countries with feminist foreign policies ‘is deafening and deeply troubling’
UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, says countries who advocate women’s rights must ‘walk the talk’, applying their principles consistently and without selective advocacy by avoiding arms transfers that facilitate the killing of Palestinian women by Israel....
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Andrés Torres, Basque Culinary World Prize 2024 winner: ‘Children, our future, are dying of starvation’
Chef Andrés Torres defies conventional career paths, transforming from a war correspondent into a culinary activist. As the head of Global Humanitaria, Torres has seamlessly blended his passion with a deep-seated commitment to make a tangible impact in conflict zones through the universal language of food. From the war-torn streets...
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Pedaling for Gaza: Abed Rahman's ride from Germany to Palestine to raise funds for Gaza healthcare
Abed Rahman is riding from Germany to Palestine to raise funds for a healthcare centre in Gaza. This centre, staffed by 10 doctors, provides crucial services to the war-torn community, offering treatment for diabetes, cancer and injuries from bombings. Spanning several weeks and covering over 3,000 kilometres, Abed's cycle...
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‘I cannot stand by and allow a genocide to take place,’ says independent candidate Maxine Bowler
The UK is suffering from a ‘democratic deficit’, Bowler has told MEMO, adding that the government is happy to spend millions on weapons of mass destruction but when there are calls to help people for humanitarian reasons, no action is taken....
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‘If you want to rebuild a country, you start with their minds,’ says Gaza teacher
English teacher Ahmed Abo Rizik helped set up Gaza Great Minds, an organisation that continues to educate Palestinian children in Gaza in tent schools, giving them some semblance of normality at a time when they have experienced great loss, homelessness and struggle to survive each and every day....
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‘Gaza encampments symbolise a rising tide of global support for Palestinian liberation’
University campuses around the world have become hotspots for escalating student protests, demanding academic institutions divest from companies supplying arms to Israel. Launched on US college campuses, these protests have now spread to universities across the UK, Europe, Lebanon and Jordan. Students assert that their actions are a stand against...
