Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Sara Kalil
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'Palestinian blood' painted across Scottish football stadium ahead of match with Israel
Activists used red paint to cover the ramp the Israeli football team’s bus was due to take before its match against Glasgow last night in an effort to highlight the plight of Palestinians. The act of solidarity saw red paint sprewn across the floor with the words “Palestinian Blood!” and...
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Will the lives of people in the Middle East ever really matter to the West?
In the three months that countries around the world have imposed widescale lockdowns that paralysed their economies and decimated trade, we have seen the emergence of grassroots organisations which have supported those worst affected by the crisis. In the UK, Mutual Aid has become synonymous with community projects that ask...
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‘As long as there’s occupation, there’ll be resistance’
MEMO interviewed former Palestinian prisoner Taysir Suleiman, who now lives in Istanbul, after being released from Israeli prisons in 2011...
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Taste of cement
Spanning the lifecycle of concrete, the film shows the daily life of the construction workers who live in the basement of the site on which they are building a 22-floor skyscraper...
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We are all to blame for Trump’s decision on Jerusalem
Two weeks after US President Donald Trump declared his administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and protests are continuing in the occupied territories, however across the world people are silent. Mass condemnation, protests and angry voices were heard immediately after the decision but we have now all settled back...
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Is Saudi’s Bin Salman tackling corruption or making money?
Tackling corruption is an Islamic duty akin to combating terrorism, senior Saudi clerics have said in response to the recent purge on princes, officials and businessmen which has seen dozens arrested over the weekend. As part of its “religious duty”, the newly established anti-corruption commission, set up at the behest...
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#WeNeedToTalk
Egyptians have hijacked the hashtag setup in support of coup leader and President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to highlight the numerous human rights abuses carried out under his leadership. The hashtag is part of the World Youth Forum which Al-Sisi is hosting. While some were using the hashtag #WeNeedToTalk for its intended...
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Clash
Set entirely in an eight metre long police van, Mohamed Diab’s drama Clash (Eshtebak) sees Egyptians from all walks of life locked up together in the aftermath of the military coup of 2013. As chaos spreads across the city the movie takes us through the streets to see how people,...
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#Syria
US resident Donald Trump ordered a strike on Syria overnight in an apparent response to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s chemical attack on the people of Khan Sheikhoum, Idlib, which has killed nearly 100 civilians, the vast majority children. Trump’s strike has caused uproar online with social media users airing their...
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#Oh_Arabs_your_silence_is_betrayal
Yesterday, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s plane struck the town of Khan Sheikhoun, in Idlib, killing more than 100 people and injuring over 500. The vast majority of those affected by the attack are thought to be children. The US and the UK condemned the attack, with the latter calling for...
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Banging the drum for Palestine
47Soul got Londoners on their feet with their unique sound and energy. ...
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‘Palestinians made me a photojournalist’
Japanese photographer, Ryuichi Hirokawa says the discovery of the remains of Arabic villages near a Kibbutz he had enlisted in after university was the trigger that inspired him to pick up his camera and discover and document history. As a teenager, Hirokawa took pictures during trips with friends to the...
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Capturing the Palestinian struggle
French photographer Joss Dray speaks to MEMO at the Palestine Media Forum in Istanbul, Turkey about solidarity with Palestine and how things have changed since the First Intifada. How did you get involved in the Palestinian issue? I was involved in politics against colonialism and if you are against colonialism then...
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An audience with Bassem Youssef
Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef has retained his ability to divide audiences years after being removed from TV screens by authorities in his native country. During a live performance on the media’s role in Egyptian events, audience members were unable to contain their anger or love for him or each other,...
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Syrian doctor talks to MEMO about cancer treatment, Turkish support and the absence of vital funding
"Syrians embraced all people: Palestinians, Iraqis, and Egyptians. But no one is helping us; instead they built us refugee camps. We live in a world now where we feel Muslims no longer sympathise with each other."...
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Failure to launch: Why the peace talks never succeed
Direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine began on 29 July 2013. Backed by the US, the framework agreement for Middle East peace has been in the making for nine months. The deadline for the talks is fast approaching and there has been no agreement as to whether or not...