Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Anjuman Rahman
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How a UK tech app is revolutionising specialist dermatology care for refugees in Lebanon
In Lebanon, where over 1.5 million refugees from Syria have sought shelter, access to healthcare is a critical challenge. Skin diseases and conditions are common among displaced populations due to poor living conditions, lack of medical resources and environmental factors. However, an innovative collaboration between UK-based Consultant Connect and...
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‘Gaza is always in a state of rebirth, always rising from the ashes. We refuse to vanish’
In The Phoenix of Gaza, filmmaker and journalist Yousef Alhelou presents an intimate, deeply personal documentary that captures the vibrant, everyday life of Gaza before its near-total annihilation. The film is a love letter to a homeland on the brink of devastation, a poignant record of what once was;...
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German-Syrian band Shkoon: Through music we learnt to listen and tell a story
The underground electronic scene has long been a melting pot of cultural influences, but few acts have mastered the fusion of tradition and modernity quite like the German-Syrian band Shkoon. The duo, made up of Syrian vocalist and musician Ameen Khayer and German producer Thorben Diekmann, is back with...
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Eyes on Gaza: Witnessing Annihilation
In ‘Eyes on Gaza’, Khaled Beydoun, an Arab-American law professor, crafts a haunting and deeply personal account of the genocide unfolding in Gaza, balancing incisive political analysis with reflections on his heritage and the individuals who shaped his understanding of justice and resilience. “These trees are resilient, firmly rooted...
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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’
As Israel dropped bombs for 15 months and lives were obliterated in Gaza, one woman’s hands had been stitching a tapestry of memory and resistance. Mary Evers, an Irish-born osteopath turned embroidery artist, has embarked on a solemn yet powerful journey to commemorate the Palestinian lives lost in Israel’s...
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‘Gazans evacuated for medical treatment fear they’ll never be allowed back home’
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached critical levels, driven by the deliberate actions of Israeli occupation forces that obstruct the flow of aid to vulnerable communities. Grassroots activists Hala Sabbah and Lena Dajani of the Sameer Project have exposed how Israel’s blockade and military policies systematically disrupt the...
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Virtual reality: Providing injured Gazans an alternative space to heal
In a small, crowded room in Gaza, laughter cuts through the heavy air of despair. A 12-year-old boy leaps and runs – kicking a virtual football with both legs intact. He’s wearing a virtual reality (VR) headset, but the joy on his face is unmistakably real. For a few...
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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...
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Why is the world silent about Israel imprisoning its youngest Palestinian child yet?
On Sunday, 14-year-old Ayham Al-Salaymeh began serving a one-year prison sentence in Israel, becoming the youngest Palestinian ever imprisoned under Israel’s military law. Before being forced to surrender himself at Al-Moskobiya prison in Jerusalem, Ayham’s father, Nawaf, took him on a final walk through the streets of their hometown,...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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Activists call for global strike against Israel war on Gaza
“We want people to stop their work and protest. Use speakers to air the sounds of the air strikes that are hitting us and our people, so people know what we are living through.” seven-year-old journalist from Gaza, Lama Jamous, tells MEMO. This powerful plea from Gaza’s youngest journalist...
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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
In a quiet corner of Rome, where ancient history and modern life collide, a small yet impactful initiative is quietly making waves offering a taste of Syria’s rich culinary heritage while empowering displaced Syrians to rebuild their lives. The story of HummusTown begins with its founder, Shaza Saker, a...
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‘I can be more useful here in Palestine,’ says Russian journalist resisting Israeli occupation
Fleeing from political persecution in Russia, Andrey X, a political journalist, never imagined that his path would lead him to the occupied West Bank. Yet, here he is, in the village of Tawani, the largest community in Masafer Yatta, where he’s spent the last year and a half involved...
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The silence on Gaza from countries with feminist foreign policies ‘is deafening and deeply troubling’
Israel’s war against Gaza, now dragging into its 311th day, has wrought unspeakable devastation. More than 39,897 Palestinians have been killed and more than 92,152 others injured since October 2023. However, as UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, warns these figures are likely a...
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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...
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Pedaling for Gaza: Abed Rahman’s ride from Germany to Palestine to raise funds for Gaza healthcare
“Every pedal stroke is a message of solidarity with my people in Gaza that, no matter what, we will rebuild our homes again.” With these words, Abed Rahman sets the tone for his extraordinary mission – cycling from Germany to Palestine to raise critical awareness and funds for a...
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‘I cannot stand by and allow a genocide to take place,’ says independent candidate Maxine Bowler
Running as an independent Socialist candidate in Brightside and Hillsborough, Maxine Bowler’s campaign is driven by a single, unyielding focus; raising awareness and pushing for action on the issue of Palestine. Bowler’s journey into politics has been marked by a series of profound events that shaped her perspective. “I...
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‘If you want to rebuild a country, you start with their minds,’ says Gaza teacher
In the war-torn streets of Gaza, where the echoes of bombs and the hum of drones weave through the everyday lives of people, a newly installed makeshift classroom stands out, decorated with colourful posters, toys and pictures. Though it can’t withstand Israel’s bombs and air strikes, it remains the...