Middle East Monitor Conversations

The prolonged nature of Israel's occupation of Palestinian land has meant women have to make life altering decisions from a very early age, the country director for Women for Women International in Palestine tells MEMO, their struggle is unique but women have been instrumental in rebuilding and healing their communities.A rights organisation that supports women affected by Israel’s ongoing occupation of Palestinian lands and its numerous wars on civilians, Women for Women International (WFWI) in Palestine constantly adapted its programmes in response to Israel's violence in Gaza and the West Bank. Palestinian women face unique challenges living under occupation and bombardment, and many of the decisions they are forced to make are life changing. To discuss what some of these hardships are, MEMO in Conversation is joined by WFWI Country Director Amani Mustafa.Mustafa grew up in the West Bank where she experienced first hand the challenges faced by ordinary civilians trying to get on with everyday life. The situation is particularly difficult for women in Hebron's H2 area, where some of the most extreme settlers live, and so the organsiation has set up specific integrating protective measures for women and girls in that area. The harsh living conditions mean their families are often forced to marry their daughters off at a younger age to protect them from the illegal settlers and occupation forces. But all this comes at a cost. Mustafa was educated at Bethlehem University and holds degrees in English Literature and International Cooperation and Development. She has long advocated for the rights of Palestinian women on both national and international platforms.  She has over 16 years of experience leading programmes aimed at bolstering Palestinian women’s social power and economic autonomy across the West Bank and Gaza. 

The history of Serbia remain poorly understood and is not discussed enough, but how did it transition from a narrative of being an oppressed people to perpetrator of a genocide? Join us as we discuss this and more with the author of 'Serbia: A Modern History'.In the 1990s, Yugoslavia broke down and a brutal war unfolded, culminating in a genocide being prepatrated against Bosniaks and Kosovan Albanians. The war brought to surface questions of ethnicity and belonging with 'Serbianess' being at the forefront. But what is Serbia and what does it mean to be a Serb? How did we get from a narrative of being an oppressed people to perpetrating genocides? The history of Serbia remains poorly understood, the current trajectory of both Serbia and Republika Srpska underappreciated, and the future of the Balkans not widely discussed enough. MEMO Conversations catches up with Dr Marko Attila Hoare who has just published a complete history of the Serbs. Hoare is an Associate Professor and Head of Research for the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the Sarajevo School of Science and Technology. He was born in London and received his BA (Hons) in History for the University of Cambridge in 1994 and his PhD in History from Yale University in 2000. He is the author of four published books on the history of Bosnia-Herzegovina, of which 'Genocide and Resistance in Hitler’s Bosnia: The Partisans and the Chetniks, 1941-1943' won the British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow Monograph Competition in 2004. His work has appeared in outlets including the Guardian, Al Jazeera, Standpoint, Open Democracy and New Lines Magazine, among others. He has featured in programmes by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and the Sky History Channel, and made appearances on many TV and radio stations including BBC TV and Sky News. His latest book is 'Serbia: A Modern History'.His new book can be found here: https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/serbia/

Conflict and violence in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and occupied Palestine drove the number of internally displaced people (IDPs) around the world to 75.9 million at the end of 2023. This is a new record, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). The body's global monitoring manager explains the driving forces behind internal displacement and discusses both wars and conflicts and the natural disasters forcing people away from their homes. In this week's conversation with MEMO we talk to Ivana Hajzmanova, a representative of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), to discuss the body's latest report. Hajzmanova provides a comprehensive global overview of the main hotspots where internal displacement is occurring, with a special focus on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). She delves into the countries most affected by this crisis and highlights the nations that are coping better than others.Throughout the conversation, we uncover the driving forces behind internal displacements, examining the complex interplay between natural disasters and man-made causes such as wars and conflicts. Hajzmanova sheds light on the role of state violence and armed groups in exacerbating displacements. The conversation also highlights the dire situation in Gaza, where an astonishing 83 per cent of the population is internally displaced, creating a humanitarian catastrophe.Hajzmanova is the Global Monitoring Manager at IDMC, coordinating the production of internal displacement estimates, development of data mining and data analysis methodologies and external data diplomacy. She joined IDMC in 2016 as a Monitoring Expert and she coordinated the MENA and Sub-Saharan Africa team since 2020. Ivana has a background in humanitarian and human rights law and she previously worked on humanitarian needs analysis and assessment, and human rights advocacy with national and international NGOs.She holds a Master’s degree in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action from Sciences Po Paris and spent one semester studying international law and history of violence at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva.

Peoples, communities and faith groups are being utilised to kill one another, but while different communities can clash this is not the only possibility, we can learn a lot about religious and cultural harmony from the Islamic rule of Spain, the leading conflict mediation expert says.The world is riddled with conflict, warfare and discord between nations, people and communities. Whether it's the killing fields of Gaza, civil war in Sudan, fighting in Ukraine or elsewhere. Peoples, communities and faith groups are being utilised to kill one another, but while different communities can clash this is not the only possibility. There is also a rich tradition of coexistence between religions, communities and nationalities, drawing up the history of La Convivencia (religious tolerance) that was the norm in Spain during Islamic rule, where Christians, Jews and Muslims lived together in harmony, we can learn to live together again without conflict. MEMO is joined by Dr Amineh Hoti who runs a project that adapts La Convivencia to current conflicts, peace building and community projects. Hoti, from University of Cambridge, has over 20 years of experience leading interfaith dialogue, conflict mediation and community engagement throughout the world. She has served as a peace studies director, professor and researcher for more than two decades and has extensive leadership experience on several continents. She was the Executive Director of the Centre for Dialogue and Action and co-founding Director of the first Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations in Cambridge and of the Centre for Dialogue and Action at Lucy Cavendish College at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. She completed her PhD in Social Anthropology at Lucy and is an Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham. 

Though internationally Israel uses the Bible to justify its colonisation of Palestine, for many Jews it is within Jewish ethical traditions that the seeds of anti-Zionism can be found. Israel coats itself in Jewish identity and purports to speak on behalf of all Jewish people, while critics of Israeli policy or its treatment of Palestinians are often branded anti-Semitic. Before the Second World War, however, support for Zionism in Jewish communities was limited. Moreover, Zionism was a European Jewish movement. As a result, for the millions of Jews living in the Middle East and wider Muslim World, Zionism was a foreign movement formed outside their own historical reality. Mizrahi and Sephardic Jews in Israel today are culturally underprivileged and are expected to integrated into a European Jewish society. While internationally Israel uses the Bible to justify its colonisation of Palestine, the Israeli state is deeply secular and has acted as a secularising force in Israeli Jewish life, alienating many God-conscious people. For many Jewish people, the oppression and dispossession of Palestinians runs contrary to Jewish ethics and traditions. MEMO Conversation is joined by Hadar Cohen who says that it is within Jewish ethical traditions that the seeds of anti-Zionism can be found. Cohen is an Arab Jewish scholar, mystic and artist whose work focuses on multi-religious spirituality, politics, social issues and community building. She is the founder of Malchut, a spiritual skill-building school teaching Jewish mysticism and direct experience of God. Her podcast, Hadar’s Web, features community conversations on spirituality, healing, justice and art. Hadar is a 10th-generation Jerusalemite with lineage roots also in Syria, Kurdistan, Iraq and Iran.

Is Persian the bridge language of ancient Muslim societies? And are Central Asian countries seeing a revival of this ancient heritage? When we think of the great cities of Islamic history, we tend to think of Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo, Isfahan and Istanbul. But for much of history Samarkand, Herat, Kashgar and Bukhara, to name a few, were at the epicentre of Muslim history. The modernisation of the region, Russian colonisation and later Soviet rule severed the historical connections between Central Asia to the rest of the world. However, since the 1990s, Central Asian countries increasingly celebrate and explore this heritage, but how much of the past survives and where is the region going? One way to think about these questions is through the prism of language and delving into the different languages spoken in Central Asia today can tell us a lot about this heritage and the direction societies are moving. Anglo-American academics have used the term the Persianate to describe the historical cultures present in Central Asia today, a term they argue ties Sarajevo to Hyderabad in-which the Persian language is a lingua franca of Islamic civilisation. But how relevant is this to Central Asia? Linguist Iskandar Ding joins MEMO Conversations today to deep dive and nerd out on this topic. 

 Has Iran's direct retaliatory strike on Israel been a major blow to Israel's deterrence capacity or a blow to Tehran on a world stage? MEMO speaks to leading experts on US-Iran relations Dr Trita Parsi.In this week’s MEMO in Conversation we speak to award winning author and expert on US-Iran relations, Dr Trita Parsi to discuss the latest escalation between Iran and Israel. Parsi offers his insights on the dangers of the current moment, drawing comparisons to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.US President Joe Biden is making moves to prevent an escalation in the region, but has he been effective? The conversation explores the reasons behind Iran's decision to retaliate this time, unlike in the past, and consider whether there was a major miscalculation on the part of Tel Aviv. Has Tehran's strike been a major blow to Israel's deterrence capacity?Don't miss this timely and thought-provoking conversation with one of the world's leading experts on US-Iranian relations and the geopolitics of the Middle East. Parsi is an award-winning author and the 2010 recipient of the Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order. He is an expert on US-Iranian relations, Iranian foreign policy and the geopolitics of the Middle East. He has authored three books on US foreign policy in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Iran and Israel. He was named by the Washingtonian magazine as one of the 25 most influential voices on foreign policy in Washington DC in both 2021 and 2022, and preeminent public intellectual Noam Chomsky calls Parsi 'one of the most distinguished scholars on Iran.'His first book, 'Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Iran, Israel and the United States', won the silver medal winner of the 2008 Arthur Ross Book Award from the Council on Foreign Relations. His second book, 'A Single Roll of the Dice – Obama’s Diplomacy with Iran' , was selected by Foreign Affairs as the Best Book of 2012 on the Middle East.Parsi’s latest book, 'Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran and the Triumph of Diplomacy', reveals the behind the scenes story to the nuclear deal with Iran.

The Arab world of yesteryear had cities abuzz with sounds, schools, mosques and places to learn and improve. Now these cities have dropped in importance and become dirty and congested as Western ideas of metropolitan life took over, but is there a revival?  Urbanisation is deeply rooted in Arab history. The city has been the epicentre of Arab ideals and Islamic tradition. Muslim empires have long been noted for their emphasis on building great cities and encouraging urban dwelling. For the Mamluks, Cairo represented their vision for an Islamic city, with more mosques, religious schools, endowments and religious public spaces than any other metropolis of that time. Sound was a big feature of the Mamluk city, the call to prayer, Quranic recitations and the sounds of worship were audible throughout Cairo no matter the time or day. Other Arab cities implemented their own understanding of Islamic ethics by applying it to both function and aesthetics of the city. Hygiene played a big role, protecting the poor was important and creating spaces to enable spiritual wellbeing of residences, the pre-modern Arab city enabled life in its various forms. However, the 1800s would see all of this change and modernisation would see traditional attitudes towards architecture, function and purpose of cities uprooted and supplanted by newer and more Westerner ideas. Today, Arab cities are much more marginalised by ruling authorities, dirter, run down and poorly persevered. While major cities of the pre-modern period have fallen from importance from Baghdad to Cairo, cities in the Gulf are thriving and changing the face of the region. We ask what happened to the Arab city. Joining us to answer this question is Nasser Rabbat. Rabbat is the Aga Khan Professor and Director of the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at MIT.  His interests include Islamic architecture, urban history, heritage studies, Arab history, contemporary Islamic art and post-colonial criticism.  He has published numerous articles and several books on topics ranging from Mamluk architecture to Antique Syria, 19th century Cairo, Orientalism, and urbicide.   His most recent books are 'Writing Egypt: Al-Maqrizi and His Historical Project'; 'Nasser Rabbat: Critical Encounters'; and ‘Imarat Al-Mudun Al-Mayyita' (The Architecture of the Dead Cities. His co-edited book, 'Reconstruction as Violence: The Case of Syria' will be published later thsi year.  He is currently editing a book on the cultural history of Syria, tentatively entitled, 'Syria: The Land Where Cultures Met', and writing a history of Mamluk Cairo.

Subhead: Will the UN reactivate the Special Committee Against Apartheid to end Israel's years-long abuse of Palestinians? And will the World Court try the occupation state and bring an end to its abuses? Join us as we discuss what measures are being taken on a world stage to tackle Israel's aggressions.In an unprecedented move, allegations of Israel practising apartheid are being examined by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Join us for this week's MEMO in Conversation with Dr Victor Kattan as we discuss the groundbreaking developments surrounding the allegations of Israeli apartheid made before the ICJ and the potential impact of an authoritative apartheid finding by the World Court.An Assistant Professor of Public International Law at the University of Nottingham, Kattan highlights the possibility of the reactivation of UN mechanisms such as the Special Committee Against Apartheid, and the lessons learned from the international community's response to apartheid in South Africa during the Cold War.Kattan provided insight into the distinction between proving the crimes of apartheid and genocide, as well as the role of ad hoc institutions in enforcing international law, while discussing the recent decision by the Appeals Court of The Hague in the Netherlands, which suspended F-35 parts shipments to Israel, as a potential precedent for restricting arms transfers. Kattan offered valuable perspectives on the critical steps needed to address the allegations of Israeli apartheid and ensure the protection of Palestinian rights under international law.Victor is the author of one monograph, four edited books, and more than 30 single authored articles that have been published in peer reviewed journals. He has also published widely on social media, including scholarly blogs, and his scholarship has been cited by the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Judges of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), states in advisory proceedings before the ICJ, Special Rapporteurs to the UN Human Rights Council, the Congressional Research Service, and leading academics.His recent publications include an edited book with Brian Cuddy, titled 'Making Endless War: The Vietnam and Arab-Israeli Conflicts in the History of International Law' and 'The Breakup of India and Palestine: The Causes and Legacies of Partition' which he edited with Amit Ranjan.

This Palestinian Children's Day Israel is blocking the entry of lifesaving humanitarian aid into Gaza and starving minors to death. Charities are unable to access aid that is waiting on the other side of the border and parts of Gaza remain completely off limits to them because of the occupation forces' siege. Thousands face death, scores may have already died of malnutrition but we just don't know about them, Save the Children's tells MEMO. As Israel's war on Gaza enters its seventh month, conditions in the besieged Strip have worsened. Palestinian children now face hunger and severe malnutrition as Israel deliberately prevents humanitarian access to Gaza, which means aid organisations are unable to reach those most in need. Tel Aviv's attacks on hospitals, homes, neighbourhoods and refugee camps means people are unable to reach health facilities to get the care they need. Most people are living below the radar and so the scale of the crisis is not being captured in officially released statistics. MEMO in Conversation is joined by Alexandra Saieh, head of Save the Children's humanitarian policy and advocacy, to discuss the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding and how the charity is trying to respond to it.