Kalam

When Bashar al Assad’s government fell just a couple of days ago, after a two week whirlwind campaign by opposition forces which surprised the entire world, it signalled the end of more than 54 years of rule by the Assad family and it’s the so called Ba’th-party. While it has been no secret that Syria under Assad was a repressive and violent state, the images and stories of the prisoners released after decades in it’s notorious Sednaya prison as have raised awareness global to the plight of the Syrian people. But what was this peculiar beast we called the Assad-regime? How did the Assad family come to power, and manage stay in power for so long? And what does it’s sudden collapse signal, for Syrians suddenly freed from its yoke, as well as for the future of the Middle East in general? With us today to answer these questions is Sune Haugbølle, professor of Global Political Sociology at Roskilde University, and author of numerous books and articles on The Middle East and Syria. He has spent years living and traveling in the country and studied it’s regime, writing amongst other things on its infamous prison system and secret services. If you enjoy Kalam Podcast and want to support the show, there is an excellent way to do so - by signing up to our Patreon. For just $3/month you'll gain access to full length interviews with all our guests and lots of bonus material - including our series Kalam Shorts: 10-15 explainers of concepts like Zionism and Orientalism. Join at patreon.com/kalampodcast [https://www.patreon.com/kalampodcast] For continuous updates on the podcast and content about Palestine and the Middle East, follow us on Instagram @kalampodcast [https://www.instagram.com/kalampodcast/] Please subscribe to Kalam Podcast in whatever podcast application you're listening to right now - and give us a rating. It helps other people find out about us.

It's official, at least if you ask the world's leading human rights organisation, Amnesty International: Israel is guilty of committing the crime of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. In today's episode the Secretary General of Amnesty International herself, Agnes Callamard, walks us through the organisation's damning report on the genocide in Gaza. We know there’s a lot going on in Syria right now, and we are working on bringing you a special series on the developing situation there. But the war on Gaza is ongoing and this report from Amnesty International is historic. So please take the time to listen to the head of Amnesty, Agnes Callamard. If you enjoy Kalam Podcast and want to support the show, there is an excellent way to do so - by signing up to our Patreon. For just $3 a month you'll gain access to full length interviews with all our guests and lots of bonus material - including our series Kalam Shorts: 10-15 explainers of concepts like Zionism and Orientalism. Join at patreon.com/kalampodcast [https://www.patreon.com/kalampodcast] For continuous updates on the podcast and content about Palestine and the Middle East, follow us on Instagram @kalampodcast [https://www.instagram.com/kalampodcast/] Please subscribe to Kalam Podcast in whatever podcast application you're listening to right now - and give us a rating. It helps other people find out about us.

The regime of Bashar al Assad has fallen and Syrians around the world are celebrating. So what happens now? Anything is possible in such times, and we must hope for the best for the people of Syria who so desperately deserve freedom, dignity and the right to choose their government. In today's episode we look at what recent events mean for regional and global players like Turkey, Israel, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the US and Iran as well as what the group who has taken over Syria says it wants to do moving forward. If you enjoy Kalam Podcast and want to support the show, there is an excellent way to do so - by signing up to our Patreon. For just $3 a month you'll gain access to full length interviews with all our guests and lots of bonus material - including our series Kalam Shorts: 10-15 explainers of concepts like Zionism and Orientalism. Join at patreon.com/kalampodcast [https://www.patreon.com/kalampodcast] For continuous updates on the podcast and content about Palestine and the Middle East, follow us on Instagram @kalampodcast [https://www.instagram.com/kalampodcast/] Please subscribe to Kalam Podcast in whatever podcast application you're listening to right now - and give us a rating. It helps other people find out about us.

The Syrian conflict has reignited as opposition forces under the leadership of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) broke out of Idlib, capturing key cities like Aleppo, Hama and finally Damascus, with minimal resistance. What does the apparent fall of the Assad Family's half-century hold on power mean for the country? In today's episode, Nora Adin Fares interviews Dr. Neil Quilliam, an analyst and associate fellow at Chatham House as we dive deeper into what this means for the Syrian people. Are they welcoming this development, or is there more to the story? What does it mean for the region? If you enjoy Kalam Podcast and want to support the show, there is an excellent way to do so - by signing up to our Patreon. For just $3 a month you'll gain access to full length interviews with all our guests and lots of bonus material - including our series Kalam Shorts: 10-15 explainers of concepts like Zionism and Orientalism. Join at patreon.com/kalampodcast [https://www.patreon.com/kalampodcast] For continuous updates on the podcast and content about Palestine and the Middle East, follow us on Instagram @kalampodcast [https://www.instagram.com/kalampodcast/] Please subscribe to Kalam Podcast in whatever podcast application you're listening to right now - and give us a rating. It helps other people find out about us.

The ripple effects of Israel's wars in the Middle East are spinning out of control. Just last week, the Islamist Syrian rebel group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) retook the city of Aleppo, the second-largest city in Syria. How did they manage to do so, and how does the severe weakening of Hezbollah play into it? Will this spell the end of Bashar al Assad's regime? In other news we speak about the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon and the on-going killing of Gaza. If you enjoy Kalam Podcast and want to support the show, there is an excellent way to do so - by signing up to our Patreon. For just $3 a month you'll gain access to full length interviews with all our guests and lots of bonus material - including our series Kalam Shorts: 10-15 explainers of concepts like Zionism and Orientalism. Join at patreon.com/kalampodcast [https://www.patreon.com/kalampodcast] For continuous updates on the podcast and content about Palestine and the Middle East, follow us on Instagram @kalampodcast [https://www.instagram.com/kalampodcast/] Please subscribe to Kalam Podcast in whatever podcast application you're listening to right now - and give us a rating. It helps other people find out about us.