The New Arab Voice

Covid-19 has exacerbated many structural problems in the MENA region, throwing already fragile states, embattled economies, and restive societies into deeper turmoil. Reflecting the deeply rooted inequality in the region, the impact of the pandemic has not been uniform across the region, hitting vulnerable segments, including women and refugees, disproportionately harder. Gender-based marginalization and structural, economic, and physical violence endemic to many parts of the MENA region have been compounded by the invisible viral pandemic. The often strict lockdown measures it has triggered means many women are left trapped with abusers without recourse to shelter or assistance, while many others, despite already being responsible for most thankless unpaid labour as parents or carers in free-falling economies, are now struggling to cope with the added weight of the novel coronavirus. The recorded live discussion focused on the specific ways in which Covid-19 has disproportionately affected women in the Levant subregion of MENA, and what some feminist groups have been doing to improve women’s resilience since the start of the pandemic. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Speakers:Lina Abou-Habib is an expert in mainstreaming gender in development policies and practices and in building capacities for gender mainstreaming in regional and international agencies as well as public institutions. She is currently a Senior Policy Fellow at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs (American University of Beirut).  She also serves as the Chair of the Collective for Research and Training of Development-Action and is a Strategic MENA Advisor for the Global Fund for Women.  She is a member of the editorial board of the Gender and Development journal published by Oxfam and Routledge. She holds an M.A. in Public Health from American University in Beirut.Maria Al Abdeh is a feminist researcher and Executive Director of Women Now For Development (WND). Maria has a PhD in Microbiology. She joined Women Now for Development in November 2013  and since then she accompanied the growth of the organization to become the largest network of women empowerment centers inside Syria and the neighboring countries and participated in many campaigns and conferences to reach out the voices of the most vulnerable women to the media, activists and decision makers, and focuses on women and conflict and women rights in the MENA region. In March 2016 Maria received the Award of Feminine Success in France, and together with WND received in May 2016 the Award of ‘Delivering Lasting Change’ for commitment to Justice and Dignity from CARE international. Soheir Asaad is a political and feminist Palestinian activist, and an organizer in the "Tal'at Movement" – a Palestinian political feminist movement. Launched in September 2019 under the slogan “There is no free homeland without free women”, Tal’at seeks to build Palestinian, de-fragmented feminist solidarity and activism across the whole of historic Palestine and the diaspora community. Asaad is also a human rights advocate and has a Masters degree in Law (LL.M.) with Honors from the Center for Civil & Human Rights at the University of Notre Dame (US), with a focus on international human rights law.Moderator:Danya Hajjaji is a journalist at The New Arab. She previously served as Patti Birch Fellow for Middle East Research at the Committee to Protect Journalists. Danya earned her MS in Journalism from Columbia University and her BA in Media and Communications from the University of Sussex.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following on from last week’s episode focusing on how the Coronavirus is affecting the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, this week we will focus on the hardships that many across the Middle East and North Africa are facing during this month, especially vulnerable groups.We will focus on how the region’s financial downturn coupled with the demands of Ramadan could fuel social unrest, and the effect on mental health and general well being. Next we will discuss why the outbreak of Covid-19 in war-torn Yemen is being ignored by many, even though an outbreak in the country could result in an unprecedented death toll.Finally, we will find out why lockdown measures are producing life-threatening circumstances for women in the region.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more.(Produced by Gaia Caramazza, Music by Omar al-Fil @elepheel. To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TheNewArabVoice) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The New Arab Voice, we want to highlight how Muslims all over the world, are coping with the sudden change of circumstances and how they are finding creative ways to keep alive the sacred practices of their faith during the holy month of ramadan. We will also be speaking with UK-based General practitioner Dr. Milad Hilli who has all the answers to your health-related queries surrounding Ramadan and Covid-19.At the end of this special Ramadan episode, I will speak to my colleagues from The New Arab newsroom who have been preparing earnestly for Ramadan, to understand how they are coping with the Loss of communal spaces and being cut off from extended families and communities.Lastly, you’ll hear my chat with my colleague and vegan food aficionado, Diana Alghoul, about why food is important to keep your body and mind healthy during this ramadan.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more.(Produced by Gaia Caramazza, Music by Omar al-Fil @elepheel. To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TheNewArabVoice) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Visit our website on: https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/4/16/how-the-lgbt-community-is-coping-with-the-coronavirusMany LGBTQIA+ individuals are going suffering even more injustice during the Coronavirus pandemic. In this episode, we will be speaking to members of LGBT+ communities living in the Middle East and those who are part of the Arab or Muslim diaspora.We will also speak with representatives of LGBT+ advocacy organisations in Lebanon and Tunisia to understand how they are adapting their activities to provide aid to their communities even during a pandemic.Then we will speak to Sabah Choudrey, a youth trans worker, who will highlight the unique issues facing the trans community, and their relationship to the Islamic faith.Finally, Aniqah Choudhri will explore why the feelings of isolation and loneliness many of us are experiencing during lockdown are not new for the Muslim LGBT+ community.(Produced by Gaia Caramazza, Music by Omar al-Fil @elepheel. To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TheNewArabVoice)Resources:Trans youth support from Sabah’s organisation, Gendered Intelligence: http://genderedintelligence.co.uk/support/trans-youth Information on how to apply for emergency funding if you are LGBTQ POC: https://www.gofundme.com/f/nepjh-uk-qtibipoc-emergency-relief-amp-hardship-fund  https://knock.houseofpride.co/covid-19  https://www.stonewall.org.uk/about-us/news/covid-19-%E2%80%93-how-lgbt-inclusive-organisations-can-help  https://www.outsavvy.com/event/4453/misery-meets-tickets   Previous episodesEpisode 5 - Hope, strength, creativity: Middle Easterners taking the battle with the coronavirus into their own handsEpisode 4 - Paranoia, conflict, and resilience: The Middle East at war with the coronavirusEpisode 3 - Coronavirus plagues Iran, Arab citizens and the Israeli election, and 'Pharaoh' Mubarak dies-TNA Voice podcastEpisode 2 - Trump's 'Steal of the Century', Putin's bloodbath in Idlib, and Lebanon's 'feminist' cabinet-TNA Voice podcastEpisode 1 - Silencing love: How the religious police controls the most intimate moments of life in MalaysiaFollow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we want to bring to light the heart-warming stories that have emerged from the tragedy of the Coronavirus pandemic: from the frontline medics and nurses, to creatives and activists, individuals across the globe have banned together to fight the virus that is changing the very fabric of our society. First, we'll discuss how doctors in Egypt are finding creative ways to give their patients medical advice, and how medics in Iran are keeping positive by busting a move in their medical wards. Then, we will speak to the founder of a Lebanese effort that is building life-saving equipment which is running in low supply in hospitals all over the world. We will also be speaking to the founder of Baytna Baytak, a Lebanese initiative to provide medics with homes so they can quarantine away from their families.We will also find out how activists in Palestine and refugees in Lebanon are desperately trying to sow more face masks and encourage people to wear them. At the end of this episode, find out how an Egyptian immigrant is provide vital resources in one of the worst-hit areas of Coronavirus-plagued Italy.(Produced by Gaia Caramazza, Music by Omar al-Fil @elepheel)Subscribe on:Apple - http://apple.co/33GTVz9Spotify - http://spoti.fi/2worjyqFind us below:Website - https://www.alaraby.co.uk/englishFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/AlAraby.enTwitter - https://twitter.com/TheNewArabVoiceInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/thenewarab/YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtTSYCBRRUStmL2oQLaqbDQ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode we look at why the Egyptian government has threatened journalists after they suggested the real number of Coronavirus cases in the country may be far higher than those reported by the authorities.Then, we analyse how countries hit by conflict in the region are at particular risk from the global pandemic, especially war-torn Syria and Yemen, and how they are dealing with the virus despite the odds.But it’s not all bad news... in the last segment of our episode, we will look at how several countries in the region seem to be containing the outbreak of Covid-19 so far and flattening the curve of the epidemic’s spread.(Produced by Gaia Caramazza, Music by Omar al-Fil @elepheel)Find us below:Websitehttps://www.alaraby.co.uk/englishFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/AlAraby.enTwitterhttps://twitter.com/The_NewArabInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/thenewarab/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtTSYCBRRUStmL2oQLaqbDQ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The third episode of our The New Arab Voice is out today! Tune in for a dissection of the Coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East centred in Iran, catch-up on the Israeli elections where the vote of Palestinian citizens is more relevant than ever, and dive into the life of Egypt’s longest ruling autocrat Hosni Mubarak. Keep listening to find out what happened to a Saudi female rapper who disappeared after posting a video about being a 'girl from Mecca'.Subcribe now to the podcast and support our high-quality audio journalism(Produced by Gaia Caramazza, Music by Omar al-Fil @elepheel)Websitehttps://www.alaraby.co.uk/englishFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/AlAraby.enTwitterhttps://twitter.com/The_NewArabInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/thenewarab/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtTSYCBRRUStmL2oQLaqbDQ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Subcribe now!----In this episode, The New Arab Voice tackles Donald Trump’s so-called “Deal of the Century”, which many Palestinians are dubbing the steal of the century for its bias in favour of Israel. We interview Dr. Ian Black to comment on what lies ahead for Palestinians. The episode will also discuss the latest escalation in Syria which experts fear may turn into yet another bloodbath, and we’ll be speaking to female activists in Lebanon to talk about whether the record number of women appointed to the new cabinet can really make a difference for women in the country. Beyond political news, we talk to media watchers about the curious murder investigation haunting Lebanon’s most famous diva Nancy Ajram and her husband, who shot dead a Syrian alleged intruder, highlighting issues of bias and racism.(Produced by Gaia Caramazza, Music by Omar al-Fil @elepheel)Websitehttps://www.alaraby.co.uk/englishFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/AlAraby.enTwitterhttps://twitter.com/The_NewArabInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/thenewarab/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtTSYCBRRUStmL2oQLaqbDQ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode one:Reporting an adultery?  In Malaysia, there's an app for that, apparently.In the early hours of a December morning in 2016, A Malaysian man was found dead, lying face down at the foot of an apartment complex in the central state of Selangor. He had jumped from the fourth floor of a high-rise building, leaving a woman who would later admit to being the man’s lover, severely distressed. As later reported by the country’s media, he was fleeing from the Malaysian religious police. Officers had gone out on that night to catch unsuspecting lovers who had broken the country’s Islamic laws, which prohibit extra-marital sex, and would rather face death than public shame.In this episode of the New Arab Voice podcast, we’ll be exploring the ways in which Malaysians are affected by the workings of the tech-savvy mysterious religious police, and how citizens have developed ways to outsmart it.(Produced by Gaia Caramazza, Music by Omar al-Fil @elepheel, Research by Taufiq Wan)Websitehttps://www.alaraby.co.uk/englishFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/AlAraby.en/Twitterhttps://twitter.com/The_NewArabInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/thenewarab/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtTSYCBRRUStmL2oQLaqbDQ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.