The Big Picture with Mohamed Hassan

Putin, NATO and the threat of nuclear war - has the world entered a new reality?More than a year and a half ago, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shocked the world, destabilising energy markets, food security and diplomacy. But attempts by the US to rally the world behind Ukraine have failed, with many former allies choosing instead to sit on the sidelines and bide their time - signalling a fissure after decades of unchallenged Western hegemony.This week on The Big Picture podcast, we sit down with MEE’s Editor in Chief David Hearst, who reflects on his time reporting in post-Soviet Russia to analyse the current global landscape, and the ways in which the Ukraine war has pushed it to the point of no return.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

What happens when a dictator uses drug trafficking as a tool of diplomacy?The psychoactive drug known as Captagon has exploded across the Middle East and Europe, leading many countries to clasify it as an ‘epidemic’. The highly-addictive pill used to be made in Turkey and Latin America, but that slowly changed after the Syrian Civil War. Today, 80% of the global supplies come from Syria, and many have accused Bashar al-Assad of using the drug to generate billions in revenue for the government, bypassing sanctions, and to put pressure on his neighbours to resume diplomatic ties.That gambit seems to have paid off in May when, after more than 10 years, Syria was welcomed back into the Arab League.In this week’s episode of The Big Picture, we sit down with Dr Lina Khatib, head of the Middle East Institute at SOAS University. Dr Khatib says despite years of sanctions and political pressure, Assad has emerged feeling victorious.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

Could the BDS movement soon become illegal in the UK?Under a new bill, the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill, boycotting foreign countries will become illegal for public bodies, which would include councils, unions and student organisations.The law specifically protects Israel from being targetted, and bars public bodies from even voicing support for pro-Palestinian BDS initiatives even if they don’t take part.The bill, spearheaded by Secretary of State for Levelling Up Michale Gove, passed its first two readings in parliament, but a large number of Conservative MPs vow to break away from their party and fight it.In this episode of The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with Conservative MP Cripsin Blunt, who also serves as the director of the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians. He says the bill will set a dangerous precedent for free speech and will create a dangerous environment for activists as well as Jewish communities.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

Are we witnessing the beginning of a new Palestinian uprising?The Israeli raid on Jenin this week marked a sudden escalation of violence in an increasingly tense West Bank, with calls for armed insurrections in several Palestinian cities.12 people, including three children, died in Jenin, adding to the toll of more than 100 Palestinians that have been killed since 2022.Israel’s far-right government vows the raids will continue, as the Palestinian Authority faces growing anger for failing to intervene, and a young generation ready to take up arms.In the first episode of our second season of The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with Palestinian ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot, who says international media is helping Israel continue to evade accountability, and that Palestinians are frustrated and hopeless.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

On the frontlines of technological leaps are often people in power - governments, police, intelligence agencies and militaries - trying to use new research to advance the ways in which they operate. But what happens when these powers aren’t used for good? Who can keep the powerful in check in a global digital age?In this episode of The Big Picture, we sit down with architect and investigator Eyal Weizman to talk about how Israel uses urban planning to expand its control of the West Bank and why he decided to start a crime-fighting team of architects, journalists, and coders called Forensic Architecture to hold governments to account.Producer & Audio Editing:  Houda Fansa JawadiFilming & Recording: Hossam SarhanGFX: Anas Alaa www.middlleeasteye.net We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

Kurdish political groups and militias have been fighting for independence for more than a century, pitting them against the governments of four countries: Turkey, Iran, Syria and Iraq.  These groups rallied around the idea of a ‘Greater Kurdistan’, though critics say this romanticised homeland never really existed and that modern Kurds should accept their place in their adopted nation-states.In this episode of The Big Picture, we speak with lecturer and historian Dr Zeynep Kaya about the ‘Kurdish question’, the upcoming Turkish elections and how war, terrorism and economics have changed the way Kurds see themselves.Producer & Audio Editing:  Houda Fansa JawadiFilming & Recording: Hossam SarhanGFX: Anas Alaa www.middlleeasteye.net We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

Do Muslims have a place in the so-called ‘cultre war’?In many Western countries, a battle has waged between progressives and conservatives jostling in the political sphere and online. Many young Muslims have found themselves embroiled in these same conversations on gender, sexuality and tradition, creating a schism that threatens to divide their communities.In this episode of The Big Picture, we speak with American theologian and public speaker Dr. Yasir Qadhi about the role of Muslim scholars in the debate and Islam’s answer to the question of modernity.Audio Editing:  Houda Fansa JawadiFilming & Recording: Hossam SarhanGFX: Anas Alaa www.middlleeasteye.net We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

Four years after the Christchurch terror attacks, Aya al-Umari is fighting to change her brother’s story from ‘victim’ to ‘hero’.Hussein al-Umari was killed on 15 March in an act of white supremacy that claimed the lives of 51 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand. Despite local and international attention shifting elsewhere, the survivors and families at the centre of the attacks continue to struggle with grief, pain and new beginnings.In this episode of The Big Picture, Aya al-Umari shares her own journey of grieving her brother and why the world needs to know his story.Audio editing & mixing: Houda Fansa JawadiCredit: Movespace www.middlleeasteye.net We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

After nearly four years of delay, the independent review into the UK’s counter-terror programme ‘Prevent’ has been published. The highly controversial strategy has been slammed by Muslim groups for creating an environment of fear and suspicion around ordinary citizens, who have been questioned in their workplaces, schools and medical facilities as a result.Instead, the review by William Showcross praises Prevent, highlighting instead the need to counter what he calls ‘bad faith’ actors trying to undermine the programme.In this episode of The Big Picture, we sit down with Dr Layla Aitlhadj, the director and lead campaigner of Prevent Watch, a Muslim-led initiative representing those impacted by the Prevent programme, some as young as four years old.Producer & Audio Editing:  Houda Fansa JawadiFilming & Recording: Hossam SarhanGFX: Anas Alaa www.middlleeasteye.net We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

Andrew Tate’s sudden and meteoric rise as a men’s rights influencer has captivated the attention of young men all over the world and shocked many others, including teachers and parents, about why their children are drawn in by his mix of misogyny and self-help guruisms. Despite his arrest on sex trafficking charges by Romanian authorities, his loyal followers continue to stand by him, including a large group of Muslim men.Educator, teacher, podcaster and speaker Zahara Chowdhury has made a career from talking to young people and their parents about difficult topics - diversity, inclusion, toxic masculinity and social media. As a teacher and parent, her unique perspectives on how to listen, engage and challenge young people on a variety of views have made her a popular speaker across the UK. In this episode of The Big Picture, we sit down with Chowdhury to talk about why Tate and other right-wing influencers appeal to young men and how parents can dispel his most harmful ideas.Producer & Audio Editing: Houda Fansa JawadiFilming & Recording: Hossam SarhanGFX: Anas Alaa www.middlleeasteye.net We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG